An analysis of evaluation campaigns in ad-hoc medical information retrieval: CLEF eHealth 2013 and 2014

Since its inception in 2013, one of the key contributions of the CLEF eHealth evaluation campaign has been the organization of an ad-hoc information retrieval (IR) benchmarking task. This IR task evaluates systems intended to support laypeople searching for and understanding health information. Each year the task provides registered participants with standard IR test collections consisting of a document collection and topic set. Participants then return retrieval results obtained by their IR systems for each query, which are assessed using a pooling procedure. In this article we focus on CLEF eHealth 2013 and 2014s retrieval task, which saw topics created based on patients’ information needs associated with their medical discharge summaries. We overview the task and datasets created, and the results obtained by participating teams over these two years. We then provide a detailed comparative analysis of the results, and conduct an evaluation of the datasets in the light of these results. This twofold study of the evaluation campaign teaches us about technical aspects of medical IR, such as the effectiveness of query expansion; the quality and characteristics of CLEF eHealth IR datasets, such as their reliability; and how to run an IR evaluation campaign in the medical domain.     

SATISFACTION AND ROLE STRAIN AMONG MIDDLE‐AGE AND OLDER REENTRY WOMEN STUDENTS

The major purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate a range of variables associated with satisfaction and strain experienced in the student role by mature (age 35 and over) reentry women students; and (2) to develop and test a model for predicting satisfaction and role strain in mature reentry women students. Questionnaire data were obtained from 141 women 35 years old and over who were enrolled as undergraduates at a major midwestern university. Significant correlates of satisfaction in the student role included: rated helpfulness of professors' attitudes, helpfulness of counseling, and psychological support from children and friends. Significant correlates of strain in the student role included: dissatisfaction with job, rated helpfulness of financial aid, and number of years since previous school enrollment; age of youngest child was correlated negatively with strain in the student role. Multiple regression results showed that the strongest predictor of satisfaction in the student role was helpful attitudes of professors. Implications of the findings for educators and counselors are discussed.     

Education in the knowledge-based society: the case of the Philippines

There has been a sustained interest in the contribution of higher education in local, regional and national development in many countries. Along this line is the increasing internationalization and globalization of services to which the higher education sector is anticipated to respond through the updating and modernization of its offerings, changing of its formal structures and methods, policies regarding access, among others. The challenges of higher education in the global context anticipate the internationalization of this sector as a means that can provide an efficient response to and training for the evolving demands of modern society. This article reviews the programmes enacted by the Philippine government in response to the changing context of higher education with the move towards the knowledge-based society as central in policy. Issues relevant to the growing internationalism of education as seen through, among others, related human capital training, the role of research and development (R&D), and the increasing privatization of education as a result of the expansion of higher education will also be discussed.     

Widening our evaluative lenses of formal,facilitated, and spontaneous academic development

As conceptions of academic development expand to encompass a more diverse and flexible set of supports, traditional approaches to evaluation, including impact studies of formal programming, become insufficient. A program may appear ineffective when evaluation ignores additional supports that interact to counteract implementation or alternatively satisfy individuals’ needs. Recognizing the inherently interactive nature of academic development within systemically complex social contexts, this paper examines four evaluative lenses (traditional, ecological framework, complexity theory, and developmental) applied to graduate students’ support. By selecting an appropriate evaluation lens, based on local purposes and context, academic developers are better positioned to assess and improve supports provided.     

CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND BEHAVIOUR ACROSS FIVE YEARS OF BROADCAST TELEVISION: A NATURALISTIC STUDY IN A REMOTE COMMUNITY

3‐ to 8‐year‐olds’ free‐play behaviour was video‐recorded in two playgrounds before broadcast TV's availability in the South Atlantic island of St. Helena. Similar aged children's behaviour in the same playgrounds was recorded five years after television's arrival. Recorded behaviours were then coded for pro‐social and anti‐social acts. Out of sixty‐four pre‐lpost‐TV comparisons only nine significant shifts were found. Five revealed decreases in pro‐social behaviour (boys and girls), two showed increases in pro‐social behaviour (boys only), and the remaining two showed decreases in anti‐social behaviour (for boys only). In the discussion, particular environmental factors are highlighted which may help determine whether learned aggression (from TV and elsewhere) is enacted.     

A Little Bit of the Blues: Low-Level Symptoms of Maternal Depression and Classroom Behavior Problems in Preschool Children

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between low-level depressive symptoms in mothers and teacher-reported child behavioral outcomes. Participants included 442 low-income mothers of preschool-age children who were screened for maternal depression by their child's preschool teacher. Teacher reports of child behavior problems were collected on a random sample of the children (n = 264). Of mothers screened for depression, 16.7% reported low-level depressive symptoms (below the cutoff on the screener indicating clinically elevated symptoms). Analyses revealed that children of mothers with low-level depressive symptoms had significantly greater problems with externalizing behavior compared to children of mothers with no depressive symptoms. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that children whose mothers experience even low-level depressive symptoms are at risk for problems with behavior, pointing to the need for screening and interventions to address maternal depression at all levels of severity. Early childhood education providers are in an excellent position to support families impacted by symptoms of maternal depression through screening and education, supportive daily interactions, and referrals for services if needed. Teachers can also provide direct support for high-risk children's social and emotional skill development through the provision of sensitive, nurturing care.     

An Instructional Consultant Looks to the Future

In an era of proposed changes for the practice of school psychology, one of the most important roles is to help build the capacity of schools to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and needy population. School psychologists are in a unique position to impact the tailoring of instruction to meet the needs of individual students. The Future of School Pschology conference explored a range of ideas on accomplishing this goal. Since practice changes begin at the individual level, there is a need to train school psychologists in consultation skills and support the use of those skills to generate positive changes for students, schools, and families. This article identifies areas of need and provides suggestions for future directions.