Dr. Teresa Piliouras, Author at Best We Can Be

Best We Can Be Featured in IEEE Pulse Magazine

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 04:50:45 +0000

The Academy of Information Technology and Engineering (AITE), a college preparatory, public magnet high school in Stamford, Connecticut, has collaborated with TCR for the past decade to offer a variety of extracurricular STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs to its students. This collaboration inspired TCR to create the Best We Can Be program to introduce students to careers in STEM. Best We Can Be uses Health Information Technology as a foundation to explore many interdisciplinary connections. As the program has grown, students asked for additional learning experiences related to business, entrepreneurship, and personal development (study habits, critical thinking, team work, etc.). The program’s emphasis on HIT and STEM topics provides many opportunities to weave in lessons that develop these practical skills.

For the full story in the IEEE Pulse Magazine, click this link: http://pulse.embs.org/january-2016/the-best-we-can-be/

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CEWIT 2015 12th International Conference & Expo on Emerging Technologies for a Smarter World

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 01:12:40 +0000

The Rise of Mobile Technology in Healthcare: The Challenge of Securing Teleradiology

Sharing DICOM Images on Mobile Devices: Confidentiality, Integrity, & Availability Risks

Abstract— There are many potential security risks associated with viewing, accessing, and storage of DICOM files on mobile devices. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is the industry standard for the communication and management of medical imaging. DICOM files contain multi-dimensional image data and associated meta-data (e.g., patient name, date of birth, etc.) designated as electronic protected health information (e-PHI).

The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Privacy Rule, the HIPAA Security Rule, the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and applicable state law mandate comprehensive administrative, physical, and technical security safeguards to protect e-PHI, which includes (DICOM) medical images. Implementation of HIPAA security safeguards is difficult and often falls short. Mobile device use is proliferating among healthcare providers, along with associated risks to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). Mobile devices and laptops are implicated in wide-spread data breaches of millions of patients’ data.

These risks arise in many ways, including:

[i] inherent vulnerabilities of popular mobile operating systems (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows Phone);

[ii] sharing of mobile devices by multiple users;

[iii] lost or stolen devices;

[iv] transmission of clinical images over public (unsecured) wireless networks;

[v] lack of adequate password protection;

[vi] failure to use recommended safety precautions to protect data on a lost device (e.g., data wiping);

[vii] use of personal mobile devices while accessing or sharing e-PHI.

Analysis of commonly used methods for DICOM image sharing on mobile devices elucidates areas of vulnerability and points to the need for holistic security approaches to ensure HIPAA compliance within and across clinical settings. Innovative information governance strategies and new security approaches are needed to protect against data breaches, and to aid in the collection and analysis of compliance data. Generally, it is difficult to share DICOM images across different HIPAA-compliant Picture Archive and Communication Systems (PACS) and certified electronic health record (EHR) systems – while it is easy to share images using non-FDA approved, personal devices on unsecured networks. End-users in clinical settings must understand and strictly adhere to recommended mobile security precautions, and should be held to greater standards of personal accountability when they fail to do so.

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2015 IEEE Long Island Systems, Applications and Technology Conference (LISAT 2015)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Fri, 01 May 2015 10:29:31 +0000

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Emerging Healthcare Technologies presents peer-reviewed paper

“Digital Imaging & Electronic Health Record Systems: Implementation and Regulatory Challenges Faced By Healthcare Providers.”

Abstract– Electronic capture of patient records, including digital imaging, facilitates: i) collaboration and communication between providers and entities involved in patient care, ii) compilation of lifetime patient histories that are more accessible to treating physicians, and iii) aggregation of population data for evidence-based medicine and creation of decision support tools. The Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) Incentive Programs and associated Meaningful Use (MU) requirements are a driving force in the evolution towards digitized patient recordkeeping. For the foreseeable future, MU will continue to exert pressure on EHR vendors, hospitals, and ambulatory practices to conform to increasingly stringent government reporting requirements or else face obsolescence and/or reduced fees for services. This is encouraging many practices – including radiology and digital imaging centers – that may have opted out of MU compliance in the past – to re-examine how they integrate their work flows with EHR systems and with other physicians and treatment facilities. This paper describes digital imaging technology and strategies to interface and integrate it with EHR systems and clinical work flows. A case study based on the open source electronic health record software, OpenEMR, is presented as an illustrative example of challenges integrating imaging and EHR technology across and between clinical practices. The case study demonstrates how poor EHR integration with picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and radiology information systems (RIS) complicates and adds to the clinician work flow and reduces the diagnostic value of imaging data. EHR, PACS, and RIS vendors need to improve system interoperability and image sharing capabilities in their product offerings. Better, more complete standards are needed to enable this to happen. DICOM, HL7, IHE, and other standards are evolving to address gaps in data integration and continuity across the spectrum of health information technology used in patient care. This will alleviate burdens on healthcare professionals and information technology staff who must use and implement systems infrastructure while maintaining compliance with Meaningful Use (MU) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This is essential to achieving technology’s promise of optimized healthcare delivery.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

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Reflections on Academic Culture & the Role of Technology and Major Stakeholders – IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference, Princeton, NJ (2015)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 18:32:06 +0000

Pictured: Raymond Yu, Exec. VP, Engineering, Jeanne Lauer, Teacher (AITE), & Jasmine Warner, Educational Evaluation Specialist – Co-Presenters at IEEE ISEC 2015.

Abstract– This paper discusses the importance of academic culture and its impacts on students and their motivation. Cultural challenges and obstacles to educational reform are explored. The expanding role of technology in educational instruction and driving cultural change is examined.

Technology enables customization and innovation in teaching and assessment. However, it also poses privacy risks as more and more data are being collected and shared. The ultimate success of educational reform demands meaningful dialogue between critical stakeholders in the educational process – students, parents, teachers, administrators, policy makers, governments, and society as a whole. Technology provides opportunities to facilitate the expression of divergent viewpoints thereby encouraging greater collaboration and more informed discussion about educational reform.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

http://ewh.ieee.org/conf/stem/

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The 11th International Conference & Expo on Emerging Technologies for a Smarter World (CEWIT 2014)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 22:40:04 +0000

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies

In collaboration with the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership, is presenting an invited paper on “Finding Gold (Star Students) in the Data Mine – How Big Data Can Drive Excellence in Education”.

In this paper, we describe a systems architecture to support educational Customer Relationship Management (CRM). We present real-world case studies to demonstrate its practical application and use in school settings.

Abstract—The United States, along with the rest of the world, is struggling to keep pace with the growing demand for a knowledgeable and skilled workforce. The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), put forth by the United States Department of Education, calls for a reinvention of the nation’s education system to address shortcomings preparing students for tertiary education and the workforce. Realization of this sweeping goal requires leveraging the power of technology, big data, and embracing a customer relationship management (CRM) perspective, where in this context, the “customers” are students and customer “loyalty” equates to their engagement in the learning process. Coordinated data collection will improve results for individual schools and enable evidence-based educational practices to be shared among schools. Big data provides the means to identify customers’ needs, abilities and wants – as well as the means to implement reward and incentive programs that recognize student successes and loyalty to educational attainment. Lessons gleaned from CRM initiatives in industry are used to conceptualize a systems architecture to support customer relationship management in educational environments. Case studies — based on the Best We Can Be (BWCB) online college and career readiness program, and the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP), a multi-country educational program to introduce students to career opportunities in Travel and Tourism — are presented to demonstrate practical implementation of CRM principles in an educational setting.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

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TCR named a finalist for 2014 Connecticut Innovation Summit (2014)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 12:00:36 +0000

2014 Connecticut Innovation Summit (2014)

The Connecticut Technology Council has announced the finalists for this year’s Tech Company To Watch competition – and TCR is proud and honored to be one of them!

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2014 IEEE Long Island Systems, Applications and Technology Conference (LISAT2014)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Fri, 02 May 2014 22:40:29 +0000

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies presented an invited paper on “Leveraging Technology to Build a Workforce Ready Society

The Transformative Potential of Technology to Revolutionize Education” by Dr. Teresa Piliouras, Pui Lam (Raymond) Yu, Fnu Deqingyuzhen, Yiwei Jia, Ruoyang Li, Qian Zeng, and Chi Xu.

In this paper, we describe the Best We Can Be program and how it develops workforce and college readiness in high school students.

Abstract – Attainment of a degree is a key predictor of success in the workforce. In the United States, twenty percent (20%) of high school students drop-out before graduation. Individuals who lack workforce readiness skills face a lifetime of lost income, benefits, and job opportunities. The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), put forth by the United States Department of Education, calls for a reinvention of the nation’s education system to address its shortcomings preparing students for college and the workforce. Realization of this goal requires leveraging the power of technology. Technology, and ubiquitous Internet connectivity, provides the means to deliver low cost, lifelong, personalized education and remediation around the clock, in and outside the classroom. The Best We Can Be program – an online college and career readiness experience – is presented as a case study to demonstrate how technology may be integrated within K-12 educational settings to better prepare the next generation with skills needed for success. Best We Can Be has three major aims. The first is to engage students in productive learning of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subject matter. The second is to help students develop a realistic understanding of their own personal strengths and weaknesses with respect to workforce readiness, and how this may impact their future career options. The third aim is to provide proactive, individualized intervention to help students achieve their personal workforce readiness goals. Design and implementation approaches and challenges associated with developing an infrastructure to serve these aims are discussed.

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WINNER BEST PAPER IN CONFERENCE AWARD – American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE Zone 1) (2014)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 22:41:52 +0000

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies presented an invited paper on “A Deeper Understanding of Technology is Needed for Workforce Readiness

Playing Games, Texting, and Tweets Aren’t Enough to Make Students Tech-Savvy.”

In this paper, we explore the role of digital learning environments and its impacts on development of 21st century technology skills.

Abstract – Technology skills are critical for workforce readiness and are a key predictor of job success. What does it mean to be workforce ready? To answer this question, definitions of workforce readiness and methods used to measure it are examined. Application of these definitions and methods reveals substantial gaps in the national level of work force readiness. These gaps are manifest when students leave school and persist until they retire from the job market. In the National Evaluation Technology Plan (NETP), the Department of Education proposes five (5) goals to address this deficiency. In this paper, these goals are used to conceptualize solutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes related to workforce and college readiness. Solutions are sought that extend the reach and delivery of educational experiences by leveraging ways youth use technology in their everyday life. The authors share lessons they learned using and teaching technology at the Academy of Information Technology (AITE) High School. AITE is an inter-district public, college preparatory, magnet high school that offers its students a technology-rich learning environment. Its culture and climate fosters innovation that goes beyond the classroom. For example, a collaborative effort with AITE led to the creation of an online learning program – Best We Can Be – that engenders learning by facilitating supportive interpersonal networks between students, teachers, mentors, and peers, and by enabling personalized delivery of educational content. Other types of technology based learning experiences – such as robotics clubs – are used to engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines and to encourage exploration of challenging subject matter while developing critical workforce readiness skills.

ASEE Best Paper Award is established to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of engineering education with a particular focus on the ASEE Zone 1 Conference theme: “Engineering Education: Industry Involvement and Interdisciplinary Trends.” Research demonstrating commitment to fostering the exchange of ideas, enhancing teaching methods and curricula, and providing prime networking opportunities for faculty members, students and industry and government representatives is especially encouraged.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

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Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), 2014 IEEE

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 22:57:48 +0000

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies

In collaboration with Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (AITE) High School presented an invited paper on “Others may see someone eating a cookie — I see the start of a protein kinase cascade reaction”

This paper shares the authors’ experiences in Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) from our respective vantage points as student, educator, researcher, and industry professional. We share a passion for STEM subject matter, and a desire to encourage others to explore it as a way of enriching one’s life and society as a whole.

Abstract – In this paper, we explore influences that hinder and promote interest in STEM, and resulting implications on what is needed to engage and retain students’ life-long interest. The importance of soft skills in developing STEM proficiency is also discussed.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

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The 10th International Conference & Expo on Emerging Technologies for a Smarter World (CEWIT2013)

Dr. Teresa Piliouras — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 17:53:20 +0000

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies

In collaboration with the New York University College of Nursing, is presenting an invited paper on “Rethinking K-12 Educational Data Collection Infrastructures”. The authors are: Dr. Teresa Piliouras, Dr. Nadia Sultana, and Pui Lam (Raymond) Yu.

Abstract. Improvements in identity and privacy protection in educational data collection infrastructures are essential to the long-term “health” of our country’s education. These improvements are needed for protection of youth, as required by law, and also to facilitate collection of sensitive information needed for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the educational setting and individual learning processes. The fragmentation of current systems should be supplanted by holistic, secure infrastructures capable of support rigorous scientific research on a national scale. We imagine a re-invention of educational infrastructures to allow analysis of critical dimensions of educational delivery systems, including:

1) Identification of causal factors which hinder or promote student academic success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculums. Causal factors include individual characteristics, program interventions, family and economic circumstances, and features of broader social and cultural context.

2) Examination of students’ educational and career choices over time and with respect to different age and gender groups.

Research on variation among males versus females, and underrepresented minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged students is essential for optimal design of educational strategies and curriculums. In this paper, we discuss the shortcoming of existing systems, and our recommendations for a more robust, secure, and research oriented technology platform for data collection and analysis.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

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