Papers by Louise McMillan
Stats
Background: Data with ordinal categories occur in many diverse areas, but methodologies for model... more Background: Data with ordinal categories occur in many diverse areas, but methodologies for modeling ordinal data lag severely behind equivalent methodologies for continuous data. There are advantages to using a model specifically developed for ordinal data, such as making fewer assumptions and having greater power for inference. Methods: The ordered stereotype model (OSM) is an ordinal regression model that is more flexible than the popular proportional odds ordinal model. The primary benefit of the OSM is that it uses numeric encoding of the ordinal response categories without assuming the categories are equally-spaced. Results: This article summarizes two recent advances in the OSM: (1) three novel tests to assess goodness-of-fit; (2) a new Generalized Estimating Equations approach to estimate the model for longitudinal studies. These methods use the new spacing of the ordinal categories indicated by the estimated score parameters of the OSM. Conclusions: The recent advances pres...
A tertiary approach to improving equity in health:
Background: Universities should provide flexible and inclusive selection and admission policies t... more Background: Universities should provide flexible and inclusive selection and admission policies to increase equity in access and outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students. This study investigates an equity-targeted admissions process, involving a Multiple Mini Interview and objective testing, advising Māori and Pacific students on their best starting point for academic success towards a career in medicine, nursing, health sciences and pharmacy. Methods: All Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) interviewees enrolled in bridging/foundation or degree-level programmes at the University of Auckland were identified (2009 to 2012). Generalised linear regression
Information Sciences, 2021
Archetypoid analysis (ADA) is an exploratory approach that explains a set of continuous observati... more Archetypoid analysis (ADA) is an exploratory approach that explains a set of continuous observations as mixtures of pure (extreme) patterns. Those patterns (archetypoids) are actual observations of the sample which makes the results of this technique easily interpretable, even for non-experts. Note that the observations are approximated as a convex combination of the archetypoids. Archetypoid analysis, in its current form, cannot be applied directly to ordinal data. We propose and describe a two-step method for applying ADA to ordinal responses based on the ordered stereotype model. One of the main advantages of this model is that it allows us to convert the ordinal data to numerical values, using a new data-driven spacing that better reflects the ordinal patterns of the data, and this numerical conversion then enables us to apply ADA straightforwardly. The results of the novel method are presented for two behavioural science applications. Finally, the proposed method is also compared with other unsupervised statistical learning methods.
Wildlife Research, 2018
Context Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are revolutionising areas of animal behaviour research an... more Context Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are revolutionising areas of animal behaviour research and are advantageous based on their ability to be deployed remotely and unobtrusively, for long time periods in inaccessible areas. Aims We aimed to determine the feasibility of using a WSN to track detailed movement paths of small animals, e.g. rats (Rattus spp.) 100–400g, too small for current GPS technology, by calibrating active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and loggers using Radio Frequency Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) as a proxy for distance. Active RFIDs are also called Wireless Identification (WID) tags. Methods Calibration tests were conducted using a grid of loggers (n=16) spaced at 45-m intervals in clear line-of-sight conditions. WID tags (n=16) were placed between the loggers at 45-m intervals. Eight ‘walks’ were also conducted through the grid using a single WID tag. This involved attaching the tag to a small bottle of water (to simulate the body of an animal...
BMJ Open, 2017
ObjectiveTo determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioni... more ObjectiveTo determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioning, bridging programme attendance and prior academic preparation on academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine under access pathways designed to widen participation. Findings were compared with students admitted via the general (usual) admission pathway.DesignRetrospective observational study using secondary data.Setting 6-year medical programme (MBChB), University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Students are selected and admitted into Year 2 following a first year (undergraduate) or prior degree (graduate).Participants1676 domestic students admitted into Year 2 between 2002 and 2012 via three pathways: GENERAL admission (1167), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme—MAPAS (317) or Rural Origin Medical Preferential Entry—ROMPE (192). Of these, 1082 students completed the programme in the study period.Main outcome measuresGraduated from medica...
BMC medical education, Jan 7, 2016
Tertiary institutions are struggling to ensure equitable academic outcomes for indigenous and eth... more Tertiary institutions are struggling to ensure equitable academic outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students in health professional study. This demonstrates disadvantaging of ethnic minority student groups (whereby Indigenous and ethnic minority students consistently achieve academic outcomes at a lower level when compared to non-ethnic minority students) whilst privileging non-ethnic minority students and has important implications for health workforce and health equity priorities. Understanding the reasons for academic inequities is important to improve institutional performance. This study explores factors that impact on academic success for health professional students by ethnic group. Kaupapa Māori methodology was used to analyse data for 2686 health professional students at the University of Auckland in 2002-2012. Data were summarised for admission variables: school decile, Rank Score, subject credits, Auckland school, type of admission, and bridging programme; and a...
Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 2017
Tertiary institutions internationally aim to increase student diversity, however are struggling t... more Tertiary institutions internationally aim to increase student diversity, however are struggling to achieve equitable academic outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students and detailed exploration of factors that impact on success is required. This study explored the predictive effect of admission variables on academic outcomes for health professional students by ethnic grouping. Kaupapa Māori and Pacific research methodologies were used to conduct a quantitative analysis using data for 2686 health professional students [150 Māori, 257 Pacific, 2279, non-Māori non-Pacific (nMnP)]. The predictive effect of admission variables: school decile; attending school in Auckland; type of admission; bridging programme; and first-year bachelor results on academic outcomes: year 2-4 grade point average (GPA); graduating; graduating in the minimum time; and optimal completion for the three ethnic groupings and the full cohort was explored using multiple regression analyses. After adjusting...
BMC Medical Education, 2015
Background: Universities should provide flexible and inclusive selection and admission policies t... more Background: Universities should provide flexible and inclusive selection and admission policies to increase equity in access and outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students. This study investigates an equity-targeted admissions process, involving a Multiple Mini Interview and objective testing, advising Māori and Pacific students on their best starting point for academic success towards a career in medicine, nursing, health sciences and pharmacy. Methods: All Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) interviewees enrolled in bridging/foundation or degree-level programmes at the University of Auckland were identified (2009 to 2012). Generalised linear regression models estimated the predicted effects of admission variables (e.g. MAPAS Maths Test; National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) Rank Score; Any 2 Sciences; Followed MAPAS Advice) on first year academic outcomes (i.e. Grade Point Average (GPA) and Passes All Courses) adjusting for MAPAS interview year, gender, ancestry and school decile. Results: 368 First Year Tertiary (bridging/foundation or degree-level) and 242 First Year Bachelor (degree-level only) students were investigated. NCEA Rank Score (estimate 0.26, CI: 0.18-0.34, p< 0.0001); MAPAS Advice Followed (1.26, CI: 0.18-1.34, p = 0.0002); Exposure to Any 2 Sciences (0.651, CI: 0.15-1.15, p = 0.012); and MAPAS Mathematics Test (0.14, CI: 0.02-0.26, p = 0.0186) variables were strongly associated with an increase in First Year Tertiary GPA. The odds of passing all courses in First Year Tertiary study was 5.4 times higher for students who Followed MAPAS Advice (CI: 2.35-12.39; p< 0.0001) and 2.3 times higher with Exposure to Any Two Sciences (CI: 1.15-4.60; p = 0.0186). First Year Bachelor students who Followed MAPAS Advice had an average GPA that was 1.1 points higher for all eight (CI: 0.45-1.73; p = 0.0009) and Core 4 courses (CI: 0.60-2.04; p = 0.0004). Conclusions: The MAPAS admissions process was strongly associated with positive academic outcomes in the first year of tertiary study. Universities should invest in a comprehensive admissions process that includes alternative entry pathways for indigenous and ethnic minority applicants.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2015
Bridging/foundation programmes are often provided by tertiary institutions to increase equity in ... more Bridging/foundation programmes are often provided by tertiary institutions to increase equity in access and academic performance of students from under-served communities. Little empirical evidence exists to measure the effectiveness of these bridging/foundation programmes on undergraduate academic outcomes. This research identifies the predictive effect of academic outcomes achieved within a bridging/foundation programme, targeted towards indigenous and ethnic minority students, on first-year degree-level outcomes. Overall performance within the bridging/foundation programme was positively associated with increasing Grade Point Average (GPA), ‘Core 4’ GPA and passing all courses in first year. However, mixed associations were identified between feeder bridging/foundation courses and their intended first year course counterparts. These findings support the continued provision of bridging/foundation education; however, curricular reform within the bridging/foundation programme was required. Key developments included: restructuring course delivery; increasing constructive alignment across the curriculum; increasing cultural content within western science-orientated courses; introduction of cross-curricular assessment and use of additional innovative teaching and learning activities. Additional challenges remain for degree programmes to explore how they can change in order to better support indigenous and ethnic minority student success within first-year tertiary study.
Journal of Biomechanics, 2009
Information Sciences, 2021
Archetypoid analysis (ADA) is an exploratory approach that explains a set of continuous observati... more Archetypoid analysis (ADA) is an exploratory approach that explains a set of continuous observations as mixtures of pure (extreme) patterns. Those patterns (archetypoids) are actual observations of the sample which makes the results of this technique easily interpretable, even for non-experts. Note that the observations are approximated as a convex combination of the archetypoids. Archetypoid analysis, in its current form, cannot be applied directly to ordinal data. We propose and describe a two-step method for applying ADA to ordinal responses based on the ordered stereotype model. One of the main advantages of this model is that it allows us to convert the ordinal data to numerical values, using a new data-driven spacing that better reflects the ordinal patterns of the data, and this numerical conversion then enables us to apply ADA straightforwardly. The results of the novel method are presented for two behavioural science applications. Finally, the proposed method is also compar...
International Journal for Equity in Health, 2015
Introduction: Achieving health equity for indigenous and ethnic minority populations requires the... more Introduction: Achieving health equity for indigenous and ethnic minority populations requires the development of an ethnically diverse health workforce. This study explores a tertiary admission programme targeting Māori and Pacific applicants to nursing, pharmacy and health sciences (a precursor to medicine) at the University of Auckland (UoA), Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Application of cognitive and non-cognitive selection tools, including a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), are examined. Methods: Indigenous Kaupapa Māori methodology guided analysis of the Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) for the years 2008-2012. Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify the predicted effect of admission variables on the final MAPAS recommendation of best starting point for success in health professional study i.e. 'CertHSc' (Certificate in Health Sciences, bridging/foundation), 'Bachelor' (degree-level) or 'Not FMHS' (Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences). Regression analyses controlled for interview year, gender and ancestry. Results: Of the 918 MAPAS interviewees: 35% (319) were Māori, 58% (530) Pacific, 7% (68) Māori/Pacific; 71% (653) school leavers; 72% (662) females. The average rank score was 167/320, 40-80 credits below guaranteed FMHS degree offers. Just under half of all interviewees were recommended 'CertHSc' 47% (428), 13% (117) 'Bachelor' and 38% (332) 'Not FMHS' as the best starting point. Strong associations were identified between Bachelor recommendation and exposure to Any 2 Sciences (OR:7.897, CI:3.855-16.175; p < 0.0001), higher rank score (OR:1.043, CI:1.034-1.052; p < 0.0001) and higher scores on MAPAS mathematics test (OR:1.043, CI:1.028-1.059; p < 0.0001). MMI stations had mixed associations, with academic preparation and career aspirations more consistently associated with recommendations. Conclusions: Our findings raise concerns about the ability of the secondary education sector to prepare Māori and Pacific students adequately for health professional study. A comprehensive tertiary admissions process using multiple tools for selection (cognitive and non-cognitive) and the provision of alternative entry pathways are recommended for indigenous and ethnic minority health workforce development. The application of the MMI within an equity and indigenous cultural context can support a holistic assessment of an applicant's potential to succeed within tertiary study. The new MAPAS admissions process may provide an exemplar for other tertiary institutions looking to widen participation via equity-targeted admission processes.
Journal Of Heredity
As species recover from exploitation, continued assessments of connectivity and population struct... more As species recover from exploitation, continued assessments of connectivity and population structure are warranted to provide information for conservation and management. This is particularly true in species with high dispersal capacity, such as migratory whales, where patterns of connectivity could change rapidly. Here we build on a previous long-term, large-scale collaboration on southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) to combine new (nnew) and published (npub) mitochondrial (mtDNA) and microsatellite genetic data from all major wintering grounds and, uniquely, the South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur: SG) feeding grounds. Specifically, we include data from Argentina (npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 208/46), Brazil (nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 50/50), South Africa (nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 66/77, npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 350/47), Chile–Peru (nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 1/1), the Indo-Pacific (npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 769/126), and SG (npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 8/0, nne...
Background: Tertiary institutions are struggling to ensure equitable academic outcomes for indige... more Background: Tertiary institutions are struggling to ensure equitable academic outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students in health professional study. This demonstrates disadvantaging of ethnic minority student groups (whereby Indigenous and ethnic minority students consistently achieve academic outcomes at a lower level when compared to non-ethnic minority students) whilst privileging non-ethnic minority students and has important implications for health workforce and health equity priorities. Understanding the reasons for academic inequities is important to improve institutional performance. This study explores factors that impact on academic success for health professional students by ethnic group. Methods: Kaupapa Māori methodology was used to analyse data for 2686 health professional students at the University of Auckland in 2002–2012. Data were summarised for admission variables: school decile, Rank Score, subject credits, Auckland school, type of admission, and bridging programme; and academic outcomes: first-year grade point average (GPA), first-year passed all courses, year 2 – 4 programme GPA, graduated, graduated in the minimum time, and composite completion for Māori, Pacific, and non-Māori non-Pacific (nMnP) students. Statistical tests were used to identify significant differences between the three ethnic groupings. Results: Māori and Pacific students were more likely to attend low decile schools (27 % Māori, 33 % Pacific vs. 5 % nMnP, p < 0.01); complete bridging foundation programmes (43 % Māori, 50 % Pacific vs. 5 % nMnP, p < 0.01), and received lower secondary school results (Rank Score 197 Māori, 178 Pacific vs. 231 nMnP, p < 0.01) when compared with nMnP students. Patterns of privilege were seen across all academic outcomes, whereby nMnP students achieved higher first year GPA (3.6 Māori, 2.8 Pacific vs. 4.7 nMnP, p < 0.01); were more likely to pass all first year courses (61 % Māori, 41 % Pacific vs. 78 % nMnP, p < 0.01); to graduate from intended programme (66 % Māori, 69 % Pacific vs. 78 % nMnP, p < 0.01); and to achieve optimal completion (9 % Māori, 2 % Pacific vs. 20 % nMnP, p < 0.01) when compared to Māori and Pacific students.
Bridging/foundation programmes are often provided by tertiary institutions to increase equity in ... more Bridging/foundation programmes are often provided by tertiary institutions to increase equity in access and academic performance of students from underserved communities. Little empirical evidence exists to measure the effectiveness of these bridging/foundation programmes on undergraduate academic outcomes. This research identifies the predictive effect of academic outcomes achieved within a bridging/foundation programme, targeted towards indigenous and ethnic minority students, on first-year degree-level outcomes. Overall performance within the bridging/foundation programme was positively associated with increasing Grade Point Average (GPA), 'Core 4' GPA and passing all courses in first year. However, mixed associations were identified between feeder bridging/foundation courses and their intended first year course counterparts. These findings support the continued provision of bridging/foundation education; however, curricular reform within the bridging/foundation programme was required. Key developments included: restructuring course delivery; increasing constructive alignment across the curriculum; increasing cultural content within western science-orientated courses; introduction of cross-curricular assessment and use of additional innovative teaching and learning activities. Additional challenges remain for degree programmes to explore how they can change in order to better support indigenous and ethnic minority student success within first-year tertiary study.
Uploads
Papers by Louise McMillan