Gautam Gulati, Stephen Quigley, Valerie Elizabeth Murphy, Evan Yacoub, John Bogue, Anthony Kearns, Conor O’Neill, Mary Kelly, Aideen Morrison, Gerard Griffin, Mary Blewitt, Elizabeth Fistein, David Meagher and Colum P. Dunne
Individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) form a significant minority in the Irish prison population and worldwide prison populations. There is growing recognition that…
Abstract
Purpose
Individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) form a significant minority in the Irish prison population and worldwide prison populations. There is growing recognition that specialist services for such individuals are in need of development. The purpose of this paper is to propose a care pathway for the management of individuals with an ID who present in prison, based on expert elicitation and consensus.
Design/methodology/approach
A convenience sample of professionals with a special interest in forensic intellectual disabilities was invited to participate in a Delphi exercise. In total, 12 agreed to participation and 10 subsequently completed the study (83.3 per cent). Expert views were elicited using a semi-structured questionnaire. Content analysis was completed using NVivo 11 software. A care pathway was subsequently proposed, based on the outcomes of the analysis, and circulated to participants for debate and consensus. A consensus was reached on management considerations.
Findings
Ten experts across a range of disciplines with a combined experience of 187 years participated in the study. Current provision of care was seen as limited and geographically variable. The vulnerability of prisoners with ID was highlighted. The need for equivalence of care with the community through multidisciplinary input and development of specialist secure and residential placements to facilitate diversion was identified. Consensus was achieved on a proposed care pathway.
Originality/value
This study proposes a care pathway for the assessment and management of prisoners with an ID and is, therefore, potentially relevant to those interested in this topic internationally who may similarly struggle with the current lack of decision-making tools for this setting. Although written from an Irish perspective, it outlines key considerations for psychiatrists in keeping with international guidance and, therefore, may be generalisable to other jurisdictions.
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Wisuit Sunthonkanokpong and Elizabeth Murphy
The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service teachers' concerns about including diverse learners in their classrooms. The study identified which concerns they ranked…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service teachers' concerns about including diverse learners in their classrooms. The study identified which concerns they ranked highest and lowest and which types of diversity they were most concerned about. The study also compared results in relation to demographic variables of gender, year and major.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection relied on the Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale administered online with 343 pre-service teachers enrolled in higher education in Thailand. Analysis aimed to identify what were the highest categories of concerns as well as any significant relationships between concerns and demographic variables of gender, year and major. Analysis also identified the types of diversity about which pre-service teachers were most concerned along with any significant relationships between types of diversity and gender, year and major.
Findings
Results revealed that pre-service teachers ranked lack of resources as their highest concern about teaching diverse learners. Analysis revealed a significant difference for gender with females (p = 0.014) having a significantly higher level of concern about lack of resources than males. Mental health disabilities along with physical and learning disabilities were ranked highest in terms of types of diversity about which they were most concerned. There were no statistically significant differences for demographics regarding type of diversity about which teachers were most concerned.
Originality/value
There is a lack of research related to higher education's role in preparing teachers to teach in contexts of diversity. This study goes beyond traditional definitions to include 12 types of diversity.
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Martina Elizabeth Murphy and Maja-Marija Nahod
Building information modelling (BIM) literature reveals a growing interest in the development of a competency-based approach to manage the long-term goals of BIM implementation in…
Abstract
Purpose
Building information modelling (BIM) literature reveals a growing interest in the development of a competency-based approach to manage the long-term goals of BIM implementation in infrastructure projects. One long-term goal is mitigation of environmental impacts (EIs). It is proposed that by integrating environmental systems within the BIM model, the technology can act as an early warning indicator to assist stakeholders identify and evaluate EIs before they become critical to delivery. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of BIM in identifying EIs on infrastructure projects and investigate the correlation between stakeholder competency and evaluation of EIs.
Design/methodology/approach
In all, 71 informants that have relevant experience in infrastructure projects were investigated using a two-stage methodology comprising a questionnaire to determine the BIM indicators used to identify EIs and the stakeholder competencies required to assess and evaluate EIs and Behavioural Event Interviews (BEIs) to validate the competencies identified.
Findings
The findings showed that risk assessments are the most critical early warning indicator in identifying EIs specifically when implemented within the cost management process. The key stakeholder competencies required to successfully evaluate EIs were identified as project organisation and building equitable relationships. BEIs showed these stakeholders to also have high levels of behavioural and contextual awareness. This suggests that, contrary to perceived perception, successful management of EIs is more dependent on collaborative working than the acquisition of technical skills. Findings also indicated that Croatian BIM stakeholders are less experienced than UK BIM stakeholders in project implementation and delivery and that less experienced BIM stakeholders require more emphasis on technical knowledge whilst the importance of “soft skills” is more apparent in experienced stakeholders, notably amongst the UK participants.
Originality/value
The implications for infrastructure projects show that effective management of EIs can be achieved through alignment of the BIM model with the cost management plan implemented by stakeholders working collaboratively. Hence, the strategic focus for AEC companies working on infrastructure projects should be the development of staff interpersonal competencies rather than solely on project goals and/or an over-emphasis on technical skills.
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Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the…
Abstract
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.
Wuttiporn Suamuang, Surachai Suksakulchai and Elizabeth Murphy
The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously investigate a variety of factors related to assignment completion (AC) (i.e. task orientation, cooperation, teacher feedback, time…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously investigate a variety of factors related to assignment completion (AC) (i.e. task orientation, cooperation, teacher feedback, time management and time spent on AC).
Design/methodology/approach
The study relied on a self-report survey to assess students' perceptions in relation to six variables. Participants included 1,106 undergraduate students from six public Thai universities. Analysis involved structural equation modeling.
Findings
This study provided new results related to task orientation as the strongest predictor of AC and time management. Cooperation and feedback improved AC with time management as an intervening variable. Time management and feedback did not predict time spent on AC.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies might explore the potential range of assignments that, for example, count for a higher portion of the grade versus those that are less or unimportant in terms of the course. Future studies might also look at the role of group assignments in relation to completion. Semi-structured interviews or observations might provide insights into how students manage their time and why task orientation has the most effect on AC. Future research might investigate more specifically at what point time management does or does not affect completion. In general, given the growth of online learning and contexts in which students may be increasingly called on to complete assignments independently, factors such as those investigated in this study will require more attention in varying countries and contexts, generically and for individual subjects.
Practical implications
Instructional designers and instructors can promote task orientation through reliance on strategic scaffolding. For designing a task-oriented environment, instructors need to offer challenging assignments. Instructors should also assign work that encourages motivation, effort and achievement. To ensure that cooperative learning positively affects time management, instructors and designers can allot specific in-class time for completion of tasks, reliance on flipped classroom activities and student conversations regarding time restrictions and time-management skills. Instructors can be supported to help them provide appropriate types of feedback, as well as ideas for implementing the feedback in practice.
Originality/value
Little research has been conducted on AC in higher education. Those studies that have been conducted have focused on the elementary and secondary levels. Furthermore, studies have not always taken into account the complex relationships between different factors that can potentially influence AC.
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The Bedford Committee (1986) and the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC, 1990) have strongly supported, along with practicing accountants, the use of innovative teaching…
Abstract
The Bedford Committee (1986) and the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC, 1990) have strongly supported, along with practicing accountants, the use of innovative teaching techniques. Innovations involve active student participation and focus on development of critical thinking, communication, and technology skills. This paper extends prior research and describes how spreadsheet software is used to develop Jeopardy! boards to teach governmental accounting and enhance non-technical skills. Student survey results demonstrate support for use of a computer-based Jeopardy! game as a learning tool and a vehicle to self-assess learning. Written communication and teamwork skills are emphasized as students develop content in groups.
Elizabeth Murphy, Susan Parker and Christine Phipps
Many food choices are not centrally concerned with food and, even where they are, they do not necessarily relate to the nutritional functions of food. In this paper we report on…
Abstract
Many food choices are not centrally concerned with food and, even where they are, they do not necessarily relate to the nutritional functions of food. In this paper we report on the findings of a longitudinal interview study of infant feeding practices among first‐time mothers. In feeding their babies, mothers are engaged in a number of different projects, some of which conflict with expert guidance on the nutritional benefits of feeding babies in particular ways. We report on the symbolic and practical purposes which feeding babies in particular ways can serve for women, as they seek to combine infant feeding with their other responsibilities not only as mothers but more generally inside and outside the home. We conclude that women’s infant feeding decisions represent their attempts to reconcile these symbolic and practical tasks and that educational and other interventions which ignore these competing agendas are likely to fail.
Mary T. Brownell, Alexandra Lauterbach, Amber Benedict, Jenna Kimerling, Elizabeth Bettini and Kristin Murphy
Successful implementation of Response to Intervention frameworks in schools requires general and special education teachers to have well-integrated knowledge bases for providing…
Abstract
Successful implementation of Response to Intervention frameworks in schools requires general and special education teachers to have well-integrated knowledge bases for providing instruction and intervention in reading and behavior. Implementation-focused approaches to changing teacher behavior, favored traditionally in special education, however, are unlikely to help teachers acquire such knowledge. In this chapter, we discuss the knowledge and practice that defines expert teachers in reading and behavior and how such expertise might be achieved through practice-focused approaches to initial teacher education and professional development.
Amber L. Cushing and Giulia Osti
This study aims to explore the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in archival practice by presenting the thoughts and opinions of working archival practitioners. It…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in archival practice by presenting the thoughts and opinions of working archival practitioners. It contributes to the extant literature with a fresh perspective, expanding the discussion on AI adoption by investigating how it influences the perceptions of digital archival expertise.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study a two-phase data collection consisting of four online focus groups was held to gather the opinions of international archives and digital preservation professionals (n = 16), that participated on a volunteer basis. The qualitative analysis of the transcripts was performed using template analysis, a style of thematic analysis.
Findings
Four main themes were identified: fitting AI into day to day practice; the responsible use of (AI) technology; managing expectations (about AI adoption) and bias associated with the use of AI. The analysis suggests that AI adoption combined with hindsight about digitisation as a disruptive technology might provide archival practitioners with a framework for re-defining, advocating and outlining digital archival expertise.
Research limitations/implications
The volunteer basis of this study meant that the sample was not representative or generalisable.
Originality/value
Although the results of this research are not generalisable, they shed light on the challenges prospected by the implementation of AI in the archives and for the digital curation professionals dealing with this change. The evolution of the characterisation of digital archival expertise is a topic reserved for future research.
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Tamsin Newlove‐Delgado, Elizabeth Murphy and Tamsin Ford
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of a screening test for looked after children in order to identify undetected psychiatric disorders.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of a screening test for looked after children in order to identify undetected psychiatric disorders.
Design/methodology/approach
Children aged four to 16 in care in one London Borough for four consecutive months were eligible for screening. Carers, teachers and children aged over 11 were asked to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Where the SDQ suggested that a psychiatric disorder was “possible” or “probable”, participants were then invited to complete the Developmental and Well‐Being Assessment, which was rated by a senior psychiatrist to generate diagnoses if appropriate.
Findings
The paper finds that over one year, 23 children were eligible for screening. A total of 18 underwent the initial stage of screening, and seven were subsequently diagnosed with a formal psychiatric disorder.
Originality/value
This study illustrates the unmet need for mental health interventions among children looked after by the local authority and confirms the feasibility of a simple screening protocol.