We found 13 results that contain "review"

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Wednesday, Nov 22, 2023
Article For Software development life cycle
What is SDLC?
SDLC is a process followed for a software project, within a software organization. It consists of a detailed plan describing how to develop, maintain, replace and alter or enhance specific software. The life cycle defines a methodology for improving the quality of software and the overall development process.
The following figure is a graphical representation of the various stages of a typical SDLC.

A typical Software Development Life Cycle consists of the following stages −
Stage 1: Planning and Requirement Analysis
Requirement analysis is the most important and fundamental stage in SDLC. It is performed by the senior members of the team with inputs from the customer, the sales department, market surveys and domain experts in the industry. This information is then used to plan the basic project approach and to conduct product feasibility study in the economical, operational and technical areas.
Planning for the quality assurance requirements and identification of the risks associated with the project is also done in the planning stage. The outcome of the technical feasibility study is to define the various technical approaches that can be followed to implement the project successfully with minimum risks.
Stage 2: Defining Requirements
Once the requirement analysis is done the next step is to clearly define and document the product requirements and get them approved from the customer or the market analysts. This is done through an SRS (Software Requirement Specification) document which consists of all the product requirements to be designed and developed during the project life cycle.
Stage 3: Designing the Product Architecture
SRS is the reference for product architects to come out with the best architecture for the product to be developed. Based on the requirements specified in SRS, usually more than one design approach for the product architecture is proposed and documented in a DDS - Design Document Specification.
This DDS is reviewed by all the important stakeholders and based on various parameters as risk assessment, product robustness, design modularity, budget and time constraints, the best design approach is selected for the product.
A design approach clearly defines all the architectural modules of the product along with its communication and data flow representation with the external and third party modules (if any). The internal design of all the modules of the proposed architecture should be clearly defined with the minutest of the details in DDS.
Stage 4: Building or Developing the Product
In this stage of SDLC the actual development starts and the product is built. The programming code is generated as per DDS during this stage. If the design is performed in a detailed and organized manner, code generation can be accomplished without much hassle.
Developers must follow the coding guidelines defined by their organization and programming tools like compilers, interpreters, debuggers, etc. are used to generate the code. Different high level programming languages such as C, C++, Pascal, Java and PHP are used for coding. The programming language is chosen with respect to the type of software being developed.
Stage 5: Testing the Product
This stage is usually a subset of all the stages as in the modern SDLC models, the testing activities are mostly involved in all the stages of SDLC. However, this stage refers to the testing only stage of the product where product defects are reported, tracked, fixed and retested, until the product reaches the quality standards defined in the SRS.
Stage 6: Deployment in the Market and Maintenance
Once the product is tested and ready to be deployed it is released formally in the appropriate market. Sometimes product deployment happens in stages as per the business strategy of that organization. The product may first be released in a limited segment and tested in the real business environment (UAT- User acceptance testing).
Then based on the feedback, the product may be released as it is or with suggested enhancements in the targeting market segment. After the product is released in the market, its maintenance is done for the existing customer base.Video link:Embedded video link:Link: https://projects.invisionapp.com/d/main#/console/20294675/458743820/preview 
Authored by: Vijayalaxmi vishvanath mali
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Monday, Aug 6, 2018
A Case for More Testing: The Benefits of Frequent, Low-Stakes Assessments
What if I told you about this magical teaching practice that, done even once, produces large improvements in student final exam scores[1], helps narrow the grade gap between poorly prepped and highly prepped first year college students[2], and might even result in more positive course reviews[3],[4]? What if I also told you this magical teaching practice is something you already know how to do? What if I told you, the secret to increasing your students’ success and  overall satisfaction is……more TESTS!?
Okay…well to be fair, it’s a little more nuanced than that. While adding just one test to a class does indeed improve final exam scores, it turns out that more frequent, graded exercises in general improve learning outcomes for students [2],[5]. Even better – if these exercises are low stakes, they can improve learning outcomes without increasing student anxiety [4],[6].
We often view testing as an unpleasant but necessary way to assess student performance. It may be time for us to instead view testing as a useful teaching tool and to implement an assessment system that maximizes the potential learning benefits. In this post I will discuss the important known benefits of frequent, low stakes assessments as well as some practical tips for how to maximize these benefits without adding undue stress to your life or the lives of your students.

Benefit #1: “Thinking about thinking”
Testing can improve a student’s metacognition, or their ability to “think about thinking.” A good metacognitive thinker understands how their thought processes work and can pay attention to and change these processes [7]. A student with strong metacognitive skills can therefore more successfully monitor, evaluate, and improve their learning compared to students lacking these skills. Unfortunately, many students struggle with metacognition and must contend with “illusions of mastery” (or thinking they understand a subject better than they actually do).  Self-testing is a good way to prevent illusions of mastery, but many students do not incorporate self-testing into their studying, instead electing more passive modes of exam preparation such as rereading texts[8]. Incorporating more testing into the curriculum forces students into the position of making mistakes and receiving feedback, allowing them to frequently measure their learning in relation to expectations and adjust accordingly. Again, note that providing feedback is an essential part of this process.

Benefit #2: Practice Remembering
Testing can improve a student’s long term memory of information presented in class by forcing students to recall what they’ve learned through a cognitive process called active retrieval. Active retrieval strengthens neural pathways important for retrieving memories, allowing these memories to be more easily accessed in the future.
While any sort of retrieval practice is useful, it is most beneficial when it is effortful, spaced, and interleaved.  An example of effortful retrieval practice includes testing which forces students to provide the answers (i.e. Short answer and fill in the blank questions as opposed to multiple choice). More effortful retrieval also occurs with spaced and interleaved practice.
Spaced practice is testing that occurs after enough time has elapsed for some (but not complete) forgetting to occur (i.e. Present the information and then wait a couple months, days, or even just until the end of class to test students on it). Interleaved practice incorporates different but related topics and problem types, as opposed to having students practice and master one type at a time (e.g. cumulative testing where you mix problems from different units together). Interleaved practice can help students learn to focus on the underlying principles of problems and to discriminate between problem types, leading to more complex mental models and a deeper understanding of the relationships between ideas[6].

How to Implement More Assessments (Without Losing Your Mind)
So, all you have to do now is come up with a ton of quiz and test questions and free up a bunch of class time for assessments! Don’t forget you also need to grade all of these! After all, feedback is an important part of the process, and frequent (even low stakes) grading has the added benefits of enhancing student motivation, attentiveness, and attendance.I know what you busy teachers (ie. all of you) out there are thinking….“Your ”magical” teaching practice is starting to sound like a hugely effective pain in my butt.”
Don’t give up on me now though! There are some fairly simple ways to add more assessments to your curriculum. Furthermore, you should be able to do this sans student rebellion because these assessments are low-stakes. Frequent, low-stake assessments as opposed to infrequent, high-stakes assessments actually decrease student anxiety overall because no single test is a make it or break it event. In fact, several teachers have reported a large increase in positive student evaluations after restructuring their classes in this way[3],[4],[6]!

Below I lay out some tips for getting the most out of shifting your assessment practices while maintaining both your own and your students’ sanity:

1) Know that “effortful” testing is not always necessary
While effortful testing is best for retrieval practice, even basic, easily graded recognition tests such multiple choice questions still offer benefits, such as helping students remember basic (but important!) information[6],[9].

2) Create different assessment questions
You can also make assessments more effortful by creating questions that engage higher cognitive processes. Now you can sit back, relax, and indulge in one of my personal favorite pastimes (watching student brains explode) without the stressful grading!

3) Make use of educational technologies to ease your grading
For instance, clicker tests are a quick way to test students and allow you to provide feedback for the class all at once.

4) Make assessments into games
If your students need a morale boost, make a quiz into a trivia game and give winning groups candy. Some good old competition and Pavlovian conditioning may make students reassess their view of testing.

5) Assess participation
Doing something as simple as a participation grade will still provide students with incentive without overburdening them or yourself. For instance, this type of grading would work in conjunction with #3.

6) Keep graded assessments predictable
Making assessments predictable as opposed to utilizing pop quizzes helps students feel at ease.6 Furthermore, if they students KNOW an assessment is coming, they are more likely to study and pay attention.

7) Find ways to revisit old material in your assessments
Making assessments cumulative is an effective way to space out your review of material and has the added benefit of making problems interleaved and effortful, all of which maximize retrieval practice[6].

8) Have students reflect on mistakes
You can help students develop metacognitive skills by giving them opportunities to reflect upon and correct their mistakes on assessments. For instance, have students take a quiz and then discuss their answers/thinking with their classmates before receiving feedback. You can also give students opportunities to create keys to short answer questions and grade their own and several (anonymous) classmates’ answers. This will allow them to think through what makes an answer complete and effective.

9) Break large assessments into small ones
Instead of creating new assessments, break up large ones into multiple, lower-stakes assessments. For example, consider replacing big tests with several quizzes. Consider scaffolding large projects such as independent research projects and term papers. Ask for outlines, lists of references, graphs, etc. along the course of the semester before the final project is due. This might cause more work for you in the short term but can help prevent complete disasters at the end of the semester, which can be time consuming.

10) Utilize short daily or weekly quizzes
If you don’t want to adjust a big project/test or lose class time by adding time-consuming assessments, consider adding short daily or weekly quizzes. These grades can add up to equal one test grade. One could consider dropping the lowest score(s) but allowing no make ups to reduce logistical issues.
These are only a few of the many strategies one can use to transition to a frequent, low-stakes assessment system. What are your experiences with low stakes assessments? Have you made use of any which seem particularly effective in enhancing student learning?

Related Reading:
Much of the information about the benefits of testing is from:
Brown, P.C., Roediger III, H.L., McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Posted by: Chathuri Super admin..
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Thursday, Nov 23, 2023
Health Problems and Health Education
THE HEALTH PROBLEMS OF greatest significance today are the chronic diseases. . . . The extent of chronic diseases, various disabling conditions, and the economic burden that they impose have been thoroughly documented. Health education and health educators will be expected to contribute to the reduction of the negative impact of such major health problems as heart disease, cancer, dental disease, mental illness and other neurological disturbances, obesity, accidents, and the adjustments necessary to a productive old age.
The new and unique role of health education in helping to meet these problems can perhaps be clarified through a review of some of the differences between procedures that have been successful in solving the problems of the acute communicable diseases and those that are available for coping with today’s problems.Youtube video URL: Youtube embedded URL: URL : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448258/ Table: 



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Authored by: Shweta
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Monday, Sep 14, 2020
Self-Correction Opportunities
Students use calculators or a key provided by the teacher to check their answers.Learning Games Students play board games that reinforce skills such as sight vocabulary, phonics, grammar rules, and basic math facts. 
For example, Bingo can be used to review basic facts and concepts. Students who require more immediate feedback and recognition of their efforts might begin with a Bingo board that has onlythree cells across and three cells down. The number of cells can be gradually increased to four across, four down, then five, and so forth.
Authored by: Chathu
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020
Visual and Environmental Prompts:
Use behavioral and environmental prompts to increase desired classroom behaviors. For example, pictorial prompts of students attending in class serve as a reminder of the teacher’s expectations for learning and behavior. Electronic visual aids such as interactive whiteboards and document cameras are helpful for capturing the attention of students with ADHD (Piffner, 2011). 
 
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/principles-of-management/the-evolution-of-management-thought/behavioral-management-theory
 
Additionally, the use of tablets and computers may engage students more fully in learning activities.
Priming Procedure: Prime the student before an assignment or lesson byreviewing a list of student-identified privileges or reinforcements that can beearned following a specified work period.
Proximity Control: Teacher proximity is highly effective for helping studentswith ADHD maintain attention. For example, the teacher may move closer to thestudent when giving directions and monitoring seatwork.
Timers: Set a timer to indicate how much time remains in the lesson or workperiod. The timer should be clearly visible so students can check remaining timeand monitor their progress.
 
Wristwatch or Smartphone: Teach the student to use a wristwatch orsmartphone to manage time when completing assigned work. Many watches andsmartphones have built-in timers that can be programmed to beep at set intervals.
Music: Play different levels and tempos of music to help students understand theactivity level appropriate for particular lessons. For example, using quiet classicalmusic for individual learning activities helps block distractions and creates a calmclassroom environment (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).
Children with ADHD require specific and frequent feedback and/or reinforcementimmediately following the demonstration of desired behaviors. When students arelearning new behaviors, it is generally important to reinforce close approximations firstas a way to shape behavior. Once a behavior is established, the frequency ofreinforcement can be gradually decreased. Students with ADHD tend to quickly loseinterest with repetition, so a variety of easy-to-implement reinforcers should beconsidered.Praise, Praise, Praise: Attentiveness and appropriate classroom behavior areprerequisites for learning; therefore, interventions that promote these behaviorsshould be an integral part of the teaching process for all students. When teachersare attentive to positive behavior and specifically praise students for thesebehaviors, they can engage students before their attention drifts while highlightingdesired behavior (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).
Authored by: Piffner, 2011
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Thursday, Sep 7, 2023
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
Does this test have other names?
ESR, sed rate
What is this test?
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a blood test. It measures how quickly erythrocytes, or red blood cells, separate from a blood sample that has been treated so the blood will not clot. During this test, a small amount of your blood will be put in an upright tube. A lab specialist will measure the rate that your red blood cells settle toward the bottom of the tube after 1 hour.
If you have a condition that causes inflammation or cell damage, your red blood cells tend to clump together. This makes them heavier, so they settle faster. The faster your red blood cells settle and fall, the higher your ESR. A high ESR tells your healthcare provider that you may have an active disease process in your body.
Why do I need this test?
You may need this test if you have symptoms of one of the diseases that may cause ESR to go up.
You may also need this test if you have already been diagnosed with a disease that causes a high ESR. The test can allow your healthcare provider to see how well you are responding to treatment.
The ESR blood test is most useful for diagnosing or monitoring diseases that cause pain and swelling from inflammation. Other symptoms may include fever and weight loss. These diseases include:


Temporal arteritis


Rheumatoid arthritis


Polymyalgia rheumatica


ESR is not used as a screening test in people who do not have symptoms or to diagnose disease because many conditions can cause it to increase. It might also go up in many normal cases. ESR doesn't tell your healthcare provider whether you have a specific disease. It only suggests that you may have an active disease process in your body.
What other tests might I have along with this test?
You may have other tests if your healthcare provider is doing this test to diagnose a disease. One of these tests is called a C-reactive protein test, or CRP. This test also measures active inflammation in the body.
Your healthcare provider may do an ESR alone if they are monitoring a disease you already have.
Because ESR tells your healthcare provider only what is happening right now, you may need to have the test repeated over time.
What do my test results mean?
Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, and other things. Your test results may be different depending on the lab used. They may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.
ESR is measured in millimeters per hour (mm/hr). The normal values are:


0 to 15 mm/hr in men


0 to 20 mm/hr in women


ESR above 100 mm/h is most likely caused by an active disease. For instance, you may have:


A disease that causes inflammation in your body


An active infection


Cancer


Heart disease


Kidney disease


Blood disease


Diabetes


Collagen vascular disease


How is this test done?
The test is done with a blood sample. A needle is used to draw blood from a vein in your arm or hand.
Does this test pose any risks?
Having a blood test with a needle carries some risks. These include bleeding, infection, bruising, and feeling lightheaded. When the needle pricks your arm or hand, you may feel a slight sting or pain. Afterward, the site may be sore.
What might affect my test results?
Many things that are not active diseases can increase your ESR. These include:


Pregnancy


Old age


Being female


Having a menstrual period


Having recently eaten a fatty meal


Being obese


Taking certain medicines


How do I get ready for this test?
You don't need to prepare for this test. Be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don't need a prescription and any illegal drugs you may use. Tell your healthcare provider if you ate a fatty meal recently, if you are having your period, or if you may be pregnant.

Medical Reviewers:

Chad Haldeman-Englert MD
Raymond Turley Jr PA-C
Tara Novick BSN MSN
Posted by: Chathuri Super admin..
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Friday, Aug 4, 2023
An Overview of the Syllabus and its Role at MSU
What a syllabus is
A syllabus is a synecdoche for a course of study—a part of the curricular experience that represents the whole. They are often the very first course texts our students encounter and, accordingly, they frame and preface learning in powerful ways. On one hand, they communicate practical and structural details—where and when a course meets, what to read, and how to contact an instructor. But they also express intellectual and discipline-specific expectations. 
As a special genre of educational texts, syllabi have taken various forms and played various roles over many centuries. In the 17th century ‘syllabus’ was synonymous with ‘table’ or ‘index.’ They served as a structural preview for manuscripts or a list of speakers and topics for a lecture series—they were a means of organizing texts, ideas, and experience. Although that core function remains, post-secondary syllabi have expanded significantly in volume and purview over the past forty years. 
Posted by: Super Admin
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Friday, Aug 4, 2023
Develop and actively communicate your course-level generative AI policy
1. Consider how AI technology might compel you to revise your course assignments, quizzes, and tests to avoid encouraging unethical or dishonest use of generative AI.  2. Develop and integrate a generative AI policy throughout the course resources:  



Provide clear definitions, expectations, and repercussions of what will happen if students violate the policy.  
Explain the standards of academic integrity in the course, especially as related to use of AI technologies, and review the Integrity of Scholarship and Grades Policy.  






Be clear about what types of AI are acceptable and what versions of the technology students can use or not use.  
Put this policy into D2L and any assignment instructions consistently.  



3. Discuss these expectations when talking about course policies at the beginning of the course and remind students about them as you discuss course assignments:  



Take time to explain to students the pros and cons of generative AI technologies relative to your course. 
Explain the development of your policy and make clear the values, ethics, and philosophies underpinning its development.  






Explain the repercussions of not following the course policy and submit an Academic Dishonesty Report if needed.  



4. If you want to integrate AI in the classroom as an allowed or required resource:  



Consult with MSU IT guidance about recommendations for use and adoption of generative AI technology, including guidelines for keeping you and your data safe.  
Determine if MSU already has access to the tools you desire for free, and if not available through MSU, consider the cost and availability of the resources you will allow or require, and go through MSU's procurement process.   
If you want to require students to use an AI technology that comes with a cost, put the resource into the scheduling system as you would a textbook, so students know that is an anticipated cost to them.  
Authored by: Super admin user
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