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Assessment materials must be checked for errors before they are presented to candidates. Any errors have the potential to reduce validity. For example, in the most extreme cases, an error may turn an otherwise well-designed exam question into one that is impossible to answer. In Cambridge University Press & Assessment, assessment materials are checked by multiple assessment specialists across different stages during assessment development. While human checkers are critical to this process, we must acknowledge that there is ample research showing the shortcomings of being human (e.g., we have cognitive biases, and memory and attentional limitations). It is important to provide assessment checkers with tools that help overcome or mitigate these limitations. This article is about one type of checking tool -- checklists. We describe a research-informed, collaborative project to support assessors in performing their checks of exam papers. This project focused on redesigning the instructional, training and task materials provided to assessors. A key part of this was to design checklists for assessors to use when performing their checks. In this article, we focus primarily on the approach that we took for these checklists in order to draw readers' attention to the complexity that is involved in designing them and to provide a practical example of how research can be used strategically to inform key design decisions.

In England, some secondary-level qualifications comprise non-exam assessments which need to undergo moderation before grading. Currently, moderation is conducted at centre (school) level. This raises challenges for maintaining the standard across centres. Recent technological advances enable novel moderation methods that are no longer bound by centre. This study used simulation to investigate the feasibility of using comparative judgement (CJ) for moderating non-exam assessments. Our study explored the effects of CJ design parameters on the CJ estimates of script quality and how to assign moderator marks after the CJ procedure. The findings showed that certain design parameters had substantial effects on reliability and suggested minimum values for CJ protocols. The method used for assigning moderator marks maintained the rank order of scripts within centres and calibrated the centres to a common standard. Using CJ for moderation could transform current assessment practices, taking advantage of technological developments and ensuring reliability and fairness.

Holistic judgement is an appealing approach for many assessment contexts due to its perceived simplicity and efficiency. However, it has been somewhat under-explored conceptually. Drawing on examples from assessment contexts including vocational performance, comparative judgement and the use of holistic judgement in teacher assessment for high stakes grading, we explicate a three-part definition of what holistic judgement constitutes. Holistic judgements result in singular outputs, derive from a comprehensive consideration of relevant constructs and acknowledge that the elements considered within them interconnect. However, holistic judgements may be made using considerably different processes by different judges without contravening this definition, and the ways in which different elements are weighted may vary. We then explore some factors, specific to assessment contexts, that might make holistic judgements more challenging, including materials being very different from one another, non-uniform candidate performance across materials and the presence of construct-irrelevant material. We set this assessment-specific discussion in the context of literatures on decision-making in psychology, medicine and other contexts. We conclude with some recommendations for when holistic judgement should and should not be used, and how holistic judgements can be made less cognitively challenging through the use of appropriate guidance and feedback to judges.

In 2010, the Department for Education in England decided to reform the vocational qualifications offered in secondary education (i.e., for 14-18 year olds) in order to increase their rigour and status. They set out new criteria that vocational qualifications needed to meet, which changed their nature in fundamental ways (e.g., content, assessment structure, grading and progression requirements). At a time when the reforms to vocational qualifications are settling in, it is important to understand their impact on student engagement in vocational education and, also, how the new categories of vocational qualifications help students progress through education. This research aimed to obtain an up-to-date view of progression from vocational qualifications to post-16 education. Using national data, we investigated whether students with different programmes of study and different vocational qualifications in lower secondary school were equally likely to progress to post-16 education and, if they progressed, what routes and qualifications they took. The research outcomes suggest that, although vocational routes do not close students' options, progression to post-16 education was affected by the proportion of vocational qualifications they took pre-16. More research is needed to find out the reasons behind this association, including whether this may reflect previous experiences with vocational education.

At a time when traditional fieldwork is coming under pressure, be it from shrinking budgets, reducing carbon footprints, increased concerns for personal safety or the desire to make field skills accessible to all, how do we ensure that the key skills of observation, data collection and landscape analysis can still be developed in our students? This paper evaluates the experiences of students using immersive virtual reality (VR) to interrogate highly accurate georeferenced landscape models, made from data collected by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, through the medium of Q methodology. It finds that there appears to be an association between prior engagement and expertise with IT and gaming technologies, such that those who declare some degree of prowess engage with and embrace the opportunities of using VR. This suggests that to allow more students to adopt positive approaches to learning in this manner, educators need to worry less about ever complex and realistic models, and invest more into positive prior experiences of using technology. Moreover, an important voice in the narrative around the physical nature of "being in the field" and social interaction with peers and tutors questions an approach that is still a relatively solitary experience.

During the Hadrianic period (117-138 CE), Attalos Adrastos of Aphrodisias left two generous endowments to fund civic and religious services. Although private donations are common means of civic up-keeping, at a closer look Adrastos employed financial devices that allowed him to profit from his own gifts both in terms of social and economic assets. The present paper will present Adrastos’ benefactions as exemplar of the donors’ financial behaviour, uncovering their personal economic interests lying behind apparently selfless euergetic acts. Through a careful re-reading of the inscriptions in their historic context, I will prove that ancient donations were not conceived as means of spreading wealth more equally within the urban fabric, but rather of accumulating material and immaterial capital more firmly in the hands of the benefactors and their kins by creatively employing conscious investment-schemes to minimize the expenses while maximizing the profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within higher education, scholarship is narrowly and inconsistently defined, limiting recognition of evolving faculty expectations, particularly for nursing faculty. At this academic medical center, a campus-wide, multi-school, academic advancement policy was achieved with a broader definition of scholarship that included: peer-reviewed publication of federally funded research, as well as innovation in curriculum development, teaching methodology, community engagement, safety and quality improvement, clinical practice, and health policy that would be applicable to tenure and non-tenure track faculty. The background, process, and outcomes of developing an expanded definition of scholarship that encompasses new and evolving areas of scholarship for a reconstructed academic personnel policy is presented. Beginning with a literature review and surveys of other schools' policies, we describe how a campus-wide working group ensured consensus and acceptance of the new policy. Upon approval of the reconstructed document, guidelines for implementation were widely disseminated through training workshops and discussions, integration into new faculty orientation, and faculty development programs. We share our process, outcomes, and lessons learned believing this information to be useful to other institutions engaged in review and revision of their promotion and tenure processes to align with the increasing expectations of nursing faculty of today and tomorrow. • Scholarship defined: knowledge advancement, dissemination, and impact. • Definition of scholarship allows recognition of expanded list of academic products. • Inclusive process resulted in a unified campus policy accepted by all schools. • Interprofessional consensus required to achieve new academic policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership acumen, interprofessional relationships, and knowledge of healthcare operations are essential proficiencies for nurses to navigate the dynamic and complex healthcare landscape. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) re-envisioned the academic nursing standards, The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (Essentials), to guide curricular development in preparing nurses with the aptitude to meet these challenges. The purpose of this project was to develop an innovative Master of Science nursing program to address the challenges facing the RN workforce. A relationship-based framework and the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) model were used to guide the development of the program using the Essentials to inform curricular design. A Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership Master of Science program was designed comprising seven core courses with two tracks, Bachelor of Nursing and Post Graduate Option. The program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced the data used for the program's design. Healthcare complexities are requiring nursing education to evaluate curricula for advanced knowledge and skills. A Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership Master of Science degree program guided by the Essentials was developed to meet this challenge. • Nursing education is entering a transformative era. • Master of Science Interprofessional Leadership specialty nursing program was created. • The American Association of Colleges of Nursing's revised Essentials guided the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-world evidence is needed to determine the value of tofacitinib (TOFA) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). To assess the safety and effectiveness of TOFA in clinical practice. TOFA-UC is a multicenter, observational study performed among the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD). All consecutive patients with UC starting TOFA from its introduction in Sicily (July 2021) to July 2022 were included. 111 patients were included (mean follow-up: 31.7 ± 14.9 weeks; biologic-experienced: 92.8%). Nineteen adverse events were reported (17.1%; incidence rate: 28.2 per 100 patient years), including 11 cases of hypercholesterolemia and 3 infections (no cases of herpes zoster reactivation. At week 8, the rates of clinical response, steroid free clinical remission, and CRP normalization were 74.8%, 45.0%, and 56.9%, respectively, and 68.5%, 51.4%, and 65.2%, respectively, at the end of follow-up. Eighteen patients experienced a loss of response after successful induction (21.7%; incidence rate: 33.2 per 100 patient years). Twenty-six patients (23.4%) discontinued TOFA over time, of whom 3 due to AEs, and 23 to non response or loss of response. TOFA is safe and effective in patients with UC, including those with history of multiple failures to biological therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1-L polyethylene glycol plus ascorbate (PEG-ASC) preparation has been recently developed to improve patients' experience in colonoscopy. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of 1-L PEG-ASC compared with those of other bowel preparations for colonoscopy. MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials comparing 1-L PEG-ASC with other bowel preparations published through July 2022. A random-effects model was applied for pooling the results; heterogeneity was expressed as I2. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. The analysis showed significantly higher cleansing success (CS) (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.25–1.81; p < 0.01, I2 = 0%) and right-colon high-quality cleansing (HQC) (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.21–2.31; p < 0.01, I2 = 43%) with 1-L PEG-ASC compared to the other preparations. The pooled estimate of the adenoma detection rate (ADR) did not significantly differ between the two groups either in the overall (OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 0.87–1.20; p = 0.79, I2 = 0%) or split-dosing regimen subgroup analysis (OR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.84–1.18; p = 0.94, I2 = 0%). A significantly higher pooled estimate of the number of patients with adverse events (AEs) (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.23–1.84; p <0.01, I2 = 0%) and incidence of AEs (IRR=1.33; 95% CI = 1.11–1.58; p <0.01, I2 = 71%) was observed with 1-L PEG-ASC than with the other preparations. No serious AEs or deaths occurred. Compared to other preparations, 1-L PEG-ASC yielded higher overall CS, higher right-colon HQC rates, and similar ADR. The number of patients with AEs and incidence of the total AEs were significantly higher with 1-L PEG-ASC in the absence of serious AEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia has been associated with poor prognosis in chronic diseases. To investigate the role of sarcopenia in predicting clinical and endoscopic outcomes in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Consecutive CD patients who started biologics between 2014 and 2020 and underwent abdominal magnetic resonance or computed tomography within 6 months from the beginning of the biological therapy were enroled. Sarcopenia was defined as Psoas Muscle Index (PMI) lower than 5.4 cm²/m² (men) and 3.56 cm²/m² (women). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate whether sarcopenia could predict steroid-free clinical remission (SFCR), endoscopic remission (ER), hospitalisation and surgery after 12 months of therapy. 358 patients were included. Sarcopenia was found in 18.2% of patients, and it was associated with a lower rate of ER (14.8% vs 47.7%; p = 0.002) after 12 months of therapy, while it was not associated with SFCR (65.1% vs 70.1%; p = 0.435), hospitalisation (9.2% vs 7.8%; p = 0.801) and surgery (3.1% vs 6.1%; p = 0.549). Sarcopenia was identified as a predictor of lack of ER (odds ratio [OR]=5.2; p = 0.006), as well as smoking (OR=2.5; p = 0.028) and perianal disease (OR=2.6; p = 0.020). Sarcopenia is a negative prognostic factor for ER in CD patients treated with biologics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Board of Directors appointed a 9-member task force to revise AACN's 2010 position statement, The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence , with the goal of developing a vision for research-focused doctoral programs and graduates. This resulted in 70 recommendations in a new AACN position statement, The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (2022). The new document is based on a review of the literature from 2010 to 2021 and 2 inaugural surveys sent to deans and PhD students in nursing. The new The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing Pathways to Excellence document focuses on the critical need for nurse scientists who can develop the science, steward the profession, and educate new nurse educators. Several manuscripts have been developed describing various components of the PhD Pathways document focusing on the role of faculty, students and curriculum, resources and post-doctoral education. This article focuses on the recommendations related to explicating the faculty role in PhD education and includes data from the AACN (2020) deans' survey, the current state of the professoriate involved in PhD education and the developmental needs of PhD faculty for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preceptors are integral to the transition process of student nurses to licensed nurses. Preceptors are leaders who could utilize authentic leadership to help foster self-awareness and positive relationships and build capacity with student nurses. Investigating the relationship between perceived preceptor authentic leadership and final year nursing students' self-efficacy, job satisfaction and performance. This correlational study used data collected from 94 pre-licensure final semester baccalaureate and licensed practical nursing students from three different schools about preceptors' authentic leadership, self-efficacy, job satisfaction and performance. Mediated multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association between perceived preceptors' authentic leadership, self-efficacy, job satisfaction and performance. Preceptors were perceived to demonstrate authentic leadership (M = 3.21, SD = 0.68). Students' self-efficacy increased post preceptorship (t (93) = 3.96, p <.001), and authentic leadership was associated with self-efficacy (r = 0.46, p <.001) and job satisfaction (r = 0.49, p <.001). Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between job performance and authentic leadership. Authentic leadership has positive implications for preceptorship and nursing students' self-efficacy, job satisfaction and performance, which could enhance nurse retention. • Authentic preceptor leaders are integral to the transition process of nursing students. • Nursing students' self-efficacy increased after their preceptorship. • Preceptors' authentic leadership is associated with nursing students' self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adalimumab is used to treat ulcerative colitis, but additional effectiveness and safety data are needed. This retrospective study considered adults with ulcerative colitis treated with adalimumab at 19 hospitals. Clinical data were collected from the start of treatment, after 2, 6 and 12 months, and at the last visit. Outcome measures of effectiveness were treatment duration, reasons for discontinuation and colectomy. We studied 381 patients treated with adalimumab for a median of 12.1 months. Disease activity at the start of treatment was moderate to severe in 262 cases (68.8%) and endoscopic activity was moderate to severe in 339 cases (89.0%). At week 8, clinical responses were observed in 177 cases (46.5%) and clinical remission in 136 cases (35.7%). At 12 months, remission was observed in 128 cases (33.6%). Overall, 44 patients required colectomy, and 170 patients (44.6%) were still taking adalimumab when data were collected. Variables associated with adalimumab discontinuation were concomitant steroid treatment, severe clinical-endoscopic activity at baseline, need for adalimumab intensification and drug-related adverse events. Variables associated with colectomy were concomitant steroid treatment and high baseline C-reactive protein. Adalimumab is safe and effective for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]