As HVAC providers, we have the ability to advise homeowners, builders, and property managers on ways to improve their indoor air quality.

The biggest tip is that combustion analysis should be the first and last thing completed during any heating appliance repair.

Taxes on tipped wages have now become a campaign issue. But economic equality advocates say ending sub-minumum wages would help workers more.

When everything that brings LGBTQ people joy is under attack, dancing, laughing, and celebrating our persistent existence are direct acts of resistance.

I just read a great post by John Kleeman on the Questionmark Blog that I wanted to share with you concerning test anxiety. We have previously discussed test anxiety (here and here), but it is interesting to read Kleeman's take on the difference in test anxiety between online and paper and pencil assessments. Here is the post in its entirety:

I’ve been reading about test anxiety (concern or worry by participants sufficiently severe that it impacts test performance). I’d like to share some tips on how online assessment sponsors can reduce its likelihood.

When creating and delivering tests, you seek to accurately measure knowledge, skills or abilities. Often you want to check competence or mastery for workplace or compliance reasons. If some of your participants have severe test anxiety, this doesn’t just disrupt them, it makes your test less accurate in measuring real performance. You might end up failing someone who is competent, just because anxiety affects their test performance.

Many studies (for example here) report that online tests cause less test anxiety than paper ones. Here are some suggestions on reducing test anxiety:

1. Some people have anxiety about a test because they haven’t mastered the subject being tested. Provide a clear description of what each test covers before the time of the test, and provide study resources or instruction to allow people to master the subject.

2. Test anxiety can also feed on unknowns, for instance on unfamiliarity with the test or believing untrue myths. Share information about the test’s purpose and what you do to make it fair. Also share information about the content: how many questions, how the scoring works, how much time is available and so on. Explain what happens if someone fails – for instance is it possible to retake?

3. It’s hugely valuable to provide practice tests that participants can try out before the real test. This will tell them where they are strong and weak and allow them to gain confidence in a less stressful environment prior to the real test. See my article 10 reasons why practice tests help make perfect exams for other reasons why practice tests are useful.

4. Give participants an opportunity to practice using the same type of computer, mouse, keyboard and user interface as will be used for the real test. This familiarizes them with the test environment and reduces potential anxiety, particularly for those who are less computer literate. If you are using Questionmark to deliver the test, make practice sessions available with the same template settings and the same types of questions. (Sometimes this is done with a fun quiz on a different topic, just to get people accustomed to the user interface.)

5. If you provide guidance to test-takers, point to self-help resources for people who have test anxiety. ETS provide a good resource here for instance. Another resource from the University of California is here.

6. Some self-help resources suggest breathing exercises or other exercises people can follow to reduce tension for people who are anxious about tests. Provide an environment where this is practical and train your test administrators and proctors about the prevalence of test anxiety.

7. If you have a way of encouraging test takers to sleep, take exercise and eat healthily, all these things aid a rational approach to taking a test and reducing anxiety.

8. If it works in your programme, consider whether it’s worth having a series of tests rather than a single test, so there is not a single “make or break” moment for participants. A series of tests can have other benefits too. It makes cheating harder, and by spreading out learning and revision, it can make participants retain the learning better.

9. People with disabilities are more likely to suffer test anxiety. Ensure that your program of accommodations takes this into account. See this helpful article on reducing test anxiety for people with disabilities.

10. Above all, create good quality, fair tests. If you follow good practice in authoring your questions and assessments, then there is less to be anxious about, as the test will be a good measure of performance. See Questionmark’s white paper “Five Steps to Better Tests” for some helpful advice in creating tests.

Many Questionmark users provide very effective practice quizzes and tests which help reduce test anxiety, and I hope these tips are helpful, too.

I’d love to hear additional input or suggestions.

Centrifugal water chillers comprise a significant portion of industrial and large commercial electrical load. These machines are efficient, typically producing a cooling effect two-to-three times greater than the required energy input. Centrifugal water systems were the focus of cholorfluorocarbon (CFC)... Read more

The post Tips For Successful Energy Efficiency Of Centrifugal Water Chillers appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

General recommendation is to properly design and implement the facility’s grounding system to avoid unwanted involvement of ground loops with the operation of the equipment. This kind of approach can also eliminate the need to consider equipment modifications and to... Read more

The post 8 tips to avoid ground loops when dealing with signal level circuits appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

This technical article covers some specific considerations (modern power supply, electric distribution, transportation, lighting controls, and communication systems) for a few most common type of commercial facilities such as banks, colleges and universities, fire stations, health care facilities and office... Read more

The post Specific electrical design tips for a few most common types of commercial facilities appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

How to get free insurance from the vendors that work for you as well as tips on how to avoid becoming an insurance company of last resort.

Frankie Fihn, CEO of “Get Water Jobs” gives our audience tips on gaining more flood jobs

Episode 1 of Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender gives advice on improving the impact of training and development in your company.

Episode 2 of Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender gives advice on training intervention, and taking your restoration company to new heights.

Learn how to boost your training ROI by focusing on impact-driven strategies that strengthen workforce performance and align with business goals in the fast-paced restoration industry.

Like any technology, it’s helpful to understand how it works before delving into optimization. The main elements of a TTO printer are the printhead, the inked ribbon, and the roller, or a flat platen for intermittent applications.

Whatever your industry, you need to code your products to enable safe usage. Examples include best-before-expiry dates on food or wattage on wires.

Waldner North America expert stresses the importance of choosing flexible machines that allow for efficient operations when changing between products and formats.

5 Tips for DMO Managers with More Questions Than Answers jhammond@desti… Tue, 05/07/2024 - 18:30

Despite our best efforts, we all get fatigued at work from time to time, so how can you best conserve physical and mental energy on the job?

Read more: Top tips to keep your work batteries charged and running

Networking is key to staying ahead of industry changes and trends in the fast-paced, often chaotic world of tech.

Read more: Networking tips for technology professionals

The pharma sector is a dynamic and ever-changing landscape, therefore it can sometimes be a challenge to break into the industry.

Read more: Top tips for jump-starting a career in pharma

The ABC Supply Pro Council provides 10 essential ideas to keep in mind for keeping your workers safe in 2021 and beyond.

A benchmark company will have a written strategic succession plan.

Holcim Elevate suggests safety tips for roofing professionals during this hot summer, including starting the workday early, wearing protective gear, staying hydrated, recognizing signs of heat-related illnesses, and taking precautions to safeguard roofing materials.

Entering the fourth quarter, businesses seeking cost-effective health plans for 2024 should consider these three tips. 

A quarter of the world's population uses voice search, and the numbers are only going to rise.

How companies can help users feel safe by better securing voice assistant data.

Nowadays mental health in the workplace is one of the most talked about topics, with stress, anxiety and tiredness being the centre of the debate. In fact, whether you work for a company or as a freelancer, it’s very likely that there will be moments in your work life that will be overwhelming and tiring to the point of reaching a point of so called ‘burnout’.

Our new ebook includes key pointers and lessons learned shared by more than two dozen federal and industry cyber leaders during our Zero Trust Cyber Exchange. Download it now.

The post Tips and Tactics from Zero Trust Cyber Exchange first appeared on Federal News Network.

Almost every scientific presentation uses a slide deck, but little time is spent learning how to make or improve them. 

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online. There are various benefits to it. One of the major benefits that attracts me is that with affiliate marketing, you don’t need to create a product in order to make sales. Creating a product is a tedious task (although for some businesses, this cannot be […]

Blog traffic is not driven by new traffic; individuals driven by return clients. Your new traffic is going to be fluidic. One week you might have lots of new visitors, and the following weeks you may have very few at all. Your repeat viewers are the ones who are supposed in order to create up […]

This article, extract from Venosan brochure, explains the veins and their functions, the causes of venous disease as well as therapy like physiotherapy and compression therapy. Also highlights important tips like recommended activities and things to avoid.

In this episode, Thomas Domville teaches you how to use Screen Recording on iOS and iPadOS.

Screen Recording is a feature that allows you to capture what's happening on your screen. This can be useful for creating tutorials, demos, or simply sharing something interesting with your friends and family.

To set up this feature, go to Settings > Control Center and double-tap the "Insert Screen Recording" button under the "more controls" heading. To create a recording, open Control Center by placing your finger on the top edge of the device until you hear a tone, and sliding it straight down until you hear the second tone (devices without a Home button) or placing your finger on the status bar and swiping up with three fingers (devices with a Home button). Double-tap the Screen Recording button; there will be a three-second countdown before recording starts.

To stop recording, either press the Side button to lock the device, double-tap the Screen Recording button in Control Center again, or double-tap the screen recording button in the status bar. By default, the recording will be saved to your Photos library, however this can be changed if you wish by focusing on the "Screen recording" button in Control Center and choosing the "open controls" rotor action.

Helping with safer motoring.

There comes a point in every podcast when it's necessary to say a URL. If for nothing else, at least your podcast's own home on the Internet. (And you should have a domain for your podcast!)

The post 11 Tips for Sharing URLs in Your Podcast first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

The Trump administration has proposed a new rule governing the wages of tipped employees, after an earlier effort sparked a backlash from waitstaff, bartenders and other workers. The proposed rule from the Labor Department would allow employers to require more widespread sharing of tips with "back of the house" coworkers, such as cooks and dishwashers. The rule makes clear, however, that employers cannot pocket those tips or use them to reward managers and supervisors. The rule would also give employers more flexibility in assigning non-tipped tasks to workers who rely on gratuities for a big part of their income. The proposal was cheered by the restaurant industry. But workers' advocates and some lawmakers say they still have some concerns. "This rule establishes once and for all an appropriate balance, and ends arbitrary and capricious regulations," said Angelo Amador, regulatory counsel for the National Restaurant Association. "We commend the U.S. Department of Labor for providing

Dr. Kathryn Mannix has had thousands of heart-wrenching conversations over her three-decade career as a palliative care physician, psychotherapist and trainer. She offers five tips for anyone who is faced with leading a challenging conversation.

If you're looking for a place where there's fun to be had for the whole family that won't break the bank you should be thinking of Clarksville, Tennessee!

Check out these items that we recommend as take-alongs for all of your autumn travel adventures. And yes, you'll love them at home too!

We have a new favorite backpack and wow is it a good one! We'll try not to rave too much but it is worthy of all the high praise we give it!