Gillian Armitt

Automatic assessment of collaborative chat conversations with PolyCAFe

The wider acceptance and usage of instant messaging (chat) represents one of the consequences of undertaking Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) practices in formal education settings. However, the difficulty of analyzing these textual artifacts of learners in order to offer them feedback represents a serious problem in further extending the usage of chat conversations. PolyCAFe is a system that was designed to support the tutors and to provide automatic feedback for the learners engaged in collaborative chat conversations and discussion forums. The architecture of the system is presented by focusing on two key components: the assessment of the utterances and of the collaborative discourse. PolyCAFes effectiveness has been proved in a validation experiment with students and tutors from a University course. The main findings from this trial, together with the conclusions of domain experts verifying the accuracy of the assessment provided by PolyCAFe, are also analyzed and commented in detail.

Development of a national audit tool for juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a BSPAR project funded by the Health Care Quality Improvement Partnership

Abstract Objective Timely access to holistic multidisciplinary care is the core principle underpinning management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Data collected in national clinical audit programmes fundamentally aim to improve health outcomes of disease, ensuring clinical care is equitable, safe and patient-centred. The aim of this study was to develop a tool for national audit of JIA in the UK. Methods A staged and consultative methodology was used across a broad group of relevant stakeholders to develop a national audit tool, with reference to pre-existing standards of care for JIA. The tool comprises key service delivery quality measures assessed against two aspects of impact, namely disease-related outcome measures and patient/carer reported outcome and experience measures. Results Eleven service-related quality measures were identified, including those that map to current standards for commissioning of JIA clinical services in the UK. The three-variable Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score and presence/absence of sacro-iliitis in patients with enthesitis-related arthritis were identified as the primary disease-related outcome measures, with presence/absence of uveitis a secondary outcome. Novel patient/carer reported outcomes and patient/carer reported experience measures were developed and face validity confirmed by relevant patient/carer groups. Conclusion A tool for national audit of JIA has been developed with the aim of benchmarking current clinical practice and setting future standards and targets for improvement. Staged implementation of this national audit tool should facilitate investigation of variability in levels of care and drive quality improvement. This will require engagement from patients and carers, clinical teams and commissioners of JIA services.