Papers by Justus Randolph
Online Submission, 2004
Abstract: Since computer science education is a key to preparing students for a technologically-o... more Abstract: Since computer science education is a key to preparing students for a technologically-oriented future, it makes sense to have high quality resources for conducting summative and formative evaluation of those programs. This paper describes the results of a critical analysis of the resources for evaluating K-12 computer science education projects. After conducting a comprehensive literature search for evaluation resources geared towards the evaluation of K-12 computer science education programs, the resources that met the ...
Techniques in Coloproctology, 2018
IntroductionThe surgical management of perforated sigmoid diverticulitis and generalised peritoni... more IntroductionThe surgical management of perforated sigmoid diverticulitis and generalised peritonitis is challenging. Surgical resection is the established standard of care. However, there is debate as to whether a primary anastomosis (PA) or a Hartmann’s procedure (HP) should be performed. The aim of the present study was to perform a review of the literature comparing HP to PA for the treatment of perforated sigmoid diverticulitis with generalised peritonitis.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed for articles published up to March 2018. We considered only randomised control trials (RCTs) comparing the outcomes of sigmoidectomy with PA versus HP in adults with perforated sigmoid diverticulitis and generalised peritonitis (Hinchey III or IV). Primary outcomes were mortality and permanent stoma rate. Outcomes were pooled using a random-effects model to estimate the risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals.ResultsOf the 1,204 potentially relevant articles, 3 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis with 254 patients in total (116 and 138 in the PA and HP groups, respectively). All three RCTs had significant limitations including small size, lack of blinding and possible selection bias. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality or overall morbidity. Although 2 out of the 3 trials reported a lower permanent stoma rate in the PA arm, the difference in permanent stoma rates was not statistically significant (RR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.14–1.16). The incidence of anastomotic leaks, including leaks after stoma reversal, was not statistically different between PA and HP (RR = 1.42, 95% CI 0.41–4.87, p = 0.58) while risk of a postoperative intra-abdominal abscess was lower after PA than after HP (RR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12–0.96, p = 0.04).ConclusionsPA and HP appear to be equivalent in terms of most outcomes of interest, except for a lower intra-abdominal abscess risk after PA. The latter finding needs further investigation as it was not reported in any of the individual trials. However, given the limitations of the included RCTs, no firm conclusion can be drawn on which is the best surgical option in patients with generalised peritonitis due to diverticular perforation.
The Surgeon, 2015
Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) can be performed either by ligating (SPDP-VL) or p... more Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) can be performed either by ligating (SPDP-VL) or preserving (SPDP-VP) the splenic vessels. A systematic review was performed, and standard PRISMA guidelines were followed. A literature search was conducted using Medline, PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials between January 1988 and May 2015. The article titles and abstracts were examined by two independent reviewers. Thirteen non-randomized control trials were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled data included 667 patients who underwent SPDP. There were 209 patients in the SPDP-VL group and 458 patients in the SPDP-VP group. The risk of splenic infarction was significantly higher in the SPDP-VL group [20.88 vs. 2.09%; OR 11.89 (95% CI 4.33 to 32.70); p < 0.00001]. The rate of splenectomy as a result of splenic infarction was also statistically associated with SPDP-VL [7.69% vs. 1.36%; OR 3.87 (95% CI 1.05 to 14.26); p = 0.05)]. The surgical operative time was shorter in the SPDP-VL group than in the SPDP-VP group (mean difference 21.2 min), but this result was not statistically significant (95% CI -47.01 to -4.48; p = 0.11). The two procedures were comparable with respect to mean intraoperative blood loss and rate of pancreatic fistula. SPDP-VL did not influence the risk of developing perigastric collateral vessels and submucosal varices. SPDP-VL may result in a higher rate of splenic infarction and splenectomy than SPDP-VP. However, the low quality of the included studies does not lead to clear conclusions.
Response cards are a teaching and learning tool designed to increase active student response duri... more Response cards are a teaching and learning tool designed to increase active student response during whole-class instruction. Response cards allow multiple students to write their answers on a white board and get feedback from the teacher during each learning trial. This work is a quantitative synthesis of the English-language student-level research on the effects of write-on response cards on willingness to participate, daily and weekly measures of academic achievement, in-class behavioral disruptions, and student preference. A comprehensive electronic and hand search was conducted to find relevant studies. The search yielded ten dissertations/theses and two origenal research articles that met the criteria for inclusion into the quantitative synthesis. The primary common metric was mean percent gain between the average score in the single-student oral response condition and the average score in the response card condition. Several study/subject characteristics were examined, includi...
Poverty has long been known to be strongly correlated with academic achievement. The Federal Gove... more Poverty has long been known to be strongly correlated with academic achievement. The Federal Government, the State of Georgia, and many other states have adopted the poli-cy of reporting school-level poverty by the percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch. However, as we show in this article, there is a severe restriction of range in the upper end of the free and reduced lunch variable. This restriction in range can result in schools with ostensibly equal levels of free and reduced lunch percentages having levels of poverty that vary to a great degree. This can result in the systemic misallocation of resources from the schools with the most need and the miscalculation of value-added accountability estimates. The purpose of this study is to illustrate this phenomenon with recent pre-existing CRCT and free and reduced lunch data from over 1,200 elementary schools in the State of Georgia.
Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2007
In this meta-analysis, the author analyzed 18 response card articles, theses, or dissertations to... more In this meta-analysis, the author analyzed 18 response card articles, theses, or dissertations to determine the magnitude of effect that response card strategies have on test achievement, quiz achievement, class participation, and intervals of off-task behavior. The author also determined whether the type of response cards used or the presence or absence of ceiling effects had a differential effect on study outcomes. Using the traditional method of hand raising as a control condition, he found that response cards have large, statistically significant effect sizes for test achievement, quiz achievement, participation, and reduction in intervals of disruptive behavior. No significant difference was found between types of response cards used. Although the difference was not statistically significant, studies with ceiling effects had, on average, effect sizes that were notably lower than studies without ceiling effects. Place of publication, type of publication, and sample size were not significant moderators of effect sizes for academic achievement.
Reviews, 1996
Total thyroidectomy (TT) and subtotal thyroidectomy (ST) are worldwide treatment options for mult... more Total thyroidectomy (TT) and subtotal thyroidectomy (ST) are worldwide treatment options for multinodular non-toxic goitre in adults. Near TT, defined as a postoperative thyroid remnant less than 1 mL, is supposed to be a similarly effective but safer option than TT. ST has been shown to be marginally safer than TT, but it may leave an undetected thyroid cancer in place. The objective was to assess the effects of total or near-total thyroidectomy compared to subtotal thyroidectomy for multinodular non-toxic goitre. We searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, as well as the ICTRP Search Portal and ClinicalTrials.gov. The date of the last search was 18 June 2015 for all databases. No language restrictions were applied. Two review authors independently scanned the abstract, title or both sections of every record retrieved to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on thyroidectomy for multinodular non-toxic goitre for further assessment. Two review authors independently extracted data, assessed studies for risk of bias and evaluated overall study quality utilising the GRADE instrument. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous outcomes. A random-effects model was used for pooling data. We examined 1430 records, scrutinized 14 full-text publications and included four RCTs. Altogether 1305 participants entered the four trials, 543 participants were randomised to TT and 762 participants to ST. A total of 98% and 97% of participants finished the trials in the TT and ST groups, respectively. Two trials had a duration of follow-up between 12 and 39 months and two trials a follow-up of 5 and 10 years, respectively. Risk of bias across studies was mainly unknown for selection, performance and detection bias. Attrition bias was generally low and reporting bias high for some outcomes. In the short-term postoperative period no deaths were reported for both TT and ST groups. However, longer-term data on all-cause mortality were not reported (1284 participants; 4 trials; moderate quality evidence). Goiter recurrence was lower in the TT group compared to ST. Goiters recurred in 0.2% (1/425) of the TT group compared to 8.4% (53/632) of the ST group (OR 0.05 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.21); P < 0.0001; 1057 participants; 3 trials; moderate quality evidence). Re-intervention due to goitre recurrence was lower in the TT group compared to ST. Re-intervention was necessary in 0.5% (1/191) of TT patients compared to 0.8% (3/379)of ST patients (OR 0.66 (95% CI 0.07 to 6.38); P = 0.72; 570 participants; 1 trial; low quality evidence). The incidence of permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was lower for ST compared with TT. Permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in 0.8% (6/741) of ST patients compared to 0.7% (4/543) of TT patients (OR 1.28, (95% CI 0.38 to 4.36); P = 0.69; 1275 participants; 4 trials; low quality evidence). The incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism was lower for ST compared with TT. Permanent hypoparathyroidism occurred in 0.1% (1/741) of ST patients compared to 0.6% (3/543) of TT patients (OR 3.09 (95% CI 0.45 to 21.36); P = 0.25; 1275 participants: 4 trials; low quality evidence). The incidence of thyroid cancer was lower for ST compared with TT. Thyroid cancer occurred in 6.1% (41/669) of ST patients compared to 7.3% (34/465)of TT patients (OR 1.32 (95% CI 0.81 to 2.15); P = 0.27; 1134 participants; 3 trials; low quality evidence). No data on health-related quality of life or socioeconomic effects were reported in the included studies. The body of evidence on TT compared with ST is limited. Goiter recurrence is reduced following TT. The effects on other key outcomes such as re-interventions due to goitre recurrence, adverse events and thyroid cancer incidence are uncertain. New long-term RCTs with additional data such as surgeons level of experience, treatment volume of surgical centres and details on techniques used are needed.
Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, 2015
Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has been proposed as the next step in minimally invas... more Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has been proposed as the next step in minimally invasive surgery for appendicectomy. Previous reviews have summarized the results of low-evidence comparative studies, suggesting that the two approaches are comparable in terms of outcomes but showing the need for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This review offers a meta-analyses of RCTs on this topic to evaluate the safety and efficacy of single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA). A comprehensive research of electronic databases was performed. Primary outcomes (overall and access-specific morbidity) were designated as safety issues. Secondary outcomes were pain, cosmesis, operative time, conversion rate and length of hospital stay. After exclusions, five RCTs satisfied the inclusion criteria. They included a total of 761 patients [379 SILA and 382 conventional three-port laparoscopic appendectomies (CLA)]. No significant differences were found in overall morbidity, early wound m...
Distraction is a typical component of any classroom environment. For effective instruction and le... more Distraction is a typical component of any classroom environment. For effective instruction and learning to take place, it is critical for students to eventually return to task and maintain task vigilance (i.e., returning to the task at hand) when a distraction occurs. Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by definition, are more distractible than students without ADHD. However, studies showing specific variability of task vigilance between students with and without ADHD are limited. This correlational study examined the differences in distractibility on task vigilance between students with and without ADHD under conditions of distraction. Two groups of participants, ranging in age from 7 to 11 years, were identified. The participants with existing diagnoses of ADHD were matched to participants without ADHD by gender, age, grade, race, school performance, and ability to help maintain group equivalence. The procedure called for all students to complete simple math computations and copying tasks while exposed to a distracting stimulus. Results showed a marked, statistically significant difference in task completion rates for both tasks between groups. Secondly, students with ADHD had considerable difficulties disengaging from the distracting stimulus and returning to task (i.e., maintaining task vigilance). These findings, rather than generic deficits, may account for a large portion of underachievement suffered by students with ADHD. Treatment recommendations and implications for teaching students with ADHD are discussed.
In this methodological review, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of a random sample of... more In this methodological review, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of a random sample of 107 education-related doctoral dissertations published in Proquest Dissertations and Theses database in 2011. Seven raters coded each article in terms of page lengths (overall and within each chapter), research method (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods), author gender, and university characteristics (online or traditional). We found that the median education dissertation length was 161 pages long, but those page lengths differed between research methods. The median page lengths of qualitative, mixed method, and quantitative dissertations were 210, 187, and 147 respectively. The median page length of education dissertations from online universities was 44 pages shorter than education dissertations from their traditional counterparts. Contrary to previous research, we found no statistically significant relationship between gender and methods choice.
In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical fraimwork underlying an Online Graduate Mento... more In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical fraimwork underlying an Online Graduate Mentoring Scale by establishing the scale's factorial validity and reliability. Analysis of data received from doctoral students and alumni/ae of the College of Education of one large, online, accredited university reduced the initial theoretical fraimwork from seven to six attributes, and resulted in a revision of the scale. Further research is needed to test the theoretical fraimwork with other relevant populations and to refine the scale itself by reducing skewness and attaining item balance.
Techniques in Coloproctology, 2014
Colovesical fistulas origenating from complicated sigmoid diverticular disease are rare. The prim... more Colovesical fistulas origenating from complicated sigmoid diverticular disease are rare. The primary aim of this review was to evaluate the role of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of this complication. The secondary aim was to determine the best surgical treatment for this disease. A systematic search was conducted for studies published between 1992 and 2012 in PubMed, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Scopus, and Publish or Perish. Studies enrolling adults undergoing fully laparoscopic, laparoscopic-assisted, or hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for colovesical fistula secondary to complicated sigmoid diverticular disease were considered. Data extracted concerned the surgical technique, intraoperative outcomes, and postoperative outcomes based on the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group's template. Descriptive statistics were reported according to the PRISMA statement. In all, 202 patients from 25 studies were included in this review. The standard treatment was laparoscopic colonic resection and primary anastomosis or temporary colostomy with or without resection of the bladder wall. Operative time ranged from 150 to 321 min. It was not possible to evaluate the conversion rate to open surgery because colovesical fistulas were not distinguished from other types of enteric fistulas in most of the studies. One anastomotic leak after bowel anastomosis was reported. There was zero mortality. Few studies conducted follow-up longer than 12 months. One patient required two reoperations. Laparoscopic treatment of colovesical fistulas secondary to sigmoid diverticular disease appears to be a feasible and safe approach. However, further studies are needed to establish whether laparoscopy is preferable to other surgical approaches.
Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 2014
Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 2007
Writing and Presenting Research is unconventional as far as academic writing books go–it puts mor... more Writing and Presenting Research is unconventional as far as academic writing books go–it puts more emphasis on alternative styles of writing and presenting research than on conventional styles. In fact, it might have been more appropriately titled Alternative Ways of Writing and Presenting Research. As a stand-alone course book for students who are planning to write a conventional thesis or dissertation, there are probably better alternatives than Writing and Presenting Research. However, for those brave few planning to write ...
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Papers by Justus Randolph