The purpose of this study is to design and development of an online professional development material for science and technology teachers in order to solve their problems related with assessment and evaluation issues of constructivist learning. For this purpose, design and development research method was used in design, development and validation of this instructional tool. Research has been performed in two parts. In the first part, design and development of online professional development material was carried out. In this part, ADDIE model with rapid prototyping procedure was used in three phases. To gather science and technology teachers&rsquo / perceptions and attitudes towards prototypes, semi-structured interview schedule, Internet Tutorial Attitude Questionnaire, and a Checklist for Product Evaluation was conducted to 21 science and technology teachers in total. These data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods to reveal considerations of science and technology teachers about these prototypes and to make adjustments on these prototypes accordingly. In second part, final version of this material was evaluated. In this phase, researcher used self-efficacy questionnaire about alternative assessment and evaluation methods and a checklist for material validation. These instruments were administered both before and after use of final version of online professional development material. Descriptive data analysis was conducted to reveal differences in participants&rsquo / perceived-knowledge, beliefs, and applications about alternative assessment and evaluation methods after use of online professional development material. Research results disclosed participants&rsquo / beliefs and attitudes towards content, design and usability issues of online professional development material. Besides, validation of online professional development material revealed positive changes in participants&rsquo / perceived-knowledge, their classroom practices, self-efficacy beliefs and their perceptions about appropriateness of alternative assessment methods&rsquo / usage in classroom.

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology, 2006 x, 68 leaves / The purpose of this study is to identify the training needs of leather technicians with the aim of supporting corporate competitive advantage within their company. Identifying competencies is an essential first step towards developing a training programme and to support corporate competitive advantage.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the ”accelerated” development training programme by using two specifically compiled in-basket exercises equivalent in complexity. A pre- and post-evaluation were performed to determine whether learning transfer actually took place-that is, whether competencies developed. The research focused on the following competencies: action orientation; planning and organising; analysis and problem solving; teamness; and impact. From the statistical analysis conducted, significant differences were obtained for three competencies, impact, action orientation and problem solving. The separation of variables proved to be problematic and the results could not be attributed directly to the training programme. The results are explained, the design of the evaluation critically reviewed and recommendations made to improve the design of the evaluation. The value of the study is discussed and directions for possible future research provided. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. A.(Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The research presented in this thesis represents a body of work which addresses issues in medical imaging, primarily as it applies to breast cancer screening and laparoscopic surgery. The concern here is how computer based methods can aid medical practitioners in these tasks. Thus, research is presented which develops both new techniques of analysing radiologists performance data and also new approaches of examining surgeons visual behaviour when they are undertaking laparoscopic training. Initially a new chest X-Ray self-assessment application is described which has been developed to assess and improve radiologists performance in detecting lung cancer. Then, in breast cancer screening, a method of identifying potential poor performance outliers at an early stage in a national self-assessment scheme is demonstrated. Additionally, a method is presented to optimize whether a radiologist, in using this scheme, has correctly localised and identified an abnormality or made an error. One issue in appropriately measuring radiological performance in breast screening is that both the size of clinical monitors used and the difficulty in linking the medical image to the observer s line of sight hinders suitable eye tracking. Consequently, a new method is presented which links these two items. Laparoscopic surgeons have similar issues to radiologists in interpreting a medical display but with the added complications of hand-eye co-ordination. Work is presented which examines whether visual search feedback of surgeons operations can be useful training aids.

This thesis is primarily focused on the field of evaluation of organizational training and its possible application on outdoor-teambuilding training activities. The goal of the paper is to critically analyze the current state of knowledge of training evaluation and, based on the discovered facts, to synthetize evaluation model, which could be used for evaluating outdoor- teambuilding programs. Firstly, the basic concepts of outdoor-training, teambuilding and evaluation are introduced. In the following chapters, there is the presentation and comparison of chosen evaluation models, which are used in the field of training. Above mentioned part provides a theoretical base for the thesis and based on this, there is a new model introduced, which is modified specifically for outdoor-teambuilding evaluation. In the conclusion, there are also recommendations for further studies and researches. Key Words: evaluation, training evaluation, evaluation models, applied evaluation, current trends in evaluation, outdoor training, teambuilding

This mixed methods study investigated 5th-grade teachers' reported use of computer technology and variables that have been identified by researchers as affecting teachers' use of technology, including professional development activities, physical access to computer technology, and technical and instructional support provided for teachers. Quantitative data were collected from 80 5th-grade teachers from a Florida public school district through an online survey in which teachers reported how frequently they used and had their students use computer technology for 27 different purposes. The teachers also reported the amount of emphasis those 27 different topics received during their technology-related professional development experiences, the number of hours they participated in technology-related professional development, the number of months they participating in a technology coaching/mentoring program, the access their students had to computers in the classroom and in a one-to-one co mputing environment, and the frequency that they received technical and instructional support. Information from the school district's technology plan provided a context for the study. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with seven of the survey participants. The findings indicated that for 18 different purposes of technology, there was a significant correlation between how frequently teachers used and had their students use technology and the teacher-reported emphasis those topics received during technology related professional development. Self-reported frequency of support, student-to-computer ratio in the classroom, hours of professional development, and months of mentoring did not moderate the relationship between frequency of technology use and the content of professional development. / The relationship between having students use technology to work cooperatively or collaboratively and the reported emphasis that topic received in professional development strengthened if teachers reported that their students had access to a one-to-one computing environment. An additional finding was that the teachers' reported frequency of use of technology and reported emphasis of content of technology-related professional development leaned toward direct instruction and test preparation and leaned less toward innovative uses of technology. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered for technology integration and professional development for teachers at the elementary school level. / by Debbie Beaudry. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

INTRODUÇÃO: A utilização de treinamento on-line para capacitação técnica e atualização dos profissionais de saúde sofre grande expansão, sendo importante a avaliação do impacto na prática profissional. OBJETIVOS: desenvolver e avaliar o impacto do treinamento on-line Identificação da demência em idosos, aplicado aos profissionais de saúde da atenção básica. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma pesquisa de produção tecnológica, quantitativa, descritiva, multivariada, correlacional, longitudinal, do tipo painel. As variáveis de critério foram: Escores de Aprendizagem e Impacto do Treinamento no Trabalho, medido em Profundidade e em Amplitude. As variáveis antecedentes integram os componentes de Reação, Características da Clientela e Suporte à Transferência. O local do estudo foi um ambulatório de atenção secundária do Sistema Único de Saúde especializado na atenção à saúde ao idoso, referência para 100 unidades básicas na zona norte de São Paulo. A amostra compôs de 40 profissionais que atendiam aos critérios de inclusão. Na análise dos dados, as escalas de Likert (1 a 5) foram apresentadas por frequências absolutas e relativas e as associações entre questões utilizaram o teste Exato de Fisher. As medidas contínuas foram apresentadas em médias, desvios padrão e medidas de posição (mínimo, máximo, quartis), a correlação das notas e das demais variáveis utilizaram os testes t-student (2 fatores) e ANOVA (3 ou mais fatores). A análise de correlação entre as variáveis de impacto utilizou o teste de Spearman, com p de 5%. RESULTADOS: O desenvolvimento do treinamento foi fundamentado na perspectiva da aprendizagem significativa, abrangendo quatro módulos. A avaliação de aprendizagem pré treinamento on-line foi 6,24 + 1,25, da pós imediata 7,66 + 1,21 e a pós tardia (180 dias após o fim do curso) 7,24 + 0,84 (notas 0 a 10) com ganho estatisticamente significante entre pré e pós imediata (p<0.005). A avaliação de reação apresentou escore de 4,26 + 0,62 com os itens tutor e material didático apresentando, respectivamente, as maiores média, 4,75 + 0,77 e 4,33 + 0,85. O impacto em profundidade foi positivo, com escore geral de 3,66 + 0,76 e o domínio da avaliação da demência teve melhor impacto 4,12 + 0,95. O impacto em Amplitude, apresentou média de 2,23 + 0,81. O Suporte à Transferência obteve média geral 2,97 + 0,81, demonstrando que há necessidade de investimentos na política de desenvolvimento de pessoal com apoio gerencial, social (dos colegas) e organizacional para a aplicação de novos conhecimentos na prática profissional. Constatou-se a associação positiva entre reação e a aprendizagem e reação com os impactos em profundidade e amplitude. CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo demonstrou que o treinamento on-line construído com base nos pressupostos da aprendizagem significativa contribuiu para a capacitação dos profissionais de saúde, identificando a importância do papel do tutor especialista na área e de materiais didáticos educacionais teórico-práticos, dirigidos, dinâmicos, objetivos e contextualizados na prática profissional. A pesquisa contribuirá para o fortalecimento de propostas de educação permanente inovadoras e aderentes ao contexto tecnológico atual da saúde e da enfermagem. / INTRODUCTION: The use of e-learning for technical training and continuing education of health professionals is greatly expanding; therefore, it is important to assess its impact on professional practice. OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate the impact of an e-learning module on the identification of dementia in the elderly, as applied to health professionals working in primary care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a survey of production technology, quantitative, descriptive, multivariate, correlational, longitudinal panel data. The variables of criterion were: Scores of Learning and Impact of Training on Work, measured in Depth and in Breadth. The previous variables comprise the components of Reaction, Characteristics of the clientele and Support the Transfer. The study site was an outpatient secondary care in the Unified Health System specialized in health care for the elderly, and used as a reference to 100 other units in the northern region of São Paulo. Following the inclusion criteria, 40 professionals were part of the research. Evaluation of the contribution of e-learning on acquired and strengthen skills and on transfer support. In data analysis, the Likert scales (1-5) were presented as absolute and relative frequencies and associations between questions used the Fisher exact test. Descriptive analyses of continuous variables were conducted using means, standard deviations and measures of position (minimum, maximum, quartiles). notes the correlation with the other variables used the Student t test (2 factors) or ANOVA (3 or more risk factors). Correlation analysis between impact variables used Spearman\'s test, with p = 5%. RESULTS: The development of e-learning was based on the prospect of meaningful learning, with 04 module. Assessing learning on-line pre e-learning was 6.24 + 1.25, the immediate aftermath was 7.66 + 1.21 and late post (180 days after the end stroke) was 7.24 + 0.84 ,in a scale from 0 to 10, with a statistically significant increase between pre and immediate post (p<0.005). The reaction evaluation scores were 4.26 + 0.62, in a scale from 0 to 05, items with the tutor and teaching materials presenting, respectively, the highest average of 4.75 + 0.77 and 4.33 + 0.85. The impact was positive in depth with overall score of 3.66 + 0.76 It was found that the e-learning had an effect on the acquisition of the skills, with a score of 4.29 + 0.66, in a scale from 0 to 10. The impact amplitude was positive, with a mean of 2.23 + 0.81. The Transfer Support showed overall , mean 2.97 + 0.81, in a scale from 0 to 05, demonstrating that there is a need to invest in staff development policy management, social support (from colleagues), and for organizational implementation of continuous learning on the job. Constatou-se associação positiva entre reação e a aprendizagem e reação com os impactos em profundidade e amplitude. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that e-learning built from assumptions of meaningful learning contributes to the training of health professionals, identifying the importance of the role of the expert tutor in the areas of theoretical and practical education, targeted educational learning materials, dynamic, contextualized goals and professional practice. The research contributes to the literature by strengthening the evidence that innovative proposals for lifelong learning and adherence to the current technological context of health and nursing are promising.

According to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such practices impacted student learning, as well as the methods in which current standards, recommendations and practices were implemented in the full time K-8 virtual school setting. The relationship between virtual school teacher practices and their Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) was also explored. Using the standards, practices and recommendations developed for online learning from International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL), National Education Association (NEA), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) a team of focus group members gave input on the common practices for teaching students in the full time K-8 virtual school environment. The results included 11 general virtual school teacher practices, 12 teacher practices relating to evaluation and three practices relating to special needs and diverse learners. Qualitative and quantitative findings indicated that teachers most frequently meet the established practices through the following strategies: phone conferences, live sessions with students, feedback on assessments, webmail communication, professional development, collaborating with peers/teacher collaboration, professional learning communities, curriculum based assessments on the phone, communicating with family stakeholders, and determining students in the bottom quartile. A framework for K-8 full time virtual school pedagogy which includes evaluating student learning and individualizing instruction through technology tools and collaborative methods was developed. Finally, the quantitative findings indicated that of the three virtual school teacher practice categories (teacher practice, evaluation and special needs and diverse learners), evaluation was the leading predictor of teacher TPACK scores. Specifically, collaboration, having an online voice and presence, and using data from assessments to modify instruction were found to significantly predict a teacher’s Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Using virtual school teachers’ expertise on the practices which most impact student learning and the methods for implementing virtual school teacher practices, the researcher created a draft full time K-8 virtual school teacher evaluation rubric. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

INTRODUÇÃO: A utilização de treinamento on-line para capacitação técnica e atualização dos profissionais de saúde sofre grande expansão, sendo importante a avaliação do impacto na prática profissional. OBJETIVOS: desenvolver e avaliar o impacto do treinamento on-line Identificação da demência em idosos, aplicado aos profissionais de saúde da atenção básica. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma pesquisa de produção tecnológica, quantitativa, descritiva, multivariada, correlacional, longitudinal, do tipo painel. As variáveis de critério foram: Escores de Aprendizagem e Impacto do Treinamento no Trabalho, medido em Profundidade e em Amplitude. As variáveis antecedentes integram os componentes de Reação, Características da Clientela e Suporte à Transferência. O local do estudo foi um ambulatório de atenção secundária do Sistema Único de Saúde especializado na atenção à saúde ao idoso, referência para 100 unidades básicas na zona norte de São Paulo. A amostra compôs de 40 profissionais que atendiam aos critérios de inclusão. Na análise dos dados, as escalas de Likert (1 a 5) foram apresentadas por frequências absolutas e relativas e as associações entre questões utilizaram o teste Exato de Fisher. As medidas contínuas foram apresentadas em médias, desvios padrão e medidas de posição (mínimo, máximo, quartis), a correlação das notas e das demais variáveis utilizaram os testes t-student (2 fatores) e ANOVA (3 ou mais fatores). A análise de correlação entre as variáveis de impacto utilizou o teste de Spearman, com p de 5%. RESULTADOS: O desenvolvimento do treinamento foi fundamentado na perspectiva da aprendizagem significativa, abrangendo quatro módulos. A avaliação de aprendizagem pré treinamento on-line foi 6,24 + 1,25, da pós imediata 7,66 + 1,21 e a pós tardia (180 dias após o fim do curso) 7,24 + 0,84 (notas 0 a 10) com ganho estatisticamente significante entre pré e pós imediata (p<0.005). A avaliação de reação apresentou escore de 4,26 + 0,62 com os itens tutor e material didático apresentando, respectivamente, as maiores média, 4,75 + 0,77 e 4,33 + 0,85. O impacto em profundidade foi positivo, com escore geral de 3,66 + 0,76 e o domínio da avaliação da demência teve melhor impacto 4,12 + 0,95. O impacto em Amplitude, apresentou média de 2,23 + 0,81. O Suporte à Transferência obteve média geral 2,97 + 0,81, demonstrando que há necessidade de investimentos na política de desenvolvimento de pessoal com apoio gerencial, social (dos colegas) e organizacional para a aplicação de novos conhecimentos na prática profissional. Constatou-se a associação positiva entre reação e a aprendizagem e reação com os impactos em profundidade e amplitude. CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo demonstrou que o treinamento on-line construído com base nos pressupostos da aprendizagem significativa contribuiu para a capacitação dos profissionais de saúde, identificando a importância do papel do tutor especialista na área e de materiais didáticos educacionais teórico-práticos, dirigidos, dinâmicos, objetivos e contextualizados na prática profissional. A pesquisa contribuirá para o fortalecimento de propostas de educação permanente inovadoras e aderentes ao contexto tecnológico atual da saúde e da enfermagem. / INTRODUCTION: The use of e-learning for technical training and continuing education of health professionals is greatly expanding; therefore, it is important to assess its impact on professional practice. OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate the impact of an e-learning module on the identification of dementia in the elderly, as applied to health professionals working in primary care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a survey of production technology, quantitative, descriptive, multivariate, correlational, longitudinal panel data. The variables of criterion were: Scores of Learning and Impact of Training on Work, measured in Depth and in Breadth. The previous variables comprise the components of Reaction, Characteristics of the clientele and Support the Transfer. The study site was an outpatient secondary care in the Unified Health System specialized in health care for the elderly, and used as a reference to 100 other units in the northern region of São Paulo. Following the inclusion criteria, 40 professionals were part of the research. Evaluation of the contribution of e-learning on acquired and strengthen skills and on transfer support. In data analysis, the Likert scales (1-5) were presented as absolute and relative frequencies and associations between questions used the Fisher exact test. Descriptive analyses of continuous variables were conducted using means, standard deviations and measures of position (minimum, maximum, quartiles). notes the correlation with the other variables used the Student t test (2 factors) or ANOVA (3 or more risk factors). Correlation analysis between impact variables used Spearman\'s test, with p = 5%. RESULTS: The development of e-learning was based on the prospect of meaningful learning, with 04 module. Assessing learning on-line pre e-learning was 6.24 + 1.25, the immediate aftermath was 7.66 + 1.21 and late post (180 days after the end stroke) was 7.24 + 0.84 ,in a scale from 0 to 10, with a statistically significant increase between pre and immediate post (p<0.005). The reaction evaluation scores were 4.26 + 0.62, in a scale from 0 to 05, items with the tutor and teaching materials presenting, respectively, the highest average of 4.75 + 0.77 and 4.33 + 0.85. The impact was positive in depth with overall score of 3.66 + 0.76 It was found that the e-learning had an effect on the acquisition of the skills, with a score of 4.29 + 0.66, in a scale from 0 to 10. The impact amplitude was positive, with a mean of 2.23 + 0.81. The Transfer Support showed overall , mean 2.97 + 0.81, in a scale from 0 to 05, demonstrating that there is a need to invest in staff development policy management, social support (from colleagues), and for organizational implementation of continuous learning on the job. Constatou-se associação positiva entre reação e a aprendizagem e reação com os impactos em profundidade e amplitude. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that e-learning built from assumptions of meaningful learning contributes to the training of health professionals, identifying the importance of the role of the expert tutor in the areas of theoretical and practical education, targeted educational learning materials, dynamic, contextualized goals and professional practice. The research contributes to the literature by strengthening the evidence that innovative proposals for lifelong learning and adherence to the current technological context of health and nursing are promising.

This dissertation study focused on three aspects of staff development in North Texas: 1) funding sources, 2) types of professional learning programs, and 3) teachers' views of the effectiveness of the funded programs. Qualitative data came from interviews with nine district administrators concerning funding sources and how those resources enhanced teacher skills. Quantitative data came from 1,277 responses from teachers regarding their background and perceptions about staff development. Data from interviews with district administrators were diagrammed to depict elements of funding staff development and to reveal how resources were used to plan, implement, and evaluate staff learning. An analysis of interview data revealed that availability of grants, property tax rates, and student enrollment affected how districts funded staff development. Administrators reported that districts funded professional learning that was planned according to academic initiatives, met the needs of adult learners, and adapted to the changing needs of school communities. Both administrators and practitioners reported that time was a lacking resource critical to developing staff knowledge. Practitioners reported that sufficient opportunity to collaborate with colleagues about learning initiatives was more valuable than teaching materials. Teacher questionnaires were analyzed for possible relationships between participant variables and responses concerning knowledge about funding constraints and professional development experiences. Data revealed that practitioner experience and graduate degrees were not related to teachers' use of knowledge about financial constraints to more efficiently implement learning from staff development. Participants did not perceive professional learning differently than peers. Most teachers connected professional learning with improved teaching practices but a small percent attributed student achievement to their professional learning. The majority of teachers considered collaborative learning settings to elicit more personal professional growth than other formats. The findings of the teacher questionnaire suggest that teaching practices could be impacted if participants gained more knowledge about district financial constraints when developing staff professionally. Therefore, future research about how districts share information concerning funding for professional learning is warranted.