All for one and one for all: understanding health professionals' experience in individual versus collaborative online learning.

PubMed

MacNeill, Heather; Telner, Deanna; Sparaggis-Agaliotis, Alexandra; Hanna, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) may facilitate continuing interprofessional education while overcoming barriers of time and place for busy health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences, advantages, and challenges of group versus individual online learning. Fifteen multidisciplinary health professionals participated in a 12-week online course on either diabetes or traumatic brain injury. This consisted of background e-modules and a longitudinal build-a-case exercise, done either individually or as a group. Focus group sessions exploring participants' experiences after course completion and at 4 months were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for recurring themes. Participant reflection homework and video-recorded group sessions were used for triangulation of results. Individual learners appreciated the flexibility and control, but experienced decreased motivation. Group learners appreciated the immediate feedback from their co-learners and felt social pressure to come to the weekly sessions prepared but expressed challenges in determining group goal-setting for the session. Both groups felt they learned about interprofessional roles; however, group learners described a richer learning experience and understanding of interprofessional roles through the online collaboration exercise. The intense resources necessary for interprofessional CSCL, including time, faculty development, and technological issues, are described. CSCL is a valuable educational strategy in online learning. While individual online learning may be better suited for short and simple educational interventions such as knowledge acquisition, CSCL seems to allow for richer and deeper learning in complex and interprofessional educational experiences. However, strategies, resources, and faculty development required to enhance CSCL need to be addressed carefully. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Jin Hee; Hartline, Beverly Karplus; Milner-Bolotin, Marina

2013-03-01

The three sessions of the professional development workshop series were each designed for a different audience. The purpose of the first session was to help mid-career physicists aspire for and achieve leadership roles. The second session brought together students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career physicists to help them plan their career goals and navigate the steps important to launching a successful career. The final session sought to increase awareness of the results of physics education research, and how to use them to help students-especially women-learn physics better. The presentations and discussions were valuable for both female and male physicists.

[Medical professionals on the subject of their core values: the importance of practice-based stories and intrinsic motivation].

PubMed

Witman, Yolande; van den Kerkhof, Peter C M; Braat, Didi D M

2013-01-01

In the current system for guaranteeing quality of care, emphasis is placed firmly on external control of professionals. We looked for a way to appeal to the intrinsic motivation of medical professionals and to discover what they mean by 'good work'. This was achieved with the aid of reflective sessions using the toolkit 'Good Work': in four sessions three different groups of medical professionals (medical department chairs, residents and interns) from a Dutch university hospital reflected on the topics 'excellence', 'moral responsibility' and 'personal engagement'. The participants exchanged practice-based stories during the sessions. The most important theme was moral responsibility, with its accompanying dilemmas. The sessions gave rise to feelings of mutual acknowledgement, recognition, inspiration and motivation. Sharing meaningful practice-based stories can be considered as a 'moment of learning', strengthening professional identity and stimulating intrinsic motivation. More space for this form of reflection might restore the balance with external control systems.

Using a Wireless Electroencephalography Device to Evaluate E-Health and E-Learning Interventions.

PubMed

Mailhot, Tanya; Lavoie, Patrick; Maheu-Cadotte, Marc-André; Fontaine, Guillaume; Cournoyer, Alexis; Côté, José; Dupuis, France; Karsenti, Thierry; Cossette, Sylvie

Measuring engagement and other reactions of patients and health professionals to e-health and e-learning interventions remains a challenge for researchers. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using a wireless electroencephalography (EEG) device to measure affective (anxiety, enjoyment, relaxation) and cognitive (attention, engagement, interest) reactions of patients and healthcare professionals during e-health or e-learning interventions. Using a wireless EEG device, we measured patient (n = 6) and health professional (n = 7) reactions during a 10-minute session of an e-health or e-learning intervention. The following feasibility and acceptability indicators were assessed and compared for patients and healthcare professionals: number of eligible participants who consented to participate, reasons for refusal, time to install and calibrate the wireless EEG device, number of participants who completed the full 10-minute sessions, participant comfort when wearing the device, signal quality, and number of observations obtained for each reaction. The wireless EEG readings were compared to participant self-rating of their reactions. We obtained at least 75% of possible observations for attention, engagement, enjoyment, and interest. EEG scores were similar to self-reported scores, but they varied throughout the sessions, which gave information on participants' real-time reactions to the e-health/e-learning interventions. Results on the other indicators support the feasibility and acceptability of the wireless EEG device for both patients and professionals. Using the wireless EEG device was feasible and acceptable. Future studies must examine its use in other contexts of care and explore which components of the interventions affected participant reactions by combining wireless EEG and eye tracking.

Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference for Pre-Service Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young-El, Christopher M.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are attracting increased attention in education. The iSTEM 2017 conference was a professional development program designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with interdisciplinary, research-based STEM instructional strategies that can transform traditional classroom instruction into dynamic learning environments. The STEM Education Scholars (STEMES) is a Learning Community of Practice, housed in the College of Education, at a midsized mid-western public research university. The program of study focused on designing a professional development program for future Pre-K12 teachers. The iSTEM 2017 conference presented by the STEMES Community of Practice sought to inform pre-service teachers of STEM pedagogy and focused on innovative classroom resources, hands-on learning, and increasing content confidence when incorporating STEM into classroom instruction. iSTEM 2017 was held in February 2017 and offered twenty refereed presentations and workshop sessions, a keynote address, and a closing session to over 200 pre-service teachers. Conference participants chose sessions, participated in game-like experiences and shared their learning with each other as well as with conference organizers. Results from participant self-reported surveys were analyzed to measure the impact of the conference on improving participants' confidence in teaching STEM topics, and their attitudes about the instructional methods. These results were added to the conference proceedings, which also contain documentation of each iSTEM 2017 session. Findings suggest that the iSTEM 2017 conference had an overall positive impact on participants' familiarity with Academic Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference STEM education, their belief in the importance of STEM education, and their confidence to integrate STEM education into future instructional practices.

Empowering Students to Write and Re-Write: Standards-Based Strategies for Middle and High School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Combs, Warren E.

2009-01-01

In this book, the author provides teachers with detailed strategies and lesson plans, along with real student writing samples. He describes effective routines of formative self-assessment, and shows teachers how to form a professional learning team with their colleagues using the 6-session professional learning guide. Contents include: (1)…

Building Better Beginnings: A Case Study of How a Daily Physical Skills Session Is Supporting Overall Learning and Development for Young Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalke, Joy

2016-01-01

This case study argues for the consideration of an adult-directed physical skills session as an approach to supporting boys learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage in England. It exemplifies a model of professional development that utilises the individual knowledge and expertise of practitioners to support and extend others' practice. It…

An active learning complementary and alternative medicine session in a self-care therapeutics class.

PubMed

Mattison, Melissa J; Nemec, Eric C

2014-09-15

To provide an interactive, non-supplement based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) session in a self-care therapeutics class and to evaluate the effect of the session on pharmacy students' perceptions and knowledge of CAM. Second professional year pharmacy students enrolled in a required 3-credit course titled Self-Care Therapeutics participated in an active learning session on CAM. Students physically engaged in 5 separate active learning CAM sessions including massage therapy, Tai Chi, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, and Reiki. Students were assessed on both knowledge and perception of CAM. Concept mastery was assessed using a written examination and individual readiness assurance tests (iRAT) and team readiness assurance tests (tRAT). Perception of CAM was measured using both a presession and a postsession survey. Participating in an intensive, active learning CAM session provided an opportunity to increase students' knowledge of CAM and an effective strategy for providing the learner with the experience to better envision incorporation into patient therapies.

Twitter and Physics Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadji, Taoufik

2016-01-01

The advent of Twitter® and other social media services of its type ushered in a new era of professional development in education. This article addresses how a group of users have been employing Twitter to conduct professional development sessions that would benefit their participants by advancing their pedagogical approaches to learning and…

Building Personal Learning Environments by Using and Mixing ICT Tools in a Professional Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaneda, Linda; Soto, Javier

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a teaching experience of the introduction of ICT to higher education students in a complementary professional approach and a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) development approach, as well as a naturalistic study based on this experience. The central focus of this methodology was the use of hands-on sessions to introduce…

Effect of an EBM course in combination with case method learning sessions: an RCT on professional performance, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy of occupational physicians

PubMed Central

Schaafsma, Frederieke G.; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; van Dijk, Frank J. H.

2008-01-01

Objective An intervention existing of an evidence-based medicine (EBM) course in combination with case method learning sessions (CMLSs) was designed to enhance the professional performance, self-efficacy and job satisfaction of occupational physicians. Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial was set up and data were collected through questionnaires at baseline (T0), directly after the intervention (T1) and 7 months after baseline (T2). The data of the intervention group [T0 (n = 49), T1 (n = 31), T2 (n = 29)] and control group [T0 (n = 49), T1 (n = 28), T2 (n = 28)] were analysed in mixed model analyses. Mean scores of the perceived value of the CMLS were calculated in the intervention group. Results The overall effect of the intervention over time comparing the intervention with the control group was statistically significant for professional performance (p < 0.001). Job satisfaction and self-efficacy changes were small and not statistically significant between the groups. The perceived value of the CMLS to gain new insights and to improve the quality of their performance increased with the number of sessions followed. Conclusion An EBM course in combination with case method learning sessions is perceived as valuable and offers evidence to enhance the professional performance of occupational physicians. However, it does not seem to influence their self-efficacy and job satisfaction. PMID:18386046

Improving Inquiry Teaching through Reflection on Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lotter, Christine R.; Miller, Cory

2017-08-01

In this paper, we explore middle school science teachers' learning of inquiry-based instructional strategies through reflection on practice teaching sessions during a summer enrichment program with middle level students. The reflection sessions were part of a larger year-long inquiry professional development program in which teachers learned science content and inquiry pedagogy. The program included a 2-week summer institute in which teachers participated in science content sessions, practice teaching to middle level students, and small group-facilitated reflection sessions on their teaching. For this study, data collection focused on teachers' recorded dialogue during the facilitator - run reflection sessions, the teachers' daily written reflections, a final written reflection, and a written reflection on a videotaped teaching session. We investigated the teachers' reflection levels and the themes teachers focused on during their reflection sessions. Teachers were found to reflect at various reflection levels, from simple description to a more sophisticated focus on how to improve student learning. Recurrent themes point to the importance of providing situated learning environments, such as the practice teaching with immediate reflection for teachers to have time to practice new instructional strategies and gain insight from peers and science educators on how to handle student learning issues.

A model for teaching and learning spinal thrust manipulation and its effect on participant confidence in technique performance.

PubMed

Wise, Christopher H; Schenk, Ronald J; Lattanzi, Jill Black

2016-07-01

Despite emerging evidence to support the use of high velocity thrust manipulation in the management of lumbar spinal conditions, utilization of thrust manipulation among clinicians remains relatively low. One reason for the underutilization of these procedures may be related to disparity in training in the performance of these techniques at the professional and post professional levels. To assess the effect of using a new model of active learning on participant confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and the implications for its use in the professional and post-professional training of physical therapists. A cohort of 15 DPT students in their final semester of entry-level professional training participated in an active training session emphasizing a sequential partial task practice (SPTP) strategy in which participants engaged in partial task practice over several repetitions with different partners. Participants' level of confidence in the performance of these techniques was determined through comparison of pre- and post-training session surveys and a post-session open-ended interview. The increase in scores across all items of the individual pre- and post-session surveys suggests that this model was effective in changing overall participant perception regarding the effectiveness and safety of these techniques and in increasing student confidence in their performance. Interviews revealed that participants greatly preferred the SPTP strategy, which enhanced their confidence in technique performance. Results indicate that this new model of psychomotor training may be effective at improving confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and, subsequently, may be useful for encouraging the future use of these techniques in the care of individuals with impairments of the spine. Inasmuch, this method of instruction may be useful for training of physical therapists at both the professional and post-professional levels.

Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference for Pre-Service Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Christina W.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are attracting increased attention in education. The iSTEM 2017 conference was a professional development program designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with interdisciplinary, research-based STEM instructional strategies that can transform traditional classroom instruction into dynamic learning environments. The STEM Education Scholars (STEMES) is a Learning Community of Practice, housed in the College of Education, at a midsized mid-western public research university. The program of study focused on designing a professional development program for future Pre-K12 teachers. The iSTEM 2017 conference presented by the STEMES Community of Practice sought to inform pre-service teachers of STEM pedagogy, and focused on innovative classroom resources, hands-on learning and increasing content confidence when incorporating STEM into classroom instruction. iSTEM 2017 was held in February, 2017, and offered twenty refereed presentations and workshop sessions, a keynote address, and a closing session to over 200 pre-service teachers. Conference participants chose sessions, participated in game-like experiences and shared their learning with each other as well as with conference organizers. Results from participant self-reported surveys were analyzed to measure the impact of the conference on improving participants' confidence in teaching STEM topics, and their attitudes about the instructional methods. These results were added to the conference proceedings, which also contain documentation of each iSTEM 2017 session. Findings suggest that the iSTEM 2017 conference had an overall positive impact on participants' familiarity with STEM education, their belief in the importance of STEM education, and their confidence to integrate STEM education into future instructional practices.

Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference for Pre-Service Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardrict-Ewing, Gloria

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are attracting increased attention in education. The iSTEM 2017 conference was a professional development program designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with interdisciplinary, research-based STEM instructional strategies that can transform traditional classroom instruction into dynamic learning environments. The STEM Education Scholars (STEMES) is a Learning Community of Practice, housed in the College of Education, at a mid-sized mid-western public research university. The program of study focused on designing a professional development program for future Pre-K12 teachers. The iSTEM 2017 conference presented by the STEMES Community of Practice sought to inform pre-service teachers of STEM pedagogy, and focused on innovative classroom resources, hands-on learning and increasing content confidence when incorporating STEM into classroom instruction. iSTEM 2017 was held in February, 2017, and offered twenty refereed presentations and workshop sessions, a keynote address, and a closing session to over 200 pre-service teachers. Conference participants chose sessions, participated in game-like experiences and shared their learning with each other as well as with conference organizers. Results from participant self-reported surveys were analyzed to measure the impact of the conference on improving participants' confidence in teaching STEM topics, and their attitudes about the instructional methods. These results were added to the conference proceedings, which also contain documentation of each iSTEM 2017 session. Findings suggest that the iSTEM 2017 conference had an overall positive impact on participants' familiarity with STEM education, their belief in the importance of STEM education, and their confidence to integrate STEM education into future instructional practices.

Team-based learning in therapeutics workshop sessions.

PubMed

Beatty, Stuart J; Kelley, Katherine A; Metzger, Anne H; Bellebaum, Katherine L; McAuley, James W

2009-10-01

To implement team-based learning in the workshop portion of a pathophysiology and therapeutics sequence of courses to promote integration of concepts across the pharmacy curriculum, provide a consistent problem-solving approach to patient care, and determine the impact on student perceptions of professionalism and teamwork. Team-based learning was incorporated into the workshop portion of 3 of 6 pathophysiology and therapeutics courses. Assignments that promoted team-building and application of key concepts were created. Readiness assurance tests were used to assess individual and team understanding of course materials. Students consistently scored 20% higher on team assessments compared with individual assessments. Mean professionalism and teamwork scores were significantly higher after implementation of team-based learning; however, this improvement was not considered educationally significant. Approximately 91% of students felt team-based learning improved understanding of course materials and 93% of students felt teamwork should continue in workshops. Team-based learning is an effective teaching method to ensure a consistent approach to problem-solving and curriculum integration in workshop sessions for a pathophysiology and therapeutics course sequence.

Your Place or Mine? Navigating a Technology Collaborative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wepner, Shelley B.

1998-01-01

Describes the Teaching and Learning Collaborative (TLC) in Technology, which prepared preservice teachers to incorporate technology into lesson plans and supported inservice teachers' professional development with technology, offering a professional-development course, seminar sessions, and e-mail communication. Evaluation indicated that…

Professional Learning Communities: Do Leadership Practices Impact Implementation and Sustainability and What Is the Relationship between a School's PLC and a School's Climate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Theresa

2010-01-01

Research indicates that a theoretical framework known as a professional learning community can make a positive difference in schools. This mixed-method study examines teacher perceptions of school leadership and climate in two rural elementary schools in South Carolina. Using interviews, focus group sessions and a survey, the researcher answers…

Improving Inquiry Teaching through Reflection on Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotter, Christine R.; Miller, Cory

2017-01-01

In this paper, we explore middle school science teachers' learning of inquiry-based instructional strategies through reflection on practice teaching sessions during a summer enrichment program with middle level students. The reflection sessions were part of a larger year-long inquiry professional development program in which teachers learned…

Contextual Learning Issues. [Concurrent Symposium Session at AHRD Annual Conference, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1997

This document contains four papers from a symposium on contextual learning issues. In "Creating Mosaics: The Interrelationships between Knowledge and Context" (Barbara J. Daley), nurses report using information from training programs to create a knowledge base for professional practice. "Analysis of Action Learning Experiences…

Comprehension through cooperation: Medical students and physiotherapy apprentices learn in teams - Introducing interprofessional learning at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany.

PubMed

Mette, Mira; Dölken, Mechthild; Hinrichs, Jutta; Narciß, Elisabeth; Schüttpelz-Brauns, Katrin; Weihrauch, Ute; Fritz, Harald M

2016-01-01

In order to better prepare future health care professionals for interprofessional cooperation, interprofessional learning sessions for medical students and physiotherapy apprentices were developed at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany. The experience gained from designing, implementing and evaluating these learning sessions is presented and discussed. A total of 265 medical students and 43 physiotherapy apprentices attended five interprofessional learning sessions. Of these, 87-100% responded to closed and open-ended questions on a self-developed questionnaire (24 items). The responses regarding self-reported learning gains, benefit, motivation and satisfaction with the sessions were analyzed separately by professions. The learning sessions were well received by both groups. More than 75% of all participants were of the opinion that they could not have learned the new material in a better way. Significant differences between the medical students and the physiotherapy apprentices were mainly found with regard to perceived learning gains, which physiotherapy apprentices reported as being lower. Positive aspects of interprofessionalism were most often emphasized in the responses to the open-ended questions. Most frequently criticized were organizational aspects and a lack of perceived learning gains. The introduction of interprofessional learning entails great effort in terms of organizational and administrative challenges. However, the project is considered worthwhile because the interprofessional aspects of the learning sessions were indeed valued by the participants. Permanently including and expanding interprofessional learning in the curricula of both professions longitudinally is therefore something to strive for.

Experience with using second life for medical education in a family and community medicine education unit

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The application of new technologies to the education of health professionals is both a challenge and a necessity. Virtual worlds are increasingly being explored as a support for education. Aim: The aim of this work is to study the suitability of Second Life (SL) as an educational tool for primary healthcare professionals. Methods Design: Qualitative study of accredited clinical sessions in SL included in a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for primary healthcare professionals. Location: Zaragoza I Zone Family and Community Medicine Education Unit (EU) and 9 health centres operated by the Aragonese Health Service, Aragon, Spain. Method: The EU held two training workshops in SL for 16 healthcare professionals from 9 health centres by means of two workshops, and requested them to facilitate clinical sessions in SL. Attendance was open to all personnel from the EU and the 9 health centres. After a trail period of clinical sessions held at 5 health centres between May and November 2010, the CPD-accredited clinical sessions were held at 9 health centres between February and April 2011. Participants: 76 healthcare professionals attended the CPD-accredited clinical sessions in SL. Main measurements: Questionnaire on completion of the clinical sessions. Results Response rate: 42-100%. Questionnaire completed by each health centre on completion of the CPD-accredited clinical sessions: Access to SL: 2 centres were unable to gain access. Sound problems: 0% (0/9). Image problems: 0% (0/9). Voice/text chat: used in 100% (10/9); 0 incidents. Questionnaire completed by participants in the CPD-accredited clinical sessions: Preference for SL as a tool: 100% (76/76). Strengths of this method: 74% (56/76) considered it eliminated the need to travel; 68% (52/76) believed it made more effective use of educational resources; and 47% (36/76) considered it improved accessibility. Weaknesses: 91% (69/76) experienced technical problems, while; 9% (7/76) thought it was impersonal and with little interaction. 65.79% (50/76) believed it was better than other distance learning methods and 38.16% (29/76) believed it was better than face-to-face learning. Conclusions SL is a tool that allows educational activities to be designed that involve a number of health centres in different geographical locations, consequently eliminating the need to travel and making more effective use of educational resources. PMID:22587562

Experience with using second life for medical education in a family and community medicine education unit.

PubMed

Melús-Palazón, Elena; Bartolomé-Moreno, Cruz; Palacín-Arbués, Juan Carlos; Lafuente-Lafuente, Antonio; García, Inmaculada García; Guillen, Sara; Esteban, Ana B; Clemente, Silvia; Marco, Angeles M; Gargallo, Pilar M; López, Carlos; Magallón-Botaya, Rosa

2012-05-15

The application of new technologies to the education of health professionals is both a challenge and a necessity. Virtual worlds are increasingly being explored as a support for education. The aim of this work is to study the suitability of Second Life (SL) as an educational tool for primary healthcare professionals. Qualitative study of accredited clinical sessions in SL included in a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for primary healthcare professionals. Zaragoza I Zone Family and Community Medicine Education Unit (EU) and 9 health centres operated by the Aragonese Health Service, Aragon, Spain. The EU held two training workshops in SL for 16 healthcare professionals from 9 health centres by means of two workshops, and requested them to facilitate clinical sessions in SL. Attendance was open to all personnel from the EU and the 9 health centres. After a trail period of clinical sessions held at 5 health centres between May and November 2010, the CPD-accredited clinical sessions were held at 9 health centres between February and April 2011. 76 healthcare professionals attended the CPD-accredited clinical sessions in SL. Questionnaire on completion of the clinical sessions. Response rate: 42-100%. Questionnaire completed by each health centre on completion of the CPD-accredited clinical sessions: Access to SL: 2 centres were unable to gain access. Sound problems: 0% (0/9). Image problems: 0% (0/9). Voice/text chat: used in 100% (10/9); 0 incidents. Questionnaire completed by participants in the CPD-accredited clinical sessions: Preference for SL as a tool: 100% (76/76). Strengths of this method: 74% (56/76) considered it eliminated the need to travel; 68% (52/76) believed it made more effective use of educational resources; and 47% (36/76) considered it improved accessibility. Weaknesses: 91% (69/76) experienced technical problems, while; 9% (7/76) thought it was impersonal and with little interaction. 65.79% (50/76) believed it was better than other distance learning methods and 38.16% (29/76) believed it was better than face-to-face learning. SL is a tool that allows educational activities to be designed that involve a number of health centres in different geographical locations, consequently eliminating the need to travel and making more effective use of educational resources.

A Cross Sectional Study of the Differences between Generation, Learning Style, Modality and Learning Outcomes within a Faculty Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Joseph A., Jr.

2014-01-01

This research project was a descriptive study which measured the differences between generation, learning style, modality of course delivery and learning outcomes of the education sessions for participants in the regional higher education institution's professional development program. This research study focused on the faculty development program…

Comprehension through cooperation: Medical students and physiotherapy apprentices learn in teams – Introducing interprofessional learning at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany

PubMed Central

Mette, Mira; Dölken, Mechthild; Hinrichs, Jutta; Narciß, Elisabeth; Schüttpelz-Brauns, Katrin; Weihrauch, Ute; Fritz, Harald M.

2016-01-01

Aim: In order to better prepare future health care professionals for interprofessional cooperation, interprofessional learning sessions for medical students and physiotherapy apprentices were developed at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany. The experience gained from designing, implementing and evaluating these learning sessions is presented and discussed. Method: A total of 265 medical students and 43 physiotherapy apprentices attended five interprofessional learning sessions. Of these, 87-100% responded to closed and open-ended questions on a self-developed questionnaire (24 items). The responses regarding self-reported learning gains, benefit, motivation and satisfaction with the sessions were analyzed separately by professions. Results: The learning sessions were well received by both groups. More than 75% of all participants were of the opinion that they could not have learned the new material in a better way. Significant differences between the medical students and the physiotherapy apprentices were mainly found with regard to perceived learning gains, which physiotherapy apprentices reported as being lower. Positive aspects of interprofessionalism were most often emphasized in the responses to the open-ended questions. Most frequently criticized were organizational aspects and a lack of perceived learning gains. Conclusion: The introduction of interprofessional learning entails great effort in terms of organizational and administrative challenges. However, the project is considered worthwhile because the interprofessional aspects of the learning sessions were indeed valued by the participants. Permanently including and expanding interprofessional learning in the curricula of both professions longitudinally is therefore something to strive for. PMID:27280142

Learning With Technology. Facilitator's Guide, Revised Edition, and Participant's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, Carole; Tinzmann, Margaret Baker; Anderson, Mary; Anderson, Whit; Pitlik, Deborah

This research-based professional development course is designed by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory to offer participants ways to connect technology with teaching and learning, and to examine ways to apply technology innovations to instruction and to improving teaching and learning. In the six, 2-hour sessions, participants (who…

Team-based Learning in Therapeutics Workshop Sessions

PubMed Central

Kelley, Katherine A.; Metzger, Anne H.; Bellebaum, Katherine L.; McAuley, James W.

2009-01-01

Objectives To implement team-based learning in the workshop portion of a pathophysiology and therapeutics sequence of courses to promote integration of concepts across the pharmacy curriculum, provide a consistent problem-solving approach to patient care, and determine the impact on student perceptions of professionalism and teamwork. Design Team-based learning was incorporated into the workshop portion of 3 of 6 pathophysiology and therapeutics courses. Assignments that promoted team-building and application of key concepts were created. Assessment Readiness assurance tests were used to assess individual and team understanding of course materials. Students consistently scored 20% higher on team assessments compared with individual assessments. Mean professionalism and teamwork scores were significantly higher after implementation of team-based learning; however, this improvement was not considered educationally significant. Approximately 91% of students felt team-based learning improved understanding of course materials and 93% of students felt teamwork should continue in workshops. Conclusion Team-based learning is an effective teaching method to ensure a consistent approach to problem-solving and curriculum integration in workshop sessions for a pathophysiology and therapeutics course sequence. PMID:19885069

Using a Smartphone App and Coaching Group Sessions to Promote Residents' Reflection in the Workplace.

PubMed

Könings, Karen D; van Berlo, Jean; Koopmans, Richard; Hoogland, Henk; Spanjers, Ingrid A E; ten Haaf, Jeroen A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G

2016-03-01

Reflecting on workplace-based experiences is necessary for professional development. However, residents need support to raise their awareness of valuable moments for learning and to thoughtfully analyze those learning moments afterwards. From October to December 2012, the authors held a multidisciplinary six-week postgraduate training module focused on general competencies. Residents were randomly assigned to one of four conditions with varying degrees of reflection support; they were offered (1) a smartphone app, (2) coaching group sessions, (3) a combination of both, or (4) neither type of support. The app allowed participants to capture in real time learning moments as a text note, audio recording, picture, or video. Coaching sessions held every two weeks aimed to deepen participants' reflection on captured learning moments. Questionnaire responses and reflection data were compared between conditions to assess the effects of the app and coaching sessions on intensity and frequency of reflection. Sixty-four residents participated. App users reflected more often, captured more learning moments, and reported greater learning progress than nonapp users. Participants who attended coaching sessions were more alert to learning moments and pursued more follow-up learning activities to improve on the general competencies. Those who received both types of support were most alert to these learning moments. A simple mobile app for capturing learning moments shows promise as a tool to support workplace-based learning, especially when combined with coaching sessions. Future research should evaluate these tools on a broader scale and in conjunction with residents' and students' personal digital portfolios.

A model for teaching and learning spinal thrust manipulation and its effect on participant confidence in technique performance

PubMed Central

Wise, Christopher H.; Schenk, Ronald J.; Lattanzi, Jill Black

2016-01-01

Background Despite emerging evidence to support the use of high velocity thrust manipulation in the management of lumbar spinal conditions, utilization of thrust manipulation among clinicians remains relatively low. One reason for the underutilization of these procedures may be related to disparity in training in the performance of these techniques at the professional and post professional levels. Purpose To assess the effect of using a new model of active learning on participant confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and the implications for its use in the professional and post-professional training of physical therapists. Methods A cohort of 15 DPT students in their final semester of entry-level professional training participated in an active training session emphasizing a sequential partial task practice (SPTP) strategy in which participants engaged in partial task practice over several repetitions with different partners. Participants’ level of confidence in the performance of these techniques was determined through comparison of pre- and post-training session surveys and a post-session open-ended interview. Results The increase in scores across all items of the individual pre- and post-session surveys suggests that this model was effective in changing overall participant perception regarding the effectiveness and safety of these techniques and in increasing student confidence in their performance. Interviews revealed that participants greatly preferred the SPTP strategy, which enhanced their confidence in technique performance. Conclusion Results indicate that this new model of psychomotor training may be effective at improving confidence in the performance of spinal thrust manipulation and, subsequently, may be useful for encouraging the future use of these techniques in the care of individuals with impairments of the spine. Inasmuch, this method of instruction may be useful for training of physical therapists at both the professional and post-professional levels. PMID:27559284

Adaptation and Flexibility When Conducting and Planning Peer Study Group Review Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendale, David R.; Hanes, Amanda R.

2016-01-01

Based on an evaluation of the professional literature of postsecondary learning assistance, little is known about decisions made by student leaders during their peer study group review sessions. Our research question for this study is "How did study group leaders adapt their role to better meet the needs of the students who participated in…

Design and evaluation of interprofessional cross-cultural communication sessions.

PubMed

Liu, Min; Poirier, Therese; Butler, Lakesha; Comrie, Rhonda; Pailden, Junvie

2015-01-01

The 2013 National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) call for healthcare professionals to provide quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices. Accreditation organizations for health professional programs require their curriculum to adequately prepare future practitioners for serving culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Another common curricular need of health professional programs is interprofessional education (IPE). This study presents data that evaluates two IPE culturally competent communication sessions designed for pharmacy and nursing students. Teams of nursing and pharmacy students (n = 160) engaged in case studies focused on developing cross-cultural communication skills, using the LEARN model. Quantitative survey data collected pre-test and post-test measured cultural competency (including subscales of perceived skills, perceived knowledge, confidence in encounter, and attitude) and knowledge related to culturally competent communication. Univariate ANOVA results indicate that actual knowledge as measured by the test and all four Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) subscales significantly increased after the IPE sessions. Pharmacy students scored higher than nursing students on the knowledge pre-test, and nursing students had a more positive attitude at pre-test. The IPE sessions effectively addressed all learning outcomes and will continue in future course offerings. Using cross-cultural communication as a thematic area for IPE program development resulted in educational benefits for the students. To further strengthen nursing and pharmacy students' interprofessional practice, additional IPE opportunities are to be explored.

Creation of an active learning healthcare communications course using simulations relevant to pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Collier, Izabela A; Baker, David M

2017-07-01

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a health care communications course built around practice-like simulations and active learning in the first year of a professional pharmacy program. A three-credit health care communications course was divided into one didactic (two hours per week) and three simulation components (one hour per week). The simulation components consisted of one written patient education pamphlet, three group presentations, and three one-on-one patient counseling sessions. This was accomplished by breaking the class of approximately 75 students into eight separate sections, each consisting of 8-10 students and one instructor. Each week four sections were devoted to counseling role-plays: half in the role of pharmacists and half as patients. The other four sections were devoted to hour-long professional group presentations-half in the presenting group and half as audience. The students' performance in the simulated counseling sessions and group presentations has been tracked and analyzed to determine if the simulated exercises had a positive impact on the students' active communications skills. Consistently, over the first four years of the implementation of the course, students' communications skills, as measured by faculty assessments, in both professional group presentations and one-on-one counseling sessions significantly improved. Incorporation of active-learning simulation exercises into a healthcare communications course has a positive impact on the development of students' communications skills. This creates a foundation upon which students can build over the remainder of the professional program and into their future careers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Learning together for working together: interprofessionalism in simulation training for collaborative skills development].

PubMed

Policard, Florence

2014-06-01

The use of simulation as an educational tool is becoming more widespread in healthcare. Such training gathers doctors and nurses together, which is a rare opportunity in such a sector. The present research focuses on the contribution of inter-professional training to the development of collaborative skills when managing an emergency situation in the context of anesthesia or intensive care. From direct observations of post-simulation debriefing sessions and interviews held with learners in post graduate or in-service training, either in single or multi-professional groups, this study shows that these sessions, based on experiential learning and reflective practice, help to build a shared vision of the problem and of common operative patterns, supporting better communication and the "ability to work in a team".

Evaluating an undergraduate interprofessional education session for medical and pharmacy undergraduates on therapeutics and prescribing: the medical student perspective

PubMed Central

Shelvey, Bethany M; Coulman, Sion A; John, Dai N

2016-01-01

Background The current literature on undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE) for pharmacy and medical students highlights a range of positive outcomes, although to date IPE has focused predominantly on student views and experiences of IPE sessions with these opinions being sought at the end of the sessions. This study aimed to evaluate medical students’ experiences of therapeutics and prescribing IPE, with pharmacy students, 1 year following the session. Methods Following ethics committee approval, 3rd year medical students at Cardiff University were invited to participate using non-probability sampling. Topic guide development was informed by the literature and research team discussions, including a review of the materials used in the IPE session. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews explored experiences, prior to, during, and after the IPE session. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results Eighteen medical students were interviewed; 11 were females. Seven themes were identified, namely 1) refinement of pre-session preparation, 2) session value, 3) learning with a pharmacy student, 4) learning about a pharmacist, 5) learning from a pharmacy student, 6) importance and application of what was learnt into practice, and 7) suggestions for change. Conclusion This study provides a valuable insight into medical students’ experiences of a therapeutics and prescribing IPE session and emphasizes the value they placed on interaction with pharmacy students. Medical students were able to recall clear learning experiences from the IPE session that had taken place 12 months earlier, which itself is an indicator of the impact of the session on the students. Furthermore, they were able to describe how knowledge and skills learnt had been applied to subsequent learning activities. Those developing IPE sessions should consider the following: clarify professional roles in the session content, incorporate IPE as a series of activities, and use small groups of students to optimize student–student interaction and active learning. PMID:27980450

Web Conference vs Webcast: The Perceived Effectiveness of Training Sessions at a Southeastern Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Jenny Bailey

2017-01-01

Professional development is a lifelong learning process and technology has provided and will continue to provide new and different delivery methods. Regardless of the delivery method, the intention of professional development is to increase teacher knowledge, which in turn, increases student achievement. At a southeastern community college,…

Prospective Elementary School Teachers' Professional Noticing of Children's Early Numeracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schack, Edna O.; Fisher, Molly H.; Thomas, Jonathan N.; Eisenhardt, Sara; Tassell, Janet; Yoder, Margaret

2013-01-01

The goal of this study is to develop the professional noticing abilities of prospective elementary school teachers in the context of the Stages of Early Arithmetic Learning. In their mathematics methods course, ninety-four prospective elementary school teachers from three institutions participated in a researcher-developed five-session module that…

Communities of Practice: Professional Development Through Fostering Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, N. A.; Raftery, C.; Shackleford, R.; Nelson, A.; Turney, D.

2015-11-01

A community of practice is a group of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise. Through facilitated discussion, we will share best practices and research about communities of practice, and explore how they evolve as they grow. The target audience for this Special Interest Group session is Education and Public Outreach professionals who are interested in using communities of practice as a way to support the professional development of their audiences. This session will be of interest to people who want to learn more about communities of practice as well as those who are currently coordinating similar efforts. Participants will have the opportunity to share their challenges and success, as well as gain new ideas for the planning, implementation, and expansion of efforts. This session will be facilitated by the coordinators of NASA's SMD Heliophysics EPO Forum online community of practice for middle and high school science teachers.

Transferring Learning from the Workshop to the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Kimberly A.

2009-01-01

As coordinator of the ABE Teaching and Learning Advancement System (ATLAS) based in the Hamline University School of Education in St. Paul, the author does many workshops or conference sessions in Minnesota's nine professional development regions each year. Typical single-day events offer multiple 90-minute workshops. She often questions the…

Evaluating #VetFinals: Can Twitter help students prepare for final examinations?

PubMed

Kinnison, Tierney; Whiting, Martin; Magnier, Kirsty; Mossop, Liz

2017-04-01

Twitter is increasingly used in education. In this article, Twitter was evaluated for its potential to aid veterinary students in their preparation for final examinations. "#VetFinals" revision sessions were facilitated by experts on a variety of topics. The initiative was evaluated through consideration of potential participants, session content and student experiences. In analysis of nine sessions, 52 students participated from eight veterinary schools. During a session, the facilitator tweeted 66 times on average, primarily asking a general question. Students on average tweeted 84 times, mostly in response to facilitators. They also asked novel questions and responded to fellow students. Focus groups and interviews with 11 students suggested that: sessions are useful for preparation/self-testing to succeed in exams; the facilitator and session style impact on learning; the sessions feel like personalized learning; there are elements of safety and exposure leading to some fear of tweeting; peer-learning promotes competition; a community of learners was formed; Twitter has become a part of normal professional life. Whilst not all students will take part in this type of social media use, many found it beneficial. The importance of the facilitator suggests the need for faculty development.

Interprofessional clinical education for occupational therapy and psychology students: a social skills training program for children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Howell, Dana M; Wittman, Peggy; Bundy, Myra Beth

2012-01-01

An interprofessional clinical learning experience was developed for pre-licensure occupational therapy (OT) and psychology graduate students. Students worked in interprofessional teams to plan and implement a social skills training program for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The objectives were to provide a hands-on, student-led clinical experience; facilitate interprofessional collaborative learning through leadership partnerships and teach children with ASD to engage in appropriate social skill behaviors. Concurrently, faculty performed qualitative research to explore how the students worked together to provide intervention to the children. Data were collected via interview, direct observation of student planning sessions and student interprofessional interactions, and collection of posts from an online social network site used for session planning. There were six student participants and two faculty participants. Four themes emerged: learning who I am as a professional, learning to appreciate our professional differences, learning to communicate with each other and figuring it out, for the benefit of the kids. This interprofessional clinical learning experience and research helps ensure that students are adequately prepared to represent their profession as part of a diverse interprofessional health care team.

E-Learning and North-South collaboration: the experience of two public health schools in France and Benin.

PubMed

Edouard, Guévart; Dominique, Billot; Moussiliou, Paraïso Noël; Francis, Guillemin; Khaled, Bessaoud; Serge, Briançon

2009-10-14

Distance learning (e-learning) can facilitate access to training. Yet few public health E-learning experiments have been reported; institutes in developing countries experience difficulties in establishing on-line curricula, while developed countries struggle with adapting existing curricula to realities on the ground. In 2005, two schools of public health, one in France and one in Benin, began collaborating through contact sessions organised for Nancy University distance-learning students. This experience gave rise to a partnership aimed at developing training materials for e-Learning for African students. The distance-learning public health course at Nancy teaches public health professionals through a module entitled "Health and Development." The module is specifically tailored for professionals from developing countries. To promote student-teacher exchanges, clarify content and supervise dissertations, contact sessions are organized in centres proximate and accessible to African students. The Benin Institute's main feature is residential team learning; distance-learning courses are currently being prepared. The two collaborating institutions have developed a joint distance-learning module geared toward developing countries. The collaboration provides for the development, diffusion, and joint delivery of teaching modules featuring issues that are familiar to African staff, gives the French Institute credibility in assessing research work produced, and enables modules on specific African issues and approaches to be put online. While E-learning is a viable educational option for public health professionals, periodic contact can be advantageous. Our analysis showed that the benefit of the collaboration between the two institutions is mutual; the French Institute extends its geographical, cultural and contextual reach and expands its pool of teaching staff. The Benin Institute benefits from the technical partnership and expertise, which allow it to offer distance learning for Africa-specific contexts and applications.

Professional Development Models: A Comparison of Duration and Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, David T.; Cannon, John R.

The purpose of this research was to explore two professional development models, Nevada Operation Physical Science (a three-weekend course) and Nevada Operation Chemistry (a two-week intensive course with a follow-up session in the fall), to see if there was any impact on learning and to determine the ideal length of the workshops as measured by…

Collaborative Learning and Support Environment for Teachers in Native American Pueblo Schools in New Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilde, Josephine

2016-01-01

Teachers in rural Native American Pueblo schools in New Mexico lack professional development opportunities due to the long distances between the Pueblos and academic institutions. Previously, most schools received "hit and run" professional development sessions conducted once or twice a year that did not address the real issues faced by…

Making a Difference: A Report on Educators Learning to Plan for Young Gifted Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrissey, Anne-Marie; Grant, Anne

2017-01-01

A three-session professional development (PD) program on planning for young gifted children was provided to sixty-six early childhood/early years educators, aiming to increase educators' professional knowledge and skills in this area. The program was grounded in a socio-cultural perspective that sees young gifted children as class members as well…

Using Electronic Classrooms and the World Wide Web to Support Science Teaching and Learning: Interactive Session Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vellom, Paul; Fetters, Marcia; Beeth, Michael

Since technology use in schools has been increasing, teachers want to maximize its use in their classroom to increase student learning. Therefore, accreditation requirements for colleges include integrating computer and information technology with teacher education and professional development programs. This paper describes different models for…

Teaching and Learning with a NASA-Sponsored GEMS Space Science Curriculum: Using Research and Evaluation Results to Inform and Guide EPO Professionals, an Interactive Panel Session

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, G.; Granger, E.; Catz, K. N.; Wierman, T.

2010-08-01

The newly-developed Space Science Sequence (SSS) is the product of a collaboration between NASA forums/missions and the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) program, based at UC Berkeley. At the ASP 2007 conference, keynote speaker George (Pinky) Nelson made special mention of partners involved and the curriculum produced. From the proceedings: "I want to recognize Jacqueline Barber, Isabel Hawkins, Greg Schultz and their colleagues. . . for setting an example of effective partnershipldots We would do well to become familiar with [the SSS] and promote them to teachers and schoolsldots At the same time, we can learn from teachers and students using [the SSS]\\. . . " (2008; p. 3). It is specifically such professional learning, from practicing teachers and grade school students, which motivated this panel session focusing on research and evaluation studies on teacher and student gains using the Space Science Sequence for Grades 3-5.

Interactive and Hands-on Methods for Professional Development of Undergraduate Researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pressley, S. N.; LeBeau, J. E.

2016-12-01

Professional development workshops for undergraduate research programs can range from communicating science (i.e. oral, technical writing, poster presentations), applying for fellowships and scholarships, applying to graduate school, and learning about careers, among others. Novel methods of presenting the information on the above topics can result in positive outcomes beyond the obvious of transferring knowledge. Examples of innovative methods to present professional development information include 1) An interactive session on how to write an abstract where students are given an opportunity to draft an abstract from a short technical article, followed by discussion amongst a group of peers, and comparison with the "published" abstract. 2) Using the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) method to evaluate and critique a research poster. 3) Inviting "experts" such as a Fulbright scholar graduate student to present on applying for fellowships and scholarships. These innovative methods of delivery provide more hands-on activities that engage the students, and in some cases (abstract writing) provide practice for the student. The methods also require that students develop team work skills, communicate amongst their peers, and develop networks with their cohort. All of these are essential non-technical skills needed for success in any career. Feedback from students on these sessions are positive and most importantly, the students walk out of the session with a smile on their face saying how much fun it was. Evaluating the impact of these sessions is more challenging and under investigation currently.

Twitter and Physics Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadji, Taoufik

2016-11-01

The advent of Twitter® and other social media services of its type ushered in a new era of professional development in education. This article addresses how a group of users have been employing Twitter to conduct professional development sessions that would benefit their participants by advancing their pedagogical approaches to learning and teaching physics. The diversity within this group is something to both note and celebrate because it includes minorities, women, and physics educators the world over.

76 FR 4121 - Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-24

... Education, Professional Development and Lifelong Learning for the 21st Century Health Care Workforce. The... with experts, and discussion sessions specific to the development of recommendations to be addressed in...

Collaborative Inquiry Uses Data To Get Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ready, Diane E.

2001-01-01

Describes the Concorde model and its training sessions, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, for the professional development of mathematics teachers. Uses practical data collection and analysis to improve student learning. (YDS)

Relationships Between the External and Internal Training Load in Professional Soccer: What Can We Learn From Machine Learning?

PubMed

Jaspers, Arne; De Beéck, Tim Op; Brink, Michel S; Frencken, Wouter G P; Staes, Filip; Davis, Jesse J; Helsen, Werner F

2018-05-01

Machine learning may contribute to understanding the relationship between the external load and internal load in professional soccer. Therefore, the relationship between external load indicators (ELIs) and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was examined using machine learning techniques on a group and individual level. Training data were collected from 38 professional soccer players over 2 seasons. The external load was measured using global positioning system technology and accelerometry. The internal load was obtained using the RPE. Predictive models were constructed using 2 machine learning techniques, artificial neural networks and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) models, and 1 naive baseline method. The predictions were based on a large set of ELIs. Using each technique, 1 group model involving all players and 1 individual model for each player were constructed. These models' performance on predicting the reported RPE values for future training sessions was compared with the naive baseline's performance. Both the artificial neural network and LASSO models outperformed the baseline. In addition, the LASSO model made more accurate predictions for the RPE than did the artificial neural network model. Furthermore, decelerations were identified as important ELIs. Regardless of the applied machine learning technique, the group models resulted in equivalent or better predictions for the reported RPE values than the individual models. Machine learning techniques may have added value in predicting RPE for future sessions to optimize training design and evaluation. These techniques may also be used in conjunction with expert knowledge to select key ELIs for load monitoring.

Hands-On Professional Development: Middle School Teachers' Experiences with a Curriculum Intervention Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Jennifer D.; Gonzalez, Eileen M.; López-Velásquez, Angela M.; Howard, Elizabeth R.

2013-01-01

The importance of professional development (PD) is clearly understood; however, little is known about how the most effective PD influences teachers' learning and how teachers perceive PD that goes beyond the typical two-hour session on an aspect of instruction. In this article, the authors present the response of a group of middle school teachers…

The Impact of Professional Development on Early Childhood Educators' Confidence, Understanding and Knowledge of Education for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyment, Janet E.; Davis, Julie M.; Nailon, Diane; Emery, Sherridan; Getenet, Seyum; McCrea, Nadine; Hill, Allen

2014-01-01

In recent times, Australia has recognised and enacted a range of initiatives at service, system and community levels that seek to embed sustainability into the early childhood sector. This paper explores the impact of a professional development (PD) session that provided opportunities for early childhood educators to learn and share ideas about…

Medical Students' Learning from Patient-Led Teaching: Experiential versus Biomedical Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henriksen, Ann-Helen; Ringsted, Charlotte

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore how medical students perceive the experience of learning from patient instructors (patients with rheumatism who teach health professionals and students) in the context of coupled faculty-led and patient-led teaching session. This was an explorative study with a qualitative approach based on focus group…

Mathvision: A Mobile Video Application for Math Teacher Noticing of Learning Progressions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Stephen T.; Chao, Theodore; Battista, Michael

2017-01-01

We report on the development and evaluation of MathVision, a mobile-application designed to develop Virtual Professional Learning Communities through asynchronous discussion about 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students' mathematical thinking. MathVision allows teachers to upload videos of problems solving sessions using Cognition Based Assessment…

Simulating the Multi-Disciplinary Care Team Approach: Enhancing Student Understanding of Anatomy through an Ultrasound-Anchored Interprofessional Session

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luetmer, Marianne T.; Cloud, Beth A.; Youdas, James W.; Pawlina, Wojciech; Lachman, Nirusha

2018-01-01

Quality of healthcare delivery is dependent on collaboration between professional disciplines. Integrating opportunities for interprofessional learning in health science education programs prepares future clinicians to function as effective members of a multi-disciplinary care team. This study aimed to create a modified team-based learning (TBL)…

Maintaining professional resilience through group restorative supervision.

PubMed

Wallbank, Sonya

2013-08-01

Restorative clinical supervision has been delivered to over 2,500 professionals and has shown to be highly effective in reducing burnout, stress and increasing compassion satisfaction. Demand for the programme has shown that a sustainable model of implementation is needed for organisations who may not be able to invest in continued individual sessions. Following the initial six sessions, group restorative supervision has been developed and this paper reports on the programme's success in maintaining and continuing to improve compassion satisfaction, stress and burnout through the process of restorative group supervision. This means that organisations can continue to maintain the programme once the initial training has been completed and have confidence within the restorative group supervision to support professionals in managing the emotional demands of their role. The restorative groups have also had inadvertent positive benefits in workplace functioning. The paper outlines how professionals have been able to use this learning to support them in being more effective.

A Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network: The role of formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke-Nieves, Natasha Anika

Science education research has consistently shown that elementary teachers have a low self-efficacy and background knowledge to teach science. When they teach science, there is a lack of field experiences and inquiry-based instruction at the elementary level due to limited resources, both material and pedagogical. This study focused on an analysis of a professional development (PD) model designed by the author known as the Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network (CDLN). The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school teacher participants pedagogical content knowledge related to their experiences in a CDLN model. The CDLN model taught formal and informal instruction using a science coach and an informal educational institution. Another purpose for this research included a theoretical analysis of the CDLN model to see if its design enabled teachers to expand their resource knowledge of available science education materials. The four-month-long study used qualitative data obtained during an in-service professional development program facilitated by a science coach and educators from a large natural history museum. Using case study as the research design, four elementary school teachers were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their science coach and museum educator workshop sessions. During the duration of this study, semi-structured individual/group interviews and open-ended pre/post PD questionnaires were used. Other data sources included researcher field notes from lesson observations, museum field trips, audio-recorded workshop sessions, email correspondence, and teacher-created artifacts. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged included increased self-efficacy; increased pedagogical content knowledge; increased knowledge of museum education resources and access; creation of a professional learning community; and increased knowledge of science notebooking. Implications for formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform are offered. It is suggested that researchers investigate collaborative coaching through the lenses of organizational learning network theory, and develop professional learning communities with formal and informal educators; and that professional developers in city school systems and informal science institutions work in concert to produce more effective elementary teachers who not only love science but love teaching it.

Using Movies to Strengthen Learning of the Humanistic Aspects of Medicine.

PubMed

Shankar, Pathiyil Ravi; Rose, Christopher; Balasubramanium, Ramanan; Nandy, Atanu; Friedmann, Alberto

2016-01-01

Movie screening and activities have been used during the last two semesters (spring and summer 2015) to strengthen the learning of communication skills, empathy, professionalism, and greater understanding of the process and death and dying at the Xavier University School of Medicine. The present manuscript describes the movie screening and activities. Student feedback regarding the sessions is also mentioned. The activity was conducted among basic science undergraduate medical students and student feedback was obtained. A cross-sectional study design was used. Feedback was obtained towards the end of June 2015 using a questionnaire designed by the authors. Participants were asked to rate their degree of agreement with the set of statements and provide an overall rating for the sessions. No demographic information was collected. Cronbach's alpha was calculated as a measure of internal consistency. The normality of distribution of the scores of individual statements and of the overall rating was determined using one sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The average scores were calculated. Free text comments were tabulated. Forty-nine of the 63 students (77.8%) participated in the study. Cronbach's alpha was 0.868 indicating a high level of internal consistency. The median scores indicating the degree of agreement with most statements ranged from 3 to 5. The mean participant rating of the sessions was 7.10 (maximum possible score 10). A few participants provided free text comments regarding the sessions. Student feedback about the session was positive. Impact of the session on humanistic issues, professionalism and death and dying should be studied in future.

The Development and Impact of a Social Media and Professionalism Course for Medical Students.

PubMed

Gomes, Alexandra W; Butera, Gisela; Chretien, Katherine C; Kind, Terry

2017-01-01

Inappropriate social media behavior can have detrimental effects on students' future opportunities, but medical students are given little opportunity to reflect upon ways of integrating their social media identities with their newly forming professional identities. In 2012, a required educational session was developed for 1st-year medical students on social media and professional identity. Objectives include identifying professionalism issues and recognizing positive social media use. The 2-hour large-group session uses student-generated social media examples to stimulate discussion and concludes with an expert panel. Students complete a postsession reflection assignment. The required social media session occurs early in the 1st year and is part of the Professionalism curriculum in The George Washington University School of Medicine. Reflection papers are graded for completion. The study began in 2012 and ran through 2014; a total of 313/505 participants (62%) volunteered for the study. Assessment occurred through qualitative analysis of students' reflection assignments. Most students (65%, 203/313) reported considering changes in their social media presence due to the session. The analysis revealed themes relating to a broader understanding of online identity and opportunities to enhance careers. In a 6-month follow-up survey of 76 students in the 2014 cohort who completed the entire survey, 73 (94%) reported some increase in awareness, and 48 (64%) made changes to their social media behavior due to the session (response rate = 76/165; 46%), reflecting the longer term impact. Opportunities for discussion and reflection are essential for transformational learning to occur, enabling understanding of other perspectives. Incorporating student-submitted social media examples heightened student interest and engagement. The social media environment is continually changing, so curricular approaches should remain adaptable to ensure timeliness and relevance. Including online professionalism curricula focused on implications and best practices helps medical students develop an awareness of their electronic professional identities.

Proceedings from the 9th Annual Meeting of International Society for Medical Publication Professionals Roundtable Session: key insights.

PubMed

Simcoe, Donna; Juneja, Renu; Scott, Gayle Nicholas; Sridharan, Kanaka; Williams-Hughes, Celeste

2014-03-01

During the 9th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP, April 29-May 1, 2013 in Baltimore, MD), ∼650 participants attended two of 13 available roundtable sessions. Participants included medical publication professionals from industry, communication agencies, and journals. DISCUSSION TOPICS: Roundtable participants discussed how to best interpret and implement various guidances, such as Good Publication Practices 2 (GPP2), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines, and the Physician Payment Sunshine Act. The impact of and compliance with Corporate Integrity agreements (CIAs) on medical publication planning practices was debated. Roundtable participants also discussed ways of advancing both advocacy for the medical publication professional field and internal and external collaborations. The development of review manuscripts, publications from regions newly emerging in publication planning, medical devices publications, and real-world experience publications were discussed. Participants also considered the benefits and uncertainties of new technologies in medical publications such as multimedia and social media. This is the first ever article to be published following the well-attended ISMPP roundtable sessions. The objective of this manuscript is to summarize key learnings that will aid continued discussions about challenges and opportunities facing medical publication professionals.

Assessing Professionalism: A Theoretical Framework for Defining Clinical Rotation Assessment Criteria.

PubMed

Armitage-Chan, Elizabeth

Although widely accepted as an important graduate competence, professionalism is a challenging outcome to define and assess. Clinical rotations provide an excellent opportunity to develop student professionalism through the use of experiential learning and effective feedback, but without appropriate theoretical frameworks, clinical teachers may find it difficult to identify appropriate learning outcomes. The adage "I know it when I see it" is unhelpful in providing feedback and guidance for student improvement, and criteria that are more specifically defined would help students direct their own development. This study sought first to identify how clinical faculty in one institution currently assess professionalism, using retrospective analysis of material obtained in undergraduate teaching and faculty development sessions. Subsequently, a faculty workshop was held in which a round-table type discussion sought to develop these ideas and identify how professionalism assessment could be improved. The output of this session was a theoretical framework for teaching and assessing professionalism, providing example assessment criteria and ideas for clinical teaching. This includes categories such as client and colleague interaction, respect and trust, recognition of limitations, and understanding of different professional identities. Each category includes detailed descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors expected of students in these areas. The criteria were determined by engaging faculty in the development of the framework, and therefore they should represent a focused development of criteria already used to assess professionalism, and not a novel and unfamiliar set of assessment guidelines. The faculty-led nature of this framework is expected to facilitate implementation in clinical teaching.

The use of virtual patient scenarios as a vehicle for teaching professionalism.

PubMed

Marei, H F; Al-Eraky, M M; Almasoud, N N; Donkers, J; Van Merrienboer, J J G

2018-05-01

This study aimed to measure students' perceptions of virtual patient scenarios (VPs) for developing ethical reasoning skills and to explore features in VP design that are necessary to promote professionalism. Sixty-five dental students participated in learning sessions that involved collaborative practice with five VPs (four high fidelity and one low fidelity), followed by reflection sessions. Students' perceptions towards the use of VPs in developing ethical reasoning skills were assessed using a questionnaire that involved 10 closed and three open-ended questions. High-fidelity VPs were perceived as significantly better for developing ethical reasoning skills than low-fidelity VPs. Analyses of answers to open-ended questions revealed two new features that are specific for VPs intended for teaching professionalism, which are VP dramatic structure and how it should end. VPs intended for teaching professionalism need to have high fidelity, follow a specific dramatic structure and should include multiple plausible endings. The use of VPs as part of a collaborative activity that is followed by a reflection session is perceived as an effective tool for the development of ethical reasoning skills in dental education. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessing faculty professional development in STEM higher education: Sustainability of outcomes.

PubMed

Derting, Terry L; Ebert-May, Diane; Henkel, Timothy P; Maher, Jessica Middlemis; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A

2016-03-01

We tested the effectiveness of Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching IV (FIRST), a professional development program for postdoctoral scholars, by conducting a study of program alumni. Faculty professional development programs are critical components of efforts to improve teaching and learning in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, but reliable evidence of the sustained impacts of these programs is lacking. We used a paired design in which we matched a FIRST alumnus employed in a tenure-track position with a non-FIRST faculty member at the same institution. The members of a pair taught courses that were of similar size and level. To determine whether teaching practices of FIRST participants were more learner-centered than those of non-FIRST faculty, we compared faculty perceptions of their teaching strategies, perceptions of environmental factors that influence teaching, and actual teaching practice. Non-FIRST and FIRST faculty reported similar perceptions of their teaching strategies and teaching environment. FIRST faculty reported using active learning and interactive engagement in lecture sessions more frequently compared with non-FIRST faculty. Ratings from external reviewers also documented that FIRST faculty taught class sessions that were learner-centered, contrasting with the teacher-centered class sessions of most non-FIRST faculty. Despite marked differences in teaching practice, FIRST and non-FIRST participants used assessments that targeted lower-level cognitive skills. Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of the FIRST program and the empirical utility of comparison groups, where groups are well matched and controlled for contextual variables (for example, departments), for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development for subsequent teaching practices.

Assessing faculty professional development in STEM higher education: Sustainability of outcomes

PubMed Central

Derting, Terry L.; Ebert-May, Diane; Henkel, Timothy P.; Maher, Jessica Middlemis; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A.

2016-01-01

We tested the effectiveness of Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching IV (FIRST), a professional development program for postdoctoral scholars, by conducting a study of program alumni. Faculty professional development programs are critical components of efforts to improve teaching and learning in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, but reliable evidence of the sustained impacts of these programs is lacking. We used a paired design in which we matched a FIRST alumnus employed in a tenure-track position with a non-FIRST faculty member at the same institution. The members of a pair taught courses that were of similar size and level. To determine whether teaching practices of FIRST participants were more learner-centered than those of non-FIRST faculty, we compared faculty perceptions of their teaching strategies, perceptions of environmental factors that influence teaching, and actual teaching practice. Non-FIRST and FIRST faculty reported similar perceptions of their teaching strategies and teaching environment. FIRST faculty reported using active learning and interactive engagement in lecture sessions more frequently compared with non-FIRST faculty. Ratings from external reviewers also documented that FIRST faculty taught class sessions that were learner-centered, contrasting with the teacher-centered class sessions of most non-FIRST faculty. Despite marked differences in teaching practice, FIRST and non-FIRST participants used assessments that targeted lower-level cognitive skills. Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of the FIRST program and the empirical utility of comparison groups, where groups are well matched and controlled for contextual variables (for example, departments), for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development for subsequent teaching practices. PMID:27034985

Developing a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum for professionalism and scientific integrity training for biomedical graduate students.

PubMed

Jones, Nancy L; Peiffer, Ann M; Lambros, Ann; Guthold, Martin; Johnson, A Daniel; Tytell, Michael; Ronca, April E; Eldridge, J Charles

2010-10-01

A multidisciplinary faculty committee designed a curriculum to shape biomedical graduate students into researchers with a high commitment to professionalism and social responsibility and to provide students with tools to navigate complex, rapidly evolving academic and societal environments with a strong ethical commitment. The curriculum used problem-based learning (PBL), because it is active and learner-centred and focuses on skill and process development. Two courses were developed: Scientific Professionalism: Scientific Integrity addressed discipline-specific and broad professional norms and obligations for the ethical practice of science and responsible conduct of research (RCR). Scientific Professionalism: Bioethics and Social Responsibility focused on current ethical and bioethical issues within the scientific profession, and implications of research for society. Each small-group session examined case scenarios that included: (1) learning objectives for professional norms and obligations; (2) key ethical issues and philosophies within each topic area; (3) one or more of the RCR instructional areas; and (4) at least one type of moral reflection. Cases emphasised professional standards, obligations and underlying philosophies for the ethical practice of science, competing interests of stakeholders and oversight of science (internal and external). To our knowledge, this is the first use of a longitudinal, multi-semester PBL course to teach scientific integrity and professionalism. Both faculty and students endorsed the active learning approach for these topics, in contrast to a compliance-based approach that emphasises learning rules and regulations.

Teach beyond Your Reach: An Instructor's Guide to Developing and Running Successful Distance Learning Classes, Workshops, Training Sessions, and More. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neidorf, Robin

2012-01-01

Distance education is enabling individuals to earn college and graduate degrees, professional certificates, and a wide range of skills and credentials. In addition to the expanding role of distance learning in higher education, all types of organizations now offer web-based training courses to employees, clients, and other associates. In this…

Role of clinical tutors in volunteering work camps.

PubMed

Alloni, Rossana; D'Elia, Annunziata; Navajas, Francisca; De Gara, Laura

2014-04-01

The Università Campus Bio-Medico (Italy) promotes a summer volunteering work camp (Workcamp Perù) as a social activity for medical and non-medical students. Some junior doctors participate as 'clinical tutors', together with tutors from other professions; all clinical tutors have some teaching experience in our teaching hospital. The campsite is located in the South of Peru in the Cañete Valley, an area characterised by extreme poverty and a severe lack of infrastructure. During the five Workcamp Perù trips that have been organised so far, health science students have carried out many activities for disease prevention and health education, and bio-medical engineering students have organised sessions on the safety of electrical installations, for accident prevention. We observed that in this setting tutorial activity is fundamental, because it not only offers students an opportunity to learn but also encourages them to react in a more personal and reflective manner to various stressful situations, which often occur in the work camp. The professional competence of the tutor plays an important role before the work camp, in defining the learning objectives for the students and involving them in training sessions held prior to the work camp. Also, during the camp, tutors work with students and also direct the daily briefing and debriefing sessions that are the most important learning activity. For medical tutors involved in the work camp the volunteering experience is a challenge for developing their specific professional and teaching skills, but it also provides an enriching experience in both professional and personal terms. We consider these work camps to be a useful experience in the training of our clinical tutors. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Interprofessional Learning Workshop for Mammography and Sonography Students Focusing on Breast Cancer Care and Management Via Simulation: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Giles, Eileen M; Parange, Nayana; Knight, Bronwyn

2017-08-01

The literature surrounding interprofessional education claims that students who learn with, from, and about one another in well-designed interprofessional programs will practice together collaboratively upon graduation, given the skills to do so. The objective of this study was to examine attitudes to interprofessional practice before and after an interprofessional learning (IPL) activity. A total of 35 postgraduate medical imaging students attended a week-long mammography workshop. The sessions provided a range of didactic sessions related to diagnosis and management of breast cancer. An IPL session was incorporated on completion of the workshop to consolidate learning. Props and authentic resources were used to increase the fidelity of the simulation. Participants completed pre- and post-workshop questionnaires comprising an interprofessional education and collaboration scale and a quiz to gauge knowledge of specific content related to professional roles. Responses to each statement in the scale and quiz score, pre or post workshop, were compared, whereas responses to open-ended questions in post-workshop survey were thematically analyzed. Seventeen paired surveys were received. There was a significant total improvement of 10.66% (P = .036). After simulation, there was a statistically significant improvement in participants' understanding (P < .05) that IPL offers holistic care to the patient and that teamwork is useful for reducing errors in patient care. Simulation helped participants develop more awareness of their role within the profession, improve their understanding of other professionals, and gain more realistic expectations of team members. This pilot study confirmed learning within an IPL simulation improved attitudes toward shared learning, teamwork, and communication. Simulation provides opportunities for learning in a safe environment, and technology can be used in diverse ways to provide authentic learning. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Northwest's Hot Topics in Preparedness forum: a novel distance-learning collaborative.

PubMed

Shield, Margaret; Wiesner, Paul; Curran, Connie; Stark, Greg; Rauch, Steve; Stergachis, Andy; Thompson, Jack

2005-11-01

The Northwest Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Washington hosts a training forum, called Hot Topics in Preparedness, that is delivered via a synchronous, Web conferencing system. These monthly, 1-hour sessions focus on key topics related to emergency preparedness for public health professionals and their emergency response partners in the Northwest region. This distance learning series was conceived and implemented as a regional collaborative, overseen by an advisory board representing state, local, and tribal health agencies. Results of session evaluations, challenges, and lessons learned from the first year of the Hot Topics in Preparedness forum are reported. Web conferencing is a popular, convenient, and effective strategy for delivering training in the rapidly changing field of preparedness across a large geographic region.

Training Trainers on a Tight Budget.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoonmaker, Robert L.

1979-01-01

Presents training budget ideas which meet these criteria: (1) minimal cost, (2) minimal time consumption, and (3) convey skill or concept. Ideas include learning from attendance at free training demonstrations, sales meetings, professional groups, college/university courses, staff and division trainer meetings, visitations, cotraining sessions,…

Point of Entry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy

2007-01-01

As part of a professional development program organized by the Save Ellis Island Foundation, the exhibits, databases, photo archives, and recorded interviews at the island's museum helps put the nation's current immigration debate into a broader historical context. Teachers at these sessions learn from scholars and park personnel about early…

Student perspectives on patient educators as facilitators of interprofessional education.

PubMed

Solomon, Patricia

2011-01-01

There has been increasing interest in the active involvement of patients in the education of health professionals. Few have examined the potential role of patient educators in the facilitation of interprofessional education (IPE). This qualitative program evaluation examined students' perceptions of their learning in a patient-facilitated IPE event. One hundred and forty two students from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medicine, and nursing participated in a 2.5-h session in which they interviewed patient educators living with a variety of chronic illnesses about their experiences. Patient educators participated in a 3-h training session prior to the event. Content analyses of six focus group transcripts (n = 27) and critical incident questionnaires (n = 138) revealed that students felt this was a positive experience, recognized the importance of advocating for their professional role, and valued the interprofessional learning. Students also valued participation from a variety of health professions and felt that IPE should be mandatory for all. Results suggest that trained patient educators can effectively facilitate interprofessional interactions.

DEVELOPING A PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING (PBL) CURRICULUM FOR PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS TRAINING FOR BIOMEDICAL GRADUATE STUDENTS

PubMed Central

Jones, Nancy L.; Peiffer, Ann M.; Lambros, Ann; Guthold, Martin; Johnson, A. Daniel; Tytell, Michael; Ronca, April E.; Eldridge, J. Charles

2013-01-01

A curriculum was designed to shape biomedical graduate students into researchers with a high commitment to professionalism and social responsibility, and to provide students with tools to navigate the complex, rapidly evolving academic and societal environments with a strong ethical commitment. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy was chosen because it is active, learner-centered, and focuses on skill and process development. Additionally, the small group format provides a high degree of socialization around professional norms. Two courses were developed. Scientific Professionalism Scientific Integrity addressed discipline-specific and broad professional norms and obligations for the ethical practice of science and responsible conduct of research (RCR). Scientific Professionalism Bioethics and Social Responsibility focused on current ethical and bioethical issues within the scientific profession and implications of research for society. Each small-group session examined case scenarios that included: (1) learning objectives for professional norms and obligations; (2) key ethical issues and philosophies within each topic area; (3) one or more of the RCR instructional areas; and (4) at least one type of moral reflection. Cases went beyond covering overt research misconduct to emphasize professional standards, obligations, and underlying philosophies for the ethical practice of science, competing interests of stakeholders, and oversight of science (internal and external). To our knowledge this was the first use of PBL to teach scientific integrity and ethics. Both faculty and students at Wake Forest endorsed the orientation of professionalism, active learning, and acquiring skills in contrast to a compliance-based approach that emphasizes learning rules and regulations. PMID:20797979

Higher satisfaction with ethnographic edutainment using YouTube among medical students in Thailand

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Purpose: At present, transformative learning is one of the most important issues in medical education, since a conventional learning environment is prone to failure due to changing patterns among students. Ethnographic edutainment is a concept that consists of reward, competition, and motivation strategies that be used to effectively engage with learners. Methods: A total 321 first-year medical students took part in ethnographic edutainment sessions in 2011. We defined four preset learning objectives and assigned a term group project using clouding technologies. Participatory evaluation was conducted to assess the delivery of and attitudes towards this method. Results: Career lifestyles in the general population and expected real-life utilization of the final product were used as motivating factors, with competition and rewards provided through a short film contest. Nineteen out of twenty groups (95%) achieved all learning objectives. Females were more satisfied with this activity than males (P<0.001). We found statistically significant differences between lecture-based sessions and field visit sessions, as well as ethnographic edutainment activity sessions and other instructional approaches (P<0.01). The results were consistent in male and female groups. Conclusion: Ethnographic edutainment is well accepted, with higher satisfaction rates than other types of teaching. The concepts of health promotion and the social determinants of health can be learned through ethnographic edutainment activities, which might help train more humanized health professionals. PMID:25043927

Higher satisfaction with ethnographic edutainment using YouTube among medical students in Thailand.

PubMed

Woratanarat, Thira

2014-07-07

At present, transformative learning is one of the most important issues in medical education, since a conventional learning environment is prone to failure due to changing patterns among students. Ethnographic edutainment is a concept that consists of reward, competition, and motivation strategies that be used to effectively engage with learners. A total 321 first-year medical students took part in ethnographic edutainment sessions in 2011. We defined four preset learning objectives and assigned a term group project using clouding technologies. Participatory evaluation was conducted to assess the delivery of and attitudes towards this method. Career lifestyles in the general population and expected real-life utilization of the final product were used as motivating factors, with competition and rewards provided through a short film contest. Nineteen out of twenty groups (95%) achieved all learning objectives. Females were more satisfied with this activity than males (P<0.001). We found statistically significant differences between lecture-based sessions and field visit sessions, as well as ethnographic edutainment activity sessions and other instructional approaches (P<0.01). The results were consistent in male and female groups. Ethnographic edutainment is well accepted, with higher satisfaction rates than other types of teaching. The concepts of health promotion and the social determinants of health can be learned through ethnographic edutainment activities, which might help train more humanized health professionals.

Women in biomedical engineering and health informatics.

PubMed

McGregor, Carolyn; Frize, Monique

2008-01-01

A valuable session for anyone whether student or not, interested in learning more about Biomedical Engineering and Health Informatics as a career choice for women. Prominent women within the domains Biomedical Engineering and Health Informatics will present their research and their humanitarian interests that motivate them. Utilise the fantastic networking opportunity that will conclude this session to build and establish new professional networks with other women interested in your fields of expertise. Bring your contact details and be ready to make new contacts that are relevant for you.

Developing a Diverse Professoriate - Preliminary Outcomes from a Professional Development Workshop for Underrepresented Minorities in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houlton, H. R.; Keane, C. M.; Seadler, A. R.; Wilson, C. E.

2012-12-01

A professional development workshop for underrepresented minority, future and early-career faculty in the geosciences was held in April of 2012. Twenty seven participants traveled to the Washington DC metro area and attended this 2.5 day workshop. Participants' career levels ranged from early PhD students to Assistant Professors, and they had research interests spanning atmospheric sciences, hydrology, solid earth geoscience and geoscience education. Race and ethnicity of the participants included primarily African American or Black individuals, as well as Hispanic, Native American, Native Pacific Islanders and Caucasians who work with underrepresented groups. The workshop consisted of three themed sessions led by prestigious faculty members within the geoscience community, who are also underrepresented minorities. These sessions included "Guidance from Professional Societies," "Instructional Guidance" and "Campus Leadership Advice." Each session lasted about 3 hours and included a mixture of presentational materials to provide context, hands-on activities and robust group discussions. Two additional sessions were devoted to learning about federal agencies. For the morning session, representatives from USGS and NOAA came to discuss opportunities within each agency and the importance of promoting geoscience literacy with our participants. The afternoon session gave the workshop attendees the fortunate opportunity to visit NSF headquarters. Participants were welcomed by NSF's Assistant Director for Geosciences and took part in small group meetings with program officers within the Geosciences Directorate. Participants indicated having positive experiences during this workshop. In our post-workshop evaluation, the majority of participants revealed that they thought the sessions were valuable, with many finding the sessions extremely valuable. The effectiveness of each session had similar responses. Preliminary results from 17 paired sample t-tests show increased knowledge gained from each of our themed sessions, with "Familiarity with Federal Agencies" and "Success in Grant Applications" demonstrating statistically significant improvement.

Post Game Analysis: Using Video-Based Coaching for Continuous Professional Development

PubMed Central

Hu, Yue-Yung; Peyre, Sarah E.; Arriaga, Alexander F.; Osteen, Robert T.; Corso, Katherine A.; Weiser, Thomas G.; Swanson, Richard S.; Ashley, Stanley W.; Raut, Chandrajit P.; Zinner, Michael J.; Gawande, Atul A.; Greenberg, Caprice C.

2011-01-01

Background The surgical learning curve persists for years after training, yet existing CME efforts targeting this are limited. We describe a pilot study of a scalable video-based intervention, providing individualized feedback on intra-operative performance. Study Design Four complex operations performed by surgeons of varying experience – a chief resident accompanied by the operating senior surgeon, a surgeon with <10 years in practice, another with 20–30 years, and a surgeon with >30 years of experience – were video-recorded. Video playback formed the basis of 1-hour coaching sessions with a peer-judged surgical expert. These sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded. Results The sessions focused on operative technique, both technical aspects and decision-making. With increasing seniority, more discussion was devoted to the optimization of teaching and facilitation of the resident’s technical performance. Coaching sessions with senior surgeons were peer-to-peer interactions, with each discussing his preferred approach. The coach alternated between directing the session (asking probing questions) and responding to specific questions brought by the surgeons, depending on learning style. At all experience levels, video review proved valuable in identifying episodes of failure-to-progress and troubleshooting alternative approaches. All agreed this tool is a powerful one. Inclusion of trainees seems most appropriate when coaching senior surgeons; it may restrict the dialogue of more junior attendings. Conclusions Video-based coaching is an educational modality that targets intra-operative judgment, technique, and teaching. Surgeons of all levels found it highly instructive. This may provide a practical, much needed approach for continuous professional development. PMID:22192924

Preparation of Instructional Material for Distance Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gujjar, Aijaz Ahmed; Malik, Muhammad Ashraf

2007-01-01

Distance education is institutional concept of education centered round self-directed learning by means of correspondence courses with an integrated element of communication technology and facilitated with tutorial sessions, seminars etc. to meet need for enlargement of teaching force, improved professional standards and modernization of teaching…

Learning in professionally 'distant' contexts: opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Mausz, Justin; Tavares, Walter

2017-08-01

The changing nature of healthcare education and delivery is such that clinicians will increasingly find themselves practicing in contexts that are physically and/or conceptually different from the settings in which they were trained, a practice that conflicts on some level with socio-cultural theories of learning that emphasize learning in context. Our objective was therefore to explore learning in 'professionally distant' contexts. Using paramedic education, where portions of training occur in hospital settings despite preparing students for out-of-hospital work, fifty-three informants (11 current students, 13 recent graduates, 16 paramedic program faculty and 13 program coordinators/directors) took part in five semi-structured focus groups. Participants reflected on the value and role of hospital placements in paramedic student development. All sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. In this context six educational advantages and two challenges were identified when using professionally distant learning environments. Learning could still be associated with features such as (a) engagement through "authenticity", (b) technical skill development, (c) interpersonal skill development, (d) psychological resilience, (e) healthcare system knowledge and (f) scaffolding. Variability in learning and misalignment with learning goals were identified as potential threats. Learning environments that are professionally distant from eventual practice settings may prove meaningful by providing learners with foundational and preparatory learning experiences for competencies that may be transferrable. This suggests that where learning occurs may be less important than how the experience contributes to the learner's development and the meaning or value he/she derives from it.

Teaching communication and compassionate care skills: an innovative curriculum for pre-clerkship medical students.

PubMed

Shield, Renée R; Tong, Iris; Tomas, Maria; Besdine, Richard W

2011-01-01

Physicians require communications training to improve effective and compassionate care. Clinicians discuss challenging communication issues in existing hospital "Schwartz Rounds." To improve communication skills, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University designed "Schwartz Communication Sessions" for the mandatory 2-year pre-clerkship Doctoring course. Alongside learning interviewing, physical examination, and professionalism skills, the new Schwartz curriculum provides medical students with the rationale and proficiency for effective communication with patients, families and the healthcare team. First-year students experience a graduated curriculum of three sessions on themes such as empathy and professionalism using innovative methods. Sessions highlight cases and videos depicting successful and ineffective interactions, large and small group discussions, role play and skills practice, guest patient presentations, and multi-disciplinary panels. The second-year students' session focuses on communications with challenging patients. Students and faculty rate the sessions highly on effectiveness of enhancing communication skills, gaining perspective in healthcare communication, and appreciating the complexities of healthcare situations. Expansion of the program using case-based sessions for clerkship students is planned for a continuous and graduated experience. Integrating a pre-clerkship communications curriculum may help improve future physicians' interactions with patients and families. Implications of this curriculum for medical education are discussed.

Assessing the interactivity and prescriptiveness of faculty professional development workshops: The real-time professional development observation tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olmstead, Alice; Turpen, Chandra

2016-12-01

Professional development workshops are one of the primary mechanisms used to help faculty improve their teaching, and draw in many STEM instructors every year. Although workshops serve a critical role in changing instructional practices within our community, we rarely assess workshops through careful consideration of how they engage faculty. Initial evidence suggests that workshop leaders often overlook central tenets of education research that are well established in classroom contexts, such as the role of interactivity in enabling student learning [S. Freeman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111, 8410 (2014)]. As such, there is a need to develop more robust, evidence-based models of how best to support faculty learning in professional development contexts, and to actively support workshop leaders in relating their design decisions to familiar ideas from other educational contexts. In response to these needs, we have developed an observation tool, the real-time professional development observation tool (R-PDOT), to document the form and focus of faculty engagement during workshops. In this paper, we describe the motivation and methodological considerations behind the development of the R-PDOT, justify our decisions to highlight particular aspects of workshop sessions, and demonstrate how the R-PDOT can be used to analyze three sessions from the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop. We also justify the accessibility and potential utility of the R-PDOT output as a reflective tool using preliminary data from interviews with workshop leaders, and consider the roles the R-PDOT could play in supporting future research on faculty professional development.

Strategies for teaching pathology to graduate students and allied health professionals.

PubMed

Fenderson, Bruce A

2005-02-01

Pathology is an essential course for many students in the biomedical sciences and allied health professions. These students learn the language of pathology and medicine, develop an appreciation for mechanisms of disease, and understand the close relationship between basic research and clinical medicine. We have developed 3 pathology courses to meet the needs of our undergraduates, graduate students, and allied health professionals. Through experience, we have settled on an approach to teaching pathology that takes into account the diverse educational backgrounds of these students. Educational resources such as assigned reading, online homework, lectures, and review sessions are carefully balanced to adjust course difficulty. Common features of our pathology curricula include a web-based computer laboratory and review sessions on the basis of selected pathology images and open-ended study questions. Lectures, computer-guided homework, and review sessions provide the core educational content for undergraduates. Graduate students, using the same computer program and review material, rely more heavily on assigned reading for core educational content. Our experience adapting a pathology curriculum to the needs of divergent groups of students suggests a general strategy for monitoring course difficulty. We hypothesize that course difficulty is proportional to the information density of specific learning resources (eg, lecture or textbook) multiplied by the weight of those learning resources placed on examinations. This formula allows educators to match the difficulty of a course with the educational needs of students, and provides a useful tool for longitudinal studies of curriculum reform.

A Kindergarten Teacher Bringing Science to a Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theis, Becky; Galindo, Ed; Shockey, Tod

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) sponsored professional development of educators in the NASA Summer of Innovation (SOI) program. The Idaho, Montana, and Utah (IMU-SOI) program worked with educators and students from thirteen Native American communities. The summer sessions were focused on problem based learning and…

Measuring Our Impact: What Did Our Attendees Think of Our Conference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer-Vida, Louisa; Meier, Karen

2017-01-01

Peers evaluated conference presentations at an annual conference that is sponsored by two professional organizations of literacy educators in one geographic location in New York State. Conference sessions dealt with innovations and programs in schools that encouraged literacy learning. Comments from conference attendees indicated that the…

MODSIM World 2007 Conference and Expo: Select Papers and Presentations from the Education and Training Track

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E. (Editor); Sullivan, Shannon (Editor); Sanchez, Alicia (Editor)

2008-01-01

This NASA Conference Publication features select papers and PowerPoint presentations from the Education and Training Track of MODSIM World 2007 Conference and Expo. Invited speakers and panelists of national and international renown, representing academia, industry and government, discussed how modeling and simulation (M&S) technology can be used to accelerate learning in the K-16 classroom, especially when using M&S technology as a tool for integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes. The presenters also addressed the application ofM&S technology to learning and training outside of the classroom. Specific sub-topics of the presentations included: learning theory; curriculum development; professional development; tools/user applications; implementation/infrastructure/issues; and workforce development. There was a session devoted to student M&S competitions in Virginia too, as well as a poster session.

Occupational physicians' perceived value of evidence-based medicine intervention in enhancing their professional performance.

PubMed

Hugenholtz, Nathalie I R; Schaafsma, Frederieke G; Schreinemakers, Jos F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen

2008-06-01

This study evaluated how physicians in a nonclinical setting perceive the value of an intervention with multifaceted evidence-based medicine with regard to enhancing their professional performance. A qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and face-to-face interviews with 14 of the 48 Dutch occupational physicians who participated in the intervention. The intervention combined a didactic course in evidence-based medicine with recurrent case-method learning sessions. During the sessions, the participants were challenged to discuss their cases and to give one another feedback on how to find information on cases. Five main themes and four subthemes were identified: professional behavior and quality of care (subtheme: transparency): occupational physicians associated being up-to-date with quality of care, and evidence-based medicine was associated with improvements in professional standards; critical attitude and improved recommendations: occupational physicians asked themselves more-profound questions and searched more for information; sharing knowledge: the peer-group sessions facilitated the sharing of knowledge; communication (subthemes: colleagues, clients and other specialists): the more soundly based recommendations enhanced self-confidence positively and therefore altered interaction with medical specialists in particular; and satisfaction and barriers: the occupational physicians were especially content with the structured discussion in the peer-group sessions. However, the intervention was very time consuming. The participants regarded the intervention as a useful method for enhancing their professional performance. They stated that they became more up-to-date and more self-confident by searching for and sharing knowledge. These actions resulted in more scientifically based recommendations and improved interaction with clients and other specialists. However, time constraints remain an important barrier.

Evaluation of the sustained implementation of a mental health learning initiative in long-term care.

PubMed

McAiney, Carrie A; Stolee, Paul; Hillier, Loretta M; Harris, Diane; Hamilton, Pam; Kessler, Linda; Madsen, Victoria; Le Clair, J Kenneth

2007-10-01

This paper describes an innovative education program for the management of mental health problems in long-term care (LTC) homes and the evaluation of its longer-term sustainability. Since 1998, the "Putting the P.I.E.C.E.S. Together" learning initiative has been providing education sessions and related learning strategies aimed at developing the knowledge and skills of health professionals who care for older persons with complex physical and mental health needs and associated behaviors, in Ontario, Canada. A major focus of this province-wide initiative was the development of in-house Psychogeriatric Resource Persons (PRPs). Evaluation of this initiative included the completion of pre- and post-education questionnaires (over three data collection time periods) assessing learner confidence (N = 1,024 and 792, for pre- and post-education, respectively) and session evaluation questionnaires gathering feedback on the session (N = 2,029 across all sessions). A survey of LTC homes in Ontario (N = 439, 79% of the homes in the province) was conducted to assess longer-term sustainability. Ratings of the sessions indicated that they were relevant to learners' clinical practice. There were significant increases in ratings of ability to recognize and understand challenging behaviors and mental health problems, and in ability to use a variety of assessment tools. Few homes (15%) do not have a PRP; over 50% of the staff who completed the first session in 1999 continue to serve as a PRP and to apply learned skills. A learning initiative with supportive and reinforcing strategies can develop in-house PRPs to enhance the care of the elderly in LTC. Incorporation of PRP functions into job descriptions and management support contributed to the success of this initiative. This study highlights the importance of work environments that support and reinforce the use of learned skills to the success of continuing education and quality improvement initiatives in LTC.

Construction of group exercise sessions in geriatric inpatient rehabilitation.

PubMed

Wallin, Marjo; Talvitie, Ulla; Cattan, Mima; Karppi, Sirkka-Liisa

2008-01-01

There is little knowledge about the ways geriatric physiotherapy is being carried out in practice and about the situational construction of formal policies for promoting physical activity. This article examines how professional physiotherapists and frail community-dwelling older adults as their clients use talk and action to construct a group exercise session in an inpatient rehabilitation setting in Finland. The analysis of 7 group exercise sessions with a total of 52 clients and 9 professional physiotherapists revealed 3 different practitioner approaches, which served different functions in older adults' empowerment and lifestyle activity change. The highly structured approach favored taciturn physical performances completed independently and successfully by frail older adults. The guided exercise approach with individualized guidance encouraged occasional coconstruction of shared understanding of learning the exercises. The circuit training approach facilitated occasional self-regulation by the clients. The results of this study indicate that a combination of different approaches is required to address the multifaceted needs of heterogeneous frail older adults.

The power of nursing: An innovative course in values clarification and self-discovery.

PubMed

Day, Lisa; Ziehm, Scott R; Jessup, Martha A; Amedro, Pattie; Dawson-Rose, Carol; Derouin, Anne; Kennedy, Betsy Babb; Manahan, Sally; Parish, Abby Luck; Remen, Rachel Naomi

Teaching for a practice is more than the dissemination of knowledge and information to the learner. Professional nursing education requires teachers to facilitate students' self-reflection and awareness and assimilation of core professional and personal values in order for the new nurse to anchor and internalize these values as part of a professional identity. To achieve this, nursing educators recognize the importance of learning opportunities centered in the affective domain and the importance of teaching for professional formation that supports nursing students' commitment to the values of their chosen community of practice. This paper describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a learning innovation for pre-RN students. The Power of Nursing: Embracing the Healer's Art, a five-session, 15-hour discovery model course that uses guided reflection and personal sharing is described, as are course outcomes for 68 students from four nursing schools in the U.S. Overall students' reports were strongly favorable and the learning experience was valued and identified as unique within the nursing curriculum. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Replacing stressful challenges with positive coping strategies: a resilience program for clinical placement learning.

PubMed

Delany, C; Miller, K J; El-Ansary, D; Remedios, L; Hosseini, A; McLeod, S

2015-12-01

Clinical education is foundational to health professional training. However, it is also a time of increased stress for students. A student's perception of stressors and their capacity to effectively manage them is a legitimate concern for educators, because anxiety and decreased coping strategies can interfere with effective learning, clinical performance and capacity to care for patients. Resilience is emerging as a valuable construct to underpin positive coping strategies for learning and professional practice. We report the development and evaluation of a psycho-education resilience program designed to build practical skills-based resilience capacities in health science (physiotherapy) students. Six final year undergraduate physiotherapy students attended four action research sessions led by a clinical health psychologist. Resilience strategies drawn from cognitive behavioural therapy, and positive and performance psychology were introduced. Students identified personal learning stressors and their beliefs and responses. They chose specific resilience-based strategies to address them, and then reported their impact on learning performance and experiences. Thematic analysis of the audio-recorded and transcribed action research sessions, and students' de identified notes was conducted. Students' initial descriptions of stressors as 'problems' outside their control resulting in poor thinking and communication, low confidence and frustration, changed to a focus on how they managed and recognized learning challenges as normal or at least expected elements of the clinical learning environment. The research suggests that replacing stressful challenges with positive coping strategies offers a potentially powerful tool to build self-efficacy and cognitive control as well as greater self-awareness as a learner and future health practitioner.

Puzzle based teaching versus traditional instruction in electrocardiogram interpretation for medical students--a pilot study.

PubMed

Rubinstein, Jack; Dhoble, Abhijeet; Ferenchick, Gary

2009-01-13

Most medical professionals are expected to possess basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation skills. But, published data suggests that residents' and physicians' EKG interpretation skills are suboptimal. Learning styles differ among medical students; individualization of teaching methods has been shown to be viable and may result in improved learning. Puzzles have been shown to facilitate learning in a relaxed environment. The objective of this study was to assess efficacy of teaching puzzle in EKG interpretation skills among medical students. This is a reader blinded crossover trial. Third year medical students from College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University participated in this study. Two groups (n = 9) received two traditional EKG interpretation skills lectures followed by a standardized exam and two extra sessions with the teaching puzzle and a different exam. Two other groups (n = 6) received identical courses and exams with the puzzle session first followed by the traditional teaching. EKG interpretation scores on final test were used as main outcome measure. The average score after only traditional teaching was 4.07 +/- 2.08 while after only the puzzle session was 4.04 +/- 2.36 (p = 0.97). The average improvement after the traditional session was followed up with a puzzle session was 2.53 +/- 1.94 while the average improvement after the puzzle session was followed with the traditional session was 2.08 +/- 1.73 (p = 0.67). The final EKG exam score for this cohort (n = 15) was 84.1 compared to 86.6 (p = 0.22) for a comparable sample of medical students (n = 15) at a different campus. Teaching EKG interpretation with puzzles is comparable to traditional teaching and may be particularly useful for certain subgroups of students. Puzzle session are more interactive and relaxing, and warrant further investigations on larger scale.

Expanding the Caring Lens: Nursing and Medical Students Reflecting on Images of Older People.

PubMed

Brand, Gabrielle; Miller, Karen; Saunders, Rosemary; Dugmore, Helen; Etherton-Beer, Christopher

2016-01-01

In changing higher education environments, health profession's educators have been increasingly challenged to prepare future health professionals to care for aging populations. This article reports on an exploratory, mixed-method research study that used an innovative photo-elicitation technique and interprofessional small-group work in the classroom to enhance the reflective learning experience of medical and nursing students. Data were collected from pre- and postquestionnaires and focus groups to explore shifts in perceptions toward older persons following the reflective learning session. The qualitative data revealed how using visual images of older persons provides a valuable learning space for reflection. Students found meaning in their own learning by creating shared storylines that challenged their perceptions of older people and themselves as future health professionals. These data support the use of visual methodologies to enhance engagement, reflection, and challenge students to explore and deepen their understanding in gerontology.

Equipping Teachers to Infuse Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schrock, Kathy

2012-01-01

On a district-wide professional development day, a consultant presents to an auditorium of 250 teachers and conducts follow-up sessions with smaller groups throughout the day. The event is chock-full of information, and the teachers feel good about the resources and skills they have learned. The consultant departs at the end of the day knowing she…

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (15th, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago March 21-26, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John G., Ed.

This proceedings contains session topics: extension systems, extension programs, extension evaluation, program impacts, extension management, extension reform, experiential learning, program delivery, farming systems research, professional training and development, program strategies, teaching effectiveness, organizational leadership, extension…

Quantitative and Qualitative Processes of Change during Staff-Coaching Sessions: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Oorsouw, Wietske M. W. J.; Embregts, Petri J. C. M.; Bosman, Anna M. T.

2013-01-01

Staff training is one of the interventions that managers can embed in their organizations to help staff improve their professional competences related to challenging behaviour of clients with intellectual disabilities. Individual coaching adds learning opportunities that are feasible but difficult to achieve in an in-service setting. In the…

Methods of learning in statistical education: Design and analysis of a randomized trial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Felicity Turner

Background. Recent psychological and technological advances suggest that active learning may enhance understanding and retention of statistical principles. A randomized trial was designed to evaluate the addition of innovative instructional methods within didactic biostatistics courses for public health professionals. Aims. The primary objectives were to evaluate and compare the addition of two active learning methods (cooperative and internet) on students' performance; assess their impact on performance after adjusting for differences in students' learning style; and examine the influence of learning style on trial participation. Methods. Consenting students enrolled in a graduate introductory biostatistics course were randomized to cooperative learning, internet learning, or control after completing a pretest survey. The cooperative learning group participated in eight small group active learning sessions on key statistical concepts, while the internet learning group accessed interactive mini-applications on the same concepts. Controls received no intervention. Students completed evaluations after each session and a post-test survey. Study outcome was performance quantified by examination scores. Intervention effects were analyzed by generalized linear models using intent-to-treat analysis and marginal structural models accounting for reported participation. Results. Of 376 enrolled students, 265 (70%) consented to randomization; 69, 100, and 96 students were randomized to the cooperative, internet, and control groups, respectively. Intent-to-treat analysis showed no differences between study groups; however, 51% of students in the intervention groups had dropped out after the second session. After accounting for reported participation, expected examination scores were 2.6 points higher (of 100 points) after completing one cooperative learning session (95% CI: 0.3, 4.9) and 2.4 points higher after one internet learning session (95% CI: 0.0, 4.7), versus nonparticipants or controls, adjusting for other performance predictors. Students who preferred learning by reflective observation and active experimentation experienced improved performance through internet learning (5.9 points, 95% CI: 1.2, 10.6) and cooperative learning (2.9 points, 95% CI: 0.6, 5.2), respectively. Learning style did not influence study participation. Conclusions. No performance differences by group were observed by intent-to-treat analysis. Participation in active learning appears to improve student performance in an introductory biostatistics course and provides opportunities for enhancing understanding beyond that attained in traditional didactic classrooms.

Findings from a Clinical Learning Needs Survey at Ireland's first children's hospice.

PubMed

Quinn, Claire; Hillis, Rowan

2015-12-01

Caring for children with life-limiting conditions places exceptional demands on health professionals. Staff require the optimal skills and expertise necessary to provide the highest quality of care and to achieve this it is essential to understand their learning requirements. The aim is to share the main findings from a Clinical Learning Needs Survey conducted at LauraLynn, currently Ireland's only children's hospice. To date no other Irish service has conducted a formal identification of professional learning and development needs specific to the Irish context. The findings from the study assist workforce planning by providing a glimpse into the immediate study needs of staff working in a children's palliative care setting. The study had two main aims: a) Assist clinical staff within one organisation to identify their own professional learning priorities in children's palliative care and b) Inform the design and delivery of a responsive suite of workshops, programmes and study sessions for children's palliative care. The study identified the key learning needs as end-of-life care, palliative emergencies, communication skill development and bereavement support. These findings are similar to those found internationally and demonstrate the commitment of a new organisation to ensure that specific employee learning requirements are met if the organisation and wider specialty of Irish children's palliative care is to continue its evolution.

'Just wait then and see what he does': a speech act analysis of healthcare professionals' interaction coaching with parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

McKnight, Lindsay M; O'Malley-Keighran, Mary-Pat; Carroll, Clare

2016-11-01

There is evidence indicating that parent training programmes including interaction coaching of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can increase parental responsiveness, promote language development and social interaction skills in children with ASD. However, there is a lack of research exploring precisely how healthcare professionals use language in interaction coaching. To identify the speech acts of healthcare professionals during individual video-recorded interaction coaching sessions of a Hanen-influenced parent training programme with parents of children with ASD. This retrospective study used speech act analysis. Healthcare professional participants included two speech-language therapists and one occupational therapist. Sixteen videos were transcribed and a speech act analysis was conducted to identify the form and functions of the language used by the healthcare professionals. Descriptive statistics provided frequencies and percentages for the different speech acts used across the 16 videos. Six types of speech acts used by the healthcare professionals during coaching sessions were identified. These speech acts were, in order of frequency: Instructing, Modelling, Suggesting, Commanding, Commending and Affirming. The healthcare professionals were found to tailor their interaction coaching to the learning needs of the parents. A pattern was observed in which more direct speech acts were used in instances where indirect speech acts did not achieve the intended response. The study provides an insight into the nature of interaction coaching provided by healthcare professionals during a parent training programme. It identifies the types of language used during interaction coaching. It also highlights additional important aspects of interaction coaching such as the ability of healthcare professionals to adjust the directness of the coaching in order to achieve the intended parental response to the child's interaction. The findings may be used to increase the awareness of healthcare professionals about the types of speech acts used during interaction coaching as well as the manner in which coaching sessions are conducted. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Stereotyping at the undergraduate level revealed during interprofessional learning between future doctors and biomedical scientists.

PubMed

Lewitt, Moira S; Ehrenborg, Ewa; Scheja, Max; Brauner, Annelie

2010-01-01

Interprofessional education (IPE) involving undergraduate health professionals is expected to promote collaboration in their later careers. The role of IPE between doctors and biomedical scientists has not been explored at the undergraduate level. Our aim was to introduce IPE sessions for medical and biomedical students in order to identify the benefits and barriers to these groups learning together. Medical and biomedical students together discussed laboratory results, relevant literature, and ideas for developing new diagnostic tools. The programme was evaluated with questionnaires and interviews. While there was general support for the idea of IPE, medical and biomedical students responded differently. Biomedical students were more critical, wanted more explicit learning objectives and felt that their professional role was often misunderstood. The medical students were more enthusiastic but regarded the way the biomedical students communicated concerns about their perceived role as a barrier to effective interprofessional learning. We conclude that stereotyping, which can impede effective collaborations between doctors and biomedical scientists, is already present at the undergraduate level and may be a barrier to IPE. Effective learning opportunities should be supported at the curriculum level and be designed to specifically enable a broad appreciation of each other's future professional roles.

`Risky fun' or `Authentic science'? How teachers' beliefs influence their practice during a professional development programme on outdoor learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glackin, Melissa

2016-02-01

Teaching outdoors has been established as an important pedagogical strategy; however, science classes rarely take place outside. Previous research has identified characteristics of teachers who have integrated out-of-classroom opportunities into their teaching repertoire; yet little is understood as to why teachers make these different pedagogical decisions. This paper explores the relationship between secondary science teachers' beliefs and their pedagogical practice during a two-year professional development programme associated with the 'Thinking Beyond the Classroom' project. Using data from lesson observations, interviews, session questionnaires and field notes, six teacher case studies were developed from participants completing the programme. Data analysis reveals that teachers who successfully taught outside generally held social constructivist beliefs about learning and valued 'authentic' science opportunities. Conversely, teachers who were less successful in teaching outside generally held traditional learning beliefs and simply valued the outdoors for the novelty and potential for fun. All the case study teachers were concerned about managing student learning outside, and for the majority, their concerns influenced their subsequent pedagogical practice. The findings are discussed in detail, as are the implications for pre-service and in-service professional development programmes related to outdoor science learning.

Experience of developing and implementing a motivation induction course for konyang university medical college freshmen.

PubMed

Na, Beag Ju; Lee, Keumho; Kim, Kunil; Song, Daun; Hur, Yera

2012-06-01

This study aimed to develop a new course for Konyang University College of Medicine freshmen to motivate them with regard to their vision and medical professionalism and experience various learning methods of medical education. The course was developed by 4 faculty members through several intensive meetings throughout the winter of 2010. A 4-credit course was designed for 61 freshmen of Konyang University College of Medicine to provide structured guidance and an introduction to their medical education and increase their motivation with regard to their studies and school life. The course lasted for 4 weeks (February 28 to March 25), and every session of the program was evaluated by the students. The 'motivation induction course' consisted of the following sessions: university-wide: 'leadership camp' and 'special lectures for future vision;' college-wide: 'major immersion session,' 'Enneagram workshop,' 'STRONG workshop,' 'medical professionalism,' and 'team-based learning.' The group results were presented in a poster and by oral presentation and were awarded prizes for the best performance. Special features included: group discussion session on medical ethics, which used scenarios that were developed by a medical humanity course committee and visiting all departments and mentors of the medical college to fulfill their curiosity of their future major or workplace. Overall, the course was evaluated as satisfactory (M=4.22, SD=0.81). Although there was some dissatisfaction, the overall experience of the "motivation induction course" was a success. The course will continue to be valuable for freshmen in adapting to medical school and its culture and in defining one's view of a good doctor.

Role-play as an educational tool in medication communication skills: Students' perspectives.

PubMed

Lavanya, S H; Kalpana, L; Veena, R M; Bharath Kumar, V D

2016-10-01

Medication communication skills are vital aspects of patient care that may influence treatment outcomes. However, traditional pharmacology curriculum deals with imparting factual information, with little emphasis on patient communication. The current study aims to explore students' perceptions of role-play as an educational tool in acquiring communication skills and to ascertain the need of role-play for their future clinical practice. This questionnaire-based study was done in 2 nd professional MBBS students. A consolidated concept of six training cases, focusing on major communication issues related to medication prescription in pharmacology, were developed for peer-role-play sessions for 2 nd professional MBBS ( n = 122) students. Structured scripts with specific emphasis on prescription medication communication and checklists for feedback were developed. Prevalidated questionnaires measured the quantitative aspects of role-plays in relation to their relevance as teaching-learning tool, perceived benefits of sessions, and their importance for future use. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The role-play concept was well appreciated and considered an effective means for acquiring medication communication skills. The structured feedback by peers and faculty was well received by many. Over 90% of the students reported immense confidence in communicating therapy details, namely, drug name, purpose, mechanism, dosing details, and precautions. Majority reported a better retention of pharmacology concepts and preferred more such sessions. Most students consider peer-role-play as an indispensable tool to acquire effective communication skills regarding drug therapy. By virtue of providing experiential learning opportunities and its feasibility of implementation, role-play sessions justify inclusion in undergraduate medical curricula.

Case-based Learning in Microbiology: Observations from a North West Indian Medical College.

PubMed

Singhal, Anita

2017-12-01

Microbiology is usually taught by conventional lectures, and its retention and application is observed to be poor among medical graduates/practitioners. Introduction of case-based learning (CBL) in microbiology for second-year professional MBBS students. Students were divided into two groups of fifty each. Four clinical cases were used for CBL. One group had two CBL sessions whereas the other had didactic lectures (DLs) and then the groups were crossed over. Case scenario handouts were given to students a week before the session, and smaller groups were formed for discussions and presentations in CBL sessions. Posttest, in multiple choice questions format, was conducted in two phases: First, immediately after the completion of the four CBL and DL sessions, and second, 6 weeks after the first posttest. Student and faculty feedback was taken about CBL sessions. Hundred MBBS students of the fourth semester voluntarily participated in the CBL study. The CBL scores were significantly higher than DL session scores ( P = 0.015). This difference was more marked in scoring done after 6 weeks of session completion ( P < 0.001). Student reported satisfaction in being taught by CBL method in 5-point Likert scale feedback form. Faculty feedback was positive for CBL. CBL helped in retention of knowledge and its application better than DL in our observation. More sessions on commonly encountered case scenarios will be useful for students in recalling basic science knowledge in their later years as practitioners.

Learning through vulnerability: a mentor-mentee experience.

PubMed

Jones, Kohar; Reis, Shmuel

2010-01-01

The following essay, drawn from the journals and work notebook of a family medicine resident and a visiting clinical mentor, chronicles their work together in an Advanced Clinical Mentoring program. This program included afternoons of direct clinical observation immediately followed by feedback sessions. In addition to addressing specific professional issues, such as time management, limiting patient encounters, agenda matching, and the One-Minute Preceptor model, the authors developed personally as they opened themselves to learning and growing as a clinician and a teacher.

Professional development that works: Impacting elementary science teachers' learning and practice during the implementation of an inquiry-oriented science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlang, Jodi A.

One of the most important factors for developing science literacy for all students is teacher knowledge of science content and pedagogy. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of professional development on teacher learning, changes in teacher behavior, and student learning. The goal was to develop a deeper understanding of how the Elementary Science Teaching and Learning (ESTL) program affected teacher learning and changed teacher behavior in the classroom. This study also provided insight into the effect of the ESTL program on student learning during the first year of the professional development. This mixed method case study was used to examine the link between participation in the ESTL program, teacher learning, changes in teacher classroom behavior, and student learning. Qualitative observations and videotaped sessions provided rich description of the professional development and implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies in participant's classrooms. Artifacts and interviews provided evidence of teacher learning and changes in teacher behaviors. Quantitative data included self-report survey data examining changes in teacher behavior and the measurement of student learning used both science district assessment scores and CSAP writing scores. Key findings include: (1) teacher learning was reported in the areas of questioning and scope and sequence of the curriculum occurred; (2) statistically significant changes teacher behavior were reported and were noted in teacher interviews; (3) participation in the ESTL program did not positively impact student learning; (4) unanticipated findings include the role of camaraderie in professional development and the role of additional training in teacher's confidence in both their own teaching and in helping others; and, (5) teacher's perceptions identified the role of inquiry-based science curriculum as providing the rich experiences necessary for improved student writing. Overall participation in the ESTL program increased the implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies and it strengthened teacher inquiry-based science teaching in the classroom even though no increases were found in student test scores.

Edcamp: Teachers Take Back Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Kristen

2014-01-01

On an unseasonably cool morning in May 2010, scores of educators arrived in a room in Philadelphia. As the group mingled and chatted over coffee, individuals jotted down ideas for learning sessions and pinned them up on a big sheet of paper. The first EdCamp had begun. EdCamps are free, participatory events organized by educators for educators.…

Parent Partnerships Project for Children's Mental Health Training for Professionals. PHP-c87

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PACER Center, 2004

2004-01-01

In the fall of 2003, PACER Center's Parent Partnership Project for Children's Mental Health conducted a survey to better understand what parents and families need from the children?s mental health system in Minnesota. The research team developed a survey questionnaire, a telephone interview, and a focus group session directed at learning what was…

Planning and Enacting Mathematical Tasks of High Cognitive Demand in the Primary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgius, Kelly

2013-01-01

This study offers an examination of two primary-grades teachers as they learn to transfer knowledge from professional development into their classrooms. I engaged in planning sessions with each teacher to help plan tasks of high cognitive demand, including anticipating and planning for classroom discourse that would occur around the task. A…

Putting the Pieces Together. Proceedings of the PEPNet 2008 Biennial Conference (Columbus, Ohio, April 15-18, 2008)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PEPNet 2, 2008

2008-01-01

"Putting the Pieces Together" provided a distinctive opportunity for professionals to interact with their colleagues to learn more about effective practices and strategies for meeting the needs of deaf or hard of hearing students at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Conference participants engaged is sessions that focused on…

76 FR 38374 - Applications for New Awards; Literacy Information and Communication System Regional Professional...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-30

... members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin... than two five-day AEPD sessions using Learning to Achieve \\10\\ for a minimum of 40 adult educators from... outcomes for years two and three of the project period. (d) A description of how progress on each project...

Bridging theory and practice: Mixed methods approach to instruction of law and ethics within the pharmaceutical sciences.

PubMed

Wilby, Kyle John; Nasr, Ziad Ghantous

2016-11-01

Background: Professional responsibilities are guided by laws and ethics that must be introduced and mastered within pharmaceutical sciences training. Instructional design to teaching typically introduces concepts in a traditional didactic approach and requires student memorization prior to application within practice settings. Additionally, many centers rely on best practices from abroad, due to lack of locally published laws and guidance documents. Objectives: The aim of this paper was to summarize and critically evaluate a professional skills laboratory designed to enhance learning through diversity in instructional methods relating to pharmacy law and best practices regarding narcotics, controlled medications, and benzodiazepines. Setting: This study took place within the Professional Skills Laboratory at the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University. Method: A total of 25 students participated in a redesigned laboratory session administered by a faculty member, clinical lecturer, teaching assistant, and a professional skills laboratory technician. The laboratory consisted of eight independent stations that students rotated during the 3-h session. Stations were highly interactive in nature and were designed using non-traditional approaches such as charades, role-plays, and reflective drawings. All stations attempted to have students relate learned concepts to practice within Qatar. Main outcome measures: Student perceptions of the laboratory were measured on a post-questionnaire and were summarized descriptively. Using reflection and consensus techniques, two faculty members completed a SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) analysis in preparation for future cycles. Results: 100% (25/25) of students somewhat or strongly agreed that their knowledge regarding laws and best practices increased and that their learning experience was enhanced by a mixed-methods approach. A total of 96% (24/25) of students stated that the mixed-methods instructional approach should be continued in the future. The SWOC analysis identified the mixed methods approach and student feedback as strengths and opportunities, while resource shortages and lack of impact assessment were identified as weaknesses and challenges. Conclusion: Creative redesign of instructional methods pertaining to law and best practices was effective to achieve positive student perceptions regarding instructional methods and learning. Future cycles should include rigorous assessment methods to evaluate impact on student learning and practice.

Improving health care professionals' feedback on communication skills: development of an on-line resource.

PubMed

Harrison, Gill; Hayden, Sheila; Cook, Viv; Cushing, Annie

2012-09-01

This project aimed to develop an open-access on-line resource to assist health care professionals in providing effective feedback on patient-centered clinical and communication skills. The collaborative nature of the development of this learning resource is outlined and evaluation of its use is discussed. An inter-professional team of teaching staff from two London Universities employed a researcher to interview experienced clinical and academic health care professionals and gather examples of difficult feedback situations. Material was used to develop short video clips illustrating some common challenges in giving feedback on clinical and communication skills. Initial evaluation following use of the scenarios in workshops was undertaken by means of a "talking wall" technique. Evaluation indicated that the resource enhanced the learning experience by providing realistic and challenging scenarios to focus discussion. Inter-professional working and piloting the use of the video scenarios in workshops enabled the improvement and refinement of an on-line staff development resource on feedback. The on-line resource is now available as an open access learning tool, with eight scenarios and guidelines for providing effective feedback in the academic or clinical setting. It can be used for self-study or as part of a group training session. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Learning-Oriented Computer Assisted Instruction Designed to Improve Skills in the Clinical Assessment of the Nutritional Status: A Pilot Evaluation

PubMed Central

García de Diego, Laura; Cuervo, Marta; Martínez, J. Alfredo

2015-01-01

Computer assisted instruction (CAI) is an effective tool for evaluating and training students and professionals. In this article we will present a learning-oriented CAI, which has been developed for students and health professionals to acquire and retain new knowledge through the practice. A two-phase pilot evaluation was conducted, involving 8 nutrition experts and 30 postgraduate students, respectively. In each training session, the software developed guides users in the integral evaluation of a patient’s nutritional status and helps them to implement actions. The program includes into the format clinical tools, which can be used to recognize possible patient’s needs, to improve the clinical reasoning and to develop professional skills. Among them are assessment questionnaires and evaluation criteria, cardiovascular risk charts, clinical guidelines and photographs of various diseases. This CAI is a complete software package easy to use and versatile, aimed at clinical specialists, medical staff, scientists, educators and clinical students, which can be used as a learning tool. This application constitutes an advanced method for students and health professionals to accomplish nutritional assessments combining theoretical and empirical issues, which can be implemented in their academic curriculum. PMID:25978456

Development of a learning-oriented computer assisted instruction designed to improve skills in the clinical assessment of the nutritional status: a pilot evaluation.

PubMed

García de Diego, Laura; Cuervo, Marta; Martínez, J Alfredo

2015-01-01

Computer assisted instruction (CAI) is an effective tool for evaluating and training students and professionals. In this article we will present a learning-oriented CAI, which has been developed for students and health professionals to acquire and retain new knowledge through the practice. A two-phase pilot evaluation was conducted, involving 8 nutrition experts and 30 postgraduate students, respectively. In each training session, the software developed guides users in the integral evaluation of a patient's nutritional status and helps them to implement actions. The program includes into the format clinical tools, which can be used to recognize possible patient's needs, to improve the clinical reasoning and to develop professional skills. Among them are assessment questionnaires and evaluation criteria, cardiovascular risk charts, clinical guidelines and photographs of various diseases. This CAI is a complete software package easy to use and versatile, aimed at clinical specialists, medical staff, scientists, educators and clinical students, which can be used as a learning tool. This application constitutes an advanced method for students and health professionals to accomplish nutritional assessments combining theoretical and empirical issues, which can be implemented in their academic curriculum.

The Use of Poster Sessions to Develop Professionalism, Domain Five of the Ecuadorian National English Teachers' Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales J., María V.; Morales J., María A.

2017-01-01

This study describes the presence of professional skills found in poster session proposals in order to consider the use of poster sessions for developing the skills required by the 2012 Ecuadorian Standards for English teachers, specifically related to the fifth domain professionalism. Thirteen poster session proposals for a national English…

Use of SMART Learning Objectives to Introduce Continuing Professional Development Into the Pharmacy Curriculum

PubMed Central

Khandoobhai, Anand; Leadon, Kim

2012-01-01

Objective. To determine whether a 2-year continuing professional development (CPD) training program improved first-year (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students’ ability to write SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timed) learning objectives. Design. First-year students completed live or online CPD training, including creating portfolios and writing SMART objectives prior to their summer introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). In year 2, P1 and P2 students were included. SMART learning objectives were graded and analyzed. Assessment. On several objectives, the 2011 P1 students (n = 130) scored higher than did the P2 cohort (n = 105). In 2011, P2 students outscored their own performance in 2010. In 2011, P1 students who had been trained in online modules performed the same as did live-session trainees with respect to SMART objectives. Conclusion. With focused online or live training, students are capable of incorporating principles of CPD by writing SMART learning objectives. PMID:22611277

Engaging Ocean Grads As Interdisciplinary Professional Problem Solvers: Why Preparing Our Future Ocean Leaders Means Inspiring Them to Look Beyond Their Academic Learning.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Good, L. H.; Erickson, A.

2016-02-01

Academic learning and research experiences alone cannot prepare our emerging ocean leaders to take on the challenges facing our oceans. Developing solutions that incorporate environmental and ocean sciences necessitates an interdisciplinary approach, requiring emerging leaders to be able to work in collaborative knowledge to action systems, rather than on micro-discipline islands. Professional and informal learning experiences can enhance graduate marine education by helping learners gain the communication, collaboration, and innovative problem-solving skills necessary for them to interact with peers at the interface of science and policy. These rich experiences can also provide case-based and hands-on opportunities for graduate learners to explore real-world examples of ocean science, policy, and management in action. However, academic programs are often limited in their capacity to offer such experiences as a part of a traditional curriculum. Rather than expecting learners to rely on their academic training, one approach is to encourage and support graduates to seek professional development beyond their university's walls, and think more holistically about their learning as it relates to their career interests. During this session we discuss current thinking around the professional learning needs of emerging ocean leaders, what this means for academic epistemologies, and examine initial evaluation outcomes from activities in our cross-campus consortium model in Monterey Bay, California. This innovative model includes seven regional academic institutions working together to develop an interdisciplinary ocean community and increase access to professional development opportunities to better prepare regional ocean-interested graduate students and early career researchers as future leaders.

Role-play as an educational tool in medication communication skills: Students’ perspectives

PubMed Central

Lavanya, S. H.; Kalpana, L.; Veena, R. M.; Bharath Kumar, V. D.

2016-01-01

Objectives: Medication communication skills are vital aspects of patient care that may influence treatment outcomes. However, traditional pharmacology curriculum deals with imparting factual information, with little emphasis on patient communication. The current study aims to explore students’ perceptions of role-play as an educational tool in acquiring communication skills and to ascertain the need of role-play for their future clinical practice. Materials and Methods: This questionnaire-based study was done in 2nd professional MBBS students. A consolidated concept of six training cases, focusing on major communication issues related to medication prescription in pharmacology, were developed for peer-role-play sessions for 2nd professional MBBS (n = 122) students. Structured scripts with specific emphasis on prescription medication communication and checklists for feedback were developed. Prevalidated questionnaires measured the quantitative aspects of role-plays in relation to their relevance as teaching–learning tool, perceived benefits of sessions, and their importance for future use. Statistical Analysis: Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. Results: The role-play concept was well appreciated and considered an effective means for acquiring medication communication skills. The structured feedback by peers and faculty was well received by many. Over 90% of the students reported immense confidence in communicating therapy details, namely, drug name, purpose, mechanism, dosing details, and precautions. Majority reported a better retention of pharmacology concepts and preferred more such sessions. Conclusions: Most students consider peer-role-play as an indispensable tool to acquire effective communication skills regarding drug therapy. By virtue of providing experiential learning opportunities and its feasibility of implementation, role-play sessions justify inclusion in undergraduate medical curricula. PMID:28031605

Puzzle based teaching versus traditional instruction in electrocardiogram interpretation for medical students – a pilot study

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, Jack; Dhoble, Abhijeet; Ferenchick, Gary

2009-01-01

Background Most medical professionals are expected to possess basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation skills. But, published data suggests that residents' and physicians' EKG interpretation skills are suboptimal. Learning styles differ among medical students; individualization of teaching methods has been shown to be viable and may result in improved learning. Puzzles have been shown to facilitate learning in a relaxed environment. The objective of this study was to assess efficacy of teaching puzzle in EKG interpretation skills among medical students. Methods This is a reader blinded crossover trial. Third year medical students from College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University participated in this study. Two groups (n = 9) received two traditional EKG interpretation skills lectures followed by a standardized exam and two extra sessions with the teaching puzzle and a different exam. Two other groups (n = 6) received identical courses and exams with the puzzle session first followed by the traditional teaching. EKG interpretation scores on final test were used as main outcome measure. Results The average score after only traditional teaching was 4.07 ± 2.08 while after only the puzzle session was 4.04 ± 2.36 (p = 0.97). The average improvement after the traditional session was followed up with a puzzle session was 2.53 ± 1.94 while the average improvement after the puzzle session was followed with the traditional session was 2.08 ± 1.73 (p = 0.67). The final EKG exam score for this cohort (n = 15) was 84.1 compared to 86.6 (p = 0.22) for a comparable sample of medical students (n = 15) at a different campus. Conclusion Teaching EKG interpretation with puzzles is comparable to traditional teaching and may be particularly useful for certain subgroups of students. Puzzle session are more interactive and relaxing, and warrant further investigations on larger scale. PMID:19144134

Social Media Impact: Utility of Reflective Approach in the Practice of Surgery.

PubMed

Mohiuddin, Zia; Shahid, Hassan; Shuaib, Waqas

2015-12-01

Social media is rapidly being incorporated into medical education. We created a small group, reflective practice sessions by integrating specific medical cases to improve awareness about professionalism on social media. Medical scenarios were generated for reflective practice sessions on social media professionalism. Anonymous pre/post-session surveys evaluated residents' use of social media and gathered their opinions on the session. Thirty-eight of 48 (79 %) residents replied to the presession survey with 50 % (19/38) reporting daily digital media use, 76 % (29/38) witnessed unprofessional postings on social media, and 21 % (8/38) posted unprofessional content themselves. Of the 79 % (30/38) residents who attended the session, 74 % (28/38) completed the post-session survey. Residents reported the session added to the longevity of their professional career 4.11, 95 % CI (3.89-4.36). As a result of the session, they were more conscious of using the social media more professionally 3.47, 95 % CI (2.88-3.96) and would be proactive in protecting patient privacy and confidentiality on social media sites 3.96, 95 % CI (3.50-4.37). In summary, reflective practice-based sessions regarding the impact of social media on professionalism in surgery was well favored by the residents. The majority agreed that it had important implications for the longevity of their professional career. Participants reported having an increased awareness to protect patient privacy and utilize social media more professionally.

Charge nurses as front-line leaders: development through transformative learning.

PubMed

Thomas, Patricia L

2012-02-01

Based on the results of a staff satisfaction survey, nurse leaders recognized that the role of charge nurse was a significant source of dissatisfaction. Little attention had been paid to how the charge nurse role was learned, and no organizational support was offered to develop nurses for this role. Collaborating with a nurse educator consultant, nurse managers developed and implemented a three-part educational program to reframe staff perceptions of the charge nurse role. Centered on principles of transformational learning, the program evaluation demonstrated that concerted efforts to improve staff satisfaction and effectiveness could be accomplished if staff were given new information and guided through focused discussion and reflection. Eighty-two percent of the attendees noted that they appreciated the time allocated for the sessions and acknowledged that this gave them an opportunity to examine their thoughts and feelings. Seventy-five percent said that they learned new words to describe and explain their experiences. After the sessions, staff described a new sense of professional pride and nurse managers observed greater confidence in nurses' decision making and assertive communication. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Cultural Respect Encompassing Simulation Training: Being Heard About Health Through Broadband

PubMed Central

Min-Yu Lau, Phyllis; Woodward-Kron, Robyn; Livesay, Karen; Elliott, Kristine; Nicholson, Patricia

2016-01-01

Background Cultural Respect Encompassing Simulation Training (CREST) is a learning program that uses simulation to provide health professional students and practitioners with strategies to communicate sensitively with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients. It consists of training modules with a cultural competency evaluation framework and CALD simulated patients to interact with trainees in immersive simulation scenarios. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of expanding the delivery of CREST to rural Australia using live video streaming; and to investigate the fidelity of cultural sensitivity – defined within the process of cultural competency which includes awareness, knowledge, skills, encounters and desire – of the streamed simulations. Design and Methods In this mixed-methods evaluative study, health professional trainees were recruited at three rural academic campuses and one rural hospital to pilot CREST sessions via live video streaming and simulation from the city campus in 2014. Cultural competency, teaching and learning evaluations were conducted. Results Forty-five participants rated 26 reliable items before and after each session and reported statistically significant improvement in 4 of 5 cultural competency domains, particularly in cultural skills (P<0.05). Qualitative data indicated an overall acknowledgement amongst participants of the importance of communication training and the quality of the simulation training provided remotely by CREST. Conclusions Cultural sensitivity education using live video-streaming and simulation can contribute to health professionals’ learning and is effective in improving cultural competency. CREST has the potential to be embedded within health professional curricula across Australian universities to address issues of health inequalities arising from a lack of cultural sensitivity training. Significance for public health There are significant health inequalities for migrant populations. They commonly have poorer access to health services and poorer health outcomes than the Australian-born population. The factors are multiple, complex and include language and cultural barriers. To address these disparities, culturally competent patient-centred care is increasingly recognised to be critical to improving care quality, patient satisfaction, patient compliance and patient outcomes. Yet there is a lack of quality in the teaching and learning of cultural competence in healthcare education curricula, particularly in rural settings where qualified trainers and resources can be limited. The Cultural Respect Encompassing Simulation Training (CREST) program offers opportunities to health professional students and practitioners to learn and develop communication skills with professionally trained culturally and linguistically diverse simulated patients who contribute their experiences and health perspectives. It has already been shown to contribute to health professionals' learning and is effective in improving cultural competency in urban settings. This study demonstrates that CREST when delivered via live video-streaming and simulation can achieve similar results in rural settings. PMID:27190975

Cinemedicine: Using movies to improve students' understanding of psychosocial aspects of medicine.

PubMed

Kadivar, Maliheh; Mafinejad, Mahboobeh Khabaz; Bazzaz, Javad Tavakkoly; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Jannat, Zeinab

2018-04-01

There are rising concerns about how to teach psychosocial aspects of medicine to students. The aim of the study was the use of "cinemedicine" as a tool and technique in teaching psychosocial aspects of medicine to medical students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). This was an educational study with quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Two hundred seventy medical students participated in this study. Nine sessions were held to teach psychosocial subjects in medicine using movies. Each session began with an initial explanation of the program objectives. After the show, medicine related points of the movie were discussed and analyzed by experts and students. In the end, questionnaires were distributed to assess the students' perceptions. The results of our study show that most of the students (84%) stated that teaching these subjects through movies was a nice event comparing to usual lectures. 56.5% of the students agreed with the application of points learned in the events in professional performance. The majority of the students (72.8%) agreed that participating in those events was useful for them as a physician and they would advise other students to attend to later sessions. Content analysis of the students' notes uncovered three categories of cinemedicine: "learning by observation", "creation of a supportive and tangible learning" and "motivation for learning". Cinemedicine provides the opportunity for medical students to learn psychosocial subjects related to medicine through observing and reflecting on movies.

Reflective practice as a tool to teach digital professionalism.

PubMed

Kung, Justin W; Eisenberg, Ronald L; Slanetz, Priscilla J

2012-11-01

Digital professionalism is increasingly being integrated into postgraduate medical education. We developed a small-group, reflective practice-based session incorporating radiology-specific cases to heighten residents' awareness about digital professionalism. Case-based, radiology-specific scenarios were created for a small-group, reflective practice-based session on digital professionalism. Anonymous pre- and postsession surveys evaluating residents' use of social media and their thoughts about the session were administered to the radiology residents. Twenty-five of 38 (66%) residents responded to the presession survey with 40% (10/25) reporting daily social media use; 50% (12/24) witnessing an unprofessional posting on Facebook; and 8% (2/25) posting something unprofessional themselves. Of the 21 residents who attended the session, 13 (62%) responded to the postsession survey. Residents reported that the session added to their understanding of professionalism 3.92, 95% CI (3.57-4.27). As a result of the session, residents stated that they were more aware of protecting patient privacy and confidentiality on social media sites 3.92, 95% CI (3.47-4.37), and would take a more active role in ensuring professional use of social media as it relates to patient care 4.00, 95% CI (3.66-4.34). Residents favorably viewed the reflective case-based session on digital professionalism as a means to be more aware of ways to avoid unprofessional interactions on the internet. Our results suggest that such reflective sessions are an effective method to educate residents on key concepts regarding digital professionalism. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I Used to Think... and Now I Think...: Twenty Leading Educators Reflect on the Work of School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elmore, Richard F., Ed.

2011-01-01

This book's title, "I Used to Think... And Now I Think...", is borrowed from an exercise often used at the end of teacher professional development sessions, in which participants write down how what they've learned has changed their thinking. The resulting essays model the ongoing process of reflection and growth among those deeply committed to…

Telepresence teacher professional development for physics and math constructs focused on US and Thai classrooms' TC-1 slinky seismometer networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livelybrooks, D.; Parris, B. A.; Cook, A.; Kant, M.; Wogan, N.; Zeryck, A.; Tulyatid, D.; Toomey, D. R.

2015-12-01

As part of the Broader Impacts of the Cascadia Initiative, a seismic study of the Cascadia margin, and the Magnetotelluric Observations of Cascadia using a Huge Array (MOCHA) collaboration we have developed school- and museum/library-based networks of TC-1 educational seismometers. The TC-1 is constructed such that its 'guts' are visible through an transparent acrylic outer cylinder, thus it is an excellent demonstration of how fundamental physics constructs can be leveraged to design and operate a vertical-channel seismometer capable of recording signals from large earthquakes world-wide. TC-1 (aka 'slinky seismometer') networks therefore serve as the application for projects-based learning (PBL) physics and data science instruction in Oregon and Thai classrooms. The TC-1 acts as a simple harmonic oscillator, employing electromagnetic induction of a moving magnet within a wire coil. Movement of the lower magnet within an electrically conductive pipe dampens motion such that P-, S- and Surface wave phases can be identified. Further, jAmaSeis software can be configured to simultaneously show live signals from three TC-1s and has tools necessary to pick phases for earthquake signals and, thus, locate earthquake epicenters. Leveraging a long-standing collaboration between the Royal Thai Distance Learning Foundation and the University of Oregon, we developed five, 2-hour, two-way teacher professional development sessions that were transmitted live to Thai K-12 teachers and others starting mid-August, 2015. As an example, one session emphasized hands-on activities to analyze the effect of spring stiffness, inertial mass and initial displacement on the resonance frequency of a simple oscillator. Another pedagogical goal was to elucidate how math is important to understanding the analysis of seismic data, for example, how cross-correlation is useful for distinguishing between genuine earthquake signals and, say, a truck rolling by a TC-1 station. UO graduate and undergraduate physics majors played critical roles in this outreach effort. We will report on: lessons learned around developing and staging international outreach sessions; how outreach development impacted UO students; and how this teacher professional development was received by our Thai colleagues.

Teachers' experiences of teaching in a blended learning environment.

PubMed

Jokinen, Pirkko; Mikkonen, Irma

2013-11-01

This paper considers teachers' experiences of teaching undergraduate nursing students in a blended learning environment. The basic idea of the study programme was to support students to reflect on theory and practice, and provide with access to expert and professional knowledge in real-life problem-solving and decision making. Learning was organised to support learning in and about work: students worked full-time and this provided excellent opportunities for learning both in practice, online and face-to-face sessions. The aim of the study was to describe teachers' experiences of planning and implementing teaching and learning in a blended-learning-based adult nursing programme. The research method was qualitative, and the data were collected by three focus group interviews, each with four to six participants. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that the blended learning environment constructed by the combination of face-to-face learning and learning in practice with technology-mediated learning creates challenges that must be taken into consideration when planning and implementing blended teaching and learning. However, it provides good opportunities to enhance students' learning in and about work. This is because such programmes support student motivation through the presence of "real-life" and their relevance to the students' own places of work. Nevertheless, teachers require knowledge of different pedagogical approaches; they need professional development support in redesigning teaching and learning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Professional and pre-professional pharmacy students' perceptions of team based learning (TBL) at a private research-intensive university.

PubMed

Miller, Danielle M; Khalil, Karen; Iskaros, Olivia; Van Amburgh, Jenny A

2017-07-01

Pharmacy students need to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as be a valuable team member. The use of team based learning (TBL) fosters effective team collaboration, enables continuous active and self-directed learning, and requires both individual and team accountability. The purpose was to evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions and experiences related to TBL in different years of the pharmacy curriculum. Two classes, Introduction to the Profession of Pharmacy (intro), a required course, and Self-Care/Non-Prescription Medications (self-care), an elective course, utilize the TBL approach. Students enrolled in both courses were recruited to complete a validated questionnaire during the last class. There was 100% participation; the majority of students, regardless of course, expressed positive attitudes towards TBL. Variations, relevance of TBL activities and the use of TBL as a learning strategy, between the required intro class and the elective self-care class were observed using a Mann-Whitney U test (p<0.05). Both cohorts of pharmacy students positively rated the TBL sessions in terms of learning effectiveness. It's important to consider the differences in professional development in these students and how this may impact their perceptions of TBL. TBL imparts more responsibility and accountability on the individual student allowing for the development of self-directed learners. Students, regardless of their year, found TBL to be an effective learning strategy. Third professional year (P3) pharmacy students further along in the curriculum are more accepting of TBL and are better able to appreciate the benefits of active and self-directed learning as well as working within a team. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulating a patient's fall as a means to improve routine communication: Joint training for nursing and fifth-year medical students.

PubMed

Flentje, Markus; Müßel, Thomas; Henzel, Bettina; Jantzen, Jan-Peter

2016-01-01

Physicians and nursing staff interact as a team on a daily basis in hospital settings. However, both educational paths offer few opportunities to establish contact with the other professional group. Neither professional group can practice its later role with the other group in a "safe" learning environment. Routine interprofessional collaboration is described as being in need of great improvement and carries with it the potential for conflict. To improve interprofessional communication and task management, a simulation-based emergency training session for nursing students and fifth-year medical students was developed at the KRH Klinikum Nordstadt in Hanover, Germany. As a pilot project, the course was held twice in the form of a one-day session with ten nursing and four medical students. Using the example of a patient's fall, course participants were able to observe and actively treat multiple simulated patients. Following each simulation the trainer conducted a comprehensive debriefing. The course was then evaluated using a questionnaire. The evaluation of the team training showed a high level of acceptance among the two participating professional groups. On a scale of 1 (hardly applicable) to 5 (strongly applicable), the course was given a 4 by both professional groups for its relevance to daily work. In the open-ended written responses praise was specifically given for the opportunity to learn how to switch perspectives as a result of the simulation exercises. A common emergency on the hospital ward offers a good opportunity to establish and practice interprofessional team skills. With the knowledge gained about communication and the ability to change viewpoints, participants are able to improve their team skills. Participants demonstrated a high degree of acceptance for the training program.

Developing skills for teaching: reflections on the lecture as a learning tool for the novice midwife educator.

PubMed

O'Malley, Deirdre; Fleming, Sandra

2012-09-01

This paper explored how I, as a novice midwife educator in a Higher Education Institution, utilised my reflections on the preparation, delivery and evaluation of a lecture to develop my teaching skills. My personal teaching and learning philosophy was informed by humanism. Reflecting on my teaching and learning philosophy, and the teaching and learning theories that guided the session, enabled me to identify aspects of my teaching that required further development. Similarly, the process permitted me to recognise positive aspects that I could take forward and build upon in my professional development as an educator. The key learning for me as a novice educator is outlined, with an emphasis placed on preparation and strategic question formulation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fostering professional formation in residency: development and evaluation of the "forum" seminar series.

PubMed

Nothnagle, Melissa; Reis, Shmuel; Goldman, Roberta E; Anandarajah, Gowri

2014-01-01

Residency training is a critical time for physicians' professional formation. However, few structured interventions exist to support residents in this transformative process of integrating personal and professional values, a process that is essential to physician identity formation and preservation of core values such as service and compassion. The authors created a seminar series, the "Forum," to support resident professional formation and address the hidden curriculum as part of a larger intervention to support self-directed learning skills such as goal setting and reflection. Ninety-minute sessions with senior residents and faculty held every other month include opportunities for individual reflection, small- and large-group discussion, and brief didactic components focused on skills such as teaching and leadership. The qualitative program evaluation included analyses of individual semistructured interviews with resident and faculty participants from 2008 to 2011 and of notes recorded by an observer during the 1st year's sessions. Residents appreciated the focus on relevant issues, presence of faculty, opportunities for reflection and interactivity, and inclusion of practical skills. Effects attributed to the Forum included gaining practical skills, feeling a deeper connection to one another and a sense of community, and recognizing progress in their own professional development and growth. Elements described in the literature as essential to professional formation, including encouraging reflection, use of narrative, role modeling, addressing the hidden curriculum, and fostering an authentic community, were recognized by participants as integral to the Forum's success. A group forum for reflection and discussion with peers and role models, tailored to local needs, offers an effective structure to foster professional formation in residency.

An exploratory study of the potential learning benefits for medical students in collaborative drawing: creativity, reflection and ‘critical looking’

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Building on a series of higher educational arts/medicine initiatives, an interdisciplinary drawing module themed on the human body was developed for both year 3 Craft students and year 3 Medicine degree students. This became the subject of a research project exploring how the collaborative approach to drawing adopted on this module impacted on the students’ learning. In this article, emphasis is given to issues thought to have most potential relevance to medical education. Methods Using an ethnographic research design, the methods adopted were: direct observation of all aspects of the module sessions, audio and video recordings and photographs of the sessions, the incorporation of a semi-structured discussion at the end of each session, and anonymous student questionnaires. Results A number of key themes emerged. The complex, phased and multi-sensory nature of the ‘critical looking’ skills developed through the drawing exercises was seen as of potential value in medical education, being proposed as analogous to processes involved in clinical examination and diagnosis. The experience of interdisciplinary collaborative drawing was significant to the students as a creative, participatory and responsive form of learning. The emphasis on the physical experience of drawing and the thematic use of the human body as drawing subject led to reflective discussions about bodily knowledge and understanding. There were indications that students had a meta-cognitive awareness of the learning shifts that had occurred and the sessions provoked constructive self-reflective explorations of pre-professional identity. Conclusions This preliminary study suggests, through the themes identified, that there may be potential learning outcomes for medical students in this model of interdisciplinary collaborative drawing of the human body. Further research is needed to explore their applicability and value to medical education. There is a need to explore in more depth the beliefs, motivations and learning styles of medical students opting for the module, the significance and weighting of different learning and teaching elements in the module and the impact of the learning on medical students in the immediate post-module phase. PMID:23773830

An exploratory study of the potential learning benefits for medical students in collaborative drawing: creativity, reflection and 'critical looking'.

PubMed

Lyon, Philippa; Letschka, Patrick; Ainsworth, Tom; Haq, Inam

2013-06-17

Building on a series of higher educational arts/medicine initiatives, an interdisciplinary drawing module themed on the human body was developed for both year 3 Craft students and year 3 Medicine degree students. This became the subject of a research project exploring how the collaborative approach to drawing adopted on this module impacted on the students' learning. In this article, emphasis is given to issues thought to have most potential relevance to medical education. Using an ethnographic research design, the methods adopted were: direct observation of all aspects of the module sessions, audio and video recordings and photographs of the sessions, the incorporation of a semi-structured discussion at the end of each session, and anonymous student questionnaires. A number of key themes emerged. The complex, phased and multi-sensory nature of the 'critical looking' skills developed through the drawing exercises was seen as of potential value in medical education, being proposed as analogous to processes involved in clinical examination and diagnosis. The experience of interdisciplinary collaborative drawing was significant to the students as a creative, participatory and responsive form of learning. The emphasis on the physical experience of drawing and the thematic use of the human body as drawing subject led to reflective discussions about bodily knowledge and understanding. There were indications that students had a meta-cognitive awareness of the learning shifts that had occurred and the sessions provoked constructive self-reflective explorations of pre-professional identity. This preliminary study suggests, through the themes identified, that there may be potential learning outcomes for medical students in this model of interdisciplinary collaborative drawing of the human body. Further research is needed to explore their applicability and value to medical education. There is a need to explore in more depth the beliefs, motivations and learning styles of medical students opting for the module, the significance and weighting of different learning and teaching elements in the module and the impact of the learning on medical students in the immediate post-module phase.

The Concept of a Single-sex Optional Discussion Session in Introductory Astronomy at a Publicly Funded University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shawl, S.

1996-12-01

The concept of single-sex education for science and mathematics has recently received renewed discussion in both the popular and professional literature. So important is the topic within higher education that the Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy sponsored a symposium called "Gender & The Higher Education Classroom: Maximizing the Learning Environment" in February 1996 (http://www.duke.edu/ jrd4/djgcnf96.htm). The concept is especially controversial in publicly supported educational institutions. The idea of offering an optional discussion session limited to a single sex in a university-level introductory astronomy course at a State-supported school was considered through discussions with a number of faculty and administrators, and through a questionnaire aimed at determining student attitudes toward the concept. The results of the student questionnaire will be presented. (While the questionnaire results will be seen to be in favor of such an optional discussion session, such sessions have not been offered.)

Obstetric ultrasound education for the developing world: A learning partnership with the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology

PubMed Central

Dubbins, P; Evans, JA

2015-01-01

The ultrasound techniques in pregnancy e-learning project is an online resource commissioned and supported by the Education Committee of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB). This currently consists of 10 e-learning sessions aimed at midwives and other health workers in developing countries where WFUMB has Educational Centres of Excellence, and in particular at those based mainly in rural communities at considerable distance from urban training centres. The project covers all of the basics of obstetric ultrasound such as fetal and maternal anatomy, ultrasound techniques, assessment in both early and late pregnancy, prediction of pregnancy complications and identification of common abnormalities that might interfere with delivery. The e-learning project complements a wider training programme which covers operator skills and machine controls, in order to minimise the time that the professional has to leave their rural, often poorly staffed, workplace to attend classroom-based courses in the city. Each session outlines often complex concepts using simple diagrams, interactive exercises and cine clips. Tips, tricks and best practice guidelines are provided in simple terms. PMID:27433236

Erosion of Digital Professionalism During Medical Students' Core Clinical Clerkships.

PubMed

Mostaghimi, Arash; Olszewski, Aleksandra E; Bell, Sigall K; Roberts, David H; Crotty, Bradley H

2017-05-03

The increased use of social media, cloud computing, and mobile devices has led to the emergence of guidelines and novel teaching efforts to guide students toward the appropriate use of technology. Despite this, violations of professional conduct are common. We sought to explore professional behaviors specific to appropriate use of technology by looking at changes in third-year medical students' attitudes and behaviors at the beginning and conclusion of their clinical clerkships. After formal teaching about digital professionalism, we administered a survey to medical students that described 35 technology-related behaviors and queried students about professionalism of the behavior (on a 5-point Likert scale), observation of others engaging in the behavior (yes or no), as well as personal participation in the behavior (yes or no). Students were resurveyed at the end of the academic year. Over the year, perceptions of what is considered acceptable behavior regarding privacy, data security, communications, and social media boundaries changed, despite formal teaching sessions to reinforce professional behavior. Furthermore, medical students who observed unprofessional behaviors were more likely to participate in such behaviors. Although technology is a useful tool to enhance teaching and learning, our results reflect an erosion of professionalism related to information security that occurred despite medical school and hospital-based teaching sessions to promote digital professionalism. True alteration of trainee behavior will require a cultural shift that includes continual education, better role models, and frequent reminders for faculty, house staff, students, and staff. ©Arash Mostaghimi, Aleksandra E Olszewski, Sigall K Bell, David H Roberts, Bradley H Crotty. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 03.05.2017.

Standing on the Precipice: Evaluating Final-Year Physiotherapy Students' Perspectives of Their Curriculum as Preparation for Primary Health Care Practice

PubMed Central

O'Donoghue, Grainne; Doody, Catherine; O'Neill, Geraldine; Barrett, Terry; Cusack, Tara

2016-01-01

Purpose: To explore final-year physiotherapy students' perceptions of primary health care practice to determine (1) aspects of their curriculum that support their learning, (2) deficiencies in their curriculum, and (3) areas that they believe should be changed to adequately equip them to make the transition from student to primary health care professional. Methods: Framework analysis methodology was used to analyze group opinion obtained using structured group feedback sessions. Sixty-eight final-year physiotherapy students from the four higher education institutions in Ireland participated. Results: The students identified several key areas that (1) supported their learning (exposure to evidence-based practice, opportunities to practise with problem-based learning, and interdisciplinary learning experiences); (2) were deficient (primary health care placements, additional active learning sessions, and further education and practice opportunities for communication and health promotion), and (3) required change (practice placements in primary health care, better curriculum organization to accommodate primary health care throughout the programme with the suggestion of a specific primary health care module). Conclusion: This study provides important insights into physiotherapy students' perceptions of primary health care. It also provides important indicators of the curriculum changes needed to increase graduates' confidence in their ability to take up employment in primary health care. PMID:27909366

Healthcare students' evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision - a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Pitkänen, Salla; Kääriäinen, Maria; Oikarainen, Ashlee; Tuomikoski, Anna-Maria; Elo, Satu; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Saarikoski, Mikko; Kärsämänoja, Taina; Mikkonen, Kristina

2018-03-01

The purpose of clinical placements and supervision is to promote the development of healthcare students´ professional skills. High-quality clinical learning environments and supervision were shown to have significant influence on healthcare students´ professional development. This study aimed to describe healthcare students` evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision, and to identify the factors that affect these. The study was performed as a cross-sectional study. The data (n = 1973) were gathered through an online survey using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale during the academic year 2015-2016 from all healthcare students (N = 2500) who completed their clinical placement at a certain university hospital in Finland. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. More than half of the healthcare students had a named supervisor and supervision was completed as planned. The students evaluated the clinical learning environment and supervision as 'good'. The students´ readiness to recommend the unit to other students and the frequency of separate private unscheduled sessions with the supervisor were the main factors that affect healthcare students` evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision. Individualized and goal-oriented supervision in which the student had a named supervisor and where supervision was completed as planned in a positive environment that supported learning had a significant impact on student's learning. The clinical learning environment and supervision support the development of future healthcare professionals' clinical competence. The supervisory relationship was shown to have a significant effect on the outcomes of students' experiences. We recommend the planning of educational programmes for supervisors of healthcare students for the enhancement of supervisors' pedagogical competencies in supervising students in the clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting academic excellence through leadership development at the University of Washington: the Teaching Scholars Program.

PubMed

Robins, Lynne; Ambrozy, Donna; Pinsky, Linda E

2006-11-01

The University of Washington Teaching Scholars Program (TSP) was established in 1995 to prepare faculty for local and national leadership and promote academic excellence by fostering a community of educational leaders to innovate, enliven, and enrich the environment for teaching and learning at the University of Washington (UW). Faculty in the Department of Medical Education and Biomedical Informatics designed and continue to implement the program. Qualified individuals from the UW Health Sciences Professional Schools and foreign scholars who are studying at the UW are eligible to apply for acceptance into the program. To date, 109 faculty and fellows have participated in the program, the majority of whom have been physicians. The program is committed to interprofessional education and seeks to diversify its participants. The curriculum is developed collaboratively with each cohort and comprises topics central to medical education and an emergent set of topics related to the specific interests and teaching responsibilities of the participating scholars. Core sessions cover the history of health professions education, learning theories, educational research methods, assessment, curriculum development, instructional methods, professionalism, and leadership. To graduate, scholars must complete a scholarly project in curriculum development, faculty development, or educational research; demonstrate progress towards construction of a teaching portfolio; and participate regularly and actively in program sessions. The TSP has developed and nurtured an active cadre of supportive colleagues who are transforming educational practice, elevating the status of teaching, and increasing the recognition of teachers. Graduates fill key teaching and leadership positions at the UW and in national and international professional organizations.

Service user preferences for diabetes education in remote and rural areas of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

PubMed

Hall, Jenny; Skinner, Fiona; Tilley, Phil; MacRury, Sandra

2018-03-01

Diabetes prevalence in Scotland is 5.3%, with type 2 diabetes accounting for 86.7% of all cases in the National Health Service Highlands health board area and 85.7% in the Western Isles. Structured education is a key component in the management of this chronic disease. However, current group session models are less feasible in lower-population non-urban environments due to distance, participant numbers and access to appropriately trained healthcare professionals. Group sessions may also be a less attractive option in small communities, where people tend to have close day-to-day personal contact. This study assesses the access and delivery preferences of remote and rural service users in the Highlands and Western Isles to structured diabetes education programs. The study used a mixed methods approach of focus groups and questionnaires with people with type 2 diabetes in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Both modes of participation were designed to explore perception of diabetes knowledge, diabetes education and use of technology. One-to-one delivery was the delivery method of choice; however, there was a preference for a digital approach over group education sessions. Service users expressed a strong desire to be able to learn at their own pace, when and where they wanted to, and with no requirement to travel. To address these requirements an online resource, providing access to both learning sessions and trusted sources of information, was the preferred mode of delivery. People with type 2 diabetes living in remote and rural areas of the Scottish Highlands and Islands who already use the internet are receptive to the use of digital technology for delivery of diabetes education and are interested in learning more about management of their condition through this medium. They believe that a technology approach will provide them with more control over the pace of learning, and where and when this learning can take place.

Using co-teaching as a means of facilitating interprofessional collaboration in health and social care.

PubMed

Crow, Jayne; Smith, Lesley

2003-02-01

In this paper we report the findings of a collaborative enquiry on our experience as tutors co-teaching interprofessional collaboration to a multidisciplinary group of undergraduates. We have different professional/academic backgrounds and the student group included health and social work professionals alongside a number of non-professionals. Our data included our perceptions of the co-teaching experience collected by means of our reflective diaries and reflective conversations during planning and after teaching sessions. We also collected data on student perceptions elicited by means of student evaluations and a student focus group discussion. The data illuminate the process of using co-teaching to role model shared learning and collaborative working within the classroom and highlight the importance of carefully planning co-teaching interaction, including the use of humour, tension, different knowledge bases and styles of debate. The deliberate use of the interactions made possible by coteaching enabled us to create an active learning environment that facilitated the teaching of collaboration. Drawing on our experience, we discuss the considerable potential of using co-teaching to role model collaborative working for multidisciplinary student groups.

Integration of evidence-based practice in bedside teaching paediatrics supported by e-learning.

PubMed

Potomkova, Jarmila; Mihal, Vladimir; Zapletalova, Jirina; Subova, Dana

2010-03-01

Bedside teaching with evidence-based practice elements, supported by e-learning activities, can play an important role in modern medical education. Teachers have to incorporate evidence from the medical literature to increase student motivation and interactivity. An integral part of the medical curricula at Palacky University Olomouc (Czech Republic) are real paediatric scenarios supplemented with a review of current literature to enhance evidence-based bedside teaching & learning. Searching for evidence is taught through librarian-guided interactive hands-on sessions and/or web-based tutorials followed by clinical case presentations and feedback. Innovated EBM paediatric clerkship demonstrated students' preferences towards web-based interactive bedside teaching & learning. In two academic years (2007/2008, 2008/2009), learning-focused feedback from 106 and 131 students, resp. was obtained about their attitudes towards evidence-based bedside teaching. The assessment included among others the overall level of instruction, quality of practical evidence-based training, teacher willingness and impact of instruction on increased interest in the specialty. There was some criticism about excessive workload. A parallel survey was carried out on the perceived values of different forms of information skills training (i.e. demonstration, online tutorials, and librarian-guided interactive search sessions) and post-training self-reported level of search skills. The new teaching/learning paediatric portfolio is a challenge for further activities, including effective knowledge translation, continuing medical & professional development of teachers, and didactic, clinically integrated teaching approaches.

76 FR 33305 - Medicare Program; Accelerated Development Sessions for Accountable Care Organizations-June 20, 21...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... as accelerated development sessions (ADSs) instead of accelerated development learning sessions... Sessions'' is corrected to read ``Accelerated Development Learning Sessions''. (2) In the SUMMARY, the... first of four accelerated development learning sessions (ADLSs) that will provide executives with the...

Use of Live Interactive Webcasting for an International Postgraduate Module in eHealth: Case Study Evaluation

PubMed Central

Maramba, Inocencio; Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Alexander, Tara

2009-01-01

Background Producing “traditional” e-learning can be time consuming, and in a topic such as eHealth, it may have a short shelf-life. Students sometimes report feeling isolated and lacking in motivation. Synchronous methods can play an important part in any blended approach to learning. Objective The aim was to develop, deliver, and evaluate an international postgraduate module in eHealth using live interactive webcasting. Methods We developed a hybrid solution for live interactive webcasting using a scan converter, mixer, and digitizer, and video server to embed a presenter-controlled talking head or copy of the presenter’s computer screen (normally a PowerPoint slide) in a student chat room. We recruited 16 students from six countries and ran weekly 2.5-hour live sessions for 10 weeks. The content included the use of computers by patients, patient access to records, different forms of e-learning for patients and professionals, research methods in eHealth, geographic information systems, and telehealth. All sessions were recorded—presentations as video files and the student interaction as text files. Students were sent an email questionnaire of mostly open questions seeking their views of this form of learning. Responses were collated and anonymized by a colleague who was not part of the teaching team. Results Sessions were generally very interactive, with most students participating actively in breakout or full-class discussions. In a typical 2.5-hour session, students posted about 50 messages each. Two students did not complete all sessions; one withdrew from the pressure of work after session 6, and one from illness after session 7. Fourteen of the 16 responded to the feedback questionnaire. Most students (12/14) found the module useful or very useful, and all would recommend the module to others. All liked the method of delivery, in particular the interactivity, the variety of students, and the “closeness” of the group. Most (11/14) felt “connected” with the other students on the course. Many students (11/14) had previous experience with asynchronous e-learning, two as teachers; 12/14 students suggested advantages of synchronous methods, mostly associated with the interaction and feedback from teachers and peers. Conclusions This model of synchronous e-learning based on interactive live webcasting was a successful method of delivering an international postgraduate module. Students found it engaging over a 10-week course. Although this is a small study, given that synchronous methods such as interactive webcasting are a much easier transition for lecturers used to face-to-face teaching than are asynchronous methods, they should be considered as part of the blend of e-learning methods. Further research and development is needed on interfaces and methods that are robust and accessible, on the most appropriate blend of synchronous and asynchronous work for different student groups, and on learning outcomes and effectiveness. PMID:19914901

Use of live interactive webcasting for an international postgraduate module in ehealth: case study evaluation.

PubMed

Jones, Ray B; Maramba, Inocencio; Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Alexander, Tara

2009-11-13

Producing "traditional" e-learning can be time consuming, and in a topic such as eHealth, it may have a short shelf-life. Students sometimes report feeling isolated and lacking in motivation. Synchronous methods can play an important part in any blended approach to learning. The aim was to develop, deliver, and evaluate an international postgraduate module in eHealth using live interactive webcasting. We developed a hybrid solution for live interactive webcasting using a scan converter, mixer, and digitizer, and video server to embed a presenter-controlled talking head or copy of the presenter's computer screen (normally a PowerPoint slide) in a student chat room. We recruited 16 students from six countries and ran weekly 2.5-hour live sessions for 10 weeks. The content included the use of computers by patients, patient access to records, different forms of e-learning for patients and professionals, research methods in eHealth, geographic information systems, and telehealth. All sessions were recorded-presentations as video files and the student interaction as text files. Students were sent an email questionnaire of mostly open questions seeking their views of this form of learning. Responses were collated and anonymized by a colleague who was not part of the teaching team. Sessions were generally very interactive, with most students participating actively in breakout or full-class discussions. In a typical 2.5-hour session, students posted about 50 messages each. Two students did not complete all sessions; one withdrew from the pressure of work after session 6, and one from illness after session 7. Fourteen of the 16 responded to the feedback questionnaire. Most students (12/14) found the module useful or very useful, and all would recommend the module to others. All liked the method of delivery, in particular the interactivity, the variety of students, and the "closeness" of the group. Most (11/14) felt "connected" with the other students on the course. Many students (11/14) had previous experience with asynchronous e-learning, two as teachers; 12/14 students suggested advantages of synchronous methods, mostly associated with the interaction and feedback from teachers and peers. This model of synchronous e-learning based on interactive live webcasting was a successful method of delivering an international postgraduate module. Students found it engaging over a 10-week course. Although this is a small study, given that synchronous methods such as interactive webcasting are a much easier transition for lecturers used to face-to-face teaching than are asynchronous methods, they should be considered as part of the blend of e-learning methods. Further research and development is needed on interfaces and methods that are robust and accessible, on the most appropriate blend of synchronous and asynchronous work for different student groups, and on learning outcomes and effectiveness.

Students' experiences of learning manual clinical skills through simulation.

PubMed

Johannesson, Eva; Silén, Charlotte; Kvist, Joanna; Hult, Håkan

2013-03-01

Learning manual skills is a fundamental part of health care education, and motor, sensory and cognitive learning processes are essential aspects of professional development. Simulator training has been shown to enhance factors that facilitate motor and cognitive learning. The present study aimed to investigate the students' experiences and thoughts about their learning through simulation skills training. The study was designed for an educational setting at a clinical skills centre. Ten third-year undergraduate nursing students performed urethral catheterisation, using the virtual reality simulator UrecathVision™, which has haptic properties. The students practised in pairs. Each session was videotaped and the video was used to stimulate recall in subsequent interviews. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis from interviews resulted in three themes: what the students learn, how the students learn, and the simulator's contribution to the students' learning. Students learned manual skills, how to perform the procedure, and professional behaviour. They learned by preparing, watching, practising and reflecting. The simulator contributed by providing opportunities for students to prepare for the skills training, to see anatomical structures, to feel resistance, and to become aware of their own performance ability. The findings show that the students related the task to previous experiences, used sensory information, tested themselves and practised techniques in a hands-on fashion, and reflected in and on action. The simulator was seen as a facilitator to learning the manual skills. The study design, with students working in pairs combined with video recording, was found to enhance opportunities for reflection.

Peer-led and professional-led group interventions for people with co-occurring disorders: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Pallaveshi, Luljeta; Balachandra, Krishna; Subramanian, Priya; Rudnick, Abraham

2014-05-01

This pilot study evaluated the experience of people with co-occurring disorders (mental illness and addiction) in relation to peer-led and professional-led group interventions. The study used a qualitative (phenomenological) approach to evaluate the experience of a convenience sample of 6 individuals with co-occurring disorders who participated in up to 8 sessions each of both peer-led and professional-led group interventions (with a similar rate of attendance in both groups). The semi-structured interview data were coded and thematically analyzed. We found 5 themes within and across the 2 interventions. In both groups, participants experienced a positive environment and personal growth, and learned, albeit different things. They were more comfortable in the peer-led group and acquired more knowledge and skills in the professional-led group. Offering both peer-led and professional-led group interventions to people with co-occurring disorders may be better than offering either alone.

Managing Ethical Difficulties in Healthcare: Communicating in Inter-professional Clinical Ethics Support Sessions.

PubMed

Grönlund, Catarina Fischer; Dahlqvist, Vera; Zingmark, Karin; Sandlund, Mikael; Söderberg, Anna

2016-12-01

Several studies show that healthcare professionals need to communicate inter-professionally in order to manage ethical difficulties. A model of clinical ethics support (CES) inspired by Habermas' theory of discourse ethics has been developed by our research group. In this version of CES sessions healthcare professionals meet inter-professionally to communicate and reflect on ethical difficulties in a cooperative manner with the aim of reaching communicative agreement or reflective consensus. In order to understand the course of action during CES, the aim of this study was to describe the communication of value conflicts during a series of inter-professional CES sessions. Ten audio- and video-recorded CES sessions were conducted over eight months and were analyzed by using the video analysis tool Transana and qualitative content analysis. The results showed that during the CES sessions the professionals as a group moved through the following five phases: a value conflict expressed as feelings of frustration, sharing disempowerment and helplessness, the revelation of the value conflict, enhancing realistic expectations, seeing opportunities to change the situation instead of obstacles. In the course of CES, the professionals moved from an individual interpretation of the situation to a common, new understanding and then to a change in approach. An open and permissive communication climate meant that the professionals dared to expose themselves, share their feelings, face their own emotions, and eventually arrive at a mutual shared reality. The value conflict was not only revealed but also resolved.

Promoting lexical learning in the speech and language therapy of children with cochlear implants.

PubMed

Ronkainen, Riitta; Laakso, Minna; Lonka, Eila; Tykkyläinen, Tuula

2017-01-01

This study examines lexical intervention sessions in speech and language therapy for children with cochlear implants (CIs). Particular focus is on the therapist's professional practices in doing the therapy. The participants in this study are three congenitally deaf children with CIs together with their speech and language therapist. The video recorded therapy sessions of these children are studied using conversation analysis. The analysis reveals the ways in which the speech and language therapist formulates her speaking turns to support the children's lexical learning in task interaction. The therapist's multimodal practices, for example linguistic and acoustic highlighting, focus both on the lexical meaning and the phonological form of the words. Using these means, the therapist expands the child's lexical networks, specifies and corrects the meaning of the target words, and models the correct phonological form of the words. The findings of this study are useful in providing information for clinicians and speech and language therapy students working with children who have CIs as well as for the children's parents.

Less is more: latent learning is maximized by shorter training sessions in auditory perceptual learning.

PubMed

Molloy, Katharine; Moore, David R; Sohoglu, Ediz; Amitay, Sygal

2012-01-01

The time course and outcome of perceptual learning can be affected by the length and distribution of practice, but the training regimen parameters that govern these effects have received little systematic study in the auditory domain. We asked whether there was a minimum requirement on the number of trials within a training session for learning to occur, whether there was a maximum limit beyond which additional trials became ineffective, and whether multiple training sessions provided benefit over a single session. We investigated the efficacy of different regimens that varied in the distribution of practice across training sessions and in the overall amount of practice received on a frequency discrimination task. While learning was relatively robust to variations in regimen, the group with the shortest training sessions (∼8 min) had significantly faster learning in early stages of training than groups with longer sessions. In later stages, the group with the longest training sessions (>1 hr) showed slower learning than the other groups, suggesting overtraining. Between-session improvements were inversely correlated with performance; they were largest at the start of training and reduced as training progressed. In a second experiment we found no additional longer-term improvement in performance, retention, or transfer of learning for a group that trained over 4 sessions (∼4 hr in total) relative to a group that trained for a single session (∼1 hr). However, the mechanisms of learning differed; the single-session group continued to improve in the days following cessation of training, whereas the multi-session group showed no further improvement once training had ceased. Shorter training sessions were advantageous because they allowed for more latent, between-session and post-training learning to emerge. These findings suggest that efficient regimens should use short training sessions, and optimized spacing between sessions.

Less Is More: Latent Learning Is Maximized by Shorter Training Sessions in Auditory Perceptual Learning

PubMed Central

Molloy, Katharine; Moore, David R.; Sohoglu, Ediz; Amitay, Sygal

2012-01-01

Background The time course and outcome of perceptual learning can be affected by the length and distribution of practice, but the training regimen parameters that govern these effects have received little systematic study in the auditory domain. We asked whether there was a minimum requirement on the number of trials within a training session for learning to occur, whether there was a maximum limit beyond which additional trials became ineffective, and whether multiple training sessions provided benefit over a single session. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated the efficacy of different regimens that varied in the distribution of practice across training sessions and in the overall amount of practice received on a frequency discrimination task. While learning was relatively robust to variations in regimen, the group with the shortest training sessions (∼8 min) had significantly faster learning in early stages of training than groups with longer sessions. In later stages, the group with the longest training sessions (>1 hr) showed slower learning than the other groups, suggesting overtraining. Between-session improvements were inversely correlated with performance; they were largest at the start of training and reduced as training progressed. In a second experiment we found no additional longer-term improvement in performance, retention, or transfer of learning for a group that trained over 4 sessions (∼4 hr in total) relative to a group that trained for a single session (∼1 hr). However, the mechanisms of learning differed; the single-session group continued to improve in the days following cessation of training, whereas the multi-session group showed no further improvement once training had ceased. Conclusions/Significance Shorter training sessions were advantageous because they allowed for more latent, between-session and post-training learning to emerge. These findings suggest that efficient regimens should use short training sessions, and optimized spacing between sessions. PMID:22606309

Case based learning: a method for better understanding of biochemistry in medical students.

PubMed

Nair, Sandhya Pillai; Shah, Trushna; Seth, Shruti; Pandit, Niraj; Shah, G V

2013-08-01

Health professionals need to develop analytic and diagnostic thinking skills and not just a mere accumulation of large amount of facts. Hence, Case Based Learning (CBL) has been used in the medical curriculum for this reason, so that the students are exposed to the real medical problems, which helps them in develop analysing abilities. This also helps them in interpreting and solving the problems and in the course of doing this, they develop interest. In addition to didactic lectures, CBL was used as a learning method. This study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, S.B.K.S.M.I and R.C, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth ,Piparia, Gujarat, India. A group of 100 students were selected and they were divided into two groups as the control group and the study group. A total of 50 students were introduced to case based learning, which formed the study group and 50 students who attended didactic lectures formed the control group. A very significant improvement (p<0.0001) was observed among the students after the CBL sessions and they were also motivated by these sessions. A 4 point Likert scale questionnaire which contained 8 questions was administered to the students, to know their perception on the usefulness of the CBL. 98% of the students reported that they found the CBL sessions to be an interesting method of gaining knowledge. 84% of them felt that they exposed them to an experience of logical application of the knowledge which was gained in cracking cases, which would be of great help in the future also. Case Based Learning (CBL) was used and it is effective in the medical curriculum for a better understanding of Biochemistry among the medical students.

Designing health care risk management on-line:meeting regulators' concerns for fixed-hour curriculum.

PubMed

Hyer, Kathryn; Taylor, Heidi H; Nanni, Kennith

2004-01-01

This paper describes the experience of creating a continuing professional education on-line risk management program that is designed to meet Florida's educational requirements for licensure as a risk manager in health-care settings and details the challenges faced when the in-class didactic program of 15 eight-hour sessions is reformatted as an on-line program. Structuring instructor/learner interactivity remains a challenge, especially if the program allows learner control and is a key feature in marketing the program. The article presents the dilemmas for state regulators as they work to determine if the on-line program meets legislative intent and statutory requirements because the learning platform does not have a clock function that accumulates time for each learner. While some details reflect the uniqueness of the 120-hour educational requirements for risk managers in Florida, the experience of the authors provides insight into the development of continuing professional education distance learning programs that are multidisciplinary and move primarily from a time-based format into a curriculum that uses time as only one dimension of the evaluation of learning.

Preparing K-8 Teachers to Conduct Inquiry Oriented Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. A.; Garik, P.; Nolan, M. D.; Winrich, C.; Derosa, D.; Duffy, A.; Jariwala, M.; Konjoian, B.

2010-12-01

The need for STEM professional development for K-8 teachers is well documented. Such professional development promises broad impact, but it must have a positive effect on teachers’ knowledge and skills: 1) a focus on content knowledge, 2) opportunities for active learning, and 3) coherence with other activities. However, sustained impact is only achieved through intensive professional development. In response to the need for science education courses for K-8 teachers, for the past three years, the School of Education and the Department of Physics have collaborated to offer K-8 teachers science content courses of extended duration (75 contact hours) that emphasize inquiry based learning and investigation. The School of Education graduate courses have consisted of five three-hour meetings during the months of May and June, and a two week intensive period in July when the participants come for six hours per day. The alignment of these courses with inquiry teaching was confirmed using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). Courses offered in this format have been: --Immersion in Green Energy (IGE) -alternative sources of energy and how electricity is generated (75 teachers over the last 3 years), --Immersion in Global Energy Distribution (IGED) -understanding global climate as an outcome of insolation, convection, and radiation (27 teachers over the last 2 years) The Immersion courses cover a spectrum for inquiry learning that begins with introduction to equipment and experiments through guided discovery and culminates with students taking responsibility for defining and completing their own investigative projects. As a specific example, we consider here the IGED course. For IGED, the first five sessions are devoted to content and learning to use experimental equipment such as digital data collection probes to measure temperature, CO2 and salinity. Content addressed during these sessions include the differentiation between conduction, convection, and radiation for thermal transport, specific heat, latent heat, thermal expansion, the nature of light, albedo, and properties of Earth’s orbit that contribute to Milankovitch cycles During the immersion session (9 to 4 for 10 days), participants operated in teams of two or three and selected their own investigations. For these investigations, the teams designed an experiment, and then conducted it. Project examples include: -Modeling an Urban Environment -The Effects of Abrupt Introduction of Carbon Dioxide -Impact of Greenhouse Gases -Mini-Ecosystems: City, Ocean Water, Sand, Rain Forest, Glacier Throughout the course, it is emphasized to the participants that the material that they are learning is meant for them as adults learners rather than as material to be used directly in their classroom. This is intended to liberate them from their role as teachers and to encourage them to think about the questions they have about what they are learning. Evaluation data was collected on content gains, understanding the nature of science, self assessment of their own teaching effectiveness, and changes in teachers pedagogical approach, using pre/post tests, surveys, interviews and group discussions.

Beyond the Biology: A Systematic Investigation of Noncontent Instructor Talk in an Introductory Biology Course

PubMed Central

Seidel, Shannon B.; Reggi, Amanda L.; Schinske, Jeffrey N.; Burrus, Laura W.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2015-01-01

Instructors create classroom environments that have the potential to impact learning by affecting student motivation, resistance, and self-efficacy. However, despite the critical importance of the learning environment in increasing conceptual understanding, little research has investigated what instructors say and do to create learning environments in college biology classrooms. We systematically investigated the language used by instructors that does not directly relate to course content and defined the construct of Instructor Talk. Transcripts were generated from a semester-long, cotaught introductory biology course (n = 270 students). Transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to identify emergent categories of Instructor Talk. The five emergent categories from analysis of more than 600 quotes were, in order of prevalence, 1) Building the Instructor/Student Relationship, 2) Establishing Classroom Culture, 3) Explaining Pedagogical Choices, 4) Sharing Personal Experiences, and 5) Unmasking Science. Instances of Instructor Talk were present in every class session analyzed and ranged from six to 68 quotes per session. The Instructor Talk framework is a novel research variable that could yield insights into instructor effectiveness, origins of student resistance, and methods for overcoming stereotype threat. Additionally, it holds promise in professional development settings to assist instructors in reflecting on the learning environments they create. PMID:26582237

Optimisation of simulated team training through the application of learning theories: a debate for a conceptual framework.

PubMed

Stocker, Martin; Burmester, Margarita; Allen, Meredith

2014-04-03

As a conceptual review, this paper will debate relevant learning theories to inform the development, design and delivery of an effective educational programme for simulated team training relevant to health professionals. Kolb's experiential learning theory is used as the main conceptual framework to define the sequence of activities. Dewey's theory of reflective thought and action, Jarvis modification of Kolb's learning cycle and Schön's reflection-on-action serve as a model to design scenarios for optimal concrete experience and debriefing for challenging participants' beliefs and habits. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and newer socio-cultural learning models outline that for efficient team training, it is mandatory to introduce the social-cultural context of a team. The ideal simulated team training programme needs a scenario for concrete experience, followed by a debriefing with a critical reflexive observation and abstract conceptualisation phase, and ending with a second scenario for active experimentation. Let them re-experiment to optimise the effect of a simulated training session. Challenge them to the edge: The scenario needs to challenge participants to generate failures and feelings of inadequacy to drive and motivate team members to critical reflect and learn. Not experience itself but the inadequacy and contradictions of habitual experience serve as basis for reflection. Facilitate critical reflection: Facilitators and group members must guide and motivate individual participants through the debriefing session, inciting and empowering learners to challenge their own beliefs and habits. To do this, learners need to feel psychological safe. Let the group talk and critical explore. Motivate with reality and context: Training with multidisciplinary team members, with different levels of expertise, acting in their usual environment (in-situ simulation) on physiological variables is mandatory to introduce cultural context and social conditions to the learning experience. Embedding in situ team training sessions into a teaching programme to enable repeated training and to assess regularly team performance is mandatory for a cultural change of sustained improvement of team performance and patient safety.

Profile of weekly training load in elite male professional basketball players.

PubMed

Manzi, Vincenzo; D'Ottavio, Stefano; Impellizzeri, Franco M; Chaouachi, Anis; Chamari, Karim; Castagna, Carlo

2010-05-01

The aim of this study was to examine the training load (TL) profile of professional elite level basketball players during the crucial parts of the competitive season (pre-play-off finals). Subjects were 8 full-time professional basketball players (age 28 +/- 3.6 years, height 199 +/-7.2 cm, body mass 102 +/- 11.5 kg, and body fat 10.4 +/- 1.5%) whose heart rate (HR) was recorded during each training session and their individual response to TL monitored using the session-rate of perceived exertion (RPE) method (200 training sessions). The association between the session-RPE method and training HR was used to assess the population validity of the session-RPE method. Significant relationships were observed between individual session-RPE and all individual HR-based TL (r values from 0.69 to 0.85; p < 0.001). Coaches spontaneously provided a tapering phase during the competitive weeks irrespective of the number of games played during it (i.e., 1 or 2 games). The individual weekly players' TL resulted in being not significantly different from each other (p > 0.05). Elite male professional basketball imposes great physiological and psychological stress on players through training sessions and official competitions (1-2 per week). Consequently, the importance of a practical and valid method to assess individual TL is warranted. In this research, we demonstrated that session-RPE may be considered as a viable method to asses TL without the use of more sophisticated tools (i.e., HR monitors). The session-RPE method enabled the detection of periodization patterns in weekly planning in elite professional basketball during the crucial part of the competitive season (1 vs. 2 weekly fixtures model).

Students' understanding of teamwork and professional roles after interprofessional simulation-a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Oxelmark, Lena; Nordahl Amorøe, Torben; Carlzon, Liisa; Rystedt, Hans

2017-01-01

This study explores how interprofessional simulation-based education (IPSE) can contribute to a change in students' understanding of teamwork and professional roles. A series of 1-day training sessions was arranged involving undergraduate nursing and medical students. Scenarios were designed for practicing teamwork principles and interprofessional communication skills by endorsing active participation by all team members. Four focus groups occurred 2-4 weeks after the training. Thematic analysis of the transcribed focus groups was applied, guided by questions on what changes in students' understanding of teamwork and professional roles were identified and how such changes had been achieved. The first question, aiming to identify changes in students' understanding of teamwork, resulted in three categories: realizing and embracing teamwork fundamentals, reconsidering professional roles, and achieving increased confidence. The second question, regarding how participation in IPSE could support the transformation of students' understanding of teamwork and of professional roles, embraced another three categories: feeling confident in the learning environment, embodying experiences, and obtaining an outside perspective. This study showed the potential of IPSE to transform students' understanding of others' professional roles and responsibilities. Students displayed extensive knowledge on fundamental teamwork principles and what these meant in the midst of participating in the scenarios. A critical prerequisite for the development of these new insights was to feel confident in the learning environment. The significance of how the environment was set up calls for further research on the design of IPSE in influencing role understanding and communicative skills in significant ways.

New models to support the professional education of health visitors: A qualitative study of the role of space and place in creating 'community of learning hubs'.

PubMed

Donetto, Sara; Malone, Mary; Sayer, Lynn; Robert, Glenn

2017-07-01

In response to a policy-driven workforce expansion in England new models of preparing health visitors for practice have been implemented. 'Community of Learning hubs' (COLHs) are one such model, involving different possible approaches to student support in clinical practice placements (for example, 'long arm mentoring' or 'action learning set' sessions). Such models present opportunities for studying the possible effects of spatiality on the learning experiences of students and newly qualified health visitors, and on team relationships more broadly. To explore a 'community of learning hub' model in health visitor education and reflect on the role of space and place in the learning experience and professional identity development of student health visitors. Qualitative research conducted during first year of implementation. Three 'community of learning hub' projects based in two NHS community Trusts in London during the period 2013-2015. Managers and leads (n=7), practice teachers and mentors (n=6) and newly qualified and student health visitors (n=16). Semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews analysed thematically. Participants had differing views as to what constituted a 'hub' in their projects. Two themes emerged around the spaces that shape the learning experience of student and newly qualified health visitors. Firstly, a generalised need for a 'quiet place' which allows pause for reflection but also for sharing experiences and relieving common anxieties. Secondly, the role of physical arrangements in open-plan spaces to promote access to support from more experienced practitioners. Attention to spatiality can shed light on important aspects of teaching and learning practices, and on the professional identities these practices shape and support. New configurations of time and space as part of educational initiatives can surface new insights into existing practices and learning models. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Problem-Based Learning as an Effective Learning Tool in Community Medicine: Initiative in a Private Medical College of a Developing Country.

PubMed

Joseph, Nitin; Rai, Sharada; Madi, Deepak; Bhat, Kamalakshi; Kotian, Shashidhar M; Kantharaju, Supriya

2016-01-01

Knowledge of community medicine is essential for health care professionals to function as efficient primary health care physicians. Medical students learning Community Medicine as a subject are expected to be competent in critical thinking and generic skills so as to analyze community health problems better. However, current teaching by didactic lectures fails to develop these essential skills. Problem-based learning (PBL) could be an effective strategy in this respect. This study was hence done to compare the academic performance of students who were taught Community Medicine by the PBL method with that of students taught by traditional methods, to assess the generic skills of students taught in a PBL environment and to assess the perception of students toward PBL methodology. This study was conducted among seventh-semester final-year medical students between June and November 2014. PBL was introduced to a randomly chosen group of students, and their performance in an assessment exam at the end of postings was compared with that of the remaining students. Generic skills and perception toward PBL were also assessed using standardized questionnaires. A total of 77 students took part in the brainstorming session of PBL. The correlation between self-assigned scores of the participants and those assigned by the tutor in the brainstorming session of PBL was significant (r = 0.266, P = 0.05). Out of 54 students who took part in the presentation session, almost all 53 (98.1%) had good perception toward PBL. Demotivational scores were found to be significantly higher among males (P = 0.024). The academic performance of students (P < 0.001) and success rates (P = 0.05) in the examination were higher among students who took part in PBL compared to controls. PBL helped improve knowledge of students in comparison to those exposed only to didactic lectures. As PBL enabled students to identify the gaps in their knowledge and enhanced their group functioning and generic skills, we recommend PBL sessions: They would help optimize the training in Community Medicine at medical schools. Good correlation of tutor and self-assessment scores of participants in the brainstorming session suggests that the role of tutors could be restricted to assessment in presentation sessions alone. Demotivation, which hinders group performance in PBL, needs to be corrected by counselling and timely feedback by the tutors.

Using existing programs as vehicles to disseminate knowledge, provide opportunities for scientists to assist educators, and to engage students in using real data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, S. C.; Wegner, K.; Branch, B. D.; Miller, B.; Schulze, D. G.

2013-12-01

Many national and statewide programs throughout the K-12 science education environment teach students about science in a hands-on format, including programs such as Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), Project Learning Tree (PLT), Project Wild, Project Wet, and Hoosier River Watch. Partnering with one or more of these well-known programs can provide many benefits to both the scientists involved in disseminating research and the K-12 educators. Scientists potentially benefit by broader dissemination of their research by providing content enrichment for educators. Educators benefit by gaining understanding in content, becoming more confident in teaching the concept, and increasing their enthusiasm in teaching the concepts addressed. This presentation will discuss an innovative framework for professional development that was implemented at Purdue University, Indiana in July 2013. The professional development incorporated GLOBE protocols with iPad app modules and interactive content sessions from faculty and professionals. By collaborating with the GLOBE program and scientists from various content areas, the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University successfully facilitated a content rich learning experience for educators. Such activity is promoted and supported by Purdue University Libraries where activities such as Purdue's GIS Day are efforts of making authentic learning sustainable in the State of Indiana and for national consideration. Using iPads to visualize soil transitions on a field trip. Testing Water quality in the field.

Ethics case reflection sessions: Enablers and barriers.

PubMed

Bartholdson, Cecilia; Molewijk, Bert; Lützén, Kim; Blomgren, Klas; Pergert, Pernilla

2018-03-01

In previous research on ethics case reflection (ECR) sessions about specific cases, healthcare professionals in childhood cancer care were clarifying their perspectives on the ethical issue to resolve their main concern of consolidating care. When perspectives were clarified, consequences in the team included 'increased understanding', 'group strengthening' and 'decision grounding'. Additional analysis of the data was needed on conditions that could contribute to the quality of ECR sessions. The aim of this study was to explore conditions for clarifying perspectives during ECR sessions. Data were collected from observations and interviews and the results emerged from an inductive analysis using grounded theory. Participants and research context: Six observations during ECR sessions and 10 interviews were performed with healthcare professionals working in childhood cancer care and advanced paediatric homecare. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by a regional ethical review board. Participants were informed about their voluntary involvement and that they could withdraw their participation without explaining why. Two categories emerged: organizational enablers and barriers and team-related enablers and barriers. Organizational enablers and barriers included the following sub-categories: the timing of the ECR session, the structure during the ECR session and the climate during the ECR session. Sub-categories to team-related enablers and barriers were identified as space for inter-professional perspectives, varying levels of ethical skills and space for the patient's and the family's perspectives. Space for inter-professional perspectives included the dominance of a particular perspective that can result from hierarchical positions. The medical perspective is relevant for understanding the child's situation but should not dominate the ethical reflection. Conditions for ECR sessions have been explored and the new knowledge can be used when training facilitators as well as for those who organize/implement ECR sessions. Awareness of space for different perspectives, including the possible medical advantage over the nursing perspective, could reduce the somewhat unilateral attention and contribute to an inter-professionally shared reflection.

A focus group study of chiropractic students following international service learning experiences

PubMed Central

Boysen, James C.; Salsbury, Stacie A.; Derby, Dustin; Lawrence, Dana J.

2016-01-01

Objective: One objective of chiropractic education is to cultivate clinical confidence in novice practitioners. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how participation in a short-term international service learning experience changed perceptions of clinical confidence in senior chiropractic students. Methods: Seventeen senior chiropractic students participated in 4 moderated focus group sessions within 4 months after a clinical educational opportunity held in international settings. Participants answered standard questions on how this educational experience may have changed their clinical confidence. Two investigators performed qualitative thematic analysis of the verbatim transcripts to identify core concepts and supporting themes. Results: The core concept was transformation from an unsure student to a confident doctor. The service learning experience allowed students to deliver chiropractic treatment to patients in a real-world setting, engage in frequent repetitions of technical skills, perform clinical decision-making and care coordination, and communicate with patients and other health professionals. Students described increased clinical confidence in 9 competency areas organized within 3 domains: (1) chiropractic competencies including observation, palpation, and manipulation; (2) clinical competencies including problem solving, clinic flow, and decision-making; and (3) communication competencies, including patient communication, interprofessional communication, and doctor–patient relationship. Students recommended that future service learning programs include debriefing sessions similar to the experience offered by these focus groups to enhance student learning. Conclusion: Senior chiropractic students who participated in an international service learning program gained confidence and valuable practical experience in integrating their chiropractic, clinical, and communication skills for their future practices. PMID:27258817

Teaching Medical Students About "The Conversation": An Interactive Value-Based Advance Care Planning Session.

PubMed

Lum, Hillary D; Dukes, Joanna; Church, Skotti; Abbott, Jean; Youngwerth, Jean M

2018-02-01

Advance care planning (ACP) promotes care consistent with patient wishes. Medical education should teach how to initiate value-based ACP conversations. To develop and evaluate an ACP educational session to teach medical students a value-based ACP process and to encourage students to take personal ACP action steps. Groups of third-year medical students participated in a 75-minute session using personal reflection and discussion framed by The Conversation Starter Kit. The Conversation Project is a free resource designed to help individuals and families express their wishes for end-of-life care. One hundred twenty-seven US third-year medical students participated in the session. Student evaluations immediately after the session and 1 month later via electronic survey. More than 90% of students positively evaluated the educational value of the session, including rating highly the opportunities to reflect on their own ACP and to use The Conversation Starter Kit. Many students (65%) reported prior ACP conversations. After the session, 73% reported plans to discuss ACP, 91% had thought about preferences for future medical care, and 39% had chosen a medical decision maker. Only a minority had completed an advance directive (14%) or talked with their health-care provider (1%). One month later, there was no evidence that the session increased students' actions regarding these same ACP action steps. A value-based ACP educational session using The Conversation Starter Kit successfully engaged medical students in learning about ACP conversations, both professionally and personally. This session may help students initiate conversations for themselves and their patients.

Clarifying perspectives: Ethics case reflection sessions in childhood cancer care.

PubMed

Bartholdson, Cecilia; Lützén, Kim; Blomgren, Klas; Pergert, Pernilla

2016-06-01

Childhood cancer care involves many ethical concerns. Deciding on treatment levels and providing care that infringes on the child's growing autonomy are known ethical concerns that involve the whole professional team around the child's care. The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare professionals' experiences of participating in ethics case reflection sessions in childhood cancer care. Data collection by observations, individual interviews, and individual encounters. Data analysis were conducted following grounded theory methodology. Healthcare professionals working at a publicly funded children's hospital in Sweden participated in ethics case reflection sessions in which ethical issues concerning clinical cases were reflected on. The children's and their parents' integrity was preserved through measures taken to protect patient identity during ethics case reflection sessions. The study was approved by a regional ethical review board. Consolidating care by clarifying perspectives emerged. Consolidating care entails striving for common care goals and creating a shared view of care and the ethical concern in the specific case. The inter-professional perspectives on the ethical aspects of care are clarified by the participants' articulated views on the case. Different approaches for deliberating ethics are used during the sessions including raising values and making sense, leading to unifying interactions. The findings indicate that ethical concerns could be eased by implementing ethics case reflection sessions. Conflicting perspectives can be turned into unifying interactions in the healthcare professional team with the common aim to achieve good pediatric care. Ethics case reflection sessions is valuable as it permits the discussion of values in healthcare-related issues in childhood cancer care. Clarifying perspectives, on the ethical concerns, enables healthcare professionals to reflect on the most reasonable and ethically defensible care for the child. A consolidated care approach would be valuable for both the child and the healthcare professionals because of the common care goals. © The Author(s) 2015.

Online Neonatal Training and Orientation Programme in India (ONTOP-IN)--the way forward for distance education in developing countries.

PubMed

Thukral, Anu; Sasi, Arun; Chawla, Deepak; Datta, Parul; Wahid, Sheeza; Rao, Suman; Kannan, Venkatnarayan; Veeragandam, Aruna; Murki, Srinivas; Deorari, Ashok K

2012-12-01

Internet-based distance learning combined with local hands-on skill enhancement can provide high-quality standardized education to in-service healthcare professionals in a wide geographical area. Primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of internet-based distance learning in conjunction with local hands-on skill enhancement in improving knowledge and skills of essential newborn care among in-service nursing health professionals. A total of 98 participants from seven health facilities in India and Maldives were enrolled in the study. Delivery of course material staggered over 5 weeks in the form of two lessons every week was moderated by two to three online tutors at each site. Participants managed actual case scenarios, participated in discussion forums and synchronous chat sessions within a closed group. Skill learning was administered by local tutor at the partnering health facilities. Knowledge and skill enhancement were evaluated by administering online multiple-choice questions (MCQs) test and on-site objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) stations before and after completion of the course. Participants' satisfaction was evaluated on a five-point Likert scale. Among 98 participants enrolled in the study, 78 (79%) completed the post-test assessment. There was significant increase in knowledge and skills scores (MCQ test: mean difference: 6.4 (95% CI: 5.6-7.17), OSCE: mean difference: 15.4 (95% CI: 12.7-18.1). All the participants expressed satisfaction with content and delivery of the learning module. To conclude, online training and teaching in essential newborn care is feasible and acceptable for in-service nursing professionals and serves as a useful tool for professional development of their practical skills and knowledge.

Relationships Between Internal and External Training Load in Team-Sport Athletes: Evidence for an Individualized Approach.

PubMed

Bartlett, Jonathan D; O'Connor, Fergus; Pitchford, Nathan; Torres-Ronda, Lorena; Robertson, Samuel J

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to quantify and predict relationships between rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and GPS training-load (TL) variables in professional Australian football (AF) players using group and individualized modeling approaches. TL data (GPS and RPE) for 41 professional AF players were obtained over a period of 27 wk. A total of 2711 training observations were analyzed with a total of 66 ± 13 sessions/player (range 39-89). Separate generalized estimating equations (GEEs) and artificial-neural-network analyses (ANNs) were conducted to determine the ability to predict RPE from TL variables (ie, session distance, high-speed running [HSR], HSR %, m/min) on a group and individual basis. Prediction error for the individualized ANN (root-mean-square error [RMSE] 1.24 ± 0.41) was lower than the group ANN (RMSE 1.42 ± 0.44), individualized GEE (RMSE 1.58 ± 0.41), and group GEE (RMSE 1.85 ± 0.49). Both the GEE and ANN models determined session distance as the most important predictor of RPE. Furthermore, importance plots generated from the ANN revealed session distance as most predictive of RPE in 36 of the 41 players, whereas HSR was predictive of RPE in just 3 players and m/min was predictive of RPE in just 2 players. This study demonstrates that machine learning approaches may outperform more traditional methodologies with respect to predicting athlete responses to TL. These approaches enable further individualization of load monitoring, leading to more accurate training prescription and evaluation.

Usability testing of a mobile robotic system for in-home telerehabilitation.

PubMed

Boissy, Patrick; Brière, Simon; Corriveau, Hélène; Grant, Andrew; Lauria, Michel; Michaud, François

2011-01-01

Mobile robots designed to enhance telepresence in the support of telehealth services are being considered for numerous applications. TELEROBOT is a teleoperated mobile robotic platform equipped with videoconferencingcapabilities and designed to be used in a home environment to. In this study, learnability of the system's teleoperation interface and controls was evaluated with ten rehabilitation professionals during four training sessions in a laboratory environment and in an unknown home environment while performing the execution of a standardized evaluation protocol typically used in home care. Results show that the novice teleoperators' performances on two of the four metrics used (number of command and total time) improved significantly across training sessions (ANOVAS, p<0.05) and that performance in these metrics in the last training session reflected teleoperation abilities seen in the unknown home environment during navigation tasks (r=0,77 and 0,60). With only 4 hours of training, rehabilitation professionals were able learn to teleoperate successfully TELEROBOT. However teleoperation performances remained significantly less efficient then those of an expert. Under the home task condition (navigating the home environment from one point to the other as fast as possible) this translated to completion time between 350 seconds (best performance) and 850 seconds (worse performance). Improvements in other usability aspects of the system will be needed to meet the requirements of in-home telerehabilitation.

Professional development for university scientists around issues of equity and diversity: Investigating dissent within community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchini, Julie A.; Hilton-Brown, Bryan A.; Breton, Therese D.

2002-10-01

We investigated the role of dissent in a community of university scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and social scientists engaged in a 2-year professional development project around issues of equity and diversity. Members of this teacher learning community explored issues related to gender and ethnicity in science education, and attempted to develop course materials and instructional strategies inclusive of students from underrepresented groups. We focused our attention on those professional development sessions (6 of the 19) devoted to a contentious yet integral topic in science education: the gendered and multicultural nature of science. We examined conversations initiated by a member's concerns to learn how dissent led (or failed to lead) to new insights into feminist science studies scholarship or to greater understanding of ways to address equity issues in undergraduate science education. We also explored how teacher learners' resulting views of feminist science studies scholarship informed (or failed to inform) changes in their own educational practices. From our qualitative analyses, we highlight the challenges in balancing respect for members' individual voices with collective progress toward project goals, and in structuring conversations initiated by dissent to provide adequate space for deliberation and movement toward deeper understanding of equity and excellence.

Patients with heart failure as co-designers of an educational website: implications for medical education

PubMed Central

Svanholm, Jette R.; Schjødt, Inge; Mølgaard Jensen, Karsten; Silén, Charlotte; Karlgren, Klas

2017-01-01

Objectives To identify the learning needs of patients with heart failure between outpatients follow-up visits from their perspective and to ascertain what they emphasize as being important in the design of an educational website for them. Methods We conducted a two-step qualitative study at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Twenty patients with heart failure participated either in focus group interviews, diary writing, or video-recorded design sessions. Data on learning needs were collected in step 1 and analyses, therefore, helped develop the preliminary prototypes of a website. In step 2, patients worked on the prototypes in video-recorded design sessions, employing a think-aloud method. The interviews were transcribed and a content analysis was performed on the text and video data. Results Patients’ learning needs were multifaceted, driven by anxiety, arising from, and often influenced by, such daily situations and contexts as the medical condition, medication, challenges in daily life, and where to get support and how to manage their self-care. They emphasized different ways of adapting the design to the patient group to enable interaction with peers and professionals and specific interface issues. Conclusions This study provided insights into the different learning needs of patients with heart failure, how managing daily situations is the starting point for these needs and how emotions play a part in patients’ learning. Moreover, it showed how patient co-designers proved to be useful for understanding how to design a website that supports patients’ learning: insights, which may become important in designing online learning tools for patients. PMID:28237976

Patients with heart failure as co-designers of an educational website: implications for medical education.

PubMed

Kristiansen, Anne Mette; Svanholm, Jette R; Schjødt, Inge; Mølgaard Jensen, Karsten; Silén, Charlotte; Karlgren, Klas

2017-02-25

To identify the learning needs of patients with heart failure between outpatients follow-up visits from their perspective and to ascertain what they emphasize as being important in the design of an educational website for them. We conducted a two-step qualitative study at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Twenty patients with heart failure participated either in focus group interviews, diary writing, or video-recorded design sessions. Data on learning needs were collected in step 1 and analyses, therefore, helped develop the preliminary prototypes of a website. In step 2, patients worked on the prototypes in video-recorded design sessions, employing a think-aloud method. The interviews were transcribed and a content analysis was performed on the text and video data. Patients' learning needs were multifaceted, driven by anxiety, arising from, and often influenced by, such daily situations and contexts as the medical condition, medication, challenges in daily life, and where to get support and how to manage their self-care. They emphasized different ways of adapting the design to the patient group to enable interaction with peers and professionals and specific interface issues. This study provided insights into the different learning needs of patients with heart failure, how managing daily situations is the starting point for these needs and how emotions play a part in patients' learning. Moreover, it showed how patient co-designers proved to be useful for understanding how to design a website that supports patients' learning: insights, which may become important in designing online learning tools for patients.

Language learning without control: the role of the PFC.

PubMed

Friederici, Angela D; Mueller, Jutta L; Sehm, Bernhard; Ragert, Patrick

2013-05-01

Learning takes place throughout lifetime but differs in infants and adults because of the development of the PFC, a brain region responsible for cognitive control. To test this hypothesis, adults were investigated in a language learning paradigm under inhibitory, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over PFC. The experiment included a learning session interspersed with test phases and a test-only session. The stimulus material required the learning of grammatical dependencies between two elements in a novel language. In a parallel design, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the left PFC, right PFC, or sham stimulation was applied during the learning session but not during the test-only session. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during both sessions. Whereas no ERP learning effects were observed during the learning session, different ERP learning effects as a function of prior stimulation type were found during the test-only session, although behavioral learning success was equal across conditions. With sham stimulation, the ERP learning effect was reflected in a centro-parietal N400-like negativity indicating lexical processes. Inhibitory stimulation over the left PFC, but not over the right PFC, led to a late positivity similar to that previously observed in prelinguistic infants indicating associative learning. The present data demonstrate that adults can learn with and without cognitive control using different learning mechanisms. In the presence of cognitive control, adult language learning is lexically guided, whereas it appears to be associative in nature when PFC control is downregulated.

Medical students learning the pelvic examination: comparison of outcome in terms of skills between a professional patient and a clinical patient model.

PubMed

Siwe, Karin; Wijma, Klaas; Stjernquist, Martin; Wijma, Barbro

2007-11-01

To compare two models of learning the pelvic examination (PE) for medical students, with professional patients (PP) or with clinical patients (CP), by measuring perceived distress and learning outcome in terms of skills. Prospective longitudinal study. Assessments of self-perceived distress on four occasions at the prospect of performing a PE. Evaluation of the learning session (LS) and clinical clerkship concerning outcome of palpation skills. During the LS, students in the PP model (PP students) received enough guidance from their coaches, were certain they had palpated the uterus and at least one ovary, and were less distressed afterwards compared with students who were instructed using the CP model (CP students). During the clinical clerkship, the PP students performed twice as many PEs as CP students did and had more often confirmed palpating the uterus and an ovary. PP students were more skilful in palpating the uterus and ovaries and performed more PEs during the clinical clerkship than did CP students. Engaging healthy and voluntary women as PPs takes time and effort. It is, however, worthwhile as it increases the confidence of students who perform PEs, makes them more competent, and ultimately improves their skills in performing the examination during their clinical clerkship.

WE-E-19A-01: Globalization of Medical Physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rehani, M; Meghzifene, A; Tsapaki, V

Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual AAPM meetings, representatives of AAPM and International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP) suggested to make this tradiational Symposium a permanent part of Annual AAPM meetings in future. Following the tradition, this session includes presentations of representatives of AAPM, IOMP, European Federation of Medical Physics (EFOMP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The speakers will cover various aspects of International collaboration such as educational, professional, and scientific issues, as well as help to developing countries. With further developments of medicine and technology and increasedmore » communication with our colleagues overseas, Medical Physics becomes more and more global profession. Use of the same technology, significant progress in medical physics research and developing practical regulations worldwide makes it increasingly useful to organize global collaboration of medical physicists. Several international organizations are tasked to promote such collaboration and provide help to developing countries. Not all AAPM members are fully aware of these international efforts. It is very useful for medical physicists to know about success of our profession in other countries. Different schools present different approaches to the same problem, which allows to find the best solution. By communicating with colleagues overseas, one can learn more than from just reading scientific publications. At this session the attendees will receive a glimpse of International Medical Physics activities. Learning Objectives: Understand the globalization of Medical Physics profession and advantages of collaboration with foreign colleagues. See what role AAPM is playing in establishing contacts with colleagues overseas. Understand the role of IOMP and main directions of its activity. Learn about IAEA and how it helps developing countries. Learn about activity of EFOMP and how can help the global development of Medical Physics. Find out about ICTP and its educational programs.« less

Mediating the gap between the white coat ceremony and the ethics and professionalism curriculum.

PubMed

Cohn, Felicia; Lie, Désirée

2002-11-01

Like many other medical schools, the University of California, Irvine annually conducts a White Coat ceremony in which incoming students take a professional oath of ethical conduct.(1) We report a new educational activity to connect the values expressed in the oath taken to the Ethics and Professionalism (EP) curriculum for first-year medical students(2) and its potential impact on physician training. Following the White Coat ceremony, students participated in the Patient Doctor Society course that integrates diverse curricular topics centered on physician-patient communication. During this course, the students were introduced to EP content through a collaborative peer exercise. With the assistance of background readings on professional values and ethics concepts, small groups of students were asked to construct their own codes of ethics. The process of working in a group became part of the learning. After developing a code of ethics, each group was asked to identify primary values embodied in its code; primary obligations to patients and their families, other members of the health care team, and the community; key factors influencing code development; and likely effects of the code on the conduct of medical students and physicians. The goals of the session were to recognize formally both individual values and the values to which students commit themselves during the White Coat ceremony, to facilitate understanding of those values, and to begin to reconcile differences between personal and professional values. The small groups convened to report their findings in a three-hour session. Common values expressed by the students included patient autonomy, respect, beneficence, and professionalism. The delivery of quality health care, communication, education, and the equitable distribution of health care were among the most often listed obligations. The students reported that culture, societal values, family, experience, religion, education, and assigned readings were the key sources of the values in their codes. Most of the students enjoyed and learned from the exercise, believing that a code of ethics will serve as a helpful educational guide while they are students and as an action guide in their future practices. Student evaluations, narrative feedback, and faculty observation indicated that the students appreciated the opportunity to work in teams and to explore professional values. The students' most common suggestion for improvement involved incorporating analysis of clinical cases in which questions about professional values arise. Medical educators suggest that students' values and professional behaviors change throughout medical school, but such change is difficult to assess. The code-development exercise established a baseline of values at entry to medical school. We plan to track this cohort of students by reintroducing this exercise in their fourth year and will compare the codes developed in their first and fourth years to identify changes in values and to suggest what the students have learned about values during medical school. The comparison will be used to inform further development of the EP curriculum toward the goal of shaping and supporting the positive professional growth of our student-physicians.

The LSSTC Data Science Fellowship Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Adam; Walkowicz, Lucianne; LSSTC DSFP Leadership Council

2017-01-01

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Corporation (LSSTC) Data Science Fellowship Program (DSFP) is a unique professional development program for astronomy graduate students. DSFP students complete a series of six, one-week long training sessions over the course of two years. The sessions are cumulative, each building on the last, to allow an in-depth exploration of the topics covered: data science basics, statistics, image processing, machine learning, scalable software, data visualization, time-series analysis, and science communication. The first session was held in Aug 2016 at Northwestern University, with all materials and lectures publicly available via github and YouTube. Each session focuses on a series of technical problems which are written in iPython notebooks. The initial class of fellows includes 16 students selected from across the globe, while an additional 14 fellows will be added to the program in year 2. Future sessions of the DSFP will be hosted by a rotating cast of LSSTC member institutions. The DSFP is designed to supplement graduate education in astronomy by teaching the essential skills necessary for dealing with big data, serving as a resource for all in the LSST era. The LSSTC DSFP is made possible by the generous support of the LSST Corporation, the Data Science Initiative (DSI) at Northwestern, and CIERA.

Using a human patient simulation mannequin to teach interdisciplinary team skills to pharmacy students.

PubMed

Fernandez, Rosemarie; Parker, Dennis; Kalus, James S; Miller, Douglas; Compton, Scott

2007-06-15

To determine the effectiveness and student acceptance of using a human patient simulation (HPS) training module focused on interdisciplinary teamwork skills. During their second-professional year, all pharmacy students were in enrolled in Principles of Pharmacotherapy 4: Cardiovascular Diseases and Patient Care Lab IV, a problem-based learning course. As part of the patient care laboratory, students participated in a simulated case of an acutely ill patient with a hypertensive emergency. During the simulation, students performed a history and physical examination. They then worked as a team to make treatment recommendations to the nursing and physician staff members. Following the exercise, a facilitated debriefing session was conducted. Students completed satisfaction surveys to assess the quality and effectiveness of the session. Over 98% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they learned material relevant to their current studies. When compared to student lectures, 90% of students felt that they learned clinical patient care better when using a HPS mannequin in simulated patient scenarios. HPS-based learning offers a realistic training experience through which clinical knowledge and interpersonal teamwork skills can be taught. Students enjoy the experience and find it relevant to their future practice. Simulation-based training may teach certain topics better than traditional lecture formats and as such could help to fill gaps in the current pharmacy curriculum.

Interprofessional Curbside Consults to Develop Team Communication and Improve Student Achievement of Learning Outcomes

PubMed Central

Greenwood, Kristin Curry; Rico, Janet; Nalliah, Romesh; DiVall, Margarita

2017-01-01

Objective. To design and implement a series of activities focused on developing interprofessional communication skills and to assess the impact of the activities on students’ attitudes and achievement of educational goals. Design. Prior to the first pharmacy practice skills laboratory session, pharmacy students listened to a classroom lecture about team communication and viewed short videos describing the roles, responsibilities, and usual work environments of four types of health care professionals. In each of four subsequent laboratory sessions, students interacted with a different standardized health care professional role-played by a pharmacy faculty member who asked them a medication-related question. Students responded in verbal and written formats. Assessment. Student performance was assessed with a three-part rubric. The impact of the exercise was assessed by conducting pre- and post-intervention surveys and analyzing students’ performance on relevant Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) outcomes. Survey results showed improvement in student attitudes related to team-delivered care. Students’ performance on the problem solver and collaborator CAPE outcomes improved, while performance on the educator outcome worsened. Conclusions. The addition of an interprofessional communication activity with standardized health care professionals provided the opportunity for students to develop skills related to team communication. Students felt the activity was valuable and realistic; however, analysis of outcome achievement from the exercise revealed a need for more exposure to team communication skills. PMID:28289305

Dissecting through barriers: A mixed-methods study on the effect of interprofessional education in a dissection course with healthcare professional students.

PubMed

Fernandes, Alisha Rebecca; Palombella, Andrew; Salfi, Jenn; Wainman, Bruce

2015-01-01

Healthcare delivery is reliant on a team-based approach, and interprofessional education (IPE) provides a means by which such collaboration skills can be fostered prior to entering the workplace. IPE within healthcare programs has been associated with improved collaborative behavior, patient care and satisfaction, reduced clinical error, and diminished negative professional stereotypes. An intensive interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course was created in 2009 to facilitate IPE at McMaster University. Data were collected from five cohorts over five years to determine the influence of this IPE format on the attitudes and perceptions of students towards other health professions. Each year, 28 students from the medicine, midwifery, nursing, physician's assistant, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy programs were randomly assigned into interprofessional teams for 10 weeks. Sessions involved an anatomy and scope-of-practice presentation, a small-group case-based session, and a dissection. A before/after design measured changes in attitudes and perceptions, while focus group data elaborated on the student experience with the course. Pre- and postmatched data revealed significant improvements in positive professional identity, competency and autonomy, role clarity and attitudes toward other health professions. Qualitative analysis of intraprofessional focus group interviews revealed meaningful improvements in a number of areas including learning anatomy, role clarity, and attitudes towards other health professions. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Interprofessional Curbside Consults to Develop Team Communication and Improve Student Achievement of Learning Outcomes.

PubMed

Kirwin, Jennifer; Greenwood, Kristin Curry; Rico, Janet; Nalliah, Romesh; DiVall, Margarita

2017-02-25

Objective. To design and implement a series of activities focused on developing interprofessional communication skills and to assess the impact of the activities on students' attitudes and achievement of educational goals. Design. Prior to the first pharmacy practice skills laboratory session, pharmacy students listened to a classroom lecture about team communication and viewed short videos describing the roles, responsibilities, and usual work environments of four types of health care professionals. In each of four subsequent laboratory sessions, students interacted with a different standardized health care professional role-played by a pharmacy faculty member who asked them a medication-related question. Students responded in verbal and written formats. Assessment. Student performance was assessed with a three-part rubric. The impact of the exercise was assessed by conducting pre- and post-intervention surveys and analyzing students' performance on relevant Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) outcomes. Survey results showed improvement in student attitudes related to team-delivered care. Students' performance on the problem solver and collaborator CAPE outcomes improved, while performance on the educator outcome worsened. Conclusions. The addition of an interprofessional communication activity with standardized health care professionals provided the opportunity for students to develop skills related to team communication. Students felt the activity was valuable and realistic; however, analysis of outcome achievement from the exercise revealed a need for more exposure to team communication skills.

Management simulations for Lean healthcare: exploiting the potentials of role-playing.

PubMed

Barnabè, Federico; Giorgino, Maria Cleofe; Guercini, Jacopo; Bianciardi, Caterina; Mezzatesta, Vincenzo

2018-04-09

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potentials of role-playing (RP) both in training healthcare (HC) professionals to implement tools and improvement actions based on Lean principles, and in supporting group discussion and the sharing of different competencies for the development of Lean HC. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents the case study of an RP simulation called LEAN HEALTHCARE LAB, which is used to train HC professionals at Siena University Hospital. The paper reports and discusses the results of a specific two-day simulation session and of a questionnaire that was distributed to gather feedback from the participants. Findings The paper verifies the potentials of RP to be a powerful educational and training tool that is able to stimulate the HC participants to apply Lean thinking principles and share their competencies in collaborative decision-making processes. Research limitations/implications The study provides data in reference to one single simulation session, although the game has already been applied several times in different HC organizations with very similar outcomes. Moreover, a more in-depth analysis of players' perceptions and decisions could be performed using different tools in addition to the adopted questionnaire. Practical implications RP games (RPGs) are effective training and educational tools for HC professionals. They offer benefits and learning conditions which are definitely different if compared with more conventional education programs for HC professionals. Originality/value While previous studies have extensively discussed the potentialities of RPG and simulations in training programs, only a few articles have discussed the RP adoption for Lean thinking and even less to educate HC professionals on Lean principles and tools.

Teaching Medical Students About “The Conversation”: An Interactive Value-Based Advance Care Planning Session

PubMed Central

Lum, Hillary D.; Dukes, Joanna; Church, Skotti; Abbott, Jean; Youngwerth, Jean M.

2017-01-01

Background Advance care planning (ACP) promotes care consistent with patient wishes. Medical education should teach how to initiate value-based ACP conversations. Objective To develop and evaluate an ACP educational session to teach medical students a value-based ACP process and to encourage students to take personal ACP action steps. Design Groups of third-year medical students participated in a 75-minute session using personal reflection and discussion framed by The Conversation Starter Kit. The Conversation Project is a free resource designed to help individuals and families express their wishes for end-of-life care. Setting and Participants One hundred twenty-seven US third-year medical students participated in the session. Measurements Student evaluations immediately after the session and 1 month later via electronic survey. Results More than 90% of students positively evaluated the educational value of the session, including rating highly the opportunities to reflect on their own ACP and to use The Conversation Starter Kit. Many students (65%) reported prior ACP conversations. After the session, 73% reported plans to discuss ACP, 91% had thought about preferences for future medical care, and 39% had chosen a medical decision maker. Only a minority had completed an advance directive (14%) or talked with their health-care provider (1%). One month later, there was no evidence that the session increased students’ actions regarding these same ACP action steps. Conclusion A value-based ACP educational session using The Conversation Starter Kit successfully engaged medical students in learning about ACP conversations, both professionally and personally. This session may help students initiate conversations for themselves and their patients. PMID:28273761

Are "part-time" general practitioners workforce idlers or committed professionals?

PubMed

Dwan, Kathryn M; Douglas, Kirsty A; Forrest, Laura E

2014-09-19

The traditional view of general practice holds that only general practitioners (GPs) in full-time clinical practice can provide quality patient care. Nevertheless, increasing numbers of GPs are choosing to work sessionally, that is, ostensibly "part-time". There are concerns about the health workforce's ability to meet demand and also fears that patient care may be compromised. We sought answers to a) what activities do GPs undertake when not consulting patients, b) why do they choose to work sessionally, and c) does sessional general practice reflect a lack of commitment to patients and the profession? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs who worked sessionally, (i.e. six or fewer sessions a week in clinical general practice, where a session comprises four consecutive hours of patient care). These data were analysed qualitatively and saturation was reached. The majority of participants were in full-time paid employment, while part-time in clinical general practice. They reported that consultations increasingly required the management of patients with complex, chronic conditions who also required psychological management. Coupled with unrealistic patient expectations, these factors led GPs to be concerned about maintaining the quality patient care they considered professionally desirable. Many diversified their work activities to ensure that they retained their professional standards. "Part-time" general practice is a misnomer that masks the contribution these GPs make as part of the health workforce. Sessional practice more accurately describes the nature of our participants' clinical work. Their choice of sessional work is a professional response to the increasing demands within the consultation. It enables GPs to maintain their commitment to quality patient care and their profession, while attenuating the challenges of demanding consultations. Sessional general practitioners demonstrate strong commitment to their patients and the profession.

A method of developing and introducing case-based learning to a preclinical veterinary curriculum.

PubMed

Crowther, Emma; Baillie, Sarah

2016-01-01

Case-based learning (CBL) has been introduced as part of a major review of the veterinary curriculum at the University of Bristol. The initial aim was to improve integration between all first year subjects, i.e., basic science disciplines (anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry), animal management, and professional studies, while highlighting the relevance by providing clinical context. The CBL was delivered as whole class sessions in a lecture theatre, as small group teaching facilities were not readily available, co-facilitated by two to four basic scientists and clinicians. Active learning tasks were included by using an audience response system and encouraging discussion. A case template was developed in PowerPoint and then populated by basic science and clinical staff in an iterative design process. Comments from a student focus group informed the design of the case sessions. Feedback collected from students via a survey after the first three cases suggested that CBL was well received and assisted students in integrating material taught in the first year units and was used to further improve the ongoing case design. The project team developed eight cases for Year 1 and is implementing CBL in various formats throughout the curriculum. There was a considerable time commitment in developing each case; however, the use of readily available software and the large group format overcame limitations, including resourcing small group sessions. This article reports a model that could be successfully adapted by other institutions wishing to use CBL to provide clinical context and promote integration of the basic sciences. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Teaching reflection: Speech & language therapy students using visual clues for reflection.

PubMed

Schaub-de Jong, M A; van der Schans, C P

2010-11-01

Reflection is an essential tool for the development of professional behaviour. Central to all reflection methods is language, either written or spoken. As the use of language is not easy for all students, especially those learning in a language other than their native tongue, it is essential that teachers use alternative methods to stimulate reflection. To identify the benefits that speech and language therapy students perceive in an educational approach that combines pictures and drawings as a stimulus for reflecting on professional experiences. During an international course twenty-two students of various nationalities participated in a two-hour session and reflected on professional experiences. To stimulate reflection, drawings and pictures were used. All the students were asked to evaluate this educational approach by responding to five open-ended questions. Their responses were coded and analyzed. Students' comments fell into three categories of perceived benefits: (1) educational approach benefits; (2) personal benefits; and (3) professional benefits. Almost all the students reported that the nature of the reflection exercises helped them verbalize their experiences after the profession-related exercises. This study provides evidence that visualizing as a first step towards verbalizing experiences can foster learning through reflection. It provides students with greater opportunities to verbalize awareness, especially within a group of students who may have difficulty expressing themselves in a non-native language.

eHealth for Remote Regions: Findings from Central Asia Health Systems Strengthening Project.

PubMed

Sajwani, Afroz; Qureshi, Kiran; Shaikh, Tehniat; Sayani, Saleem

2015-01-01

Isolated communities in remote regions of Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan and Tajikistan lack access to high-quality, low-cost health care services, forcing them to travel to distant parts of the country, bearing an unnecessary financial burden. The eHealth Programme under Central Asia Health Systems Strengthening (CAHSS) Project, a joint initiative between the Aga Khan Foundation, Canada and the Government of Canada, was initiated in 2013 with the aim to utilize Information and Communication Technologies to link health care institutions and providers with rural communities to provide comprehensive and coordinated care, helping minimize the barriers of distance and time. Under the CAHSS Project, access to low-cost, quality health care is provided through a regional hub and spoke teleconsultation network of government and non-government health facilities. In addition, capacity building initiatives are offered to health professionals. By 2017, the network is expected to connect seven Tier 1 tertiary care facilities with 14 Tier 2 secondary care facilities for teleconsultation and eLearning. From April 2013 to September 2014, 6140 teleconsultations have been provided across the project sites. Additionally, 52 new eLearning sessions have been developed and 2020 staff members have benefitted from eLearning sessions. Ethics and patient rights are respected during project implementation.

Teaching information literacy skills to sophomore-level biology majors.

PubMed

Thompson, Leigh; Blankinship, Lisa Ann

2015-05-01

Many undergraduate students lack a sound understanding of information literacy. The skills that comprise information literacy are particularly important when combined with scientific writing for biology majors as they are the foundation skills necessary to complete upper-division biology course assignments, better train students for research projects, and prepare students for graduate and professional education. To help undergraduate biology students develop and practice information literacy and scientific writing skills, a series of three one-hour hands-on library sessions, discussions, and homework assignments were developed for Biological Literature, a one-credit, one-hour-per-week, required sophomore-level course. The embedded course librarian developed a learning exercise that reviewed how to conduct database and web searches, the difference between primary and secondary sources, source credibility, and how to access articles through the university's databases. Students used the skills gained in the library training sessions for later writing assignments including a formal lab report and annotated bibliography. By focusing on improving information literacy skills as well as providing practice in scientific writing, Biological Literature students are better able to meet the rigors of upper-division biology courses and communicate research findings in a more professional manner.

Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Sophomore-Level Biology Majors

PubMed Central

Thompson, Leigh; Blankinship, Lisa Ann

2015-01-01

Many undergraduate students lack a sound understanding of information literacy. The skills that comprise information literacy are particularly important when combined with scientific writing for biology majors as they are the foundation skills necessary to complete upper-division biology course assignments, better train students for research projects, and prepare students for graduate and professional education. To help undergraduate biology students develop and practice information literacy and scientific writing skills, a series of three one-hour hands-on library sessions, discussions, and homework assignments were developed for Biological Literature, a one-credit, one-hour-per-week, required sophomore-level course. The embedded course librarian developed a learning exercise that reviewed how to conduct database and web searches, the difference between primary and secondary sources, source credibility, and how to access articles through the university’s databases. Students used the skills gained in the library training sessions for later writing assignments including a formal lab report and annotated bibliography. By focusing on improving information literacy skills as well as providing practice in scientific writing, Biological Literature students are better able to meet the rigors of upper-division biology courses and communicate research findings in a more professional manner. PMID:25949754

Improving gross anatomy learning using reciprocal peer teaching.

PubMed

Manyama, Mange; Stafford, Renae; Mazyala, Erick; Lukanima, Anthony; Magele, Ndulu; Kidenya, Benson R; Kimwaga, Emmanuel; Msuya, Sifael; Kauki, Julius

2016-03-22

The use of cadavers in human anatomy teaching requires adequate number of anatomy instructors who can provide close supervision of the students. Most medical schools are facing challenges of lack of trained individuals to teach anatomy. Innovative techniques are therefore needed to impart adequate and relevant anatomical knowledge and skills. This study was conducted in order to evaluate the traditional teaching method and reciprocal peer teaching (RPT) method during anatomy dissection. Debriefing surveys were administered to the 227 first year medical students regarding merits, demerits and impact of both RPT and Traditional teaching experiences on student's preparedness prior to dissection, professionalism and communication skills. Out of this, 159 (70 %) completed the survey on traditional method while 148 (65.2 %) completed survey on RPT method. An observation tool for anatomy faculty was used to assess collaboration, professionalism and teaching skills among students. Student's scores on examinations done before introduction of RPT were compared with examinations scores after introduction of RPT. Our results show that the mean performance of students on objective examinations was significantly higher after introduction of RPT compared to the performance before introduction of RPT [63.7 ± 11.4 versus 58.6 ± 10, mean difference 5.1; 95 % CI = 4.0-6.3; p-value < 0.0001]. Students with low performance prior to RPT benefited more in terms of examination performance compared to those who had higher performance [Mean difference 7.6; p-value < 0.0001]. Regarding student's opinions on traditional method versus RPT, 83 % of students either agreed or strongly agreed that they were more likely to read the dissection manual before the RPT dissection session compared to 35 % for the traditional method. Over 85 % of respondents reported that RPT improved their confidence and ability to present information to peers and faculty compared to 38 % for the tradition method. The majority of faculty reported that the learning environment of the dissection groups was very active learning during RPT sessions and that professionalism was observed by most students during discussions. Introduction of RPT in our anatomy dissection laboratory was generally beneficial to both students and faculty. Both objective (student performance) and subjective data indicate that RPT improved student's performance and had a positive learning experience impact. Our future plan is to continue RPT practice and continually evaluate the RPT protocol.

Exploring Climate Science with WV Educators: A Regional Model for Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruberg, L. F.; Calinger, M.

2014-12-01

The National Research Council Framework for K-12 Science Literacy reports that children reared in rural agricultural communities, who experience regular interactions with plants and animals, develop more sophisticated understanding of ecology and biological systems than do urban and suburban children of the same age. West Virginia (WV) is a rural state. The majority of its residents live in communities of fewer than 2,500 people. Based on the features of the population being served and their unique strengths, this presentation focuses on a regional model for teacher professional development that addresses agricultural and energy vulnerabilities and adaptations to climate change in WV. The professional development model outlined shows how to guide teachers to use a problem-based learning approach to introduce climate data and analysis techniques within a scenario context that is locally meaningful. This strategy engages student interest by focusing on regional and community concerns. Climate science standards are emphasized in the Next Generation Science Standards, but WV has not provided its teachers with appropriate instructional resources to meet those standards. The authors addressed this need by offering a series of climate science education workshops followed by online webinars offered to WV science educators free of charge with funding by the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium. The authors report on findings from this series of professional development workshops conducted in partnership with the West Virginia Science Teachers Association. The goal was to enhance grades 5-12 teaching and learning about climate change through problem-based learning. Prior to offering the climate workshops, all WV science educators were asked to complete a short questionnaire. As Figure 1 shows, over 40% of the teacher respondents reported being confident in teaching climate science content. For comparison post workshops surveys measure teacher confidence in climate science instruction after the professional development sessions. In summary, this report describes how this professional approach can serve as a regional model to address the need for climate science literacy throughout Appalachia.

Teacher Professional Development that Makes an Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrego, H.; Ellins, K. K.

2012-12-01

Through four years of participation in the TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, an NSF-sponsored teacher professional development project, my knowledge of earth science and new pedagogical approaches has improved dramatically. In addition, I have received instructional materials, and learned how to access high quality online resources and use a variety of web-based tools. As a consequence, I have developed the confidence to use the TXESS model to deliver earth science professional development that makes an impact to other teachers in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. In this session, I will share my experiences as an earth science professional development provider and describe how I have used my own learning to help both teachers and students become more earth science literate. Earth science test scores at the elementary and secondary level throughout South Texas are consistently low in comparison to other regional areas in the state. The majority of the teachers lack the content-knowledge, confidence, or experience to teach earth science. My background as teacher combined with the TXESS Revolution experience helped me to understand the needs of these teachers and to identify teaching resources that would be useful to them. Using educational resources provided by the TXESS Revolution I have offered professional development topics such as Energy, Geologic Time and Stratigraphy, Water and the Cryosphere, Plate Tectonics, and Climate to about 125 South Texas elementary and middle school teachers. These trainings have helped improve the content knowledge of South Texas teachers and given them tools that they can use to guide student learning through authentic scientific research. In addition to providing professional development to teachers, I have been recruited to serve as the representative of the Offshore Energy Center for South Texas. This curriculum complements the TXESS Revolution educational resources by expanding the Energy education. The partnership with Offshore Energy is financing the framework for developing more training. More than 15 school districts in South Texas will have the opportunity to participate in this program

Studying Different Tasks of Implicit Learning across Multiple Test Sessions Conducted on the Web

PubMed Central

Sævland, Werner; Norman, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

Implicit learning is usually studied through individual performance on a single task, with the most common tasks being the Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task, the Dynamic System Control (DSC) task, and Artificial Grammar Learning (AGL). Few attempts have been made to compare performance across different implicit learning tasks within the same study. The current study was designed to explore the relationship between performance on the DSC Sugar factory task and the Alternating Serial Reaction Time (ASRT) task. We also addressed another limitation of traditional implicit learning experiments, namely that implicit learning is usually studied in laboratory settings over a restricted time span lasting for less than an hour. In everyday situations, implicit learning is assumed to involve a gradual accumulation of knowledge across several learning episodes over a longer time span. One way to increase the ecological validity of implicit learning experiments could be to present the learning material repeatedly across shorter test sessions. This can most easily be done by using a web-based setup in which participants can access the material from home. We therefore created an online web-based system for measuring implicit learning that could be administered in either single or multiple sessions. Participants (n = 66) were assigned to either a single session or a multiple session condition. Learning occurred on both tasks, and awareness measures suggested that acquired knowledge was not fully conscious on either of the tasks. Learning and the degree of conscious awareness of the learned regularities were compared across conditions and tasks. On the DSC task, performance was not affected by whether learning had taken place in one or over multiple sessions. On the ASRT task, RT improvement across blocks was larger in the multiple-session condition. Learning in the two tasks was not related. PMID:27375512

Optimisation of simulated team training through the application of learning theories: a debate for a conceptual framework

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background As a conceptual review, this paper will debate relevant learning theories to inform the development, design and delivery of an effective educational programme for simulated team training relevant to health professionals. Discussion Kolb’s experiential learning theory is used as the main conceptual framework to define the sequence of activities. Dewey’s theory of reflective thought and action, Jarvis modification of Kolb’s learning cycle and Schön’s reflection-on-action serve as a model to design scenarios for optimal concrete experience and debriefing for challenging participants’ beliefs and habits. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and newer socio-cultural learning models outline that for efficient team training, it is mandatory to introduce the social-cultural context of a team. Summary The ideal simulated team training programme needs a scenario for concrete experience, followed by a debriefing with a critical reflexive observation and abstract conceptualisation phase, and ending with a second scenario for active experimentation. Let them re-experiment to optimise the effect of a simulated training session. Challenge them to the edge: The scenario needs to challenge participants to generate failures and feelings of inadequacy to drive and motivate team members to critical reflect and learn. Not experience itself but the inadequacy and contradictions of habitual experience serve as basis for reflection. Facilitate critical reflection: Facilitators and group members must guide and motivate individual participants through the debriefing session, inciting and empowering learners to challenge their own beliefs and habits. To do this, learners need to feel psychological safe. Let the group talk and critical explore. Motivate with reality and context: Training with multidisciplinary team members, with different levels of expertise, acting in their usual environment (in-situ simulation) on physiological variables is mandatory to introduce cultural context and social conditions to the learning experience. Embedding in situ team training sessions into a teaching programme to enable repeated training and to assess regularly team performance is mandatory for a cultural change of sustained improvement of team performance and patient safety. PMID:24694243

Home-based teaching: what are we asking of parents?

PubMed

McConachie, H R

1991-01-01

Professional services for young children with disabilities generally expect parents (usually mothers) to carry out teaching or therapy exercises at home. Their advice often implies structuring the work into special daily sessions. In this study, parents were asked to carry out play sessions, and managed 62% of the available days. Reasons for missing sessions were primarily shortage of time or child illness. Mothers were more likely to carry out sessions where their child was of lower ability, and fathers less likely. Discussion concentrates on the need for professionals to vary their expectations and approach with individual parents' philosophies and energies.

[Medical educational evaluation of the German Pain Congress 2012. In the context of the CanMEDS physician competency framework].

PubMed

Dusch, M; Bräscher, A-K; Kopf, A; Treede, R D; Benrath, J

2014-10-01

Professionals in the medical field are expected to participate in continuing medical education in the sense of lifelong learning. The authors took this occasion to evaluate the most important national convention in pain medicine concerning its role in medical education. The participants of the 37th German Pain Congress (17-20 October 2012 in Mannheim) were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning content and design of the convention. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of different physician competencies in the program. For this purpose the congress program was analyzed with respect to the various medical role models as defined in the Canadian medical education directions for specialists (CanMEDS) framework. The participants considered the quality of the different sessions of the German Pain Congress to be good. The poster sessions were considered to be the second most important educational format in the congress following the live sessions. Concerning the content of the congress the participants wished more emphasis on the role of interprofessional partners, such as nursing and psychotherapy. The CanMEDS physician roles of manager, communicator, health advisor and professional paragon were underrepresented in the congress program in this study. Regarding content and educational value, the congress design could benefit from additional Praktikerseminaren (practical seminars). The role of interprofessional partners should be more emphasized. In addition the program could become more attractive through a more balanced distribution of the CanMEDS roles.

Does Repeated Practice Make Perfect? The Effects of Within-Session Repeated Retrieval on Second Language Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakata, Tatsuya

2017-01-01

Although research shows that repetition increases second language vocabulary learning, only several studies have examined the long-term effects of increasing retrieval frequency in one learning session. With this in mind, the present study examined the effects of within-session repeated retrieval on vocabulary learning. The study is original in…

Professional Music Training and Novel Word Learning: From Faster Semantic Encoding to Longer-lasting Word Representations.

PubMed

Dittinger, Eva; Barbaroux, Mylène; D'Imperio, Mariapaola; Jäncke, Lutz; Elmer, Stefan; Besson, Mireille

2016-10-01

On the basis of previous results showing that music training positively influences different aspects of speech perception and cognition, the aim of this series of experiments was to test the hypothesis that adult professional musicians would learn the meaning of novel words through picture-word associations more efficiently than controls without music training (i.e., fewer errors and faster RTs). We also expected musicians to show faster changes in brain electrical activity than controls, in particular regarding the N400 component that develops with word learning. In line with these hypotheses, musicians outperformed controls in the most difficult semantic task. Moreover, although a frontally distributed N400 component developed in both groups of participants after only a few minutes of novel word learning, in musicians this frontal distribution rapidly shifted to parietal scalp sites, as typically found for the N400 elicited by known words. Finally, musicians showed evidence for better long-term memory for novel words 5 months after the main experimental session. Results are discussed in terms of cascading effects from enhanced perception to memory as well as in terms of multifaceted improvements of cognitive processing due to music training. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that music training influences semantic aspects of language processing in adults. These results open new perspectives for education in showing that early music training can facilitate later foreign language learning. Moreover, the design used in the present experiment can help to specify the stages of word learning that are impaired in children and adults with word learning difficulties.

Lessons public health professionals learned from past disasters.

PubMed

Rebmann, Terri; Carrico, Ruth; English, Judith F

2008-01-01

Delineate the lessons that public health professionals learned during past disasters and information/resources found to be lacking during past disasters. Qualitative research consisting of 32 participants who attended the 2006 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Conference and participated in 1 of 3 focus groups. Focus group sessions were audiotaped; tapes were transcribed verbatim. Content analysis included identifying, coding, and categorizing participants' responses. Major themes were identified and categorized. Disasters can result in public health crises if infection prevention/control interventions are not implemented rapidly and appropriately. Gaps in past public health disaster response include infection prevention/control in mass casualty incidents, public education, internal and external communication, mental health, physical plant, and partnerships with outside agencies. Participants emphasized the need to provide consistent messages to the public, communicate between agencies, and provide public education on disaster preparedness. These tasks can be challenging during infectious disease emergencies when recommendations change. Effective communication is necessary to maintain public trust. Infection control issues in shelters, such as hand hygiene products/facilities, sanitation, outbreaks of unusual infectious diseases, overcrowded conditions, and poor environmental decontamination, were identified as critical to prevent secondary disease transmission. Public health and infection control nurses must partner and continue to address gaps in disaster planning.

Building a clinical leadership community to drive improvement: a multi-case educational study to inform 21st century clinical commissioning, professional capability and patient care.

PubMed

Lynch, Marion; Verner, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The new NHS requires transformational leadership; people with the knowledge and motivation to make effective change combined with an understanding of the system they work in. The aim of the Practice Leaders' Programme (PLP) is to generate the conditions needed to focus the energy and collaborative creativity required for innovation to enhance leadership skills across the health economy improving patient care. The PLP engaged 60 local leaders from central England in a new approach enabling them to influence others. It has informed educational policy and practice and helped change professional behaviours. Each participant implemented improvements in care and participated in six action learning sets (ALS) and up to six coaching sessions. Evidence of progress, learning and impact was identified in project reports, reflective diaries and evaluations. The ALS brought together key individuals from clinical and management disciplines across a diverse organisation to redesign a system by developing a shared vision for improving the quality of patient care. The links forged, the projects initiated, and the skills cultivated through the PLP produced ongoing benefits and outcomes beyond the course itself. Coaching sessions helped participants focus their efforts to achieve maximum impact and to become resilient in managing service change effectively. The programme has evolved over four years, building on recommendations from external evaluation which identified statistically significant increases in leadership competences. Further enhancement of this programme secured an International Health Improvement Award. Three key findings of positive impact have emerged; personal growth, service improvement, and legacy and sustainability.

Reduced Mental Load in Learning a Motor Visual Task with Virtual 3D Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dan, A.; Reiner, M.

2018-01-01

Distance learning is expanding rapidly, fueled by the novel technologies for shared recorded teaching sessions on the Web. Here, we ask whether 3D stereoscopic (3DS) virtual learning environment teaching sessions are more compelling than typical two-dimensional (2D) video sessions and whether this type of teaching results in superior learning. The…

Observation and assessment of faculty development learning outcomes.

PubMed

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Childs, Gail Schneider; Graff, Randy A

2010-11-01

Prior research has found that participation in course offerings provides a means of professional development and results in changes to faculty beliefs and instructional practices. However, as with most professional development initiatives in education, little is known about the sustainability of these training efforts. The research question that guided this study was the following: Do professional development efforts in teaching result in observed learning outcomes among faculty members? In this study, teaching observations served as the primary data source. Twelve faculty members (six in the College of Dentistry and six in the College of Health and Human Performance) who completed two six-week teaching seminars in fall 2006 and spring 2007 or spring 2008 and summer 2008 were asked to participate in a classroom observation and an interview lasting no longer than forty-five minutes. Six dental faculty members and three faculty members from the College of Health and Human Performance agreed to participate in the study. Three standardized reviewers conducted these classroom observations during fall 2008, spring 2009, and summer 2009. An active teaching rubric was used to evaluate the class transcripts. The findings revealed that participants somewhat frequently to frequently used questions that were open-ended or checked for comprehension. Seven of nine instructors made extensive efforts to engage the students interactively throughout the teaching session. Six of the participants infused the description of actual or hypothetical cases to illustrate the connections between teaching and patient care, while six utilized reflective practices. Findings from the interviews corroborated the observations. Overall, the findings showed that participants demonstrated the integration of those strategies that were taught during the seminars, which were consistent with teaching critical thinking skills and showed that the learning acquired during professional development initiatives was sustained.

How Intersectoral Health Promotion Changes Professional Practices: A Case Study From Denmark.

PubMed

Christensen, Mads; Burau, Viola; Ledderer, Loni

2018-05-01

Intersectoral health promotion (IHP) has pushed health professions to engage in new tasks and interprofessional ways of working. We studied how care assistants from a nursing home and school teachers implemented a cookery project targeted at children ("Cool Beans") as an example of an IHP project in Denmark. Our aim was to examine the impact of the IHP project on the practices of the professions involved. We used a qualitative case study to investigate joint care and teaching situations with the two professions and their users. Our data consisted of documents, participatory observations, and informal interviews (17 hours) as well as semistructured interviews with professionals (n = 4). We used a sociological institutional framework to analyze the professional practices emerging in joint care and teaching situations and identified three themes of new professional activities: (1) "interplay" related to making different generations collaborate on the tasks involved in the cookery session; (2) "care" concerned with caregiving activities; and (3) "learning" focused on schooling on healthy food and cooking. We conclude that changes in professional practices occurred informally and were induced by the concrete activities in the cookery project. The specific, practical tasks of the IHP project thus offered an important leverage for future interprofessional collaborations.

Using Second Life to Facilitate Peer Storytelling for Grieving Oncology Nurses

PubMed Central

Rice, Karen L.; Bennett, Marsha J.; Billingsley, Luanne

2014-01-01

Background Oncology nurses often experience intense emotional reactions to patient deaths but may be forced to ignore or hide their feelings because of work-related responsibilities. The complexity of nurses' work and personal lives creates obstacles for participating in traditional support groups where grieving nurses can bond and share. We hypothesized that using a web-based, three-dimensional (3-D) virtual world technology (Second Life) may provide a venue to facilitate peer storytelling to support nurses dealing with grief. Methods We used a mixed-methods approach involving focus groups and surveys to explore the use of peer storytelling for grieving oncology nurses. Nine acute and ambulatory oncology nurses in groups of 3 participated using avatars in 5 group moderator-guided sessions lasting 1 hour each in a private 3-D outdoor virtual meeting space within Second Life. Baseline information was collected using a 12-item demographic and professional loss survey. At the end of the study, a 20-item survey was administered to measure professional losses during the study, exchange of support during sessions, and meaning-making and to evaluate peer storytelling using Second Life. Results Overall, nurses reported peer storytelling sessions in Second Life were helpful in making sense of and in identifying a benefit of their grief experience. They felt supported by both the group moderator and group members and were able to personally support group members during storytelling. Although nurses reported Second Life was helpful in facilitating storytelling sessions and expressed overall satisfaction with using Second Life, open-ended comments registered difficulties encountered, mostly with technology. Three central themes emerged in sessions, representing a dynamic relationship between mental, spiritual, and emotional-behavioral responses to grief: cognitive readiness to learn about death, death really takes death experience, and emotional resilience. Conclusion This study suggests a potential benefit in using peer storytelling sessions in Second Life to facilitate oncology nurses' grief resolution. In particular, Second Life provides a nonthreatening venue for participating nurses to share their innermost feelings and accrue their own inventory of stories. Through these stories, each nurse's relational experience in expressing and coping with grief is realized. PMID:25598720

Using second life to facilitate peer storytelling for grieving oncology nurses.

PubMed

Rice, Karen L; Bennett, Marsha J; Billingsley, Luanne

2014-01-01

Oncology nurses often experience intense emotional reactions to patient deaths but may be forced to ignore or hide their feelings because of work-related responsibilities. The complexity of nurses' work and personal lives creates obstacles for participating in traditional support groups where grieving nurses can bond and share. We hypothesized that using a web-based, three-dimensional (3-D) virtual world technology (Second Life) may provide a venue to facilitate peer storytelling to support nurses dealing with grief. We used a mixed-methods approach involving focus groups and surveys to explore the use of peer storytelling for grieving oncology nurses. Nine acute and ambulatory oncology nurses in groups of 3 participated using avatars in 5 group moderator-guided sessions lasting 1 hour each in a private 3-D outdoor virtual meeting space within Second Life. Baseline information was collected using a 12-item demographic and professional loss survey. At the end of the study, a 20-item survey was administered to measure professional losses during the study, exchange of support during sessions, and meaning-making and to evaluate peer storytelling using Second Life. Overall, nurses reported peer storytelling sessions in Second Life were helpful in making sense of and in identifying a benefit of their grief experience. They felt supported by both the group moderator and group members and were able to personally support group members during storytelling. Although nurses reported Second Life was helpful in facilitating storytelling sessions and expressed overall satisfaction with using Second Life, open-ended comments registered difficulties encountered, mostly with technology. Three central themes emerged in sessions, representing a dynamic relationship between mental, spiritual, and emotional-behavioral responses to grief: cognitive readiness to learn about death, death really takes death experience, and emotional resilience. This study suggests a potential benefit in using peer storytelling sessions in Second Life to facilitate oncology nurses' grief resolution. In particular, Second Life provides a nonthreatening venue for participating nurses to share their innermost feelings and accrue their own inventory of stories. Through these stories, each nurse's relational experience in expressing and coping with grief is realized.

Changing the attitudes and practices of professional developers through a constructivist model: The Technical Assistance Academy for Mathematics and Science Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, Karen Jungblut

For much of this century, mathematics and science have been taught in a didactic manner that is characterized by a passive student and a lecturing teacher. Since the late eighties national standards have encouraged professional developers specializing in mathematics and science education to deliver the messages of inquiry-based learning, active student engagement, and learner-constructed knowledge to the teachers they support. Follow-up studies of professional development programs, however, found that telling teachers was no more effective than telling students. Information transmitted in a passive setting was not transferring into effective classroom practices. This phenomenological case study was conducted to determine the effects of a constructivist-oriented professional development experience, the Technical Assistance Academy, in changing the practices and attitudes of mathematics and science professional developers regarding the use of constructivist strategies in workshop design. This study focused on 45 professional developers who participated in the Technical Assistance Academy. Data from a 2 1/2 year period were collected from session evaluations, journal reflections, a follow-up interview, and site visits that included observations and collaborative planning. Content analysis procedures were used to find common themes among the data. Use of new skills developed as a result of participation in the Technical Assistance Academy was determined using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model Levels of Use framework (Hall & Hord, 1987). Changes in attitude were determined by examining participants' journal reflections related to common constructivist themes such as those discussed by Fosnot (1996c): learning is developmental, disequilibrium and reflection facilitate learning, and the construction of "big ideas" results from the opportunity to struggle with new information. Results verified that all 45 participants demonstrated some level of use, and that most were in the 3 highest of 5 levels of use: mechanical (11%), routine (16%), refinement (27%), integration (24%), and renewal (22%). Participants reported valuing (a) active engagement necessary for the developmental progression of learning to occur, (b) their own disequilibrium, (c) opportunity to reflect, and they acknowledged a clearer understanding and appreciation of the big ideas in workshop design such as networking, collaboration, content and staff development standards, equity, and community building. Results support the conclusion that learning about constructivist instructional strategies in a long-term program that models them positively affects participants' attitudes and enhances their use of similar strategies in the design of professional development experiences for others. Knowledge developed in a constructivist setting transferred into effective facilitator practices.

Multimodal Teaching Analytics: Automated Extraction of Orchestration Graphs from Wearable Sensor Data.

PubMed

Prieto, Luis P; Sharma, Kshitij; Kidzinski, Łukasz; Rodríguez-Triana, María Jesús; Dillenbourg, Pierre

2018-04-01

The pedagogical modelling of everyday classroom practice is an interesting kind of evidence, both for educational research and teachers' own professional development. This paper explores the usage of wearable sensors and machine learning techniques to automatically extract orchestration graphs (teaching activities and their social plane over time), on a dataset of 12 classroom sessions enacted by two different teachers in different classroom settings. The dataset included mobile eye-tracking as well as audiovisual and accelerometry data from sensors worn by the teacher. We evaluated both time-independent and time-aware models, achieving median F1 scores of about 0.7-0.8 on leave-one-session-out k-fold cross-validation. Although these results show the feasibility of this approach, they also highlight the need for larger datasets, recorded in a wider variety of classroom settings, to provide automated tagging of classroom practice that can be used in everyday practice across multiple teachers.

[Effectiveness of Team-Based Learning (TBL) as a new teaching approach for pharmaceutical care education].

PubMed

Suno, Manabu; Yoshida, Toshiko; Koyama, Toshihiro; Zamami, Yoshito; Miyoshi, Tomoko; Mizushima, Takaaki; Tanimoto, Mitsune

2013-01-01

The concept of Team-Based Learning (TBL) was developed in the late 1970s by Larry Michaelsen, who wanted students to enjoy the benefits of small group learning within large classes in the business school environment. In contrast to problem-based learning (PBL), which is student centered, TBL is typically instructor centered. Recently, TBL is being used as a teaching method in over 60 health science professional schools in the US and other countries. In the present study, the impact of adopting TBL in teaching pharmaceutical care practices to students was evaluated. Students were required to answer a set of multiple-choice questions individually in individual readiness assessment test (IRAT) before the TBL sessions to assess their level of preparation. The same set of questions was then reattempted by the group readiness assessment test (GRAT) during TBL. Comparing the scores obtained in the GRAT and IRAT before the first TBL session, the scores from the GRAT were always higher than those of the IRAT, indicating that TBL has encouraged active learning. In addition, students were surveyed about their level of satisfaction with TBL and written comments about TBL were solicited. The results of the questionnaire showed that 87.3±9.3% of the students were satisfied. Moreover, no student commented that TBL was in any way inferior to the PBL. Implementation of a TBL approach was successfully integrated into the pharmaceutical care education course. In order to further improve the usefulness of TBL in teaching pharmaceutical care, a hybrid teaching approach that also comprises PBL and a lecture-based course is desirable.

Understanding Graduate Teaching Assistants as Tutorial Instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Elby, A.

2006-12-01

Physics graduate teaching assistants are essential to the implementation of many collaborative active-learning environments, including tutorials. However, many TAs have trouble teaching effectively in these formats. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problems may include inappropriate models of physics students, unproductive theories of learning, lack of experience with modern pedagogical methods, and weaknesses in understanding basic physics topics. A new research project at the University of Maryland is investigating the specific nature of TAs' experience with reform instruction using in-depth studies of TAs in course preparation sessions, in the tutorial classroom, in a weekly teaching seminar, and in reflective interviews. We find that all TAs studied recognize the insufficiency of traditional instruction to at least some extent, citing as evidence their own learning experiences, prior teaching experiences, and exposure to FCI-type data. We also observe great variability in views of the nature of physics knowledge and learning (both professed and enacted). These results are informing the development of the professional development program for physics teaching assistants at the University of Maryland.

Crossing borders: High school science teachers learning to teach the specialized language of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrick, Jennifer Drake

The highly specialized language of science is both challenging and alienating to adolescent readers. This study investigated how secondary science teachers learn to teach the specialized language of science in their classrooms. Three research questions guided this study: (a) what do science teachers know about teaching reading in science? (b) what understanding about the unique language demands of science reading do they construct through professional development? and (c) how do they integrate what they have learned about these specialized features of science language into their teaching practices? This study investigated the experience of seven secondary science teachers as they participated in a professional development program designed to teach them about the specialized language of science. Data sources included participant interviews, audio-taped professional development sessions, field notes from classroom observations, and a prior knowledge survey. Results from this study suggest that science teachers (a) were excited to learn about disciplinary reading practices, (b) developed an emergent awareness of the specialized features of science language and the various genres of science writing, and (c) recognized that the challenges of science reading goes beyond vocabulary. These teachers' efforts to understand and address the language of science in their teaching practices were undermined by their lack of basic knowledge of grammar, availability of time and resources, their prior knowledge and experiences, existing curriculum, and school structure. This study contributes to our understanding of how secondary science teachers learn about disciplinary literacy and apply that knowledge in their classroom instruction. It has important implications for literacy educators and science educators who are interested in using language and literacy practices in the service of science teaching and learning. (Full text of this dissertation may be available via the University of Florida Libraries web site. Please check http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/etd.html)

Use of interactive theater and role play to develop medical students' skills in breaking bad news.

PubMed

Skye, Eric P; Wagenschutz, Heather; Steiger, Jeffrey A; Kumagai, Arno K

2014-12-01

Creative arts have been increasingly implemented in medical education. This study investigated the use of interactive theater and role play with professional actors in teaching breaking bad news to medical students. The objectives were to explore the contexts, approaches, experiences, and reactions in giving and receiving bad news. Second-year medical students participated in a required educational session that utilized interactive theater which helps students learn about the issues of breaking bad news to a patient with cancer. Following the interactive theater piece, professional actors provided students role play experiences in small groups with breaking bad news. Anonymous evaluation surveys were given out to all second-year medical students at the conclusion of the breaking bad news session. Surveys contained quantitative and qualitative responses. Three years of evaluations were analyzed. A total of 451 (88 %) students completed the evaluations. Comments were thematically analyzed. Ninety-four percent agreed that the theater piece prompted reflection on patient-provider communications, and 89 % agreed that it stimulated discussion on complex issues with breaking bad news. The two most common themes in student comments concerned the importance of realism in the theater piece, and the value of experiencing multiple perspectives. Use of professional actors during the role play exercises enhances the realism and pushed the students out of their own "comfort zones" in ways that may more closely approximate real life clinical situations. Interactive theater can be a potentially powerful tool to teach breaking bad news during medical school.

Explicit instruction of rules interferes with visuomotor skill transfer.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kanji; Watanabe, Katsumi

2017-06-01

In the present study, we examined the effects of explicit knowledge, obtained through instruction or spontaneous detection, on the transfer of visuomotor sequence learning. In the learning session, participants learned a visuomotor sequence, via trial and error. In the transfer session, the order of the sequence was reversed from that of the learning session. Before the commencement of the transfer session, some participants received explicit instruction regarding the reversal rule (i.e., Instruction group), while the others did not receive any information and were sorted into either an Aware or Unaware group, as assessed by interview conducted after the transfer session. Participants in the Instruction and Aware groups performed with fewer errors than the Unaware group in the transfer session. The participants in the Instruction group showed slower speed than the Aware and Unaware groups in the transfer session, and the sluggishness likely persisted even in late learning. These results suggest that explicit knowledge reduces errors in visuomotor skill transfer, but may interfere with performance speed, particularly when explicit knowledge is provided, as opposed to being spontaneously discovered.

Assisting the integration of social media in problem-based learning sessions in the Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University.

PubMed

Awan, Zuhier A; Awan, Almuatazbellah A; Alshawwa, Lana; Tekian, Ara; Park, Yoon Soo

2018-05-07

Issues related to traditional Problem-Based Learning (PBL) at King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Medicine (KAU-FOM), including lack of student interaction between sessions and outdated instructional materials have led to the examining the use of social media. This study examines factors affecting the implementation of social media into PBL sessions Methods: Mentored social media activities were incorporated between PBL sessions to third year medical students. Ground rules were set, and students were kept on track with learning objectives and authentic references. An online survey consisting of 18 questions were administered to measure the impact of the social media model embedded between PBL sessions. Feedback showed major improvements in students' learning process as well as identifying areas for improvement. The highest ratings were in participation and communication, knowledge and information gathering, and cooperation and team-building. This paper indicates that incorporating social media could facilitate learning between PBL sessions. Furthermore, guidelines are proposed to help educators implement a social media model into their PBL sessions.

Virtual water maze learning in human increases functional connectivity between posterior hippocampus and dorsal caudate.

PubMed

Woolley, Daniel G; Mantini, Dante; Coxon, James P; D'Hooge, Rudi; Swinnen, Stephan P; Wenderoth, Nicole

2015-04-01

Recent work has demonstrated that functional connectivity between remote brain regions can be modulated by task learning or the performance of an already well-learned task. Here, we investigated the extent to which initial learning and stable performance of a spatial navigation task modulates functional connectivity between subregions of hippocampus and striatum. Subjects actively navigated through a virtual water maze environment and used visual cues to learn the position of a fixed spatial location. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were collected before and after virtual water maze navigation in two scan sessions conducted 1 week apart, with a behavior-only training session in between. There was a large significant reduction in the time taken to intercept the target location during scan session 1 and a small significant reduction during the behavior-only training session. No further reduction was observed during scan session 2. This indicates that scan session 1 represented initial learning and scan session 2 represented stable performance. We observed an increase in functional connectivity between left posterior hippocampus and left dorsal caudate that was specific to scan session 1. Importantly, the magnitude of the increase in functional connectivity was correlated with offline gains in task performance. Our findings suggest cooperative interaction occurs between posterior hippocampus and dorsal caudate during awake rest following the initial phase of spatial navigation learning. Furthermore, we speculate that the increase in functional connectivity observed during awake rest after initial learning might reflect consolidation-related processing. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Advancing interprofessional patient safety education for medical, nursing, and pharmacy learners during clinical rotations.

PubMed

Thom, Kerri A; Heil, Emily L; Croft, Lindsay D; Duffy, Alison; Morgan, Daniel J; Johantgen, Mary

2016-11-01

Clinical errors are common and can lead to adverse events and patient death. Health professionals must work within interprofessional teams to provide safe and effective care to patients, yet current curricula is lacking with regards to interprofessional education and patient safety. We describe the development and implementation of an interprofessional course aimed at medical, nursing, and pharmacy learners during their clinical training at a large academic medical centre. The course objectives were based on core competencies for interprofessional education and patient safety. The course was offered as recurring three 1-hour sessions, including case-based discussions and a mock root cause analysis. Forty-three students attended at least one session over a 7-month period. We performed a cross-sectional survey of participants to assess readiness for interprofessional learning and a before and after comparison of patient safety knowledge. All students reported a high level of readiness for interprofessional learning, indicating an interest in interprofessional opportunities. In general, understanding and knowledge of the four competency domains in patient safety was low before the course and 100% of students reported an increase in knowledge in these domains after participating in the course.

Acquisition of neural learning in cerebellum and cerebral cortex for smooth pursuit eye movements

PubMed Central

Li, Jennifer X.; Medina, Javier F.; Frank, Loren M.; Lisberger, Stephen G.

2011-01-01

We have evaluated the emergence of neural learning in the frontal eye fields (FEFSEM) and the floccular complex of the cerebellum while monkeys learned a precisely-timed change in the direction of pursuit eye movement. For each neuron, we measured the time course of changes in neural response across a learning session that comprised at least 100 repetitions of an instructive change in target direction. In both areas, the average population learning curves tracked the behavioral changes with high fidelity, consistent with possible roles in driving learning. However, the learning curves of individual neurons sometimes bore little relation to the smooth, monotonic progression of behavioral learning. In the FEFSEM, neural learning was episodic. For individual neurons, learning appeared at different times during the learning session and sometimes disappeared by the end of the session. Different FEFSEM neurons expressed maximal learning at different times relative to the acquisition of behavioral learning. In the floccular complex, many Purkinje cells acquired learned simple-spike responses according to the same time course as behavioral learning and retained their learned responses throughout the learning session. A minority of Purkinje cells acquired learned responses late in the learning session, after behavioral learning had reached an asymptote. We conclude that learning in single neurons can follow a very different time course from behavioral learning. Both the FEFSEM and the floccular complex contain representations of multiple temporal components of learning, with different neurons contributing to learning at different times during the acquisition of a learned movement. PMID:21900551

Facilitating Dental Student Reflections: Using Mentor Groups to Discuss Clinical Experiences and Personal Development.

PubMed

Koole, Sebastiaan; Christiaens, Veronique; Cosyn, Jan; De Bruyn, Hugo

2016-10-01

Despite the consensus on the importance of reflection for dental professionals, a lack of understanding remains about how students and clinicians should develop their ability to reflect. The aim of this study was to investigate dental students' and mentors' perceptions of mentor groups as an instructional method to facilitate students' reflection in terms of the strategy's learning potential, role of the mentor, group dynamics, and feasibility. At Ghent University in Belgium, third- and fourth-year dental students were encouraged to reflect on their clinical experiences and personal development in three reflective mentor sessions. No preparation or reports afterwards were required; students needed only to participate in the sessions. Sessions were guided by trained mentors to establish a safe environment, frame clinical discussions, and stimulate reflection. Students' and mentors' perceptions of the experience were assessed with a 17-statement questionnaire with response options on a five-point Likert scale (1=totally disagree to 5=totally agree). A total of 50 students and eight mentors completed the questionnaire (response rates 81% and 89%, respectively). Both students and mentors had neutral to positive perceptions concerning the learning potential, role of the mentor, group dynamics, and feasibility. The mean ideal total time for sessions in a year was 99 minutes (third-year students), 111 minutes (fourth-year students), and 147 minutes (mentors). Reported reflective topics related to patient management, frustrations, and practice of dentistry. Overall mean appreciation for the experience ranged from 14.50 to 15.14 on the 20-point scale. These findings about students' and mentors' positive perceptions of the experience suggest that mentor groups may be a potentially valuable strategy to promote dental students' reflection.

A comparative study: do "clickers" increase student engagement in multidisciplinary clinical microbiology teaching?

PubMed

Stevens, Niall T; McDermott, Hélène; Boland, Fiona; Pawlikowska, Teresa; Humphreys, Hilary

2017-04-08

Audience response devices, or "clickers", have been used in the education of future healthcare professionals for several years with varying success. They have been reported to improve the learning experience by promoting engagement and knowledge retention. In 2014, our department evaluated the use of "clickers" in a newly introduced multidisciplinary approach to teaching large groups of third year medical students clinical cases developed around a microbiology theme. Six multidisciplinary teaching sessions covering community-acquired pneumonia, tuberculosis, infective endocarditis, peritonitis, bloodstream infection with pyelonephritis and bacterial meningitis were included in the study. Three involved the use of the "clickers" and three did not. Consenting undergraduate students attended the designated classes and afterwards answered a short online quiz relating to the session. Students also answered a short questionnaire about the "clickers" to gauge their attitudes on the use of these devices. Of 310 students, 294 (94.8%) agreed to participate in the study. Interestingly, the grades of online quizzes after a session where a "clicker" was used were slightly lower. Looking only at the grades of students who engaged completely with the process (n = 19), there was no statistical difference to suggest that the devices had a positive or negative impact on knowledge retention. However, student attitudes to using the devices were positive overall. Fifty-five percent strongly agreed and 27% agreed that teaching sessions where the "clickers" were used were more engaging. Thirty-four percent strongly agreed and 36% agreed that the "clickers" made important concepts more memorable and 54% felt the device enhanced their understanding of the topic being covered. Overall, it appears that "clickers" help in improving student engagement in large classroom environments, enhance the learning experience, and are received positively by medical students but their impact on knowledge retention is variable.

Fire in operating theatres: DaSH-ing to the rescue.

PubMed

Wilson, Liam; Farooq, Omer

2018-01-01

Operating theatres are dynamic environments that require multi professional team interactions. Effective team working is essential for efficient delivery of safe patient care. A fire in the operating theatre is a rare but potentially life threatening event for both patients and staff. A rapid and cohesive response from theatre and allied staff including porters, fire safety officer etc is paramount. We delivered a training session that utilised in situ simulation (simulation in workplace). After conducting needs analysis, learning objectives were agreed. After thorough planning, the date and location of the training session were identified. Contingency plans were put in place to ensure that patient care was not compromised at any point. To ensure success, checklists for faculty were devised and adhered to. A medium fidelity manikin with live monitoring was used. The first part of the scenario involved management of a surgical emergency by theatre staff. The second part involved management of a fire in the operating theatre while an emergency procedure was being undertaken. To achieve maximum learning potential, debriefing was provided immediately after each part of the scenario. A fire safety officer was present as a content expert. Latent errors (hidden errors in the workplace, staff knowledge etc) were identified. Malfunctioning of theatre floor windows and staff unawareness about the location of an evacuation site were some of the identified latent errors. Thorough feedback to address these issues was provided to the participants on the day. A detailed report of the training session was given to the relevant departments. This resulted in the equipment faults being rectified. The training session was a very positive experience and helped not only in improving participants' knowledge, behaviour and confidence but also it made system and environment better equipped.

Professional Development for Sessional Staff in Higher Education: A Review of Current Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitch, Danielle; Mahoney, Paige; Macfarlane, Susie

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to provide an integrated review of evidence published in the past decade around professional development for sessional staff in higher education. Using the Integrating Theory, Evidence and Action method, the review analysed recent evidence using the three principles of the Benchmarking Leadership and Advancement of…

Teachers' Sensemaking about Implementation of an Innovative Science Curriculum Across the Settings of Professional Development and Classroom Enactment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de los Santos, Xeng

Designing professional development that effectively supports teachers in learning new and often challenging practices remains a dilemma for teacher educators. Within the context of current reform efforts in science education, such as the Next Generation Science Standards, teacher educators are faced with managing the dilemma of how to support a large number of teachers in learning new practices while also considering factors such as time, cost, and effectiveness. Implementation of educative, reform-aligned curricula is one way to reach many teachers at once. However, one question is whether large-scale curriculum implementation can effectively support teachers in learning and sustaining new teaching practices. To address this dilemma, this study used a comparative, multiple case study design to investigate how secondary science teachers engaged in sensemaking about implementation of an innovative science curriculum across the settings of professional development and classroom enactment. In using the concept of sensemaking from organizational theory, I focused specifically on how teachers' roles in social organizations influenced their decisions to implement the curriculum in particular ways, with differing outcomes for their own learning and students' engagement in three-dimensional learning. My research questions explored: (1) patterns in teachers' occasions of sensemaking, including critical noticing of interactions among themselves, the curriculum, and their students; (2) how teachers' social commitments to different communities influenced their sensemaking; and, (3) how sustained sensemaking over time could facilitate teacher learning of rigorous and responsive science teaching practices. In privileging teachers' experiences in the classroom using the curriculum with their students, I used data generated primarily from teacher interviews with their case study coaches about implementation over the course of one school year. Secondary sources of data included artifacts such as teacher-modified curriculum materials, classroom observation notes, and video-recordings of classroom instruction and professional development sessions. Data analysis involved descriptive coding of the interview transcripts and searching for linguistic markers related to components of an occasions of sensemaking. Findings show that teachers engaged in sensemaking about curriculum implementation in multiple and different ways that were either productive or unproductive for their learning of rigorous and responsive science teaching practices. Teachers that had productive outcomes for teacher learning were engaged in sustained sensemaking that involved critical noticing of interactions between the curriculum, themselves, and their students, with the goal of bridging the gap between what the curriculum offered and what their students could do. In contrast, teachers that had unproductive outcomes for teacher learning were engaged in sensemaking that often involved critical noticing of only one aspect and were motivated by local obligations. Four themes emerged: sustained sensemaking over time, the influence of school communities, teacher learning of content, and the influence of teachers' beliefs. Using these findings and themes, I present a model for teacher sensemaking within the context of long-term professional development around implementation of an innovative curriculum, with a mechanism for how teacher learning could occur over time. Implications for science teacher professional development and learning and directions for future research are offered.

Using SurveyMonkey® to teach safe social media strategies to medical students in their clinical years.

PubMed

Bramstedt, Katrina A; Ierna, Ben N; Woodcroft-Brown, Victoria K

2014-01-01

Social media is a valuable tool in the practice of medicine, but it can also be an area of 'treacherous waters' for medical students. Those in their upper years of study are off-site and scattered broadly, undertaking clinical rotations; thus, in-house (university lecture) sessions are impractical. Nonetheless, during these clinical years students are generally high users of social media technology, putting them at risk of harm if they lack appropriate ethical awareness. We created a compulsory session in social media ethics (Doctoring and Social Media) offered in two online modes (narrated PowerPoint file or YouTube video) to fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate medical students. The novelty of our work was the use of SurveyMonkey® to deliver the file links, as well as to take attendance and deliver a post-session performance assessment. All 167 students completed the course and provided feedback. Overall, 73% Agreed or Strongly Agreed the course session would aid their professionalism skills and behaviours, and 95% supported delivery of the curriculum online. The most frequent areas of learning occurred in the following topics: email correspondence with patients, medical photography, and awareness of medical apps. SurveyMonkey® is a valuable and efficient tool for curriculum delivery, attendance taking, and assessment activities.

Single-session tDCS-supported retraining does not improve fine motor control in musician's dystonia.

PubMed

Buttkus, Franziska; Baur, Volker; Jabusch, Hans-Christian; de la Cruz Gomez-Pellin, Maria; Paulus, Walter; Nitsche, Michael A; Altenmüller, Eckart

2011-01-01

Focal dystonia in musicians (MD) is a task-specific movement disorder with a loss of voluntary motor control during instrumental playing. Defective inhibition on different levels of the central nervous system is involved in the pathophysiology. Sensorimotor retraining is a therapeutic approach to MD and aims to establish non-dystonic movements. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability and alters motor performance. In this study, tDCS of the motor cortex was expected to assist retraining at the instrument. Nine professional pianists suffering from MD were included in a placebo-controlled double-blinded study. Retraining consisted of slow, voluntarily controlled movements on the piano and was combined with tDCS. Patients were treated with three stimulation protocols: anodal tDCS, cathodal tDCS and placebo stimulation. No beneficial effects of single-session tDCS-supported sensorimotor retraining on fine motor control in pianists with MD were found in all three conditions. The main cause of the negative result of this study may be the short intervention time. One retraining session with a duration of 20 min seems not sufficient to improve symptoms of MD. Additionally, a single tDCS session might not be sufficient to modify sensorimotor learning of a highly skilled task in musicians with dystonia.

The use of Facebook in medical education--a literature review.

PubMed

Pander, Tanja; Pinilla, Severin; Dimitriadis, Konstantinos; Fischer, Martin R

2014-01-01

The vogue of social media has changed interpersonal communication as well as learning and teaching opportunities in medical education. The most popular social media tool is Facebook. Its features provide potentially useful support for the education of medical students but it also means that some new challenges will have to be faced. This review aimed to find out how Facebook has been integrated into medical education. A systematical review of the current literature and grade of evidence is provided, research gaps are identified, links to prior reviews are drawn and implications for the future are discussed. The authors searched six databases. Inclusion criteria were defined and the authors independently reviewed the search results. The key information of the articles included was methodically abstracted and coded, synthesized and discussed in the categories study design, study participants'phase of medical education and study content. 16 articles met all inclusion criteria. 45-96% of health care professionals in all phases of their medical education have a Facebook profile. Most studies focused on Facebook and digital professionalism. Unprofessional behavior and privacy violations occurred in 0.02% to 16%. In terms of learning and teaching environment, Facebook is well accepted by medical students. It is used to prepare for exams, share online material, discuss clinical cases, organize face-to-face sessions and exchange information on clerkships. A few educational materials to teach Facebook professionalism were positively evaluated. There seems to be no conclusive evidence as to whether medical students benefit from Facebook as a learning environment on higher competence levels. Facebook influences a myriad of aspects of health care professionals, particularly at undergraduate and graduate level in medical education. Despite an increasing number of interventions, there is a lack of conclusive evidence in terms of its educational effectiveness. Furthermore, we suggest that digital professionalism be integrated in established and emerging competency-based catalogues.

The use of Facebook in medical education – A literature review

PubMed Central

Pander, Tanja; Pinilla, Severin; Dimitriadis, Konstantinos; Fischer, Martin R.

2014-01-01

Background: The vogue of social media has changed interpersonal communication as well as learning and teaching opportunities in medical education. The most popular social media tool is Facebook. Its features provide potentially useful support for the education of medical students but it also means that some new challenges will have to be faced. Aims: This review aimed to find out how Facebook has been integrated into medical education. A systematical review of the current literature and grade of evidence is provided, research gaps are identified, links to prior reviews are drawn and implications for the future are discussed. Method: The authors searched six databases. Inclusion criteria were defined and the authors independently reviewed the search results. The key information of the articles included was methodically abstracted and coded, synthesized and discussed in the categories study design, study participants’phase of medical education and study content. Results: 16 articles met all inclusion criteria. 45-96% of health care professionals in all phases of their medical education have a Facebook profile. Most studies focused on Facebook and digital professionalism. Unprofessional behavior and privacy violations occurred in 0.02% to 16%. In terms of learning and teaching environment, Facebook is well accepted by medical students. It is used to prepare for exams, share online material, discuss clinical cases, organize face-to-face sessions and exchange information on clerkships. A few educational materials to teach Facebook professionalism were positively evaluated. There seems to be no conclusive evidence as to whether medical students benefit from Facebook as a learning environment on higher competence levels. Discussion: Facebook influences a myriad of aspects of health care professionals, particularly at undergraduate and graduate level in medical education. Despite an increasing number of interventions, there is a lack of conclusive evidence in terms of its educational effectiveness. Furthermore, we suggest that digital professionalism be integrated in established and emerging competency-based catalogues. PMID:25228935

Optics professional development in North Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilchrist, Pamela O.; Hilliard-Clark, Joyce; Bowles, Tuere

2010-08-01

Using the Photonics Leaders (PL2) program model of recruitment and retention, photonics content, parental engagement, internship, and a hybrid virtual format, the session's goal is to inform outreach coordinators and scientists of strategies used to develop teachers' awareness and skills in teaching Optics to ethnically diverse students who lack traditional experiences in the discipline. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) funded program highlights initial findings of a pilot study with middle and high school teachers from The Science House at North Carolina State University sharing lessons learned and future scale-up plans.

Quantitative and qualitative processes of change during staff-coaching sessions: an exploratory study.

PubMed

van Oorsouw, Wietske M W J; Embregts, Petri J C M; Bosman, Anna M T

2013-05-01

Staff training is one of the interventions that managers can embed in their organizations to help staff improve their professional competences related to challenging behaviour of clients with intellectual disabilities. Individual coaching adds learning opportunities that are feasible but difficult to achieve in an in-service setting. In the present study, we have followed the coaching process of three staff members. Based on differences in the Linell balance of power across sessions, we explored the question: do different coaching processes have similar patterns in the development of dominance and coherence in interactions between coach and staff? Additionally, a qualitative approach was conducted to illustrate and enrich the meaning of quantitative outcomes. Processes were different regarding the balance of power at the start of the coaching, probably due to differences in resistance and insecurity. As a consequence of different starting points and differences in learning styles, each coaching process had its unique development over time. At the end, all dyads were comparable in the sense that all dyads were highly satisfied about the outcomes and process of coaching. This is in line with similar levels of power at the end of the coaching sessions suggesting equal contributions and leadership. The present findings suggest some relevant competencies of coaches within health-care services. Due to the small number of participants, the results have to be interpreted with caution. The present study provides suggestions for future research and clinical practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local contextual processing of abstract and meaningful real-life images in professional athletes.

PubMed

Fogelson, Noa; Fernandez-Del-Olmo, Miguel; Acero, Rafael Martín

2012-05-01

We investigated the effect of abstract versus real-life meaningful images from sports on local contextual processing in two groups of professional athletes. Local context was defined as the occurrence of a short predictive series of stimuli occurring before delivery of a target event. EEG was recorded in 10 professional basketball players and 9 professional athletes of individual sports during three sessions. In each session, a different set of visual stimuli were presented: triangles facing left, up, right, or down; four images of a basketball player throwing a ball; four images of a baseball player pitching a baseball. Stimuli consisted of 15 % targets and 85 % of equal numbers of three types of standards. Recording blocks consisted of targets preceded by randomized sequences of standards and by sequences including a predictive sequence signaling the occurrence of a subsequent target event. Subjects pressed a button in response to targets. In all three sessions, reaction times and peak P3b latencies were shorter for predicted targets compared with random targets, the last most informative stimulus of the predictive sequence induced a robust P3b, and N2 amplitude was larger for random targets compared with predicted targets. P3b and N2 peak amplitudes were larger in the professional basketball group in comparison with professional athletes of individual sports, across the three sessions. The findings of this study suggest that local contextual information is processed similarly for abstract and for meaningful images and that professional basketball players seem to allocate more attentional resources in the processing of these visual stimuli.

Engaging Youth on Climate & Health to Cultivate Community Resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haine, D. B.; Gray, K. M.; Chang, D.; Morton, T.; Steele, B.; Backus, A.; Hauptman, M.

2017-12-01

Cultivating climate literacy among youth positions them to develop solutions and advocate for actions that prepare communities to adapt to climate change, mitigate emissions and ultimately protect human health and well-being, with an eye towards protecting the most vulnerable populations. This presentation will describe an innovative partnership among three university environmental health programs—based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University and Harvard University—and their community collaborators: the Alliance for Climate Education, Boston Children's Hospital Pediatric Environmental Health Center and WE ACT for Environmental Justice. This project engages youth through non-formal educational programming that promotes climate literacy while also building the capacity of today's youth to promote community resilience. This partnership led to the development and implementation of two, long-duration extracurricular youth science enrichment programs in 2017, one in North Carolina (NC) and one in New York, with joint activities conducted virtually and in person to connect students with each other and with leading public health professionals and others working to promote community resilience and climate justice. Forty high school students, 20 from central NC and 20 from West Harlem in New York City, are enrolled in each program. In July 2017, students came together for a 3-day summer institute in NC. This session will feature the strategies, STEM-based activities and resources used in this project to engage students in the examination of their communities, identification and evaluation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies and promotion of community resilience. Programming entailed having students interact with public health professionals, scientists and others to learn about climate impacts to public health and its infrastructure, vulnerable populations and planning for resilient communities. Ultimately, we sought to promote climate literacy among students by providing relevant and authentic learning opportunities using the lenses of human health and social justice. This session will include program evaluation data and lessons learned as students from two different regions of the country came together to explore community resilience.

MedTalks: developing teaching abilities and experience in undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Bandeali, Suhair; Chiang, Albert; Ramnanan, Christopher J

2017-01-01

According to the CanMEDS' Scholar competency, physicians are expected to facilitate the learning of colleagues, patients and other health professionals. However, most medical students are not provided with formal opportunities to gain teaching experience with objective feedback. To address this, the University's Medical Education Interest Group (MEIG) created a pilot teaching program in January 2015 entitled 'MedTalks'. Four 3-hour sessions were held at the University Faculty of Medicine, where first and second year medical students taught clinically oriented topics to undergraduate university students. Each extracurricular session included three 30-minute content lectures, and a 90-minute small group session on physical examination skills. Each medical student-teacher received formal feedback from undergraduate students and from faculty educators regarding teaching style, communication abilities, and professionalism. In addition, medical student-teachers self-evaluated their own teaching experience. Over 50 medical students from the University participated as medical student-teachers. Based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys, 100% of medical students agreed that MedTalks was a useful way to develop teaching skills and 92% gained a greater confidence in individual teaching capabilities, based largely on the opportunity to gain experience (with feedback) in teaching roles. A program designed to give medical students multi-source teaching experience (lecture- and small group-based) and feedback on their teaching (from learners and Faculty observers, in addition to their own self-reflection) can improve medical student confidence and enthusiasm towards teaching. Future studies will clarify if medical student self-perceived enhancements in teaching ability can be corroborated by independent (Faculty, learner) observations of future teaching activity.

Simulated interprofessional education: an analysis of teaching and learning processes.

PubMed

van Soeren, Mary; Devlin-Cop, Sandra; Macmillan, Kathleen; Baker, Lindsay; Egan-Lee, Eileen; Reeves, Scott

2011-11-01

Simulated learning activities are increasingly being used in health professions and interprofessional education (IPE). Specifically, IPE programs are frequently adopting role-play simulations as a key learning approach. Despite this widespread adoption, there is little empirical evidence exploring the teaching and learning processes embedded within this type of simulation. This exploratory study provides insight into the nature of these processes through the use of qualitative methods. A total of 152 clinicians, 101 students and 9 facilitators representing a range of health professions, participated in video-recorded role-plays and debrief sessions. Videotapes were analyzed to explore emerging issues and themes related to teaching and learning processes related to this type of interprofessional simulated learning experience. In addition, three focus groups were conducted with a subset of participants to explore perceptions of their educational experiences. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: enthusiasm and motivation, professional role assignment, scenario realism, facilitator style and background and team facilitation. Our findings suggest that program developers need to be mindful of these five themes when using role-plays in an interprofessional context and point to the importance of deliberate and skilled facilitation in meeting desired learning outcomes.

Remote programming of MED-EL cochlear implants: users' and professionals' evaluation of the remote programming experience.

PubMed

Kuzovkov, Vladislav; Yanov, Yuri; Levin, Sergey; Bovo, Roberto; Rosignoli, Monica; Eskilsson, Gunnar; Willbas, Staffan

2014-07-01

Remote programming is safe and is well received by health-care professionals and cochlear implant (CI) users. It can be adopted into clinic routine as an alternative to face-to-face programming. Telemedicine allows a patient to be treated anywhere in the world. Although it is a growing field, little research has been published on its application to CI programming. We examined hearing professionals' and CI users' subjective reactions to the remote programming experience, including the quality of the programming and the use of the relevant technology. Remote CI programming was performed in Italy, Sweden, and Russia. Programming sessions had three participants: a CI user, a local host, and a remote expert. After the session, each CI user, local host, and remote expert each completed a questionnaire on their experience. In all, 33 remote programming sessions were carried out, resulting in 99 completed questionnaires. The overwhelming majority of study participants responded positively to all aspects of remote programming. CI users were satisfied with the results in 96.9% of the programming sessions; 100% of participants would use remote programming again. Although technical problems were encountered, they did not cause the sessions to be considerably longer than face-to-face sessions.

Teaching Evaluation: Antecedents of Teachers' Perceived Usefulness of Follow-Up Sessions and Perceived Stress Related to the Evaluation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lejonberg, Eli; Elstad, Eyvind; Christophersen, Knut Andreas

2018-01-01

This study examines teaching evaluation based on student feedback which is intended to contribute to teachers' professional development. Although studies have highlighted that teaching evaluation is a potential source of professional development and that follow-up sessions are crucial to this benefit, little attention has been paid to the…

Applying adult learning practices in medical education.

PubMed

Reed, Suzanne; Shell, Richard; Kassis, Karyn; Tartaglia, Kimberly; Wallihan, Rebecca; Smith, Keely; Hurtubise, Larry; Martin, Bryan; Ledford, Cynthia; Bradbury, Scott; Bernstein, Henry Hank; Mahan, John D

2014-07-01

The application of the best practices of teaching adults to the education of adults in medical education settings is important in the process of transforming learners to become and remain effective physicians. Medical education at all levels should be designed to equip physicians with the knowledge, clinical skills, and professionalism that are required to deliver quality patient care. The ultimate outcome is the health of the patient and the health status of the society. In the translational science of medical education, improved patient outcomes linked directly to educational events are the ultimate goal and are best defined by rigorous medical education research efforts. To best develop faculty, the same principles of adult education and teaching adults apply. In a systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to improve teaching effectiveness in medical education, the use of experiential learning, feedback, effective relationships with peers, and diverse educational methods were found to be most important in the success of these programs. In this article, we present 5 examples of applying the best practices in teaching adults and utilizing the emerging understanding of the neurobiology of learning in teaching students, trainees, and practitioners. These include (1) use of standardized patients to develop communication skills, (2) use of online quizzes to assess knowledge and aid self-directed learning, (3) use of practice sessions and video clips to enhance significant learning of teaching skills, (4) use of case-based discussions to develop professionalism concepts and skills, and (5) use of the American Academy of Pediatrics PediaLink as a model for individualized learner-directed online learning. These examples highlight how experiential leaning, providing valuable feedback, opportunities for practice, and stimulation of self-directed learning can be utilized as medical education continues its dynamic transformation in the years ahead. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning the rules of the rock-paper-scissors game: chimpanzees versus children.

PubMed

Gao, Jie; Su, Yanjie; Tomonaga, Masaki; Matsuzawa, Tetsuro

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) could learn a transverse pattern by being trained in the rules of the rock-paper-scissors game in which "paper" beats "rock," "rock" beats "scissors," and "scissors" beats "paper." Additionally, this study compared the learning processes between chimpanzees and children. Seven chimpanzees were tested using a computer-controlled task. They were trained to choose the stronger of two options according to the game rules. The chimpanzees first engaged in the paper-rock sessions until they reached the learning criterion. Subsequently, they engaged in the rock-scissors and scissors-paper sessions, before progressing to sessions with all three pairs mixed. Five of the seven chimpanzees completed training after a mean of 307 sessions, which indicates that they learned the circular pattern. The chimpanzees required more scissors-paper sessions (14.29 ± 6.89), the third learnt pair, than paper-rock (1.71 ± 0.18) and rock-scissors (3.14 ± 0.70) sessions, suggesting they had difficulty finalizing the circularity. The chimpanzees then received generalization tests using new stimuli, which they learned quickly. A similar procedure was performed with children (35-71 months, n = 38) who needed the same number of trials for all three pairs during single-paired sessions. Their accuracy during the mixed-pair sessions improved with age and was better than chance from 50 months of age, which indicates that the ability to solve the transverse patterning problem might develop at around 4 years of age. The present findings show that chimpanzees were able to learn the task but had difficulties with circularity, whereas children learned the task more easily and developed the relevant ability at approximately 4 years of age. Furthermore, the chimpanzees' performance during the mixed-pair sessions was similar to that of 4-year-old children during the corresponding stage of training.

Effects of learning duration on implicit transfer.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kanji; Watanabe, Katsumi

2015-10-01

Implicit learning and transfer in sequence acquisition play important roles in daily life. Several previous studies have found that even when participants are not aware that a transfer sequence has been transformed from the learning sequence, they are able to perform the transfer sequence faster and more accurately; this suggests implicit transfer of visuomotor sequences. Here, we investigated whether implicit transfer could be modulated by the number of trials completed in a learning session. Participants learned a sequence through trial and error, known as the m × n task (Hikosaka et al. in J Neurophysiol 74:1652-1661, 1995). In the learning session, participants were required to successfully perform the same sequence 4, 12, 16, or 20 times. In the transfer session, participants then learned one of two other sequences: one where the button configuration Vertically Mirrored the learning sequence, or a randomly generated sequence. Our results show that even when participants did not notice the alternation rule (i.e., vertical mirroring), their total working time was less and their total number of errors was lower in the transfer session compared with those who performed a Random sequence, irrespective of the number of trials completed in the learning session. This result suggests that implicit transfer likely occurs even over a shorter learning duration.

Your teaching strategy matters: how engagement impacts application in health information literacy instruction.

PubMed

Johnson, Heather A; Barrett, Laura

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare two pedagogical methods, active learning and passive instruction, to determine which is more useful in helping students to achieve the learning outcomes in a one-hour research skills instructional session. Two groups of high school students attended an instructional session to learn about consumer health resources and strategies to enhance their searching skills. The first group received passive instruction, and the second engaged in active learning. We assessed both groups' learning using 2 methods with differing complexity. A total of 59 students attended the instructional sessions (passive instruction, n=28; active learning, n=31). We found that the active learning group scored more favorably in four assessment categories. Active learning may help students engage with and develop a meaningful understanding of several resources in a single session. Moreover, when using a complex teaching strategy, librarians should be mindful to gauge learning using an equally complex assessment method.

Your teaching strategy matters: how engagement impacts application in health information literacy instruction *

PubMed Central

Johnson, Heather A.; Barrett, Laura

2017-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare two pedagogical methods, active learning and passive instruction, to determine which is more useful in helping students to achieve the learning outcomes in a one-hour research skills instructional session. Methods Two groups of high school students attended an instructional session to learn about consumer health resources and strategies to enhance their searching skills. The first group received passive instruction, and the second engaged in active learning. We assessed both groups’ learning using 2 methods with differing complexity. A total of 59 students attended the instructional sessions (passive instruction, n=28; active learning, n=31). Results We found that the active learning group scored more favorably in four assessment categories. Conclusions Active learning may help students engage with and develop a meaningful understanding of several resources in a single session. Moreover, when using a complex teaching strategy, librarians should be mindful to gauge learning using an equally complex assessment method. PMID:28096745

Speech Motor Sequence Learning: Acquisition and Retention in Parkinson Disease and Normal Aging.

PubMed

Whitfield, Jason A; Goberman, Alexander M

2017-06-10

The aim of the current investigation was to examine speech motor sequence learning in neurologically healthy younger adults, neurologically healthy older adults, and individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) over a 2-day period. A sequential nonword repetition task was used to examine learning over 2 days. Participants practiced a sequence of 6 monosyllabic nonwords that was retested following nighttime sleep. The speed and accuracy of the nonword sequence were measured, and learning was inferred by examining performance within and between sessions. Though all groups exhibited comparable improvements of the nonword sequence performance during the initial session, between-session retention of the nonword sequence differed between groups. Younger adult controls exhibited offline gains, characterized by an increase in the speed and accuracy of nonword sequence performance across sessions, whereas older adults exhibited stable between-session performance. Individuals with PD exhibited offline losses, marked by an increase in sequence duration between sessions. The current results demonstrate that both PD and normal aging affect retention of speech motor learning. Furthermore, these data suggest that basal ganglia dysfunction associated with PD may affect the later stages of speech motor learning. Findings from the current investigation are discussed in relation to studies examining consolidation of nonspeech motor learning.

Acceptability of the flipped classroom approach for in-house teaching in emergency medicine.

PubMed

Tan, Eunicia; Brainard, Andrew; Larkin, Gregory L

2015-10-01

To evaluate the relative acceptability of the flipped classroom approach compared with traditional didactics for in-house teaching in emergency medicine. Our department changed its learning model from a 'standard' lecture-based model to a 'flipped classroom' model. The 'flipped classroom' included provided pre-session learning objectives and resources before each 2 h weekly session. In-session activities emphasised active learning strategies and knowledge application. Feedback was sought from all medical staff regarding the acceptability of the new approach using an online anonymous cross-sectional qualitative survey. Feedback was received from 49/57 (86%) medical staff. Ninety-eight per cent (48/49) of respondents preferred the flipped classroom over the traditional approach. Aspects of the flipped classroom learners liked most included case-based discussion, interaction with peers, application of knowledge, self-directed learning and small-group learning. Barriers to pre-session learning include work commitments, 'life', perceived lack of time, family commitments, exam preparation and high volume of learning materials. Reported motivational factors promoting pre-session learning include formal assessment, participation requirements, more time, less material, more clinical relevance and/or more interesting material. Case studies and 'hands-on' activities were perceived to be the most useful in-session activities. The flipped classroom shows promise as an acceptable approach to in-house emergency medicine teaching. © 2015 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Modified team-based learning strategy to improve human anatomy learning: A pilot study at the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia.

PubMed

Martínez, Emilio G; Tuesca, Rafael

2014-01-01

As part of an institutional program sponsored by the Centre for Teaching Excellence at the Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia, we developed an educational research study on two sessions of human anatomy in which we combined team-based learning (TBL) and the use of iPads. Study data included the TBL, assessments applied during the course, student's grades on mid-term examinations and students' perceptions of their experiences. Students reported a positive attitude toward the use of the TBL sessions, and the results showed a significant improvement in their learning between the first and second sessions. Significantly positive correlations (P < 0.05) were obtained between (a) the individual students' readiness test performance 1 and mid-term examination 1, (b) the individual readiness test performances from Session 1 to Session 2, and (c) the group readiness test performances from the first and second sessions. These results point to positive learning experiences for these students. Analyses of the students' reflections on their activities also pointed toward future challenges. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Innovations in nutrition education and global health: the Bangalore Boston nutrition collaborative

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background India has a wide range of nutrition and health problems which require professionals with appropriate skills, knowledge and trans-disciplinary collaborative abilities to influence policy making at the national and global level. Methods The Bangalore Boston Nutrition Collaborative (BBNC) was established as collaboration between St. John’s Research Institute (SJRI), Harvard School of Public Health and Tufts University, with a focus on nutrition research and training. The goals of the BBNC were to conduct an interdisciplinary course, develop web-based courses and identify promising Indian students and junior faculty for graduate training in Boston. Results From 2010, an annual two-week short course in nutrition research methods was conducted on the SJRI campus taught by international faculty from Indian and US universities. More than 100 students applied yearly for approximately 30 positions. The course had didactic lectures in the morning and practical hands-on sessions in the afternoon. Student rating of the course was excellent and consistent across the years. The ratings on the design and conduct of the course significantly improved (p <0.001) from 2010 to 2012. Through open-ended questions, students reported the main strengths of the course to be the excellent faculty and practical “hands-on” sessions. A web based learning system TYRO, was developed, which can be used for distance learning. Four faculty members/graduate students from SJRI have visited Boston for collaborative research efforts. Conclusion The BBNC has become a well-established capacity building and research training program for young professionals in nutrition and global health. Efforts are ongoing to secure long term funding to sustain and expand this collaboration to deliver high quality nutrition and global health education enabled by information and communication technologies. PMID:24400811

Innovations in nutrition education and global health: the Bangalore Boston nutrition collaborative.

PubMed

Kuriyan, Rebecca; Griffiths, Jeffrey K; Finkelstein, Julia L; Thomas, Tinku; Raj, Tony; Bosch, Ronald J; Kurpad, Anura V; Duggan, Christopher

2014-01-08

India has a wide range of nutrition and health problems which require professionals with appropriate skills, knowledge and trans-disciplinary collaborative abilities to influence policy making at the national and global level. The Bangalore Boston Nutrition Collaborative (BBNC) was established as collaboration between St. John's Research Institute (SJRI), Harvard School of Public Health and Tufts University, with a focus on nutrition research and training. The goals of the BBNC were to conduct an interdisciplinary course, develop web-based courses and identify promising Indian students and junior faculty for graduate training in Boston. From 2010, an annual two-week short course in nutrition research methods was conducted on the SJRI campus taught by international faculty from Indian and US universities. More than 100 students applied yearly for approximately 30 positions. The course had didactic lectures in the morning and practical hands-on sessions in the afternoon. Student rating of the course was excellent and consistent across the years. The ratings on the design and conduct of the course significantly improved (p <0.001) from 2010 to 2012. Through open-ended questions, students reported the main strengths of the course to be the excellent faculty and practical "hands-on" sessions. A web based learning system TYRO, was developed, which can be used for distance learning. Four faculty members/graduate students from SJRI have visited Boston for collaborative research efforts. The BBNC has become a well-established capacity building and research training program for young professionals in nutrition and global health. Efforts are ongoing to secure long term funding to sustain and expand this collaboration to deliver high quality nutrition and global health education enabled by information and communication technologies.

Practice development 'without walls' and the quandary of corporate practice.

PubMed

Graham, Iain; Fielding, Carol; Rooke, Debbie; Keen, Steven

2006-08-01

The context of this study is a group of clinical nurse specialists from across a Trust seeking accreditation as a practice development unit. The university was asked to facilitate the accreditation process via 11 2-hour learning sessions (including a one-hour focus group). During initial discussions between the university and practice development unit, the overarching research question for this study was set as: 'what are the main roles and responsibilities of clinical nurse specialists?' Although there is no known study of a practice development unit based beyond a ward or speciality, the central tenet of the practice development unit literature is that units must demonstrate their worth if they are to survive and harness senior management support in doing so. Data gleaned from the transcribed audio tape-recordings of the learning sessions were studied at least three times to ensure transcription accuracy and produce detailed charts. Ethical approval was granted by the appropriate Local Research Ethics Committee and written informed consent obtained from clinical nurse specialists. The study lasted 30 months and ended in October 2004. The four crucial statements that give meaning to specialist practice are: quality care giver; expert; information giver and initiator of change. Further analysis reveals the area of corporate and political practice as being missing from this and other lists of clinical nurse specialist attributes found in the literature. Clinical nurse specialists characterize their relationship with the Trust in terms of dichotomy--differing agendas and perceptions of value. The specialist role requires professional development in the areas of corporate and political acumen and professional business management. While the findings of this study relate to one Trust and a group of 16 clinical nurse specialists, with careful application they may be transferable to other settings and groups of senior nurses.

Get on your boots: preparing fourth-year medical students for a career in surgery, using a focused curriculum to teach the competency of professionalism.

PubMed

Hultman, Charles S; Connolly, Annamarie; Halvorson, Eric G; Rowland, Pamela; Meyers, Michael O; Mayer, David C; Drake, Amelia F; Sheldon, George F; Meyer, Anthony A

2012-10-01

Few educational programs exist for medical students that address professionalism in surgery, even though this core competency is required for graduate medical education and maintenance of board certification. Lapses in professional behavior occur commonly in surgical disciplines, with a negative effect on the operative team and patient care. Therefore, education regarding professionalism should begin early in the surgeon's formative process, to improve behavior. The goal of this project was to enhance the attitudes and knowledge of medical students regarding professionalism, to help them understand the role of professionalism in a surgical practice. We implemented a 4-h seminar, spread out as 1-h sessions over the course of their month-long rotation, for 4th-year medical students serving as acting interns (AIs) in General Surgery, a surgical subspecialty, Obstetrics/Gynecology, or Anesthesia. Teaching methods included lecture, small group discussion, case studies, and journal club. Topics included Cognitive/Ethical Basis of Professionalism, Behavioral/Social Components of Professionalism, Managing Yourself, and Leading While You Work. We assessed attitudes about professionalism with a pre-course survey and tracked effect on learning and behavior with a post-course questionnaire. We asked AIs to rate the egregiousness of 30 scenarios involving potential lapses in professionalism. A total of 104 AIs (mean age, 26.5 y; male to female ratio, 1.6:1) participated in our course on professionalism in surgery. Up to 17.8% of the AIs had an alternate career before coming to medical school. Distribution of intended careers was: General Surgery, 27.4%; surgical subspecialties, 46.6%; Obstetrics/Gynecology, 13.7%; and Anesthesia, 12.3%. Acting interns ranked professionalism as the third most important of the six core competencies, after clinical skills and medical knowledge, but only slightly ahead of communication. Most AIs believed that professionalism could be taught and learned, and that the largest obstacle was not enough time in the curriculum. The most effective reported teaching methods were mentoring and modeling; lecture and journal club were the effective. Regarding attitudes toward professionalism, the most egregious examples of misconduct were substance abuse, illegal billing, boundary issues, sexual harassment, and lying about patient data, whereas the least egregious examples were receiving textbooks or honoraria from drug companies, advertising, self-prescribing for family members, and exceeding work-hour restrictions. The most important attributes of the professional were integrity and honesty, whereas the least valued were autonomy and altruism. The AIs reported that the course significantly improved their ability to define professionalism, identify attributes of the professional, understand the importance of professionalism, and integrate these concepts into practice (all P < 0.01). Although medical students interested in surgery may already have well-formed attitudes and sophisticated knowledge about professionalism, this core competency can still be taught to and learned by trainees pursuing a surgical career. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[French language training course: malaria workshop organized by Institut Pasteur de Madagascar].

PubMed

Domarle, O; Randrianarivelojosia, M; Duchemin, J B; Robert, V; Ariey, F; Hommel, M

2007-10-01

The Malaria Workshop organized by Institut Pasteur de Madagascar is an original course that applies innovative concepts to training of health professionals involved in malaria control in endemic countries. Course objectives are to enhance the skills needed to fight malaria (transversal competencies, critical approach, and position statement), to reinforce project cycle management proficiency, and to demonstrate how the Internet can be used as a source of documentation to compensate for geographical isolation. The Malaria Workshop is a six-consecutive-week full-day course that has been presented once a year since 2003. Seventy-six researchers, physicians or health ministry officials have already benefited from this training. Teaching methods emphasize andragogy that facilitates a learner/mentor relationship promoting exchange rather than transmission of knowledge and problem-based learning that engages learners to take an active part in gathering information. These methods in combination with the diverse backgrounds and experience of course participants foster a positive dynamic environment for learning that is monitored by weekly progress evaluation. Follow-up surveys have confirmed the positive effect of this training on the professional performance of former participants who become more involved in program development and fund-raising efforts. A professional network is growing and learners are starting to their experience. In this report workshop organizers describe the course's origins and concepts and present the conclusions drawn based on the first five yearly sessions.

Striving for Excellence. The International Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (Atlanta, Georgia, March 4-7, 1992). Research Poster Session Abstract. Volume 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Steven C., Comp.

Eleven abstracts of research projects related to individuals with learning disabilities are compiled in this booklet. The research projects were presented in poster sessions at the March 1992 International Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Titles and authors of poster sessions include: "Perceptual and Verbal Skills of…

Student-centred learning in Community Medicine: An experience from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry.

PubMed

Kar, S S; Premarajan, K C; L, Subitha; Archana, R; Iswarya, S; A, Sujiv

2014-01-01

Student-centred learning (SCL) places the student at the centre of policies, practices and decision-making in the teaching-learning process. SCL methodology also advocates active involvement of students in the curriculum planning, selection of teaching-learning methods and assessment process. We planned an education innovation project to assess the perception of fifth semester undergraduate medical students towards implementation of an SCL methodology. The study was done among 87 fifth semester undergraduate medical students (batch of 2010-11) in the noncommunicable disease epidemiology section of Community Medicine at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry. The students divided themselves into seven groups and developed the learning objectives, selected teaching-learning methods and assessment process for each session. The facilitators had 3-5 rounds of interaction with each group before the session. Qualitative analysis of feedback collected from students and external faculty after each session was done. The effect of implementing the SCL methodology was assessed by the reaction level of Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model by using a rating scale Results. Of the 87 eligible students, 73 (83.9%) returned the forms for evaluation. All seven groups were able to formulate the learning objectives. Most of the groups had used PowerPoint slides and videos as a teaching-learning tool. Innovative assessment methods such as crosswords and 'chocopati' were used by some groups. In general, the perception of students was favourable towards SCL compared to conventional methods and they felt that this methodology should be adopted more often. Time management and organization of sessions were the main problems encountered by the students. The mean (SD) score for the items 'sessions were useful', 'sessions were enjoyable' and 'sessions improved my knowledge' were 6.2 (1.8), 7.1 (1.8) and 6.3 (1.9), respectively. The majority of students found the sessions on innovative teaching-learning and assessment techniques enjoyable, useful and informative. The sessions showed that students took an active part in curriculum planning, execution and evaluation. Copyright 2014, NMJI.

Ways of Knowing as Learning Styles: Learning MAGIC with a Partner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galotti, Kathleen M.; Drebus, David W.; Reimer, Rebecca L.

2001-01-01

College student pairs learned a complex card game using a scripted set of turns and written explanations, played the game, rated perceptions of and reactions to the learning session and their partner, and completed the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Scale. Significant differences in perceptions of partners and sessions related to…

Rethinking the lecture: the application of problem based learning methods to atypical contexts.

PubMed

Rogal, Sonya M M; Snider, Paul D

2008-05-01

Problem based learning is a teaching and learning strategy that uses a problematic stimulus as a means of motivating and directing students to develop and acquire knowledge. Problem based learning is a strategy that is typically used with small groups attending a series of sessions. This article describes the principles of problem based learning and its application in atypical contexts; large groups attending discrete, stand-alone sessions. The principles of problem based learning are based on Socratic teaching, constructivism and group facilitation. To demonstrate the application of problem based learning in an atypical setting, this article focuses on the graduate nurse intake from a teaching hospital. The groups are relatively large and meet for single day sessions. The modified applications of problem based learning to meet the needs of atypical groups are described. This article contains a step by step guide of constructing a problem based learning package for large, single session groups. Nurse educators facing similar groups will find they can modify problem based learning to suit their teaching context.

Rotation as a course: lessons learned from developing a hybrid online/on-ground approach to general surgical resident education.

PubMed

Maddaus, Michael A; Chipman, Jeffrey G; Whitson, Bryan A; Groth, Shawn S; Schmitz, Connie C

2008-01-01

To improve the consistency and the quality of resident education on clinical rotations, 5 surgical rotations (thoracic, bariatrics, surgical oncology, pediatrics, and critical care) were restructured "as courses" with learning objectives, educational activities (online and on-ground), pretests, posttests, and oral examinations. University surgical training program in a large metropolitan area, which serves approximately 65 residents per year. The online course management system, WebCT/VISTA (Blackboard Inc., Washington, DC), was used to build 5 online course sites. To engage and garner support from faculty, several organizational change tactics and resources were employed, such as Grand Rounds presentations, a faculty retreat, consultation and support from professional staff, and the use of residents as reviewers and codevelopers. To support resident use of the online sites, a designated education coordinator provided individual and group orientation sessions and employed weekly tracking and reminder systems; completion of pretests and posttests was mandated. Between 6 and 8 learning modules were created per rotation, with over 50 reading assignments (collectively) and 45 online presentations. Since July 2006, 53 residents have completed a total of 106 rotations on these services. Preliminary results from a longitudinal study suggest that the hybrid approach is well received and effective when fully executed, but that online course materials are used by residents only if they feel that the faculty members are truly engaged and actively promoting the site. Changing the culture of learning on rotation to include learning objectives, assessment, and integrated online/on-ground activities takes significant leadership, resident input, professional staff support, faculty engagement, and time.

Undergraduate Program: New Orleans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betsock, Lori

2008-03-01

Undergraduate chemical science students—join us in New Orleans on April 6-7, 2008 for an educational program designed specifically for you. Attend symposia on chemistry in sports and health and learn how it impacts your life everyday; meet with graduate school recruiters. Focus on your professional future in chemistry by learning more about careers in public health and how to communicate and work effectively with cross-functional teams. Hear eminent scientist Richard B. Silverman (John Evans Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University and author of The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action 2004) speak about "Drug Discovery: Ingenuity or Serendipity?" All events will take place at the Hilton Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, except the Undergraduate Research Poster Sessions and Sci-Mix, both of which will be held in Hall A of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Enhancing Education Activities for Health Care Trainees and Professionals Using Audience Response Systems: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Grzeskowiak, Luke E; Thomas, Alicia E; To, Josephine; Phillips, Adam J; Reeve, Emily

2015-01-01

This review examines the effect of incorporating clickers within practice-based education sessions on educational outcomes of health care trainees and professionals. A systematic literature review was conducted on primary research studies published up until August 2014. Studies were identified by database searching (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsychInfo), citation searching, and reference list checking. Studies were restricted to those evaluating the use of clickers as part of the provision of postgraduate education or continuing education programs and were evaluated according to Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation (reaction, learning, behavior, and results). Seventeen studies met the eligibility criteria. Twelve studies assessed learner and/or speaker reactions, with feedback overwhelmingly positive in all studies. Reported learner benefits included increased attentiveness, engagement, and enjoyment of presentations. Speakers reported that using clickers engaged the audience and assisted in assessing audience comprehension. Eight studies assessed learning outcomes. Higher level evidence obtained from four randomized studies demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge with the use of clickers compared with traditional didactic presentations, but no differences when clickers were compared with an interactive lecture with integrated questions. No studies adequately assessed higher level educational outcomes (behavior and results). Although the use of clickers improves learning environment and learner satisfaction, the limited high-quality data for improvements in learning and behavior outcomes make it uncertain whether the acceptance and implementation of clickers within routine practice-based education programs are warranted at this stage.

Relationships between rating-of-perceived-exertion- and heart-rate-derived internal training load in professional soccer players: a comparison of on-field integrated training sessions.

PubMed

Campos-Vazquez, Miguel Angel; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto; Gonzalez-Jurado, Jose Antonio; León-Prados, Juan Antonio; Santalla, Alfredo; Suarez-Arrones, Luis

2015-07-01

To describe the internal training load (ITL) of common training sessions performed during a typical week and to determine the relationships between different indicators of ITL commonly employed in professional football (soccer). Session-rating-of-perceived-exertion TL (sRPE-TL) and heart-rate- (HR) derived measurements of ITL as Edwards TL and Stagno training impulses (TRIMPMOD) were used in 9 players during 3 periods of the season. The relationships between them were analyzed in different training sessions during a typical week: skill drills/circuit training + small-sided games (SCT+SSGs), ball-possession games+technical-tactical exercises (BPG+TTE), tactical training (TT), and prematch activation (PMa). HR values obtained during SCT+SSGs and BPG+TTE were substantially greater than those in the other 2 sessions, all the ITL markers and session duration were substantially greater in SCT+SSGs than in any other session, and all ITL measures in BPG+TTE were substantially greater than in TT and PMa sessions. Large relationships were found between HR>80% HRmax and HR>90% HRmax vs sRPE-TL during BPG+TTE and TT sessions (r=.61-.68). Very large relationships were found between Edwards TL and sRPE-TL and between TRIMPMOD and sRPE-TL in sessions with BPG+TTE and TT (r=.73-.87). Correlations between the different HR-based methods were always extremely large (r=.92-.98), and unclear correlations were observed for other relationships between variables. sRPE-TL provided variable-magnitude within-individual correlations with HR-derived measures of training intensity and load during different types of training sessions typically performed during a week in professional soccer. Caution should be applied when using RPE- or HR-derived measures of exercise intensity/load in soccer training interchangeably.

Education on electrical phenomena involved in electroporation-based therapies and treatments: a blended learning approach.

PubMed

Čorović, Selma; Mahnič-Kalamiza, Samo; Miklavčič, Damijan

2016-04-07

Electroporation-based applications require multidisciplinary expertise and collaboration of experts with different professional backgrounds in engineering and science. Beginning in 2003, an international scientific workshop and postgraduate course electroporation based technologies and treatments (EBTT) has been organized at the University of Ljubljana to facilitate transfer of knowledge from leading experts to researches, students and newcomers in the field of electroporation. In this paper we present one of the integral parts of EBTT: an e-learning practical work we developed to complement delivery of knowledge via lectures and laboratory work, thus providing a blended learning approach on electrical phenomena involved in electroporation-based therapies and treatments. The learning effect was assessed via a pre- and post e-learning examination test composed of 10 multiple choice questions (i.e. items). The e-learning practical work session and both of the e-learning examination tests were carried out after the live EBTT lectures and other laboratory work. Statistical analysis was performed to compare and evaluate the learning effect measured in two groups of students: (1) electrical engineers and (2) natural scientists (i.e. medical doctors, biologists and chemists) undergoing the e-learning practical work in 2011-2014 academic years. Item analysis was performed to assess the difficulty of each item of the examination test. The results of our study show that the total score on the post examination test significantly improved and the item difficulty in both experimental groups decreased. The natural scientists reached the same level of knowledge (no statistical difference in total post-examination test score) on the post-course test take, as do electrical engineers, although the engineers started with statistically higher total pre-test examination score, as expected. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether the educational content the e-learning practical work presented to the students with different professional backgrounds enhanced their knowledge acquired via lectures during EBTT. We compared the learning effect assessed in two experimental groups undergoing the e-learning practical work: electrical engineers and natural scientists. The same level of knowledge on the post-course examination was reached in both groups. The results indicate that our e-learning platform supported by blended learning approach provides an effective learning tool for populations with mixed professional backgrounds and thus plays an important role in bridging the gap between scientific domains involved in electroporation-based technologies and treatments.

Health professional learner attitudes and use of digital learning resources.

PubMed

Maloney, Stephen; Chamberlain, Michael; Morrison, Shane; Kotsanas, George; Keating, Jennifer L; Ilic, Dragan

2013-01-16

Web-based digital repositories allow educational resources to be accessed efficiently and conveniently from diverse geographic locations, hold a variety of resource formats, enable interactive learning, and facilitate targeted access for the user. Unlike some other learning management systems (LMS), resources can be retrieved through search engines and meta-tagged labels, and content can be streamed, which is particularly useful for multimedia resources. The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful. The following data were examined using an audit of the repository server: (1) number of online resources accessed per day in 2010, (2) number of each type of resource accessed, (3) number of resources accessed during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) and outside business hours (years 1-4), (4) session length of each log-on (years 1-4), and (5) video quality (bit rate) of each video accessed. An online questionnaire and 3 focus groups assessed student feedback and self-reported experiences of Physeek. Students preferred the support provided by Physeek to other sources of educational material primarily because of its efficiency. Peak usage commonly occurred at times of increased academic need (ie, examination times). Students perceived online repositories as a potential tool to support lifelong learning and health care delivery. The results of this study indicate that today's health professional students welcome the benefits of online learning resources because of their convenience and usability. This represents a transition away from traditional learning styles and toward technological learning support and may indicate a growing link between social immersions in Internet-based connections and learning styles. The true potential for Web-based resources to support student learning is as yet unknown.

Health Professional Learner Attitudes and Use of Digital Learning Resources

PubMed Central

Chamberlain, Michael; Morrison, Shane; Kotsanas, George; Keating, Jennifer L; Ilic, Dragan

2013-01-01

Background Web-based digital repositories allow educational resources to be accessed efficiently and conveniently from diverse geographic locations, hold a variety of resource formats, enable interactive learning, and facilitate targeted access for the user. Unlike some other learning management systems (LMS), resources can be retrieved through search engines and meta-tagged labels, and content can be streamed, which is particularly useful for multimedia resources. Objective The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful. Methods The following data were examined using an audit of the repository server: (1) number of online resources accessed per day in 2010, (2) number of each type of resource accessed, (3) number of resources accessed during business hours (9 am to 5 pm) and outside business hours (years 1-4), (4) session length of each log-on (years 1-4), and (5) video quality (bit rate) of each video accessed. An online questionnaire and 3 focus groups assessed student feedback and self-reported experiences of Physeek. Results Students preferred the support provided by Physeek to other sources of educational material primarily because of its efficiency. Peak usage commonly occurred at times of increased academic need (ie, examination times). Students perceived online repositories as a potential tool to support lifelong learning and health care delivery. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that today’s health professional students welcome the benefits of online learning resources because of their convenience and usability. This represents a transition away from traditional learning styles and toward technological learning support and may indicate a growing link between social immersions in Internet-based connections and learning styles. The true potential for Web-based resources to support student learning is as yet unknown. PMID:23324800

Inaugural conference of the International Association of Immunization Managers (IAIM), Istanbul Turkey, 3-4 March 2015.

PubMed

Carrasco, Peter; Franco-Paredes, Carlos; Andrus, Jon; Waller, Katie; Maassen, Alison; Symenouh, Emi; Hafalia, Gabrielle

2015-08-07

For more than 35 years, most national immunization programs have established managerial structures and processes for delivering vaccination services to their populations. These days, immunization managers are facing an increasing number of challenges due to the introduction of new vaccines, shifting demographic patterns, complex networks of service providers, and maintaining the gains achieved with previous vaccination efforts. To confront these challenges, better program performance will require better managerial practices, which incorporates new technologies. To that end, the International Association of Immunization Managers (IAIM) is the first global professional association launched to promote superior leadership and management skills among health professionals involved with vaccination efforts worldwide. From 3 to 4 March 2015, approximately 132 members from 70 countries representing six regions, gathered in Istanbul, Turkey for the inaugural conference of IAIM. In the two-day program, members selected thirteen peers to constitute the Governing Council. The 12 articles of the bylaws of the Association were also ratified. This conference was a forum for sharing managerial best practices through networking sessions, breakout sessions, and presentations. Members also learned about IAIM sponsored training opportunities to deepen their managerial competencies through peer-to-peer exchanges and scholarship training programs. We believe that the IAIM inaugural conference was an appropriate platform for equipping managers with tools and professional network of peers to support them in achieving national, regional and global immunization goals, including those of the Global Vaccine Action Plan of the World Health Organization. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Recognising and developing students as teachers: Introduction of a novel Undergraduate Certificate in Veterinary Medical Education.

PubMed

Hudson, Neil; Stansbie, Nigel; Rhind, Susan; Brown, Gillian; Handel, Ian; Mellanby, Richard; Bell, Catriona

2016-01-01

A key responsibility of healthcare professionals is the education of clients/patients, colleagues and students undertaking placements. Peer-assisted learning (PAL) has been incorporated in our veterinary medicine programme for a number of years. The aim of this project was to develop a mechanism to formally recognise the important role that students play in the School's teaching and learning processes and foster students as partners in education through the development of a novel Undergraduate Certificate in Veterinary Medical Education (UCVME). Students and veterinarians were surveyed in order to inform the design of the programme. The programme is modular and aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). Students enrol in their third year, undertaking core and elective components, with completion over the final three years of the degree. The UCVME has been positively received, with 30 of 160 third year students enrolling in the programme's first year. Activities receiving credit and designed in partnership between staff and students have included: PAL sessions, widening participation school educational workshops and client education events. This initiative has created numerous student-driven educational opportunities. It is hoped that this programme will facilitate the educational training of students and enhance employability and career satisfaction.

Teaching Strategies for Developing Students' Argumentation Skills About Socioscientific Issues in High School Genetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Vaille Maree; Venville, Grady

2010-03-01

An outcome of science education is that young people have the understandings and skills to participate in public debate and make informed decisions about science issues that influence their lives. Toulmin’s argumentation skills are emerging as an effective strategy to enhance the quality of evidence based decision making in science classrooms. In this case study, an Australian science teacher participated in a one-on-one professional learning session on argumentation before explicitly teaching argumentation skills to two year 10 classes studying genetics. Over two lessons, the teacher used whole class discussion and writing frames of two socioscientific issues to teach students about argumentation. An analysis of classroom observation field notes, audiotaped lesson transcripts, writing frames and student interviews indicate that four factors promoted student argumentation. The factors are: the role of the teacher in facilitating whole class discussion; the use of writing frames; the context of the socioscientific issue; and the role of the students. It is recommended that professional learning to promote student argumentation may need to be tailored to individual teachers and that extensive classroom based research is required to determine the impact of classroom factors on students’ argumentation.

Microvascular Anastomosis: Proposition of a Learning Curve.

PubMed

Mokhtari, Pooneh; Tayebi Meybodi, Ali; Benet, Arnau; Lawton, Michael T

2018-04-14

Learning to perform a microvascular anastomosis is one of the most difficult tasks in cerebrovascular surgery. Previous studies offer little regarding the optimal protocols to maximize learning efficiency. This failure stems mainly from lack of knowledge about the learning curve of this task. To delineate this learning curve and provide information about its various features including acquisition, improvement, consistency, stability, and recall. Five neurosurgeons with an average surgical experience history of 5 yr and without any experience in bypass surgery performed microscopic anastomosis on progressively smaller-caliber silastic tubes (Biomet, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) during 24 consecutive sessions. After a 1-, 2-, and 8-wk retention interval, they performed recall test on 0.7-mm silastic tubes. The anastomoses were rated based on anastomosis patency and presence of any leaks. Improvement rate was faster during initial sessions compared to the final practice sessions. Performance decline was observed in the first session of working on a smaller-caliber tube. However, this rapidly improved during the following sessions of practice. Temporary plateaus were seen in certain segments of the curve. The retention interval between the acquisition and recall phase did not cause a regression to the prepractice performance level. Learning the fine motor task of microvascular anastomosis adapts to the basic rules of learning such as the "power law of practice." Our results also support the improvement of performance during consecutive sessions of practice. The objective evidence provided may help in developing optimized learning protocols for microvascular anastomosis.

Interdisciplinary education for genetic counselors: developing the concept and assessing the need in australasia.

PubMed

Mann, Kirsty J; Taylor, Jessica A; James, Paul A; Gaff, Clara

2014-10-01

Interdisciplinary teams are increasingly common in healthcare as a means of improving patient care and there is consensus in the literature that a formalized framework of interdisciplinary education for health professionals is an advantageous means of professional development. To our knowledge no such application to genetic counseling has been reported. Prompted by limited direct exposure to the oncology processes discussed during genetic counseling sessions, two genetic counselors completed an interdisciplinary education exercise by observing various oncology settings. As intended we gained a deeper understanding of the: (1) Roles of other health professionals within the oncology interdisciplinary team, (2) Patient experience of cancer screening and treatment, and (3) Clinical processes relevant to cancer genetic counselors' discussions. In addition, further benefits resulted from (4) Insight into how patients and referring providers utilize the FCC within wider oncology care and (5) Strengthening of relationships between the FCC and other oncology-related teams. The observation experience and resulting learnings are described in this paper. To investigate wider application of this novel initiative, a survey of Australasian genetic counselors was conducted, finding that genetic counselors mostly source knowledge about oncology procedures through indirect means and that, overall, anecdotal descriptions from patients were the most common information source (74 %). Over 95 % of respondents expected that interdisciplinary observations would be a beneficial part of their professional development and almost 90 % expected the program to be potentially feasible in their workplace. These findings indicate there is a role for interdisciplinary education to be considered as a formal continual learning tool for genetic counselors.

Teaching methodologies to promote creativity in the professional skills related to optics knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Oliveras, Alicia; Fernandez, Paz; Peña-García, Antonio; Oliveras, Maria L.

2014-07-01

We present the methodologies proposed and applied in the context of a teaching-innovation project developed at the University of Granada, Spain. The main objective of the project is the implementation of teaching methodologies that promote the creativity in the learning process and, subsequently, in the acquisition of professional skills. This project involves two subjects related with optics knowledge in undergraduate students. The subjects are "Illumination Engineering" (Bachelor's degree in Civil-Engineering) and "Optical and Optometric Instrumentation" (Bachelor's degree in and Optics and Optometry). For the first subject, the activities of our project were carried out in the theoretical classes. By contrast, in the case of the second subject, such activities were designed for the laboratory sessions. For "Illumination Engineering" we applied the maieutic technique. With this method the students were encouraged to establish relationships between the main applications of the subject and concepts that apparently unrelated with the subject framework. By means of several examples, the students became aware of the importance of cross-curricular and lateral thinking. We used the technique based on protocols of control and change in "Optical and Optometric Instrumentation". The modus operandi was focused on prompting the students to adopt the role of the professionals and to pose questions to themselves concerning the practical content of the subject from that professional role. This mechanism boosted the critical capacity and the independent-learning ability of the students. In this work, we describe in detail both subject proposals and the results of their application in the 2011-2012 academic course.

The combination of short rest and energy drink consumption as fatigue countermeasures during a prolonged drive of professional truck drivers.

PubMed

Ronen, Adi; Oron-Gilad, Tal; Gershon, Pnina

2014-06-01

One of the major concerns for professional drivers is fatigue. Many studies evaluated specific fatigue countermeasures, in many cases comparing the efficiency of each method separately. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of rest areas combined with consumption of energy drinks on professional truck drivers during a prolonged simulated drive. Fifteen professional truck drivers participated in three experimental sessions: control-drivers were asked to drink 500 ml of a placebo drink prior to the beginning of the drive. Energy drink-drivers were asked to drink 500 ml of an energy drink containing 160 mg of caffeine prior to the beginning of the drive, and an Energy drink+Rest session--where the drivers were asked to drink 500 ml of an energy drink prior to driving, and rest for 10 min at a designated rest area zone 100 min into the drive. For all sessions, driving duration was approximately 150 min and consisted of driving on a monotonous, two-way rural road. In addition to driving performance measures, subjective measures, and heart rate variability were obtained. Results indicated that consumption of an energy drink (in both sessions) facilitated lower lane position deviations and reduced steering wheel deviations during the first 80-100 min of the drive relative to the control sessions. Resting after 100 min of driving, in addition to the energy drink that was consumed before the drive, enabled the drivers to maintain these abilities throughout the remainder of the driving session. Practical applications: Practical applications arising from the results of this research may give indication on the possible added value of combining fatigue counter measures methods during a prolonged drive and the importance of the timing of the use for each method. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can professionalism be taught? Encouraging evidence.

PubMed

Hochberg, Mark S; Kalet, Adina; Zabar, Sondra; Kachur, Elizabeth; Gillespie, Colleen; Berman, Russell S

2010-01-01

Teaching and assessing the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies of Professionalism and Communication have proven to be a challenge for surgical residency training programs. This study used innovative pedagogic approaches and tools in teaching these two competencies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the learners actually are assimilating and using the concepts and values communicated through this curriculum. A six-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was designed using standardized patients to create varying Professionalism and Communication scenarios. The surgical resident learners were evaluated using these OSCEs as a baseline. The faculty then facilitated a specially designed curriculum consisting of six interactive sessions focusing on information gathering, rapport building, patient education, delivering bad news, responding to emotion, and interdisciplinary respect. At the conclusion of this curriculum, the surgical resident learners took the same six-station OSCE to determine if their professionalism and communication skills had improved. The surgical resident learners were rated by the standardized patients according to a strict task checklist of criteria at both the precurricular and postcurricular OSCEs. Improvement in the competencies of Professionalism and Communication did achieve statistical significance (P = .029 and P = .011, respectively). This study suggests that the Communication and Professionalism ACGME competencies can be taught to surgical resident learners through a carefully crafted curriculum. Furthermore, these newly learned competencies can affect surgical resident interactions with their patients positively.

Conflicting Frames: A Case of Misalignment between Professional Development Efforts and a Teacher's Practice in a High School Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyd-Metzuyanim, Einat; Munter, Charles; Greeno, James

2018-01-01

We examine the case of a lesson planning session within the context of professional development for dialogic instruction, and the lesson enacted following this session, which was intended to provide opportunities to 11th and 12th grade algebra students to explore polynomial functions in terms of their roots and linear factors. Our goal was,…

Learning from patients: students' perceptions of patient-instructors.

PubMed

Henriksen, Ann-Helen; Ringsted, Charlotte

2011-09-01

Prior research on the use of patients as teachers has focused on testing the effectiveness of this practice and exploring its benefits for students. However, very little is known about the added value of patient teaching and how it relates to patient-centred learning. The aim of this study was to explore whether there is added value in using patients as instructors in health professions education and, if there is, to examine how it is constituted. Group interviews were conducted with physiotherapy and occupational therapy students who had attended a 3-hour optional class entitled 'Thoughtful joint examination and respectful patient contact'. This class was delivered by patient-instructors (PIs), who were patients with rheumatism certified to teach. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Interviews continued until data saturation occurred (seven interviews). The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using content analysis. The main finding of this study is that PI sessions facilitate a learning environment in which the content matter is complemented by the provision of realism and individual perspectives on rheumatism, the pedagogical format is characterised by authenticity and intimacy in the style of instruction and feedback, and the PI-student relationship is characterised by balanced teacher-student power relations that support the legitimacy of learning and make space for the asking of questions and the making of mistakes. This study indicates that, in terms of power relations, the PI-student relationship differs from those between faculty teachers and students, and students and patients in the clinic. The formation of a professional identity by students may clash with the fulfilment of their learning tasks in the clinical environment. The study indicates that patient-centredness can be fostered in the PI-student relationship. This is probably supported by the absence of faculty staff involvement in PI teaching sessions. However, further empirical research is required on what, how and why students learn from patients in different learning contexts. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

Further characterization of an aversive learning task in Drosophila melanogaster: intensity of the stimulus, relearning, and use of rutabaga mutants.

PubMed

Perisse, Emmanuel; Portelli, Geoffrey; Le Goas, Solène; Teste, Elsa; Le Bourg, Eric

2007-11-01

Various learning tasks have been described in Drosophila melanogaster, flies being either tested in groups or at the individual level. Le Bourg and Buecher (Anim Learn Behav 33:330-341, 2002) have designed a task at the individual level: photopositive flies crossing a T-maze learn to prefer the dark exit when the lighted one is associated with the presence of aversive stimuli (humidity and quinine). Previous studies have reported various results (e.g. no effect of age) and the present article further characterizes this task by studying the possible effects of: (1) the intensity of the stimuli (quantity of water or concentration of quinine), (2) various delays between two learning sessions on the learning score at the second session, (3) the rutabaga learning mutation on the learning score. More concentrated quinine solutions increased learning scores but the quantity of water had no effect. Learning scores at the second session were higher with shorter delays between the two learning sessions and retrograde amnesia could decrease this memory score. rutabaga mutants showed learning deficits as in experiments testing groups of flies. This learning task could particularly be used to verify whether learning mutants isolated after experiments testing flies in groups display similar deficits when tested at the individual level.

Learning prosthetic vision: a virtual-reality study.

PubMed

Chen, Spencer C; Hallum, Luke E; Lovell, Nigel H; Suaning, Gregg J

2005-09-01

Acceptance of prosthetic vision will be heavily dependent on the ability of recipients to form useful information from such vision. Training strategies to accelerate learning and maximize visual comprehension would need to be designed in the light of the factors affecting human learning under prosthetic vision. Some of these potential factors were examined in a visual acuity study using the Landolt C optotype under virtual-reality simulation of prosthetic vision. Fifteen normally sighted subjects were tested for 10-20 sessions. Potential learning factors were tested at p < 0.05 with regression models. Learning was most evident across-sessions, though 17% of sessions did express significant within-session trends. Learning was highly concentrated toward a critical range of optotype sizes, and subjects were less capable in identifying the closed optotype (a Landolt C with no gap, forming a closed annulus). Training for implant recipients should target these critical sizes and the closed optotype to extend the limit of visual comprehension. Although there was no evidence that image processing affected overall learning, subjects showed varying personal preferences.

MO-C-9A-01: Effective Medical Physics Educational Activities: Models and Methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sprawls, P

Medical physics is learned in a combination of activities including classroom sessions, individual study, small-group collaborative problem solving, and direct experience in the laboratory or clinical environment. Each type of learning activity is characterized by its effectiveness in producing the desired knowledge for the learner and the cost in terms of resources and human effort required providing it. While learning and teaching is a human activity, modern technology provides a variety of tools that can be used to enhance human performance. The class or conference room is the common setting for educational sessions in both academic institutions and continuing educationmore » conferences and programs such as those sponsored by the AAPM. A major value of a class/conference room program is efficiency by bringing a group of learners together to share in a common learning experience under the guidance of one or more experienced learning facilitators (lecturers or presenters). A major challenge is that the class/conference room is separated from the real world of medical physics. The design of an educational activity needs to take into consideration the desired outcomes with respect to what the learners should be able to do. The distinction is that of being able to apply the knowledge to perform specific physics functions rather than just knowing and being able to recall facts, and perhaps do well on written examinations. These are different types of knowledge structures within the human brain and distinctly different learning activities to develop each. Much of medical physics education, especially at the post-graduate and continuing education level, is for the purpose of enhancing the ability of physicists and other related professionals to perform applied procedures and tasks and requires specific types of knowledge.In this session we will analyze various learning activity models, the values and limitations of each, and how they can be used in medical physics education. An example we will use is optimizing CT image quality and dose which is an important topic for medical physicists, radiologists and residents, along with technologists. The knowledge structure for this is best developed by a combination of learning activities including class/conference discussions, individual study and review, and direct observation and interaction in the clinical setting under the direction of a knowledgeable leader.The function of the human brain will be considered with respect to learning experiences that contribute to effective medical physics knowledge structures. The characteristics of various types of educational activities will be compared with respect to their effectiveness for producing desired outcomes along with their limitations. Emphasis will be given to the design of highly-effective classroom/conference presentations, and activities will be demonstrated with an emphasis on using technology to enhance human performance of both learners and the learning facilitators. Learning Objectives: Develop and provide highly effective medical physics educational sessions. Use technology to enhance human performance in the educational process. Identify and analyze various models of educational activities Select and use educational activities that contribute value to the medical physics profession.« less

Palliative medicine Death Rounds: small group learning on a vital subject.

PubMed

Kitzes, Judith A; Kalishman, Summers; Kingsley, Darra D; Mines, Jan; Lawrence, Elizabeth

The medical student's experience with patients' dying and death has profound impact on personal and professional development. Death Rounds at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine is a small group educational model that promotes student self-reflection, metacognition, professional growth, and collegial support. To describe the implementation and evaluation activities of a third year clerkship Death Rounds which are a structured, institutionally supported resource for helping students to understand the clinical, ethical, legal, professional, cultural, and spiritual aspects of death. Medical students attend 2 to 3 small group palliative medicine Death Rounds sessions, facilitated by the attending clerkship director, chief residents, and a palliative care physician. The students' assessment of their palliative medicine knowledge and skills in 5 categories before and after participation in Death Rounds rated their skills after Death Rounds higher with effect sizes ranging from 0.9 to 1.9. Evidence from both the Death Rounds Questionnaire and Facilitators' Logs demonstrates that multiple issues and topics were addressed and all associated with the School of Medicine's 6 core competencies. Death Rounds minimally affect on clerkship time and faculty resources.

A Case Based-Shared Teaching Approach in Undergraduate Medical Curriculum: A Way for Integration in Basic and Clinical Sciences.

PubMed

Peiman, Soheil; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Alizadeh, Maryam; Mortaz Hejri, Sara; Najafi, Mohammad-Taghi; Tafakhori, Abbas; Larti, Farnoosh; Rahimi, Besharat; Geraiely, Babak; Pasbakhsh, Parichehr; Hassanzadeh, Gholamreza; Nabavizadeh Rafsanjani, Fatemeh; Ansari, Mohammad; Allameh, Seyed Farshad

2017-04-01

To present a multiple-instructor, active-learning strategy in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This educational research is a descriptive one. Shared teaching sessions, were designed for undergraduate medical students in six organ-system based courses. Sessions that involved in-class discussions of integrated clinical cases were designed implemented and moderated by at least 3 faculties (clinicians and basic scientists). The participants in this study include the basic sciences medical students of The Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Students' reactions were assessed using an immediate post-session evaluation form on a 5-point Likert scale. Six two-hour sessions for 2 cohorts of students, 2013 and 2014 medical students during their two first years of study were implemented from April 2014 to March 2015. 17 faculty members participated in the program, 21 cases were designed, and participation average was 60 % at 6 sessions. Students were highly appreciative of this strategy. The majority of students in each course strongly agreed that this learning practice positively contributed to their learning (78%) and provided better understanding and application of the material learned in an integrated classroom course (74%). They believed that the sessions affected their view about medicine (73%), and should be continued in future courses (80%). The percentage demonstrates the average of all courses. The program helped the students learn how to apply basic sciences concepts to clinical medicine. Evaluation of the program indicated that students found the sessions beneficial to their learning.

Project ECHO: A Telementoring Network Model for Continuing Professional Development.

PubMed

Arora, Sanjeev; Kalishman, Summers G; Thornton, Karla A; Komaromy, Miriam S; Katzman, Joanna G; Struminger, Bruce B; Rayburn, William F

2017-01-01

A major challenge with current systems of CME is the inability to translate the explosive growth in health care knowledge into daily practice. Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a telementoring network designed for continuing professional development (CPD) and improving patient outcomes. The purpose of this article was to describe how the model has complied with recommendations from several authoritative reports about redesigning and enhancing CPD. This model links primary care clinicians through a knowledge network with an interprofessional team of specialists from an academic medical center who provide telementoring and ongoing education enabling community clinicians to treat patients with a variety of complex conditions. Knowledge and skills are shared during weekly condition-specific videoconferences. The model exemplifies learning as described in the seven levels of CPD by Moore (participation, satisfaction, learning, competence, performance, patient, and community health). The model is also aligned with recommendations from four national reports intended to redesign knowledge transfer in improving health care. Efforts in learning sessions focus on information that is relevant to practice, focus on evidence, education methodology, tailoring of recommendations to individual needs and community resources, and interprofessionalism. Project ECHO serves as a telementoring network model of CPD that aligns with current best practice recommendations for CME. This transformative initiative has the potential to serve as a leading model for larger scale CPD, nationally and globally, to enhance access to care, improve quality, and reduce cost.

Innovation in ethics and professionalism course: Early experience with portfolio-workbook.

PubMed

Shamim, Muhammad Shahid; Zubairi, Nadeem Alam; Sayed, Mohamad Hesham; Gazzaz, Zohair Jamil

2016-09-01

To analyse students' perception regarding the use of portfolio-workbook in ethics course. This mixed method study was conducted at the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2014, and comprised fourth-year medical students. The "portfolio-workbook", developed on principles of cognitive load and guided learning theories, contained essential reading material. Learning sessions were also facilitated by teaching tools like role-plays, movie/video clips, vignettes, etc., followed by reflective writing exercises. Feedback questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was used to collect data. Quantitative data was analysed for frequencies and percentages. Content analysis was conducted for the open-ended responses. Of the 20 participants, 10(50%) considered using portfolio-workbook as difficult initially. However, on completion of module 16(80%) found it easy. Moreover, 17(85%) appreciated it as a learning tool. Besides, 19(95%) students found teaching videos and 13(65%) found open discussions as effective learning tools. Portfolio-workbook as an assessment tool was preferred by 19(95%) students. The use of portfolio-workbook in teaching ethics to undergraduates was found to be encouraging as it generated interest and interaction.

An Online Astronomy Course VS. A Interactive Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Bailey, Janelle M.; Jaeggli, Sarah A.; Jones, Lauren V.; Lee, Ariane C.

Contemporary science education reforms emphasize building instruction around students’ pre-instructional beliefs fostering a learning environment where students interact with information and phenomena and providing students with frequent feedback to help them monitor their own learning. Recently personal computers and the Internet have given students access to scientific data sets and visualization tools that only professional scientists could use a few years before. With these things in mind we designed a hypermedia learning experience for introductory astronomy (Astronomy Online) that matches Internet technology with how people learn. Astronomy Online was used as the sole delivery system for courses offered during the Fall 2002 semester. The courses are run online. In one manifestation the course was delivered to middle and secondary school teachers spread across the globe. In another version the course was delivered to college undergraduate non-science majors where the only class meetings were a single orientation session and three on-campus exams. We compare these with on-campus courses that use highly interactive teaching techniques by studying common examination questions the Astronomy Diagnostic Test an attitude survey and interviews with students

Not another boring lecture: engaging learners with active learning techniques.

PubMed

Wolff, Margaret; Wagner, Mary Jo; Poznanski, Stacey; Schiller, Jocelyn; Santen, Sally

2015-01-01

Core content in Emergency Medicine Residency Programs is traditionally covered in didactic sessions, despite evidence suggesting that learners do not retain a significant portion of what is taught during lectures. We describe techniques that medical educators can use when leading teaching sessions to foster engagement and encourage self-directed learning, based on current literature and evidence about learning. When these techniques are incorporated, sessions can be effective in delivering core knowledge, contextualizing content, and explaining difficult concepts, leading to increased learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emotional maturity of medical students impacting their adult learning skills in a newly established public medical school at the east coast of Malaysian Peninsula.

PubMed

Bhagat, Vidya; Haque, Mainul; Bin Abu Bakar, Yasrul Izad; Husain, Rohayah; Khairi, Che Mat

2016-01-01

Emotional maturity (EM) is defined as the ability of an individual to respond to situations, control emotions, and behave in an adult manner when dealing with others. EM is associated with adult learning skill, which is an important aspect of professional development as stated in the principles of andragogy. These principles are basically a characteristic feature of adult learning, which is defined as "the entire range of formal, non-formal, and informal learning activities that are undertaken by adults after an initial education and training, which result in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills". The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of EM on adult learning among Years I and II medical students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). The study population included preclinical medical students of UniSZA from Years I and II of the academic session 2015/2016. The convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. Data were collected using "EM scale" to evaluate emotional level and adult learning scale to assess the adult learning scores. Out of 120 questionnaires, only six response sheets were not complete and the remaining 114 (95%) were complete. Among the study participants, 23.7% (27) and 76.3% (87) were males and females, respectively. The data were then compiled and analyzed using SPSS Version 22. The Pearson's correlation method was used to find the significance of their association. The results revealed a significant correlation between EM and adult learning scores ( r =0.40, p <0.001). Thus, the study result supports the prediction, and based on the current findings, it can be concluded that there is a significant correlation between EM and adult learning and it has an effect on the students. Medical faculty members should give more emphasis on these aspects to produce health professionals. Henceforward, researchers can expect with optimism that the country will create more rational medical doctors.

Professional Learning of Instructors in Vocational and Professional Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoekstra, Annemarieke; Kuntz, Jeff; Newton, Paul

2018-01-01

This article presents insights from a study into instructor professional learning in vocational and professional education (VPE) in Canada. While most studies on instructor learning focus on learning through formal professional development programmes, this study specifically focuses on professional learning as it happens in day-to-day practice.…

A Recipe for Successful Poster Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazard, Brenda L.

2007-01-01

Poster sessions are frequently on the menu at professional conferences and meetings. They offer an opportunity to share an idea, a solution, an experiment (successful or failed), or a discovery. Poster sessions tell a short visual story and include a frequently repeated, brief presentation (5-10 minutes), accompanying materials, and informal…

A mission design for International Manned Mars Mission - From the 1991 International Space University (ISU) Design Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, Wendell W.

1991-01-01

The International Space University (ISU) conducted a study of an international program to support human exploration of Mars as its annual Design Project activity during its 1991 summer session in Toulouse, France. Although an ISU Design Project strives to produce an in-depth analysis during the intense 10-week summer session, the International Mars Mission (IMM) project was conducted in a manner designed to provide a learning experience for young professionals working in an unusual multidisciplinary and multinational environment. The breadth of the IMM study exceeds that of most Mars mission studies of the past, encompassing political organization for long-term commitment, multinational management structure, cost analysis, mission architecture, vehicle configuration, crew health, life support, Mars surface infrastructure, mission operations, technology evaluation, risk assessment, scientific planning, exploration, communication networks, and Martian resource utilization. The IMM Final Report has particular value for those seeking insight into the choices made by a multinational group working in an apolitical environment on the problems of international cooperation in space.

Teacher Agency and Professional Learning Communities; What Can Learning Rounds in Scotland Teach Us?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philpott, Carey; Oates, Catriona

2017-01-01

Recently there has been growth in researching teacher agency. Some research has considered the relationship between teacher agency and professional learning. Similarly, there has been growing interest in professional learning communities as resources for professional learning. Connections have been made between professional learning communities…

MedTalks: developing teaching abilities and experience in undergraduate medical students

PubMed Central

Bandeali, Suhair; Chiang, Albert; Ramnanan, Christopher J.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives: According to the CanMEDS’ Scholar competency, physicians are expected to facilitate the learning of colleagues, patients and other health professionals. However, most medical students are not provided with formal opportunities to gain teaching experience with objective feedback. Methods: To address this, the University’s Medical Education Interest Group (MEIG) created a pilot teaching program in January 2015 entitled ‘MedTalks’. Four 3-hour sessions were held at the University Faculty of Medicine, where first and second year medical students taught clinically oriented topics to undergraduate university students. Each extracurricular session included three 30-minute content lectures, and a 90-minute small group session on physical examination skills. Each medical student-teacher received formal feedback from undergraduate students and from faculty educators regarding teaching style, communication abilities, and professionalism. In addition, medical student-teachers self-evaluated their own teaching experience. Results: Over 50 medical students from the University participated as medical student-teachers. Based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys, 100% of medical students agreed that MedTalks was a useful way to develop teaching skills and 92% gained a greater confidence in individual teaching capabilities, based largely on the opportunity to gain experience (with feedback) in teaching roles. Conclusions: A program designed to give medical students multi-source teaching experience (lecture- and small group-based) and feedback on their teaching (from learners and Faculty observers, in addition to their own self-reflection) can improve medical student confidence and enthusiasm towards teaching. Future studies will clarify if medical student self-perceived enhancements in teaching ability can be corroborated by independent (Faculty, learner) observations of future teaching activity. PMID:28178910

Development and Evaluation of a Training Program for Organ Procurement Coordinators Using Standardized Patient Methodology.

PubMed

Odabasi, Orhan; Elcin, Melih; Uzun Basusta, Bilge; Gulkaya Anik, Esin; Aki, Tuncay F; Bozoklar, Ata

2015-12-01

The low rate of consent by next of kin of donor-eligible patients is a major limiting factor in organ transplant. Educating health care professionals about their role may lead to measurable improvements in the process. Our aim was to describe the developmental steps of a communication skills training program for health care professionals using standardized patients and to evaluate the results. We developed a rubric and 5 cases for standardized family interviews. The 20 participants interviewed standardized families at the beginning and at the end of the training course, with interviews followed by debriefing sessions. Participants also provided feedback before and after the course. The performance of each participant was assessed by his or her peers using the rubric. We calculated the generalizability coefficient to measure the reliability of the rubric and used the Wilcoxon signed rank test to compare achievement among participants. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software (SPSS: An IBM Company, version 17.0, IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). All participants received higher scores in their second interview, including novice participants who expressed great discomfort during their first interview. The participants rated the scenarios and the standardized patients as very representative of real-life situations, with feedback forms showing that the interviews, the video recording sessions, and the debriefing sessions contributed to their learning. Our program was designed to meet the current expectations and implications in the field of donor consent from next of kin. Results showed that our training program developed using standardized patient methodology was effective in obtaining the communication skills needed for family interviews during the consent process. The rubric developed during the study was a valid and reliable assessment tool that could be used in further educational activities. The participants showed significant improvements in communication skills.

Learning to identify crowded letters: Does the learning depend on the frequency of training?

PubMed Central

Chung, Susana T. L.; Truong, Sandy R.

2012-01-01

Performance for many visual tasks improves with training. The magnitude of improvement following training depends on the training task, number of trials per training session and the total amount of training. Does the magnitude of improvement also depend on the frequency of training sessions? In this study, we compared the learning effect for three groups of normally sighted observers who repeatedly practiced the task of identifying crowded letters in the periphery for six sessions (1000 trials per session), according to three different training schedules — one group received one session of training everyday, the second group received a training session once a week and the third group once every two weeks. Following six sessions of training, all observers improved in their performance of identifying crowded letters in the periphery. Most importantly, the magnitudes of improvement were similar across the three training groups. The improvement was accompanied by a reduction in the spatial extent of crowding, an increase in the size of visual span and a reduction in letter-size threshold. The magnitudes of these accompanied improvements were also similar across the three training groups. Our finding that the effectiveness of visual perceptual learning is similar for daily, weekly and biweekly training has significant implication for adopting perceptual learning as an option to improve visual functions for clinical patients. PMID:23206551

Promoting professional development through poster presentations.

PubMed

Durkin, Gregory

2011-01-01

Poster presentations are commonplace at regional and national nursing conferences, although the development of a poster remains an intimidating task for many staff nurses. The author describes the staff development department's role in implementing in-house poster presentation sessions. Nursing staff are provided support and assistance in presenting posters to their colleagues at yearly sessions. The result has been increased comfort and experience with poster creation, participation in professional development activities, and dissemination of nursing practice innovation.

Danish Health Professionals' Experiences of Being Coached: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammentorp, Jette; Jensen, Hanne Irene; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth

2013-01-01

Introduction: In recent years, coaching, as a supplement to professional development, has received increased attention, especially in nursing. Still, only little is known about how health professionals experience participating in coaching sessions. The purpose of this pilot study was to describe and analyze health professionals' experiences from…

Professional Learning through Everyday Work: How Finance Professionals Self-Regulate Their Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littlejohn, Allison; Milligan, Colin; Fontana, Rosa Pia; Margaryan, Anoush

2016-01-01

Professional learning is a critical component of ongoing improvement and innovation and the adoption of new practices in the workplace. Professional learning is often achieved through learning embedded in everyday work tasks. However, little is known about how professionals self-regulate their learning through regular work activities. This paper…

The role of numeracy on client knowledge in BRCA genetic counseling.

PubMed

Portnoy, David B; Roter, Debra; Erby, Lori H

2010-10-01

To assess the impact of numeracy and health literacy on client's ability to learn information orally communicated during a BRCA 1/2 genetic counseling session. Fifty-nine videotaped simulated genetic counseling sessions were shown to 246 analogue clients (AC) recruited to imagine themselves as the client in the genetic counseling session. AC numeracy, genetic literacy, state and trait anxiety, and decisional conflict were assessed. The primary outcome was AC learning about BRCA 1/2. Health literacy and numeracy were moderately correlated, and each independently predicted learning. Higher numeracy was associated with higher knowledge scores only among ACs with adequate literacy. Decisional conflict was not related to literacy, numeracy, or knowledge acquisition. It was, however, inversely related to state anxiety so that the higher post-session state anxiety, the lower the AC's decisional conflict. Numeracy and health literacy are associated with learning of orally communicated information during genetic counseling. It appears that numeracy can facilitate learning for literate subjects; it does not, however, make any difference in learning ability of clients with significant literacy deficits. Numeracy plays an important role in client's ability to learn information communicated during medical sessions, especially among clients who are otherwise regarded as literate. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vagal tone during infant contingency learning and its disruption.

PubMed

Sullivan, Margaret Wolan

2016-04-01

This study used contingency learning to examine changes in infants' vagal tone during learning and its disruption. The heart rate of 160 five-month-old infants was recorded continuously during the first of two training sessions as they experienced an audiovisual event contingent on their pulling. Maternal reports of infant temperament were also collected. Baseline vagal tone, a measure of parasympathetic regulation of the heart, was related to vagal levels during the infants' contingency learning session, but not to their learner status. Vagal tone levels did not vary significantly over session minutes. Instead, vagal tone levels were a function of both individual differences in learner status and infant soothability. Vagal levels of infants who learned in the initial session were similar regardless of their soothability; however, vagal levels of infants who learned in a subsequent session differed as a function of soothability. Additionally, vagal levels during contingency disruption were significantly higher among infants in this group who were more soothable as opposed to those who were less soothable. The results suggest that contingency learning and disruption is associated with stable vagal tone in the majority of infants, but that individual differences in attention processes and state associated with vagal tone may be most readily observed during the disruption phase. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Vagal Tone During Infant Contingency Learning and Its Disruption

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Margaret Wolan

2015-01-01

This study used contingency learning to examine changes in infants’ vagal tone during learning and its disruption. The heart rate of 160 five-month-old infants was recorded continuously during the first of two training sessions as they experienced an audiovisual event contingent on their pulling. Maternal reports of infant temperament were also collected. Baseline vagal tone, a measure of parasympathetic regulation of the heart, was related to vagal levels during the infants’ contingency learning session, but not to their learner status. Vagal tone levels did not vary significantly over session minutes. Instead, vagal tone levels were a function of both individual differences in learner status and infant soothability. Vagal levels of infants who learned in the initial session were similar regardless of their soothability; however, vagal levels of infants who learned in a subsequent session differed as a function of soothability. Additionally, vagal levels during contingency disruption were significantly higher among infants in this group who were more soothable as opposed to those who were less soothable. The results suggest that contingency learning and disruption is associated with stable vagal tone in the majority of infants, but that individual differences in attention processes and state associated with vagal tone may be most readily observed during the disruption phase. PMID:26517573

Orbitofrontal cortex inactivation impairs between- but not within-session Pavlovian extinction: an associative analysis.

PubMed

Panayi, Marios C; Killcross, Simon

2014-02-01

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is argued to be the neural locus of Pavlovian outcome expectancies. Reinforcement learning theories argue that extinction learning in Pavlovian procedures is caused by the discrepancy between the expected value of the outcome (US) that is elicited by a predictive stimulus (CS), and the lack of experienced US. If the OFC represents Pavlovian outcome expectancies that are necessary for extinction learning, then disrupting OFC function prior to extinction training should impair extinction learning. This was tested. In experiment 1, Long Evans rats received infusions of saline or muscimol targeting the lateral OFC prior to three appetitive Pavlovian extinction sessions. Muscimol infused into the OFC disrupted between-session but not within-session extinction behaviour. This finding was not due to muscimol infusions disrupting the memory consolidation process per se as there was no effect of muscimol infusion when administered immediately post session (experiment 2). These findings support a role for the OFC in representing outcome expectancies that are necessary for learning. A number of ways in which disrupting outcome expectancy information might block learning will be discussed in the context of traditional associative learning theories and the associative structures they depend on. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Linking Student Achievement and Teacher Science Content Knowledge about Climate Change: Ensuring the Nations 3 Million Teachers Understand the Science through an Electronic Professional Development System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niepold, F.; Byers, A.

2009-12-01

The scientific complexities of global climate change, with wide-ranging economic and social significance, create an intellectual challenge that mandates greater public understanding of climate change research and the concurrent ability to make informed decisions. The critical need for an engaged, science literate public has been repeatedly emphasized by multi-disciplinary entities like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the National Academies (Rising Above the Gathering Storm report), and the interagency group responsible for the recently updated Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science. There is a clear need for an American public that is climate literate and for K-12 teachers confident in teaching relevant science content. A key goal in the creation of a climate literate society is to enhance teachers’ knowledge of global climate change through a national, scalable, and sustainable professional development system, using compelling climate science data and resources to stimulate inquiry-based student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This session will explore innovative e-learning technologies to address the limitations of one-time, face-to-face workshops, thereby adding significant sustainability and scalability. The resources developed will help teachers sift through the vast volume of global climate change information and provide research-based, high-quality science content and pedagogical information to help teachers effectively teach their students about the complex issues surrounding global climate change. The Learning Center is NSTA's e-professional development portal to help the nations teachers and informal educators learn about the scientific complexities of global climate change through research-based techniques and is proven to significantly improve teacher science content knowledge.

Post learning sleep improves cognitive-emotional decision-making: evidence for a 'deck B sleep effect' in the Iowa Gambling Task.

PubMed

Seeley, Corrine J; Beninger, Richard J; Smith, Carlyle T

2014-01-01

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is widely used to assess real life decision-making impairment in a wide variety of clinical populations. Our study evaluated how IGT learning occurs across two sessions, and whether a period of intervening sleep between sessions can enhance learning. Furthermore, we investigate whether pre-sleep learning is necessary for this improvement. A 200-trial version of the IGT was administered at two sessions separated by wake, sleep or sleep and wake (time-of-day control). Participants were categorized as learners and non-learners based on initial performance in session one. In session one, participants initially preferred the high-frequency reward decks B and D, however, a subset of learners decreased choice from negative expected value 'bad' deck B and increased choices towards with a positive expected value 'good' decks (decks C and D). The learners who had a period of sleep (sleep and sleep/wake control conditions) between sessions showed significantly larger reduction in choices from deck B and increase in choices from good decks compared to learners that had intervening wake. Our results are the first to show that post-learning sleep can improve performance on a complex decision-making task such as the IGT. These results provide new insights into IGT learning and have important implications for understanding the neural mechanisms of "sleeping on" a decision.

Training and Support of Sessional Staff to Improve Quality of Teaching and Learning at Universities.

PubMed

Knott, Gillian; Crane, Linda; Heslop, Ian; Glass, Beverley D

2015-06-25

Sessional staff is increasingly involved in teaching at universities, playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between theory and practice for students, especially in the health professions, including pharmacy. Although sessional staff numbers have increased substantially in recent years, limited attention has been paid to the quality of teaching and learning provided by this group. This review will discuss the training and support of sessional staff, with a focus on Australian universities, including the reasons for and potential benefits of training, and structure and content of training programs. Although sessional staff views these programs as valuable, there is a lack of in-depth evaluations of the outcomes of the programs for sessional staff, students and the university. Quality assurance of such programs is only guaranteed, however, if these evaluations extend to the impact of this training and support on student learning.

An exploratory investigation of teaching innovations and learning factors in a lean manufacturing systems engineering course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choomlucksana, Juthamas; Doolen, Toni L.

2017-11-01

The use of collaborative activities and simulation sessions in engineering education has been explored previously. However, few studies have investigated the relationship of these types of teaching innovations with other learner characteristics, such as self-efficacy and background knowledge. This study explored the effects of collaborative activities and simulation sessions on learning and the relationships between self-efficacy beliefs, background knowledge, and learning. Data were collected from two different terms in an upper division engineering course entitled Lean Manufacturing Systems Engineering. Findings indicated that the impact of collaborative activities and simulation sessions appears to be different, depending on the concepts being taught. Simulation sessions were found to have a significant effect on self-efficacy beliefs, and background knowledge had a mixed effect on learning. Overall the results of this study highlight the complex set of relationships between classroom innovations, learner characteristics, and learning.

Language Learning within Academic Constraints.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blue, George M.

This paper reports on a research project that examined nonnative Southampton University (England) students' attitudes to continued language learning and the importance of language learning and cultural adaptation. A survey was administered to pre-sessional and in-sessional students that included information on background, past and present language…

New Perspectives for the Evaluation of Training Sessions in Self-Regulated Learning: Time-Series Analyses of Diary Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitz, Bernhard; Wiese, Bettina S.

2006-01-01

The present study combines a standardized diary approach with time-series analysis methods to investigate the process of self-regulated learning. Based on a process-focused adaptation of Zimmerman's (2000) learning model, an intervention (consisting of four weekly training sessions) to increase self-regulated learning was developed. The diaries…

On the Cutting Edge Professional Development Program: Workshop and Web Resources for Current and Future Geoscience Faculty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, R.; Manduca, C. A.; Mogk, D. W.; Tewksbury, B. J.

2004-12-01

Recognizing that many college and university faculty receive little formal training in teaching, are largely unaware of advances in research on teaching and learning, and face a variety of challenges in advancing in academic careers, the National Science Foundation-funded program On the Cutting Edge provides professional development for current and future faculty in the geosciences at various stages in their careers. The program includes a series of six multi-day workshops, sessions and one-day workshops at professional meetings, and a website with information about workshop opportunities and a variety of resources that bring workshop content to faculty (http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops). The program helps faculty improve their teaching and their job satisfaction by providing resources on instructional methods, geoscience content, and strategies for career planning. Workshop and website resources address innovative and effective practices in teaching, course design, delivery of instructional materials, and career planning, as well as approaches for teaching particular topics and strategies for starting and maintaining a research program in various institutional settings. Each year, special workshops for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in academic careers and for early career faculty complement offerings on course design and emerging topics that are open to the full geoscience community. These special workshops include sessions on topics such as dual careers, gender issues, family-work balance, interviewing and negotiating strategies. The workshops serve as opportunities for networking and community building, with participants building connections with other participants as well as workshop leaders. Workshop participants reflect the full range of institutional diversity as well as ethnic and racial diversity beyond that of the geoscience faculty workforce. More than 40 percent of the faculty participants are female. Of the faculty participants in workshops offered July 2002 through June 2004, workshop participants have come from more than 250 colleges and universities in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Workshop evaluations indicate that the workshops are well received with faculty particularly appreciating the content of the workshops and the opportunities for networking. An important aspect of the program is involvement of the geoscience community in workshop leadership. Leadership roles include serving as co-conveners, invited speakers, demonstration leaders, working group leaders, co-conveners of post-workshop sessions at professional meetings, and contributors to the website.

Poster Sessions in Library Science. Guidelines. IFLA Professional Reports, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidmaier, Dieter

This text is based on a comprehensive study of the literature on posters and poster sessions, a conference held by the International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) on the problems of scientific communication, and on the author's experiences in dealing with posters and poster sessions. A conference poster is described as…

Training for Triggers: Helping Writing Center Consultants Navigate Emotional Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Alison

2016-01-01

Labor performed by writing center consultants in sessions is inherently emotional. While writing center professionals can never alleviate fully the emotional demands placed on consultants during sessions, we can work to educate our staff about empathetic engagement with clients, and we can create structures and practices conducive to a supportive…

Creating a Global Community of Learners in Nursing and Beyond: Caring Science, Mindful Practice MOOC.

PubMed

Sitzman, Kathleen L; Jensen, Andrea; Chan, Sang

The aim was to examine the usefulness of a massive open online course (MOOC) on caring and mindfulness to a broad international audience that included nurses, allied health professionals, and others. MOOCs in higher education have been evident since 2008. Very few MOOCs on nursing topics have appeared since that time. Exploration was needed regarding how MOOCs could be employed to share nursing knowledge with national and international communities. Two "Caring Science, Mindful Practice" MOOC sessions were examined. Demographics, learner satisfaction, course flow, and perceived usefulness of content were analyzed. Learners from varied backgrounds participated. Higher than expected course activity levels and completion rates suggested effective learner engagement. Excellent course ratings demonstrated that content and delivery methods were effective. Active learners communicated specific plans to apply new knowledge in the future. MOOCs facilitate learning where participants learn about topics of interest in nursing and beyond.

Clinical interdisciplinary health team care: an educational experiment.

PubMed

Mazur, H; Beeston, J J; Yerxa, E J

1979-09-01

With increasing concern for teamwork in clinical practice in health care settings, the need to identify the concepts, methods, and learning processes for improving interdisciplinary team skills is apparent. This paper describes patient-centered, clinical-research-demonstration programs for teams of students, preceptors, and faculty members from six disciplines who provided patient care in a long-term rehabilitation setting. The teams were involved in the theory and practice of team-building, including weekly sessions on leadership styles, communication, group decision-making, and team effectiveness assessment. Objective and subjective measurements were administered throughout the program. The results indicate that task-oriented patient care favors the learning of team skills, especially when all levels of administration support and participate in the processes. Question are raised concerning the effect of clinical teams on the quality of patient care, their cost-effectiveness, and the low priority given to teaching interdisciplinary team skills in professional education.

Supporting international medical graduates in rural Australia: a mixed methods evaluation.

PubMed

Wright, Alistair; Regan, Melanie; Haigh, Cathy; Sunderji, Irum; Vijayakumar, Priyanga; Smith, Cathy; Nestel, Debra

2012-01-01

In Australia, international medical graduates (IMGs) make a substantial contribution to rural medical workforces. They often face significant communication, language, professional and cultural barriers, in addition to the other challenges of rural clinical practice. The Gippsland Inspiring Professional Standards among International Experts (GIPSIE) program was designed to provide educational support to IMGs across a large geographical region using innovative educational methods to ultimately build capacity in the provision of rural medical education. GIPSIE offered 5 sessions over 3 months. Simulation-based training was a prominent theme and addressed clinical knowledge, attitudes and skills and included a range of activities (eg procedural skills training with benchtop models, management of the acutely ill patient with SimMan, patient assessment skills with simulated patients). Diverse clinical communication skills were explored (eg teamwork, handover, telephone, critical information). Audiovisual review of performance was enabled through the use of iPod nano devices. GIPSIE was underpinned by a website offering diverse learning resources. Content experts were invited to lead sessions that integrated knowledge and skills reflecting local practice. IMGs were recruited from hospitals (n = 15) and general practices (n = 2) across the region. It was aimed to evaluate the impact of GIPSIE on the clinical practice of IMG participants. Evaluation measures included pre- and post-program 15 item multisource feedback (MSF), post-program questionnaires and, in order to address retention, telephone interviews exploring participants' responses 3 months after the program finished. Fifteen participants completed GIPSIE and rated the program highly, especially the simulation-based activities with feedback and later audiovisual review on iPods and the GIPSIE website. Suggestions were made to improve several aspects of the program. Participants reported increased knowledge, skills and professionalism after the program. Although overall MSF scores showed no statistically significant changes, there were positive directional changes for the items 'technical skills appropriate to current practice', 'willingness and effectiveness when teaching/training colleagues' and 'communication with carers and family'. These developments were also supported in free-text comments. Learning was reported to be sustained 3 months after the program. GIPSIE was highly valued by participants who reported improvements in clinical knowledge and skills. A range of professional issues were raised and addressed. GIPSIE seemed to provide a platform for further development. Although new to many participants, simulation was embraced as an educational method. The relationship between regional clinicians and the medical school was pivotal to success. A feature of the study was tracking improvements in clinical practice as a consequence of participating in the GIPSIE program. Future work needs to focus on further promoting the transfer of learning to the workplace. However the sustainability of these programs requires significant commitment.

Use of narratives to enhance learning of research ethics in residents and researchers.

PubMed

Sim, Kang; Sum, Min Yi; Navedo, Deborah

2015-03-10

Past didactic pedagogy on biomedical research ethics and informed consent in our program had resulted in passive memorization of information and disengaged learning within psychiatry residents and clinical researchers. The question is how do we better motivate and engage learners within the session. Thus, we incorporated narratives into the learning environment and hypothesised that the use of narratives in the teaching of biomedical research ethics and informed consent would be associated with greater engagement, motivation, understanding, reflective learning and effectiveness of the teaching session. The narratives were chosen from the history of research ethics and the humanities literature related to human subject research. Learners were asked to provide post-session feedback through an anonymised questionnaire on their learning session. An outcomes logic model was used for assessment with focus on immediate outcomes such as engagement, motivation, understanding and reflective learning. Overall, 70.5% (N = 273) of the learners responded to the questionnaire. Amongst the respondents, 92.6% (N = 253) of the participants ranked use of narratives as most helpful in appreciating the historical context of research ethics and informed consent in research. The majority felt engaged (89.8%, N = 245), more motivated to learn (77.5%, N = 212) and better equipped (86.4%, N = 236) about the subject matter. Better appreciation of the learning topic, engagement, motivation to learn, equipping were strongly correlated with the promotion of reflective learning, effectiveness of teaching, promotion of critical thinking and overall positive rating of the teaching session on research ethics (all p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses found that the use of narratives was associated with higher overall rating of the teaching session (p = 0.003) and promotion of critical thinking (p = 0.02). Results revealed that the use of narratives could enhance engagement, appreciation of biomedical research ethics and informed consent, and address underlying motivational factors behind learning and understanding of research ethics.

Development of an e-learning package on Service-Learning for university teachers: experience from Hong Kong.

PubMed

Shek, Daniel T L; Chan, Stephen C F

2013-01-01

To help university teachers to understand Service-Learning and develop Service-Learning subjects, a 3-h+ e-learning package was developed at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). There are seven units in this e-learning package: introduction session (Unit 1), what is Service-Learning? (Unit 2), impact and benefits of Service-Learning (Unit 3), myths and positive attitudes toward Service-Learning (Unit 4), developing a Service-Learning subject at PolyU (Unit 5), self-reflection about Service-Learning (Unit 6), and concluding session (Unit 7). To understand the views of the users on the e-learning package, the package was offered before formal launching. For the first offering, three focus group sessions were held. Results showed that the users were satisfied with the structural arrangement of the e-learning package and agreed that the e-learning package was useful for them to understand more about Service-Learning. For the second offering, colleagues were generally satisfied with the e-learning package and demonstrated gain in knowledge on Service-Learning. Suggestions for improvement were noted.

Ethics and professionalism in medical physics: a survey of AAPM members.

PubMed

Ozturk, Naim; Armato, Samuel G; Giger, Maryellen L; Serago, Christopher F; Ross, Lainie F

2013-04-01

To assess current education, practices, attitudes, and perceptions pertaining to ethics and professionalism in medical physics. A link to a web-based survey was distributed to the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) e-mail membership list, with a follow-up e-mail sent two weeks later. The survey included questions about ethics/professionalism education, direct personal knowledge of ethically questionable practices in clinical care, research, education (teaching and mentoring), and professionalism, respondents' assessment of their ability to address ethical/professional dilemmas, and demographics. For analysis, reports of unethical or ethically questionable practices or behaviors by approximately 40% or more of respondents were classified as "frequent." Partial or complete responses were received from 18% (1394/7708) of AAPM members. Overall, 60% (827/1377) of the respondents stated that they had not received ethics/professionalism education during their medical physics training. Respondents currently in training were more likely to state that they received instruction in ethics/professionalism (80%, 127/159) versus respondents who were post-training (35%, 401/1159). Respondents' preferred method of instruction in ethics/professionalism was structured periodic discussions involving both faculty and students/trainees. More than 90% (1271/1384) supported continuing education in ethics/professionalism and 75% (1043/1386) stated they would attend ethics/professionalism sessions at professional/scientific meetings. In the research setting, reports about ethically questionable authorship assignment were frequent (approximately 40%) whereas incidents of ethically questionable practices about human subjects protections were quite infrequent (5%). In the clinical setting, there was frequent recollection of incidents regarding lack of training, resources and skills, and error/incident reporting. In the educational setting, incidents of unethical or ethically questionable practices were only frequently recollected with respect to mentorship/guidance. With respect to professional conduct, favoritism, hostile work/learning environment, and maltreatment of subordinates and colleagues were frequently reported. A significantly larger proportion of women reported experiences with hostile work/learning environments, favoritism, poor mentorship, unfairness in educational settings, and concerns about student privacy and confidentiality. The survey found broad interest in ethics/professionalism topics and revealed that these topics were being integrated into the curriculum at many institutions. The incorporation of ethics and professionalism instruction into both graduate education and postgraduate training of medical physicists, and into their subsequent lifelong continuing education is important given the nontrivial number of medical physicists who had direct personal knowledge of unethical or ethically questionable incidents in clinical practice, research, education, and professionalism.

Ethics and professionalism in medical physics: A survey of AAPM members

PubMed Central

Ozturk, Naim; Armato, Samuel G.; Giger, Maryellen L.; Serago, Christopher F.; Ross, Lainie F.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To assess current education, practices, attitudes, and perceptions pertaining to ethics and professionalism in medical physics. Methods: A link to a web-based survey was distributed to the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) e-mail membership list, with a follow-up e-mail sent two weeks later. The survey included questions about ethics/professionalism education, direct personal knowledge of ethically questionable practices in clinical care, research, education (teaching and mentoring), and professionalism, respondents’ assessment of their ability to address ethical/professional dilemmas, and demographics. For analysis, reports of unethical or ethically questionable practices or behaviors by approximately 40% or more of respondents were classified as “frequent.” Results: Partial or complete responses were received from 18% (1394/7708) of AAPM members. Overall, 60% (827/1377) of the respondents stated that they had not received ethics/professionalism education during their medical physics training. Respondents currently in training were more likely to state that they received instruction in ethics/professionalism (80%, 127/159) versus respondents who were post-training (35%, 401/1159). Respondents’ preferred method of instruction in ethics/professionalism was structured periodic discussions involving both faculty and students/trainees. More than 90% (1271/1384) supported continuing education in ethics/professionalism and 75% (1043/1386) stated they would attend ethics/professionalism sessions at professional/scientific meetings. In the research setting, reports about ethically questionable authorship assignment were frequent (approximately 40%) whereas incidents of ethically questionable practices about human subjects protections were quite infrequent (5%). In the clinical setting, there was frequent recollection of incidents regarding lack of training, resources and skills, and error/incident reporting. In the educational setting, incidents of unethical or ethically questionable practices were only frequently recollected with respect to mentorship/guidance. With respect to professional conduct, favoritism, hostile work/learning environment, and maltreatment of subordinates and colleagues were frequently reported. A significantly larger proportion of women reported experiences with hostile work/learning environments, favoritism, poor mentorship, unfairness in educational settings, and concerns about student privacy and confidentiality. Conclusions: The survey found broad interest in ethics/professionalism topics and revealed that these topics were being integrated into the curriculum at many institutions. The incorporation of ethics and professionalism instruction into both graduate education and postgraduate training of medical physicists, and into their subsequent lifelong continuing education is important given the nontrivial number of medical physicists who had direct personal knowledge of unethical or ethically questionable incidents in clinical practice, research, education, and professionalism. PMID:23556930

Professional Learning and Agency in an Identity Coaching Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vähäsantanen, Katja; Hökkä, Päivi; Paloniemi, Susanna; Herranen, Sanna; Eteläpelto, Anneli

2017-01-01

This article addresses the professional learning that occurred in an identity coaching programme. The arts-based programme aimed to enhance the participants' professional learning, notably through helping them to process their professional identities. Professional learning was seen as resourced by the participants' professional agency, and by the…

High-Intensity Training and Salivary Immunoglobulin A Responses in Professional Top-Level Soccer Players: Effect of Training Intensity.

PubMed

Owen, Adam L; Wong, Del P; Dunlop, Gordon; Groussard, Carole; Kebsi, Wiem; Dellal, Alexandre; Morgans, Ryland; Zouhal, Hassane

2016-09-01

Owen, AL, Wong, DP, Dunlop, G, Groussard, C, Kebsi, W, Dellal, A, Morgans, R, and Zouhal, H. High-intensity training and salivary immunoglobulin A responses in professional top-level soccer players: Effect of training intensity. J Strength Cond Res 30(9): 2460-2469, 2016-This study aimed (a) to test the hypothesis that salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) would vary with training intensity sessions (low-intensity [LI] vs. high-intensity sessions [HI]) during a traditional training program divided into 4 training periods and (b) to identify key variables (e.g., GPS data, rating of perceived exertion [RPE], and training duration), which could affect s-IgA. Saliva samples of 10 elite professional soccer players were collected (a) before the investigation started to establish the baseline level and (b) before and after each 4 training sessions (LI vs. HI). Training intensity was monitored as internal (through heart rate responses and RPE) and external (through GPS) loads. High-intensity sessions were associated with higher external load (GPS) and with higher RPE. Baseline and pretraining s-IgA did not differ between the 4 training sessions both for HI and LI. Post-training s-IgA were not different (in absolute value and in percentage of change) between HI and LI sessions at the first 3 periods. However, at the fourth period, s-IgA concentration for HI session was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) than the LI session. The percentage change between s-IgA post-training and s-IgA baseline concentrations differ significantly (p ≤ 0.05) between HI and LI training sessions. Significant correlations between s-IgA and training intensity were also noted. High-intensity soccer training sessions might cause a significant decrease in s-IgA values during the postexercise window as compared with LI sessions. This study encourages coaches to monitor s-IgA in routine, particularly during HI training periods, to take precautions to avoid upper respiratory tract infection in highly trained soccer players.

Develop a Professional Learning Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Staff Development, 2013

2013-01-01

A professional learning plan establishes short-and long-term plans for professional learning and implementation of the learning. Such plans guide individuals, schools, districts, and states in coordinating learning experiences designed to achieve outcomes for educators and students. Professional learning plans focus on the program of educator…

Beyond the Biology: A Systematic Investigation of Noncontent Instructor Talk in an Introductory Biology Course.

PubMed

Seidel, Shannon B; Reggi, Amanda L; Schinske, Jeffrey N; Burrus, Laura W; Tanner, Kimberly D

2015-01-01

Instructors create classroom environments that have the potential to impact learning by affecting student motivation, resistance, and self-efficacy. However, despite the critical importance of the learning environment in increasing conceptual understanding, little research has investigated what instructors say and do to create learning environments in college biology classrooms. We systematically investigated the language used by instructors that does not directly relate to course content and defined the construct of Instructor Talk. Transcripts were generated from a semester-long, cotaught introductory biology course (n = 270 students). Transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to identify emergent categories of Instructor Talk. The five emergent categories from analysis of more than 600 quotes were, in order of prevalence, 1) Building the Instructor/Student Relationship, 2) Establishing Classroom Culture, 3) Explaining Pedagogical Choices, 4) Sharing Personal Experiences, and 5) Unmasking Science. Instances of Instructor Talk were present in every class session analyzed and ranged from six to 68 quotes per session. The Instructor Talk framework is a novel research variable that could yield insights into instructor effectiveness, origins of student resistance, and methods for overcoming stereotype threat. Additionally, it holds promise in professional development settings to assist instructors in reflecting on the learning environments they create. © 2015 S. B. Seidel et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Simulating the multi-disciplinary care team approach: Enhancing student understanding of anatomy through an ultrasound-anchored interprofessional session.

PubMed

Luetmer, Marianne T; Cloud, Beth A; Youdas, James W; Pawlina, Wojciech; Lachman, Nirusha

2018-01-01

Quality of healthcare delivery is dependent on collaboration between professional disciplines. Integrating opportunities for interprofessional learning in health science education programs prepares future clinicians to function as effective members of a multi-disciplinary care team. This study aimed to create a modified team-based learning (TBL) environment utilizing ultrasound technology during an interprofessional learning activity to enhance musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge of first year medical (MD) and physical therapy (PT) students. An ultrasound demonstration of structures of the upper limb was incorporated into the gross anatomy courses for first-year MD (n = 53) and PT (n = 28) students. Immediately before the learning experience, all students took an individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) based on clinical concepts regarding the assigned study material. Students observed while a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician demonstrated the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic and procedural tool for the shoulder and elbow. Following the demonstration, students worked within interprofessional teams (n = 14 teams, 5-6 students per team) to review the related anatomy on dissected specimens. At the end of the session, students worked within interprofessional teams to complete a collaborative clinical case-based multiple choice post-test. Team scores were compared to the mean individual score within each team with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Students scored higher on the collaborative post-test (95.2 ±10.2%) than on the iRAT (66.1 ± 13.9% for MD students and 76.2 ±14.2% for PT students, P < 0.0001). Results suggest that this interprofessional team activity facilitated an improved understanding and clinical application of anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 11: 94-99. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Extinction of Cocaine Seeking Requires a Window of Infralimbic Pyramidal Neuron Activity after Unreinforced Lever Presses

PubMed Central

Nett, Kelle E.; Cosme, Caitlin V.; Worth, Wensday R.; Wemmie, John A.

2017-01-01

The infralimbic cortex (IL) mediates extinction learning and the active suppression of cocaine-seeking behavior. However, the precise temporal relationship among IL activity, lever pressing, and extinction learning is unclear. To address this issue, we used activity-guided optogenetics in male Sprague Dawley rats to silence IL pyramidal neurons optically for 20 s immediately after unreinforced lever presses during early extinction training after cocaine self-administration. Optical inhibition of the IL increased active lever pressing during shortened extinction sessions, but did not alter the retention of the extinction learning as assessed in ensuing extinction sessions with no optical inhibition. During subsequent cued reinstatement sessions, rats that had previously received optical inhibition during the extinction sessions showed increased cocaine-seeking behavior. These findings appeared to be specific to inhibition during the post-lever press period because IL inhibition given in a noncontingent, pseudorandom manner during extinction sessions did not produce the same effects. Illumination alone (i.e., with no opsin expression) and food-seeking control experiments also failed to produce the same effects. In another experiment, IL inhibition after lever presses during cued reinstatement sessions increased cocaine seeking during those sessions. Finally, inhibition of the prelimbic cortex immediately after unreinforced lever presses during shortened extinction sessions decreased lever pressing during these sessions, but had no effect on subsequent reinstatement. These results indicate that IL activity immediately after unreinforced lever presses is necessary for normal extinction of cocaine seeking, suggesting that critical encoding of the new contingencies between a lever press and a cocaine reward occurs during that period. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The infralimbic cortex (IL) contributes to the extinction of cocaine-seeking behavior, but the precise relationship among IL activity, lever pressing during extinction, and extinction learning has not been elucidated using traditional methods. Using a closed-loop optogenetic approach, we found that selective inhibition of the IL immediately after unreinforced lever pressing impaired within-session extinction learning and promoted the subsequent cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking. These studies suggest that IL activity immediately after the instrumental response during extinction learning of cocaine seeking encodes information required for such learning and that altering such activity produces long-lasting changes in subsequent measures of cocaine craving/relapse. PMID:28539416

Extinction of Cocaine Seeking Requires a Window of Infralimbic Pyramidal Neuron Activity after Unreinforced Lever Presses.

PubMed

Gutman, Andrea L; Nett, Kelle E; Cosme, Caitlin V; Worth, Wensday R; Gupta, Subhash C; Wemmie, John A; LaLumiere, Ryan T

2017-06-21

The infralimbic cortex (IL) mediates extinction learning and the active suppression of cocaine-seeking behavior. However, the precise temporal relationship among IL activity, lever pressing, and extinction learning is unclear. To address this issue, we used activity-guided optogenetics in male Sprague Dawley rats to silence IL pyramidal neurons optically for 20 s immediately after unreinforced lever presses during early extinction training after cocaine self-administration. Optical inhibition of the IL increased active lever pressing during shortened extinction sessions, but did not alter the retention of the extinction learning as assessed in ensuing extinction sessions with no optical inhibition. During subsequent cued reinstatement sessions, rats that had previously received optical inhibition during the extinction sessions showed increased cocaine-seeking behavior. These findings appeared to be specific to inhibition during the post-lever press period because IL inhibition given in a noncontingent, pseudorandom manner during extinction sessions did not produce the same effects. Illumination alone (i.e., with no opsin expression) and food-seeking control experiments also failed to produce the same effects. In another experiment, IL inhibition after lever presses during cued reinstatement sessions increased cocaine seeking during those sessions. Finally, inhibition of the prelimbic cortex immediately after unreinforced lever presses during shortened extinction sessions decreased lever pressing during these sessions, but had no effect on subsequent reinstatement. These results indicate that IL activity immediately after unreinforced lever presses is necessary for normal extinction of cocaine seeking, suggesting that critical encoding of the new contingencies between a lever press and a cocaine reward occurs during that period. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The infralimbic cortex (IL) contributes to the extinction of cocaine-seeking behavior, but the precise relationship among IL activity, lever pressing during extinction, and extinction learning has not been elucidated using traditional methods. Using a closed-loop optogenetic approach, we found that selective inhibition of the IL immediately after unreinforced lever pressing impaired within-session extinction learning and promoted the subsequent cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking. These studies suggest that IL activity immediately after the instrumental response during extinction learning of cocaine seeking encodes information required for such learning and that altering such activity produces long-lasting changes in subsequent measures of cocaine craving/relapse. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/376075-12$15.00/0.

Using Rubrics to Assess Learning in Course-Integrated Library Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gariepy, Laura W.; Stout, Jennifer A.; Hodge, Megan L.

2016-01-01

Librarians face numerous challenges when designing effective, sustainable methods for assessing student learning outcomes in one-shot, course-integrated library instruction sessions. We explore the use of rubrics to programmatically assess authentic learning exercises completed in one-shot library sessions for a large, required sophomore-level…

Layers of Learning: Promoting Performance Improvement and Action Learning in Higher Education. Innovative Session 5. [AHRD Conference, 2001].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foucar-Szocki, Diane; Mitchell, Randy; Larson, Rick; Harris, Laurie; Sherman, Nancy

This document presents a case study for an innovative session exploring the nature of learning and the relationship between action learning within academic programs in adult education/human resource development (HRD) and the higher education institutions that house them. The first two sections discuss the dilemmas confronting higher education and…

Inquiring into the Dilemmas of Implementing Action Learning. Innovative Session 6. [Concurrent Innovative Session at AHRD Annual Conference, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yorks, Lyle; Dilworth, Robert L.; Marquardt, Michael J.; Marsick, Victoria; O'Neil, Judy

Action learning is receiving increasing attention from human resource development (HRD) practitioners and the HRD management literature. Action learning has been characterized as follows: (1) working in small groups to take action on meaningful problems while seeking to learn from having taken the specified action lies at the foundation of action…

Unifying practice schedules in the timescales of motor learning and performance.

PubMed

Verhoeven, F Martijn; Newell, Karl M

2018-06-01

In this article, we elaborate from a multiple time scales model of motor learning to examine the independent and integrated effects of massed and distributed practice schedules within- and between-sessions on the persistent (learning) and transient (warm-up, fatigue) processes of performance change. The timescales framework reveals the influence of practice distribution on four learning-related processes: the persistent processes of learning and forgetting, and the transient processes of warm-up decrement and fatigue. The superposition of the different processes of practice leads to a unified set of effects for massed and distributed practice within- and between-sessions in learning motor tasks. This analysis of the interaction between the duration of the interval of practice trials or sessions and parameters of the introduced time scale model captures the unified influence of the between trial and session scheduling of practice on learning and performance. It provides a starting point for new theoretically based hypotheses, and the scheduling of practice that minimizes the negative effects of warm-up decrement, fatigue and forgetting while exploiting the positive effects of learning and retention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Establishing the minimal number of virtual reality simulator training sessions necessary to develop basic laparoscopic skills competence: evaluation of the learning curve.

PubMed

Duarte, Ricardo Jordão; Cury, José; Oliveira, Luis Carlos Neves; Srougi, Miguel

2013-01-01

Medical literature is scarce on information to define a basic skills training program for laparoscopic surgery (peg and transferring, cutting, clipping). The aim of this study was to determine the minimal number of simulator sessions of basic laparoscopic tasks necessary to elaborate an optimal virtual reality training curriculum. Eleven medical students with no previous laparoscopic experience were spontaneously enrolled. They were submitted to simulator training sessions starting at level 1 (Immersion Lap VR, San Jose, CA), including sequentially camera handling, peg and transfer, clipping and cutting. Each student trained twice a week until 10 sessions were completed. The score indexes were registered and analyzed. The total of errors of the evaluation sequences (camera, peg and transfer, clipping and cutting) were computed and thereafter, they were correlated to the total of items evaluated in each step, resulting in a success percent ratio for each student for each set of each completed session. Thereafter, we computed the cumulative success rate in 10 sessions, obtaining an analysis of the learning process. By non-linear regression the learning curve was analyzed. By the non-linear regression method the learning curve was analyzed and a r2 = 0.73 (p < 0.001) was obtained, being necessary 4.26 (∼five sessions) to reach the plateau of 80% of the estimated acquired knowledge, being that 100% of the students have reached this level of skills. From the fifth session till the 10th, the gain of knowledge was not significant, although some students reached 96% of the expected improvement. This study revealed that after five simulator training sequential sessions the students' learning curve reaches a plateau. The forward sessions in the same difficult level do not promote any improvement in laparoscopic basic surgical skills, and the students should be introduced to a more difficult training tasks level.

Development of the First Guideline for Professional Conduct in Medical Practice in Iran.

PubMed

Saeedi Tehrani, Saeedeh; Nayeri, Fatemeh; Parsapoor, Alireza; Jafarian, Ali; Labaf, Ali; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Emadi Kouchak, Hamid; Shahi, Farhad; Ghasemzadeh, Nazafarin; Asghari, Fariba

2017-01-01

Professional behavior is first learned at the university. One of the necessary considerations in maintaining the professional environment of the university is establishing a set of codes for the behavior of physicians and medical students. This paper describes the process of developing the professional code of conduct in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. A review of Iranian and international literature was performed to develop the first draft of the guideline. In sessions of group discussion by the authors, the articles of the draft were evaluated for relevancy, clarity, and lack of repetition. The draft was sent for evaluation to all participants, including the medical faculty members, residents, and medical students, four times and necessary corrections were made according to the comments received. The final guideline included 76 behavior codes in 6 categories, including altruism, honor and integrity, responsibility, respect, justice, and excellence. The codes of the guideline cover the physicians' commitments in the physician-patient, physician-colleague, and instructor-student relationships in order to improve the quality of the services. The Islamic and Iranian culture were taken into consideration in developing the guideline. Accordance with the administrative and educational conditions of the universities was ensured in developing the guideline and its acceptance was ensured through extensive surveys. Thus, it is expected that this guideline will be very effective in enhancing professional commitment in medical universities.

Is LabTutor a helpful component of the blended learning approach to biosciences?

PubMed

Swift, Amelia; Efstathiou, Nikolaos; Lameu, Paula

2016-09-01

To evaluate the use of LabTutor (a physiological data capture and e-learning package) in bioscience education for student nurses. Knowledge of biosciences is important for nurses the world over, who have to monitor and assess their patient's clinical condition, and interpret that information to determine the most appropriate course of action. Nursing students have long been known to find acquiring useable bioscience knowledge challenging. Blended learning strategies are common in bioscience teaching to address the difficulties students have. Student nurses have a preference for hands-on learning, small group sessions and are helped by close juxtaposition of theory and practice. An evaluation of a new teaching method using in-classroom voluntary questionnaire. A structured survey instrument including statements and visual analogue response format and open questions was given to students who participated in Labtutor sessions. The students provided feedback in about the equipment, the learning and the session itself. First year (n = 93) and third year (n = 36) students completed the evaluation forms. The majority of students were confident about the equipment and using it to learn although a few felt anxious about computer-based learning. They all found the equipment helpful as part of their bioscience education and they all enjoyed the sessions. This equipment provides a helpful way to encourage guided independent learning through practice and discovery and because each session is case study based and the relationship of the data to the patient is made clear. Our students helped to evaluate our initial use of LabTutor and found the sessions enjoyable and helpful. LabTutor provides an effective learning tool as part of a blended learning strategy for biosciences teaching. Improving bioscience knowledge will lead to a greater understanding of pathophysiology, treatments and interventions and monitoring. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of Digital Nutrition Education Intervention on the Nutritional Knowledge Levels of Information Technology Professionals.

PubMed

Sharma, Priya; Rani, M Usha

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the changes in knowledge of information technology (IT) professionals after receiving a nutrition education intervention for a month. The sample comprised of 40 IT professionals (29 males and 11 females). The sample was drawn from four IT companies of Hyderabad city using random sampling techniques. The data on the general information of the subjects was collected. The data regarding the commonly accessed sources of nutrition and health information by the subjects was also obtained from the study. The intervention study group received nutrition education by distribution of the developed CD-ROMs to them followed by interactive sessions. To assess the impact of nutrition education intervention, the knowledge assessment questionnaire (KAQ) was developed and administered before and after the education programme. A significant improvement in the mean nutritional knowledge scores was observed among the total study subjects from 22.30 to 40.55 after the intervention (p < 0.05). The findings support the importance of providing professionals with nutrition knowledge to promote healthy dietary behaviors.Thus, the method of e-learning and development of CD-Rom is essential for teaching the educated groups on nutrition, physical activity and overall health education to improve their health, lifestyle and eating habits.

The effect of music performance on the transcriptome of professional musicians.

PubMed

Kanduri, Chakravarthi; Kuusi, Tuire; Ahvenainen, Minna; Philips, Anju K; Lähdesmäki, Harri; Järvelä, Irma

2015-03-25

Music performance by professional musicians involves a wide-spectrum of cognitive and multi-sensory motor skills, whose biological basis is unknown. Several neuroscientific studies have demonstrated that the brains of professional musicians and non-musicians differ structurally and functionally and that musical training enhances cognition. However, the molecules and molecular mechanisms involved in music performance remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the effect of music performance on the genome-wide peripheral blood transcriptome of professional musicians by analyzing the transcriptional responses after a 2-hr concert performance and after a 'music-free' control session. The up-regulated genes were found to affect dopaminergic neurotransmission, motor behavior, neuronal plasticity, and neurocognitive functions including learning and memory. Particularly, candidate genes such as SNCA, FOS and DUSP1 that are involved in song perception and production in songbirds, were identified, suggesting an evolutionary conservation in biological processes related to sound perception/production. Additionally, modulation of genes related to calcium ion homeostasis, iron ion homeostasis, glutathione metabolism, and several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases implied that music performance may affect the biological pathways that are otherwise essential for the proper maintenance of neuronal function and survival. For the first time, this study provides evidence for the candidate genes and molecular mechanisms underlying music performance.

Clinical supervision and nursing students' professional competence: support-seeking behaviour and the attachment styles of students and mentors.

PubMed

Moked, Zahava; Drach-Zahavy, Anat

2016-02-01

To examine whether the interdependent attachment style of students is positively related to their support-seeking behaviour during supervision and whether their over-dependent and counter-dependent attachment styles are negatively related to it. Second, to determine whether the mentors' attachment styles moderate the relationship between the students' support-seeking behaviours and their professional competence, such that this relationship is stronger when supervisors are characterized by higher independent attachment style. The mentor-student encounter during nursing clinical supervision is expected to create a supportive environment aimed at promoting support-seeking behaviours and subsequent positive supervision outcomes. Bowlby's attachment theory suggests that the three attachment styles - independent, counter-dependent and over-dependent - may have implications for clinical supervision. A correlative-prospective study. One hundred and seventy-eight students and 66 clinical mentors completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of a clinical supervision session during 2012-2013. Results demonstrated that high compared with low independent nursing students tended to seek less support. Second, students who seek less support evaluated their professional competence as higher than students who seek more support. Third, mentor's counter-dependent attachment style moderated the relationship between students' support-seeking behaviour and their professional competencies. The results allude to the detrimental meaning of support-seeking in the eyes of nursing students. Results can guide administrators in promoting supervision processes that are compatible with the students' independent learning style, while also preventing the negative implications of autonomic learning. Furthermore, as mentors' counter-dependent attachment style can hinder students' support-seeking, attachment styles should be considered in the selection of mentors. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interprofessional simulation to improve patient participation in transitional care.

PubMed

Dyrstad, Dagrunn Nåden; Storm, Marianne

2017-06-01

Educating and training healthcare professionals is known to improve the quality of transitional care for older adults. Arranging interprofessional meetings for healthcare professionals might be useful to improve patient participation skills in transitional care. To describe the learning activities used in The Meeting Point programme, focusing on patient participation in transitional care, and assess whether they increase healthcare professionals' awareness of and competencies relating to patient participation in the transitional care of older patients. Data were collected as part of an educational intervention programme, The Meeting Point, including three seminars on 'Patient participation in the transitional care of older patients' and four follow-up meetings. Participants were nurses, care assistants, doctors, physiotherapists, patient coordinators and administrative personnel from hospital, nursing homes and home-based care services. The Meeting Point was organised around four pillars: introduction, teaching session, group work activity and plenary discussion. Qualitative data included log reports, summaries of meetings, notes from group work activities, and reports from participants and from follow-up meetings. Feedback from participants shows that they were satisfied with meeting healthcare professionals from other units of care. A film scenario was perceived relevant for group work activity and useful in focusing participants' attention to patient participation. Follow-up meetings show that some nursing home wards, the emergency department and one medical ward at the hospital continued with ongoing work to improve quality of care. Efforts included implementation of an observational waiting room with comfortable chairs, planning for discharge in hospital admission, a daily patient flow registration system and motivational interviewing during admission to nursing home. The description of the learning activities used at The Meeting Point seminars shows that they were useful to increase awareness of and competencies on patient participation in transitional care. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

The Impact of a Small Private Online Course as a New Approach to Teaching Oncology: Development and Evaluation

PubMed Central

Beyne-Rauzy, Odile; Morineau, Louise; Despas, Fabien; Bachaud, Jean-Marc; Caunes, Nathalie; Poublanc, Muriel; Serrano, Elie; Bugat, Roland; Rougé Bugat, Marie-Eve; Fize, Anne-Laure

2018-01-01

Background Oncology involves complex care and multidisciplinary management of patients; however, misinformation and ineffective communication remain problematic. Objective The educational objective of our study was to develop a new teaching method to improve cancer treatment and management by emphasizing the link between hospitals (inpatients) and their surrounding communities (outpatients). Methods A team of 22 professionals from public and private institutions developed a small private online course (SPOC). Each offering of the course lasted 6 weeks and covered 6 topics: individual health care plans, cancer surgery, ionizing radiation, cancer medicines, clinical research, and oncological supportive care. For participants in the course, we targeted people working in the cancer field. The SPOC used an active teaching method with collaborative and multidisciplinary learning. A final examination was offered in each session. We evaluated participants’ satisfaction rate through a questionnaire and the success of the SPOC by participants’ completion, success, and commitment rates. Results Of the total participants (N=1574), 446 completed the evaluation form. Most participants were aged 31 to 45 years. Participants included 56 nurses, 131 pharmacists, 80 from the medical field (including 26 physicians), 53 from patients’ associations, 28 health teachers, and 13 students (medical and paramedical). Among the participants, 24.7% (90/446) had an independent medical practice, 38.5% (140/446) worked in a public institution, and 36.8% (134/446) worked in a private institution. After completing the SPOC sessions, 85.9% (384/446) thought they had learned new information, 90.8% (405/446) felt their expectations were met, and 90.4% (403/446) considered that the information had a positive impact on their professional practice. The completion rate was 35.51% (559/1574), the success rate was 71.47% (1025/1574), and the commitment rate was 64.67% (1018/1574). Concerning the cost effectiveness of SPOC compared with a traditional classroom of 25 students, online education became more effective when there were more than 950 participants. Conclusions SPOCs improved the management of oncology patients. This new digital learning technique is an attractive concept to integrate into teaching practice. It offered optimal propagation of information and met the students’ expectations. PMID:29506968

Taking the Long Road: A Faculty Model for Incremental Change towards Standards-Based Support for Sessional Teachers in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Julia; Pollard, Vikki

2016-01-01

Despite decades of dependence on sessional teaching staff, universities in Australia and internationally still find it difficult to support the teaching work of this large, casual workforce. A significant consequence of casually-employed teaching staff is risk; sessional academics' professional identity is compromised, quality assurance of…

Engaging or Training Sessional Staff: Evidence from an Australian Case of Enhanced Engagement and Motivation in Teaching Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byers, Philippa; Tni, Massimiliano

2014-01-01

This paper examines the effectiveness of a programme of weekly meetings between sessional staff and the unit coordinator of a large first-year class at an Australian university. Interviews with sessional staff indicate that, in addition to training and targeted professional development initiatives, management initiatives that promote engagement…

Accurate monitoring leads to effective control and greater learning of patient education materials.

PubMed

Rawson, Katherine A; O'Neil, Rochelle; Dunlosky, John

2011-09-01

Effective management of chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes) can depend on the extent to which patients can learn and remember disease-relevant information. In two experiments, we explored a technique motivated by theories of self-regulated learning for improving people's learning of information relevant to managing a chronic disease. Materials were passages from patient education booklets on diabetes from NIDDK. Session 1 included an initial study trial, Session 2 included self-regulated restudy, and Session 3 included a final memory test. The key manipulation concerned the kind of support provided for self-regulated learning during Session 2. In Experiment 1, participants either were prompted to self-test and then evaluate their learning before selecting passages to restudy, were shown the prompt questions but did not overtly self-test or evaluate learning prior to selecting passages, or were not shown any prompts and were simply given the menu for selecting passages to restudy. Participants who self-tested and evaluated learning during Session 2 had a small but significant advantage over the other groups on the final test. Secondary analyses provided evidence that the performance advantage may have been modest because of inaccurate monitoring. Experiment 2 included a group who also self-tested but who evaluated their learning using idea-unit judgments (i.e., by checking their responses against a list of key ideas from the correct response). Participants who self-tested and made idea-unit judgments exhibited a sizable advantage on final test performance. Secondary analyses indicated that the performance advantage was attributable in part to more accurate monitoring and more effective self-regulated learning. An important practical implication is that learning of patient education materials can be enhanced by including appropriate support for learners' self-regulatory processes. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Peer-support writing group in a community family medicine teaching unit

PubMed Central

Al-Imari, Lina; Yang, Jaisy; Pimlott, Nicholas

2016-01-01

Abstract Problem addressed Aspiring physician writers need an environment that promotes self-reflection and can help them improve their skills and confidence in writing. Objective of program To create a peer-support writing group for physicians in the Markham-Stouffville community in Ontario to promote professional development by encouraging self-reflection and fostering the concept of physician as writer. Program description The program, designed based on a literature review and a needs assessment, was conducted in 3 sessions over 6 months. Participants included an emergency physician, 4 family physicians, and 3 residents. Four to 8 participants per session shared their projects with guest physician authors. Eight pieces of written work were brought to the sessions, 3 of which were edited. A mixed quantitative and qualitative evaluation model was used with preprogram and postprogram questionnaires and a focus group. Conclusion This program promoted professional development by increasing participants’ frequency of self-reflection and improving their proficiency in writing. Successful elements of this program include creating a supportive group environment and having a physician-writer expert facilitate the peer-feedback sessions. Similar programs can be useful in postgraduate education or continuing professional development. PMID:27965348

Electrophysiological assessment of piano players' back extensor muscles on a regular piano bench and chair with back rest.

PubMed

Honarmand, Kavan; Minaskanian, Rafael; Maboudi, Seyed Ebrahim; Oskouei, Ali E

2018-01-01

[Purpose] Sitting position is the dominant position for a professional pianist. There are many static and dynamic forces which affect musculoskeletal system during sitting. In prolonged sitting, these forces are harmful. The aim of this study was to compare pianists' back extensor muscles activity during playing piano while sitting on a regular piano bench and a chair with back rest. [Subjects and Methods] Ten professional piano players (mean age 25.4 ± 5.28, 60% male, 40% female) performed similar tasks for 5 hours in two sessions: one session sitting on a regular piano bench and the other sitting on a chair with back rest. In each session, muscular activity was assessed in 3 ways: 1) recording surface electromyography of the back-extensor muscles at the beginning and end of each session, 2) isometric back extension test, and 3) musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire. [Results] There were significantly lesser muscular activity, more ability to perform isometric back extension and better personal comfort while sitting on a chair with back rest. [Conclusion] Decreased muscular activity and perhaps fatigue during prolonged piano playing on a chair with back rest may reduce acquired musculoskeletal disorders amongst professional pianists.

Electrophysiological assessment of piano players’ back extensor muscles on a regular piano bench and chair with back rest

PubMed Central

Honarmand, Kavan; Minaskanian, Rafael; Maboudi, Seyed Ebrahim; Oskouei, Ali E.

2018-01-01

[Purpose] Sitting position is the dominant position for a professional pianist. There are many static and dynamic forces which affect musculoskeletal system during sitting. In prolonged sitting, these forces are harmful. The aim of this study was to compare pianists’ back extensor muscles activity during playing piano while sitting on a regular piano bench and a chair with back rest. [Subjects and Methods] Ten professional piano players (mean age 25.4 ± 5.28, 60% male, 40% female) performed similar tasks for 5 hours in two sessions: one session sitting on a regular piano bench and the other sitting on a chair with back rest. In each session, muscular activity was assessed in 3 ways: 1) recording surface electromyography of the back-extensor muscles at the beginning and end of each session, 2) isometric back extension test, and 3) musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire. [Results] There were significantly lesser muscular activity, more ability to perform isometric back extension and better personal comfort while sitting on a chair with back rest. [Conclusion] Decreased muscular activity and perhaps fatigue during prolonged piano playing on a chair with back rest may reduce acquired musculoskeletal disorders amongst professional pianists. PMID:29410569

Effect of students' learning styles on classroom performance in problem-based learning.

PubMed

Alghasham, Abdullah A

2012-01-01

Since problem-based learning (PBL) sessions require a combination of active discussion, group interaction, and inductive and reflective thinking, students with different learning styles can be expected to perform differently in the PBL sessions. Using "Learning Style Inventory Questionnaire," students were divided into separate active and reflective learner groups. Tutors were asked to observe and assess the students' behavioral performance during the PBL sessions for a period of 5 weeks. A questionnaire of 24 items was developed to assess students' behavioral performance in PBL sessions. Active students tended to use multiple activities to obtain the needed information were more adjusted to the group norms and regulation and more skillful in using reasoning and problem-solving skills and in participation in discussion. On the other hand, reflective students used independent study more, listened actively and carefully to others and used previously acquired information in the discussion more frequently. Formative assessment quizzes did not indicate better performance of either group. There were no significant gender differences in PBL behavioral performance or quizzes' scores. Active and reflective learners differ in PBL class behavioral performance but not in the formative assessment. We recommend that students should be informed about their learning style and that they should learn strategies to compensate for any lacks in PBL sessions through self-study. Also, educational planners should ensure an adequate mix of students with different learning styles in the PBL groups to achieve PBL desired objectives.

Professional Counselors Licensure Preparation Study Session Booklet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Julia K.

This study guide, designed to help counselors prepare for the Virginia Professional Counselor License Application, provides a review of counseling techniques and procedures, evaluation and appraisal procedures, and group theories and techniques. Other topics reviewed in the materials include professional identity, function and ethics, and abnormal…

The Impact of Contact Sessions and Discussion Forums on the Academic Performance of Open Distance Learning Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olivier, Benjamin Hugh

2016-01-01

This study investigated the impact of face-to-face contact sessions and online discussion forums on the academic performance of students at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) university (N = 1,015). t-Tests for independent samples indicated that students who attended a written assignment preparation contact session performed significantly better in…

An analysis of equine round pen training videos posted online: Differences between amateur and professional trainers

PubMed Central

Kydd, Erin; Padalino, Barbara; Henshall, Cathrynne; McGreevy, Paul

2017-01-01

Natural Horsemanship is popular among many amateur and professional trainers and as such, has been the subject of recent scientific enquiry. One method commonly adopted by Natural Horsemanship (NH) trainers is that of round pen training (RPT). RPT sessions are usually split into a series of bouts; each including two phases: chasing/flight and chasing offset/flight offset. However, NH training styles are heterogeneous. This study investigated online videos of RPT to explore the characteristics of RPT sessions and test for differences in techniques and outcomes between amateurs and professionals (the latter being defined as those with accompanying online materials that promote clinics, merchandise or a service to the public). From more than 300 candidate videos, we selected sample files for individual amateur (n = 24) and professional (n = 21) trainers. Inclusion criteria were: training at liberty in a Round Pen; more than one bout and good quality video. Sessions or portions of sessions were excluded if the trainer attached equipment, such as a lunge line, directly to the horse or the horse was saddled, mounted or ridden. The number of bouts and duration of each chasing and non-chasing phase were recorded, and the duration of each RPT session was calculated. General weighted regression analysis revealed that, when compared with amateurs, professionals showed fewer arm movements per bout (p<0.05). Poisson regression analysis showed that professionals spent more time looking up at their horses, when transitioning between gaits, than amateurs did (p<0.05). The probability of horses following the trainer was not significantly associated with amount of chasing, regardless of category. Given that, according to some practitioners, the following response is a goal of RPT, this result may prompt caution in those inclined to give chase. The horses handled by professionals showed fewer conflict behaviours (e.g. kicking, biting, stomping, head-tossing, defecating, bucking and attempting to escape), and fewer oral and head movements (e.g. head-lowering, licking and chewing) than those horses handled by amateurs Overall, these findings highlight the need for selectivity when using the internet as an educational source and the importance of trainer skill and excellent timing when using negative reinforcement in horse training. PMID:28922395

An analysis of equine round pen training videos posted online: Differences between amateur and professional trainers.

PubMed

Kydd, Erin; Padalino, Barbara; Henshall, Cathrynne; McGreevy, Paul

2017-01-01

Natural Horsemanship is popular among many amateur and professional trainers and as such, has been the subject of recent scientific enquiry. One method commonly adopted by Natural Horsemanship (NH) trainers is that of round pen training (RPT). RPT sessions are usually split into a series of bouts; each including two phases: chasing/flight and chasing offset/flight offset. However, NH training styles are heterogeneous. This study investigated online videos of RPT to explore the characteristics of RPT sessions and test for differences in techniques and outcomes between amateurs and professionals (the latter being defined as those with accompanying online materials that promote clinics, merchandise or a service to the public). From more than 300 candidate videos, we selected sample files for individual amateur (n = 24) and professional (n = 21) trainers. Inclusion criteria were: training at liberty in a Round Pen; more than one bout and good quality video. Sessions or portions of sessions were excluded if the trainer attached equipment, such as a lunge line, directly to the horse or the horse was saddled, mounted or ridden. The number of bouts and duration of each chasing and non-chasing phase were recorded, and the duration of each RPT session was calculated. General weighted regression analysis revealed that, when compared with amateurs, professionals showed fewer arm movements per bout (p<0.05). Poisson regression analysis showed that professionals spent more time looking up at their horses, when transitioning between gaits, than amateurs did (p<0.05). The probability of horses following the trainer was not significantly associated with amount of chasing, regardless of category. Given that, according to some practitioners, the following response is a goal of RPT, this result may prompt caution in those inclined to give chase. The horses handled by professionals showed fewer conflict behaviours (e.g. kicking, biting, stomping, head-tossing, defecating, bucking and attempting to escape), and fewer oral and head movements (e.g. head-lowering, licking and chewing) than those horses handled by amateurs Overall, these findings highlight the need for selectivity when using the internet as an educational source and the importance of trainer skill and excellent timing when using negative reinforcement in horse training.

Correlating students' educational background, study habits, and resource usage with learning success in medical histology.

PubMed

Selvig, Daniel; Holaday, Louisa W; Purkiss, Joel; Hortsch, Michael

2015-01-01

Histology is a traditional core basic science component of most medical and dental education programs and presents a didactic challenge for many students. Identifying students that are likely to struggle with histology would allow for early intervention to support and encourage their learning success. To identify student characteristics that are associated with learning success in histology, three first-year medical school classes at the University of Michigan (>440 students) were surveyed about their educational background, attitudes toward learning histology, and their use of histology learning strategies and resources. These characteristics were linked with the students' quiz and examination results in histology. Students who reported previous experience in histology or pathology and hold science or biomedical science college degrees usually did well in histology. Learning success in histology was also positively associated with students' perception that histology is important for their professional career. Other positive indicators were in-person participation in teacher-guided learning experiences, specifically lecture and laboratory sessions. In contrast, students who relied on watching histology lectures by video rather than going to lectures in-person performed significantly worse. These characteristics and learning strategies of students who did well in this very visual and challenging study subject should be of help for identifying and advising students early, who might be at risk of failing a histology course or component. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Learning for Work and Professional Development: The Significance of Informal Learning Networks of Digital Media Industry Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campana, Joe

2014-01-01

Informal learning networks play a key role in the skill and professional development of professionals, working in micro-businesses within Australia's digital media industry, as they do not have access to learning and development or human resources sections that can assist in mapping their learning pathway. Professionals working in this environment…

Instructors' Use of the Principles of Teaching and Learning during College Class Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Daniel D.; Whittington, M. Susie

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the frequency of utilization of the Principles of Teaching and Learning (Newcomb, McCracken, Warmbrod, & Whittington, 2004) during college class sessions. Process-product research was implemented (Gage, 1972; Rosenshine & Furst, 1973) using the Principles of Teaching and Learning Assessment (PTLA)…

Periodic Review Sessions Contribute to Student Learning across the Disciplines in Pharmacology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Orla P.; O' Sullivan, Eleanor; McCarthy, Marian

2015-01-01

Background: The teaching of the discipline of pharmacology is in constant flux. In order to meet the challenges of teaching pharmacology effectively we investigated a new teaching and learning strategy. Aim: Our aim was to investigate whether structured periodic review sessions (RS) could improve teaching and learning for students in a…

Methods of Learning in Statistical Education: A Randomized Trial of Public Health Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enders, Felicity Boyd; Diener-West, Marie

2006-01-01

A randomized trial of 265 consenting students was conducted within an introductory biostatistics course: 69 received eight small group cooperative learning sessions; 97 accessed internet learning sessions; 96 received no intervention. Effect on examination score (95% CI) was assessed by intent-to-treat analysis and by incorporating reported…

Adaptation and learning: characteristic time scales of performance dynamics.

PubMed

Newell, Karl M; Mayer-Kress, Gottfried; Hong, S Lee; Liu, Yeou-Teh

2009-12-01

A multiple time scales landscape model is presented that reveals structures of performance dynamics that were not resolved in the traditional power law analysis of motor learning. It shows the co-existence of separate processes during and between practice sessions that evolve in two independent dimensions characterized by time scales that differ by about an order of magnitude. Performance along the slow persistent dimension of learning improves often as much and sometimes more during rest (memory consolidation and/or insight generation processes) than during a practice session itself. In contrast, the process characterized by the fast, transient dimension of adaptation reverses direction between practice sessions, thereby significantly degrading performance at the beginning of the next practice session (warm-up decrement). The theoretical model fits qualitatively and quantitatively the data from Snoddy's [Snoddy, G. S. (1926). Learning and stability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 10, 1-36] classic learning study of mirror tracing and other averaged and individual data sets, and provides a new account of the processes of change in adaptation and learning. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interrater and Intrarater Reliability of the Tuck Jump Assessment by Health Professionals of Varied Educational Backgrounds

PubMed Central

Dudley, Lisa A.; Smith, Craig A.; Olson, Brandon K.; Chimera, Nicole J.

2013-01-01

Objective. The Tuck Jump Assessment (TJA), a clinical plyometric assessment, identifies 10 jumping and landing technique flaws. The study objective was to investigate TJA interrater and intrarater reliability with raters of different educational and clinical backgrounds. Methods. 40 participants were video recorded performing the TJA using published protocol and instructions. Five raters of varied educational and clinical backgrounds scored the TJA. Each score of the 10 technique flaws was summed for the total TJA score. Approximately one month later, 3 raters scored the videos again. Intraclass correlation coefficients determined interrater (5 and 3 raters for first and second session, resp.) and intrarater (3 raters) reliability. Results. Interrater reliability with 5 raters was poor (ICC = 0.47; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.33–0.62). Interrater reliability between 3 raters who completed 2 scoring sessions improved from 0.52 (95% CI 0.35–0.68) for session one to 0.69 (95% CI 0.55–0.81) for session two. Intrarater reliability was poor to moderate, ranging from 0.44 (95% CI 0.22–0.68) to 0.72 (95% CI 0.55–0.84). Conclusion. Published protocol and training of raters were insufficient to allow consistent TJA scoring. There may be a learned effect with the TJA since interrater reliability improved with repetition. TJA instructions and training should be modified and enhanced before clinical implementation. PMID:26464881

An intervention for reducing secondary traumatization and improving professional self-efficacy in well baby clinic nurses following war and terror: a random control group trial.

PubMed

Berger, Rony; Gelkopf, Marc

2011-05-01

Due to the terror and war-related situation in Israel, well baby clinic nurses dealing with a large number of traumatized and highly distressed infants, toddlers and their parents have become overwhelmed. (1) Assess the level of secondary traumatization, including lack of compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue of well baby clinic nurses living under chronic threat of war and terror. (2) Assess the efficacy of an intervention aimed at providing well baby clinic nurses with psycho-educational knowledge pertaining to stress and trauma in infants, young children and parents. This intervention provides the nurses with screening tools for identifying children and parents at risk of developing stress-related problems and equips them with stress management techniques. Quasi-random control trial. The intervention took place in Israel, in war (North) and terror (South) affected areas. Ninety well baby clinic nurses from the most war and terror affected areas in Israel were approached, 42 were randomly assigned the experimental intervention and 38 served as a waiting list group. The intervention was comprised of 12 weekly 6-h sessions. Each session included theoretical knowledge, experiential exercises based on the nurses' work or personal life experience, and the learning of skills accompanied by homework assignments. Participants were assessed on self-report measures of secondary traumatization, professional self-efficacy, hope, sense of mastery and self-esteem before and after the intervention. (1) Well baby clinic nurses were found to have elevated secondary traumatization levels. (2) Compared to the waiting list group, the intervention group improved significantly on the professional self-efficacy measure as well as reducing the level of secondary traumatization. Furthermore, improvement on all secondary traumatization measures covaried with the improvement on the professional self-efficacy assessments. Based on additional informal reports, the improvement was observed to be clinically significant. Training of medical personnel who work with traumatized children and their families and who may also be under the threat of war and terror is essential to both improving their professional functioning, as well as reducing the vulnerability to secondary traumatization. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the use of student-led simulated practice learning in pre-registration nursing programmes.

PubMed

Brown, Jo; Collins, Guy; Gratton, Olivia

2017-09-20

Simulated practice learning is used in pre-registration nursing programmes to replicate situations that nursing students are likely to encounter in clinical practice, but in a safe and protected academic environment. However, lecturer-led simulated practice learning has been perceived as detached from contemporary nursing practice by some nursing students. Therefore, a pilot project was implemented in the authors' university to explore the use of student-led simulated practice learning and its potential benefits for nursing students. To evaluate the effectiveness of student-led simulated practice learning in pre-registration nursing programmes. The authors specifically wanted to: enhance the students' skills; improve their critical thinking and reflective strategies; and develop their leadership and management techniques. A literature review was undertaken to examine the evidence supporting student-led simulated practice learning. A skills gap analysis was then conducted with 35 third-year nursing students to identify their learning needs, from which suitable simulated practice learning scenarios and sessions were developed and undertaken. These sessions were evaluated using debriefs following each of the sessions, as well as informal discussions with the nursing students. The pilot project identified that student-led simulated learning: developed nursing students' ability to plan and facilitate colleagues' practice learning; enabled nursing students to develop their mentoring skills; reinforced the nursing students' self-awareness, which contributed to their personal development; and demonstrated the importance of peer feedback and support through the debriefs. Challenges included overcoming some students' resistance to the project and that some lecturers were initially concerned that nursing students may not have the clinical expertise to lead the simulated practice learning sessions effectively. This pilot project has demonstrated how student-led simulated practice learning sessions could be used to engage nursing students as partners in their learning, enhance their knowledge and skills, and promote self-directed learning. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Mapping of Primary Instructional Methods and Teaching Techniques for Regularly Scheduled, Formal Teaching Sessions in an Anesthesia Residency Program.

PubMed

Vested Madsen, Matias; Macario, Alex; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Tanaka, Pedro

2016-06-01

In this study, we examined the regularly scheduled, formal teaching sessions in a single anesthesiology residency program to (1) map the most common primary instructional methods, (2) map the use of 10 known teaching techniques, and (3) assess if residents scored sessions that incorporated active learning as higher quality than sessions with little or no verbal interaction between teacher and learner. A modified Delphi process was used to identify useful teaching techniques. A representative sample of each of the formal teaching session types was mapped, and residents anonymously completed a 5-question written survey rating the session. The most common primary instructional methods were computer slides-based classroom lectures (66%), workshops (15%), simulations (5%), and journal club (5%). The number of teaching techniques used per formal teaching session averaged 5.31 (SD, 1.92; median, 5; range, 0-9). Clinical applicability (85%) and attention grabbers (85%) were the 2 most common teaching techniques. Thirty-eight percent of the sessions defined learning objectives, and one-third of sessions engaged in active learning. The overall survey response rate equaled 42%, and passive sessions had a mean score of 8.44 (range, 5-10; median, 9; SD, 1.2) compared with a mean score of 8.63 (range, 5-10; median, 9; SD, 1.1) for active sessions (P = 0.63). Slides-based classroom lectures were the most common instructional method, and faculty used an average of 5 known teaching techniques per formal teaching session. The overall education scores of the sessions as rated by the residents were high.

Lesson study: Professional development and its impact on science teacher self-efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Megan Rae

This study focuses on an analysis of a professional development program known as lesson study via data obtained during an in-service professional development program for secondary school science teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy beliefs of one group of science teachers related to their experiences in a lesson study. Another purpose for this research, aligned with the first, included a theoretical analysis of the lesson study construct to see if its design promoted positive self-efficacy beliefs of its participants. The research is framed within the context of social constructivism and self-efficacy and is qualitative in nature and utilized descriptive analysis as a means of research. Case studies were conducted detailing two of the six participants. Data sources included researcher field notes and transcriptions of all planning and debriefing sessions; individual interviews with each participant and the schools' principal; a participant questionnaire, and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument. Themes that emerged included the positive perceptions of lesson study as a collaborative and teacher-centered experience; the understanding that lesson study can instill a sense of professionalism to those who participate in the process; the sense that discussing student learning using objective observations from classroom is a powerful way to assess learning and uncover personal teacher beliefs; and the insight that the time commitment that lesson study requires can inhibit teachers and schools from sustaining it as a form of on-going professional development. Although these themes are consistent with the research on lesson study in Japan and elsewhere in the United States, they also extend the research on self-efficacy and science teacher professional development. In the end, this study supported some of the conclusions of the self-efficacy research as it relates to professional development while also adding that interpersonal relationships is a relevant consideration in the development of science teacher's self-efficacy. From this study, it is apparent that teachers who are collaboratively involved in a supportive setting such as lesson study can increase their level of self-efficacy and thus improve their teaching practice.

A novel cadaver-based educational program in general surgery training.

PubMed

Lewis, Catherine E; Peacock, Warwick J; Tillou, Areti; Hines, O Joe; Hiatt, Jonathan R

2012-01-01

To describe the development of a cadaver-based educational program and report our residents' assessment of the new program. An anatomy-based educational program was developed using fresh frozen cadavers to teach surgical anatomy and operative skills to general surgery (GS) trainees. Residents were asked to complete a voluntary, anonymous survey evaluating perceptions of the program (6 questions formulated on a 5-point Likert scale) and comparing cadaver sessions to other types of learning (4 rank order questions). Large university teaching hospital. Medical students, residents, and faculty members were participants in the cadaver programs. Only GS residents were asked to complete the survey. Since its implementation, 150 residents of all levels participated in 13 sessions. A total of 40 surveys were returned for a response rate of 89%. Overall, respondents held a positive view of the cadaver sessions and believed them to be useful for learning anatomy (94% agree or strongly agree), learning the steps of an operation (76% agree or strongly agree), and increasing confidence in doing an operation (53% agree or strongly agree). Trainees wanted to have more sessions (87% agree or strongly agree), and believed they would spend free time in the cadaver laboratory (58% agree or strongly agree). Compared with other learning modalities, cadaver sessions were ranked first for learning surgical anatomy, followed by textbooks, simulators, web sites, animate laboratories, and lectures. Respondents also ranked cadaver sessions first for increasing confidence in performing a procedure and for learning the steps of an operation. Cost of cadavers represented the major expense of the program. Fresh cadaver dissections represent a solution to the challenges of efficient, safe, and effective general surgery education. Residents have a positive attitude toward these teaching sessions and found them to be more effective than other learning modalities. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Learning Associated with Multiple Exposures to Computerized Dynamic Posturography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dean, S. Lance; Paloski, William H.; Taylor, Laura C.; Vanya, Robert D.; Feiveson, Alan H.; Wood, Scott J.

2009-01-01

Computerized dynamic posturography has been used to quantitatively assess the time course of functional sensorimotor recovery after exposure to spaceflight or to groundbased analogs such as head-down bed rest. An assessment of balance recovery may be confounded as subjects develop new strategies through repeated exposures to test paradigms. The purpose of this control study was to characterize the learning effects of sensory organization and motor control tests across multiple sessions. METHODS: Twenty-eight healthy subjects were tested over four sessions. To examine the effects of between-session interval, subjects were assigned to one of four groups in which the interval between the 1 st and 2nd sessions was 7 (+/- 1) days, 14 (+/-1) days, 28 (+/-2) days, or 56 (+/-3) days. The interval between remaining sessions was 28 (+/-4) days. Peak-to-peak anterior-posterior sway was measured during standard Sensory Organization Tests (SOTs) using either fixed or unstable sway-referenced support with eyes open, eyes closed, or sway-referenced vision. Sway was also measured during modified SOTs using eyes-closed conditions with either static or dynamic head tilts. Postural recovery to unexpected support surface perturbations (translations or rotations) was measured during Motor Control Tests. The test order was block randomized across subjects. RESULTS: The learning effects varied with test condition. There were no measurable differences with a stable support surface. The more challenging conditions (unstable support surface with and without head tilts) led to greater differences and took more trials to stabilize. The effect of time interval between the first two sessions was negligible across conditions. Evidence suggested that learning carried across similar conditions (such as unstable support SOTs). DISCUSSION: Familiarization session and/or trials are recommended to minimize learning effects when characterizing functional recovery after exposure to altered sensory environments. The number of practice trials required depends on task difficulty and similarity across conditions. Learning statement: This presentation will review the learning effects of computerized d

Levodopa enhances explicit new-word learning in healthy adults: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Shellshear, Leanne; MacDonald, Anna D; Mahoney, Jeffrey; Finch, Emma; McMahon, Katie; Silburn, Peter; Nathan, Pradeep J; Copland, David A

2015-09-01

While the role of dopamine in modulating executive function, working memory and associative learning has been established; its role in word learning and language processing more generally is not clear. This preliminary study investigated the impact of increased synaptic dopamine levels on new-word learning ability in healthy young adults using an explicit learning paradigm. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-groups design was used. Participants completed five learning sessions over 1 week with levodopa or placebo administered at each session (five doses, 100 mg). Each session involved a study phase followed by a test phase. Test phases involved recall and recognition tests of the new (non-word) names previously paired with unfamiliar objects (half with semantic descriptions) during the study phase. The levodopa group showed superior recall accuracy for new words over five learning sessions compared with the placebo group and better recognition accuracy at a 1-month follow-up for words learnt with a semantic description. These findings suggest that dopamine boosts initial lexical acquisition and enhances longer-term consolidation of words learnt with semantic information, consistent with dopaminergic enhancement of semantic salience. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Features of Effective Professional Learning: A Case Study of the Implementation of a System-Based Professional Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labone, Elizabeth; Long, Janette

2016-01-01

The impact of quality teaching on student learning has led to an increased focus on professional learning to support and improve teacher practice. Review of the literature on effective professional learning suggests six elements that support sustained change in teacher practice; namely, focus, learning components, feedback, collaborative…

Hands on the sun: Teaching SEC science through hands on inquiery and direct observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, L.; Cline, T.; Lewis, E.

2003-04-01

Hands on the Sun is a model partnership between the NASA Sun Earth Connection Education Forum (SECEF), Coronado Instruments, Space Science Institute, NOAO/Kitt Peak, Flandrau Planetarium, Astronomical League, and professional astronomers. This joint venture uses experiential learning, provocative talks, and direct observation in both formal and informal education venues to teach participants (K-12 educators, amateur astronomers, and the general public) about the sun, its impact on the Earth, and the importance of understanding the sun-Earth system. The program consists of three days of workshops and activities including tours and observing sessions on Kitt Peak including the National Solar Observatory, planetarium shows, exhibits on space weather, and professional development workshops targeted primarily at Hispanic public school science teachers which are intended to provide hands on activities demonstrating solar and SEC science that can be integrated into the classroom science curriculum. This talk will describe the many facets of this program and discuss our plans for future events.

Seizing the Moment: State Lessons for Transforming Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Learning Forward, 2013

2013-01-01

Explore this first look at lessons learned through Learning Forward's ongoing initiative to develop a comprehensive system of professional learning that spans the distance from the statehouse to the classroom. This policy brief underscores the importance of a coordinated state professional learning strategy, the adoption of professional learning…

The Teaching of Hypnosis: Outline and Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taub-Bynum, Edward Bruce; House, Joseph J.

1983-01-01

A training seminar in clinical hypnosis was given to eight health professionals and paraprofessionals. The seminar involved lectures, clinical induction, and the use of hypnosis in supervised settings. A session-by-session account of seminar activities is provided. (Author/PP)

On the Effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction: A Systematic Review of Supplemental Instruction and Peer-Assisted Study Sessions Literature between 2001 and 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Phillip; van der Meer, Jacques; Skalicky, Jane; Cowley, Kym

2014-01-01

Supplemental instruction (SI)--variously known as peer-assisted learning, peer-assisted study sessions, and other names--is a type of academic support intervention popular in higher education. In SI sessions, a senior student facilitates peer learning between undergraduates studying a high-risk course. This article presents a systematic review of…

An interprofessional education session for first-year health science students.

PubMed

Cameron, Andrea; Ignjatovic, Milka; Langlois, Sylvia; Dematteo, Dale; DiProspero, Lisa; Wagner, Susan; Reeves, Scott

2009-07-10

To implement and evaluate the effectiveness and short-term impact of an interprofessional education (IPE) session in the first year for health sciences students representing 9 health professions. An interprofessional faculty committee created a 2(1/2) hour introductory interprofessional education session focusing on a single patient case and 2 possible discharge scenarios. A mixed method pretest/posttest research design was used to examine changes in students' perceptions of and attitudes toward IPE. Six follow-up focus groups also were held with students from the participating professions. Of 1197 health professions students enrolled, 914 students (76%) attended the IPE session. Two hundred thirty-two of 240 pharmacy students (97%) attended. Forty-three (18.5%) pharmacy students responded to the open-ended questions on the survey instrument. The most frequently reported gains from attending the session were recognition of teamwork importance to benefit the patient (30%) and understanding of other professionals' roles (29%). Shortfalls reported by students related to the content/style of presentation (26%) and technical/organizational (23%) aspects of the session. Pharmacy students who participated in one of the focus groups stated the session demonstrated the benefits as well as facilitators and barriers to collaborative care. The session served as an effective introduction to IPE; debriefing and integration with uniprofessional curricula should occur. Students need additional small group interaction with other health professional students, and can contribute as members of the planning committee.

The Effects of Training Contingency Awareness During Attention Bias Modification on Learning and Stress Reactivity.

PubMed

Lazarov, Amit; Abend, Rany; Seidner, Shiran; Pine, Daniel S; Bar-Haim, Yair

2017-09-01

Current attention bias modification (ABM) procedures are designed to implicitly train attention away from threatening stimuli with the hope of reducing stress reactivity and anxiety symptoms. However, the mechanisms underlying effective ABM delivery are not well understood, with awareness of the training contingency suggested as one possible factor contributing to ABM efficacy. Here, 45 high-anxious participants were trained to divert attention away from threat in two ABM sessions. They were randomly assigned to one of three training protocols: an implicit protocol, comprising two standard implicit ABM training sessions; an explicit protocol, comprising two sessions with explicit instruction as to the attention training contingency; and an implicit-explicit protocol, in which participants were not informed of the training contingency in the first ABM session and informed of it at the start of the second session. We examined learning processes and stress reactivity following a stress-induction task. Results indicate that relative to implicit instructions, explicit instructions led to stronger learning during the first training session. Following rest, the explicit and implicit groups exhibited consolidation-related improvement in performance, whereas no such improvement was noted for the implicit-explicit group. Finally, although stress reactivity was reduced after training, contingency awareness did not yield a differential effect on stress reactivity measured using both self-reports and skin conductance, within and across sessions. These results suggest that explicit ABM administration leads to greater initial learning during the training protocol while not differing from standard implicit administration in terms of off-line learning and stress reactivity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Planning for the Evaluation of Teaching. NSPER: 79. A CEDR [Center on Evaluation, Development and Research] Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duckett, Willard R., Ed.

This is a series of papers delivered at three National Symposia for Professionals in Evaluation and Research (NSPER) sessions in 1979. The agenda was the same at all sessions. The main topic was "Planning for the Evaluation of Teaching." The sessions were conducted in Charlotte, North Carolina; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Albuguerque, New…

An evaluation of dental information sessions provided to childcare educators in NSW in 2010-2011.

PubMed

Noller, Jennifer M

2013-12-01

Childcare services provide ideal settings to promote good oral health and help reduce tooth decay in young children. This paper reports the results of an evaluation of the dental information session component of the NSW Little Smiles Program provided by public oral health service professionals to childcare educators in NSW in 2010-2011. The evaluation sought to determine if a face-to-face information session provided to childcare educators by oral health professionals: (i) can improve the confidence of childcare educators to reach national quality standards that relate to oral health; and (ii) is an appropriate model to use. In 2010-2011, 163 dental information sessions were provided to 1716 participants from over 526 childcare centres across NSW. Results showed that a dental information session can improve the confidence of childcare educators to assist their service to reach the required national quality standards for oral hygiene and diet-related oral health issues. Further evaluation is required to determine if oral health can be embedded in the daily practice of childcare services and other options need to be explored to deliver the sessions in a more cost-effective way.

Substance P signalling in primary motor cortex facilitates motor learning in rats.

PubMed

Hertler, Benjamin; Hosp, Jonas Aurel; Blanco, Manuel Buitrago; Luft, Andreas Rüdiger

2017-01-01

Among the genes that are up-regulated in response to a reaching training in rats, Tachykinin 1 (Tac1)-a gene that encodes the neuropeptide Substance P (Sub P)-shows an especially strong expression. Using Real-Time RT-PCR, a detailed time-course of Tac1 expression could be defined: a significant peak occurs 7 hours after training ended at the first and second training session, whereas no up-regulation could be detected at a later time-point (sixth training session). To assess the physiological role of Sub P during movement acquisition, microinjections into the primary motor cortex (M1) contralateral to the trained paw were performed. When Sub P was injected before the first three sessions of a reaching training, effectiveness of motor learning became significantly increased. Injections at a time-point when rats already knew the task (i.e. training session ten and eleven) had no effect on reaching performance. Sub P injections did not influence the improvement of performance within a single training session, but retention of performance between sessions became strengthened at a very early stage (i.e. between baseline-training and first training session). Thus, Sub P facilitates motor learning in the very early phase of skill acquisition by supporting memory consolidation. In line with these findings, learning related expression of the precursor Tac1 occurs at early but not at later time-points during reaching training.

Professional Learning in Higher Education: Making Good Practice Relevant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Jeannie

2017-01-01

Professionals working in a range of contexts are increasingly expected to engage in ongoing professional learning to maintain their skills and develop their practices. In this paper, I focus on professional learning in Higher Education and challenge the standardisation of professional learning that is becoming prevalent in a number of countries. I…

Perceptions of Special Education Teachers' Professional Learning Experiences in Arkansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose-Greer, Paula

2017-01-01

Professional learning is gaining credence as a best practice for staff development. The change in terms from professional training to professional development may be an improvement; however, responding to the needs of the learners to support a teacher's need to learn themselves requires professional "learning" (Easton, 2008). Studies are…

Learning to live with a permanent intestinal ostomy: impact on everyday life and educational needs.

PubMed

Danielsen, Anne Kjaergaard; Soerensen, Erik Elgaard; Burcharth, Kirsten; Rosenberg, Jacob

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to explore the impact of a permanent stoma on patients' everyday lives and to gain further insight into their need for ostomy-related education. The sample population comprised 15 persons with permanent ostomies. Stomas were created to manage colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. The research setting was the surgical department at a hospital in the Capitol Region of Denmark associated with the University of Copenhagen. Focus group interviews were conducted using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Data were collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Stoma creation led to feelings of stigma, worries about disclosure, a need for control and self-imposed limits. Furthermore, patients experienced difficulties identifying their new lives with their lives before surgery. Participants stated they need to be seen as a whole person, to have close contact with health care professionals, and receive trustworthy information about life with an ostomy. Respondents proposed group sessions conducted after hospital discharge. They further recommended that sessions be delivered by lay teachers who had a stoma themselves. Self-imposed isolation was often selected as a strategy for avoiding disclosing the presence of a stoma. Patient education, using health promotional methods, should take the settings into account and patients' possibility of effective knowledge transfer. Respondents recommend involvement of lay teachers, who have a stoma, and group-based learning processes are proposed, when planning and conducting patient education.

Effects of Learning on Performance When Computerized Dynamic Posturography Assessments Are Repeated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Laura C.; Paloski, William H.; Wood, Scott J.

2008-01-01

Background: Computerized dynamic posturography is widely used to measure balance control performance. Clinically, performance is assessed by comparing individual data against standards obtained from a normative population. When performing repeated assessments to track performance changes, one must be concerned with the influence of learning effects. Subjects do not have the opportunity to practice before the first session, and often a second session is not performed prior to an experiment. Thus, the objective of this activity was to examine learning effects on balance control performance. We hypothesize that subjects will perform better on the second session when compared to the first, and that the difference will be greater for more difficult conditions. Methods: Data were collected from 204 subjects using the NeuroCom Equitest system during quiet stance with arms crossed at the chest on up to two sessions. All subjects performed standard sensory organization tests (SOTs) including 1) normal vision, fixed support; 2) absent vision, fixed support; 3) sway-referenced vision, fixed support; 4) normal vision, swayreferenced support; 5) absent vision, sway-referenced support; and 6) sway-referenced vision, sway-referenced support. 120 of these subjects performed modified sensory organization tests (mSOTs 2 and 5) which included static (20 back) and dynamic (20, 0.33Hz) head tilts. Median equilibrium scores (mEQ) were calculated from peak-to-peak anterior-posterior sway across trials. Data collected on the first session were then compared with the second to examine learning effect. Results: There were no differences in mEQ scores between the first and second sessions for SOTs 1, 2, and 4, while mEQ scores were higher for the second session when compared to the first for SOTs 3, 5, and 6 and for all mSOTs. Discussion: An additional familiarization session or practice trials prior to the first session may be necessary for more challenging SOT and mSOT conditions to minimize learning effect.

Re-designing scanning to reduce learning demands: the performance of typically developing 2-year-olds.

PubMed

McCarthy, John; Light, Janice; Drager, Kathryn; McNaughton, David; Grodzicki, Laura; Jones, Jonathan; Panek, Elizabeth; Parkin, Elizabeth

2006-12-01

Children with severe motor impairments who cannot use direct selection are typically introduced to scanning as a means of accessing assistive technology. Unfortunately, it is difficult for young children to learn to scan because the design of current scanning techniques does not always make explicit the offer of items from the selection array; furthermore, it does not provide explicit feedback after activation of the switch to select the target item. In the current study, scanning was redesigned to reduce learning demands by making both the offer of items and the feedback upon selection more explicit through the use of animation realized through HTML and speech output with appropriate intonation. Twenty typically developing 2-year-olds without disabilities were randomly assigned to use either traditional scanning or enhanced scanning to select target items from an array of three items. The 2-year-olds did not learn to use traditional scanning across three sessions. Their performance in Session 3 did not differ from that in Session 1; they did not exceed chance levels of accuracy in either session (mean accuracy of 20% for Sessions 1 and 3). In contrast, the children in the enhanced scanning condition demonstrated improvements in accuracy across the three 10-20-min sessions (mean accuracies of 22 and 48% for Sessions 1 and 3, respectively). There were no reliable differences between the children's performances with the two scanning techniques for Session 1; however, by Session 3, the children were more than twice as accurate using the enhanced scanning technique compared to the traditional design. Results suggest that by redesigning scanning, we may be able to reduce some of the learning demands and thereby reduce some of the instructional time required for children to attain mastery. Clinical implications, limitations, and directions for future research and development are discussed.

[AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE BASED ON CLICKERS].

PubMed

García Rodríguez, Jose Juan; Lara Domínguez, Pilar A; Torres Pérez, Luis Francisco

2015-05-01

Active learning or self-learning increases the student's participation and commitment to his studies; these conditions are necessary to improve academic performance. An intervention has been designed based on the experience in the use of clickers in other universities, but without the actual technology. This work has been performed in the School of Nursing affiliated to the University of Malaga (UMA) on students enrolled in their second year of Degree in Adult Nursing Course I. Three sessions of multiple-choice questions were scheduled on the subject "distance learning" in which master classes were not taught. The answers were collected on paper templates. We wanted to determine the degree of relationship between the attendance of sessions and the results obtained by students in the final examination of the subject, as well as, the questions dedicated to assess the "distance learning" matter. The results support a significant statistical difference in the correct answers by students according to the number of sessions attended. These differences are highest among students who did not attend any session and those who attended the three planned sessions.

Ankle Sprain Injuries: A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Study in Female Greek Professional Basketball Players

PubMed Central

Kofotolis, Nikolaos; Kellis, Eleftherios

2007-01-01

Context: Ankle sprains are a common basketball injury. Therefore, examination of risk factors for injury in female professional basketball players is worthwhile. Objective: To examine rates of ankle sprains, associated time missed from participation, and risk factors for injury during 2 consecutive seasons. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Eighteen professional basketball facilities. Patients or Other Participants: We observed 204 players from 18 female professional basketball teams for 2 consecutive seasons during a 2-year period. Main Outcome Measure(s): Using questionnaires, we recorded the incidence of ankle sprains, participation time missed, and mechanisms of injury in games and practice sessions. Potential risk factors, such as age, body mass, height, training experience, and history of ankle sprain, were examined using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Fifty of the 204 participants sustained ankle injuries; injuries included 32 ankle sprains, which translated to an ankle sprain rate of 1.12 per 1000 hours of exposure to injury. The 32 players missed 224.4 training and game sessions and an average of 7.01 sessions per injury. Most injuries occurred in the key area of the basketball court and were the result of contact. Injury rates during games were higher than injury rates during practice sessions. Centers, followed by guards and forwards, had the highest rate of injury. Players who did not wear an external ankle support had an odds ratio of 2.481 for sustaining an ankle sprain. Conclusions: Female professional basketball athletes who did not wear an external ankle support, who played in the key area, or who functioned as centers had a higher risk for ankle sprain than did other players. PMID:18059995

Examining clinical supervision as a mechanism for changes in practice: a research protocol.

PubMed

Dilworth, Sophie; Higgins, Isabel; Parker, Vicki; Kelly, Brian; Turner, Jane

2014-02-01

This paper describes the research protocol for a study exploring if and how clinical supervision facilitates change in practice relating to psychosocial aspects of care for Health Professionals, who have been trained to deliver a psychosocial intervention to adults with cancer. There is a recognized need to implement care that is in line with clinical practice guidelines for the psychosocial care of adults with cancer. Clinical supervision is recommended as a means to support Health Professionals in providing the recommended psychosocial care. A qualitative design embedded within an experimental, stepped wedge randomized control trial. The study will use discourse analysis to analyse audio-recorded data collected in clinical supervision sessions that are being delivered as one element of a large randomized control trial. The sessions will be attended primarily by nurses, but including physiotherapists, radiation therapists, occupational therapists. The Health Professionals are participants in a randomized control trial designed to reduce anxiety and depression of distressed adults with cancer. The sessions will be facilitated by psychiatrists experienced in psycho-oncology and the provision of clinical supervision. The proposed research is designed specifically to facilitate exploration of the mechanisms by which clinical supervision enables Health Professionals to deliver a brief, tailored psychosocial intervention in the context of their everyday practice. This is the first study to use discourse analysis embedded within an experimental randomized control trial to explore the mechanisms of change generated within clinical supervision by analysing the discourse within the clinical supervision sessions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Director's Corner: Professional Development Workshop Helps Early Stage Investigators

Cancer.gov

The Professional Development and Mock Review Workshop is a seminal event organized each year for CURE scholars and trainees. The event includes informative presentations, interactive discussions, a mock review, and poster session.

Use of Simulated Psychosocial Role-Playing to Enhance Nursing Students' Development of Soft Skills.

PubMed

Liebrecht, Christina; Montenery, Susan

2016-08-01

Effective communication and interaction enable nurses to develop caring, empathetic, and respectful relationships with patients and families. However, most nurses feel a lack of preparation in the "soft" skills of communication, professionalism, and leadership. Nurse managers are seeking graduates with strong emotional quotient characteristics such as self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. Assisting nursing students to develop these intangible, high-level skills presents an ongoing challenge to nurse educators. This creative teaching learning strategy examines the use of psychosocial role-playing skits to enhance nursing student development of the soft skills of nursing. In this strategy, senior level nursing students work in small groups to develop and present realistic 3- to 5-minute skits based on common nurse-patient, nurse-family, or nurse-health care team interactions that incorporate the concepts of therapeutic communication, interpersonal interaction, empathy, active listening, teamwork, delegation, and/or professionalism, followed by a debriefing session. Student feedback suggests that confidence and competence related to the skills of therapeutic communication, interpersonal interaction, empathy, active listening, teamwork, delegation, and professionalism may improve by incorporating soft skill psychosocial role-playing into a nursing education course of study.

Using a course pilot in the development of an online problem-based learning (PBL) therapeutics course in a post-professional PharmD program.

PubMed

Nagge, Jeff J; Killeen, Rosemary; Jennings, Brad

2018-02-01

To assess whether the traditional problem-based learning (PBL) process can be replicated in an online environment, and to identify any barriers and facilitators to learning using a course pilot. Eight alumni and one experienced tutor participated in a two-week simulated PBL course comprised of two three-hour synchronous online tutorials. Blackboard Collaborate ® software was used to permit audio and visual interaction. The PBL tutorials were recorded and observed by the researchers. Participants completed satisfaction surveys after the pilot, and were invited to take part in a focus group to debrief about their experience. Once the steep learning curve with the technology was overcome, the quality of the PBL process was similar in the online course as it was in the face-to-face course. Several key factors for success were identified through analysis of the videotaped sessions, and interviews with the participants in the course pilot. Conducting a course pilot study demonstrated that an online PBL course is feasible, and identified some considerations to facilitate success. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distance learning in the public health workplace.

PubMed

Patel, M

2000-09-01

The Master of Applied Epidemiology (MAE) Program implemented in Canberra to produce public health practitioners with specified competencies in the control of communicable diseases. Twenty one of the 24 months of training is distance learning defined as, 'where the learner is physically remote from the training institution'. During this time the trainees are in supervised employment in Public Health centres across the country. Here they learn directly from first hand experiences in the work place. They return to Canberra for short, intensive periods of interactive sessions with their peers and supervisors. Lessons learnt from conducting this program are discussed in this article. They include: all trainees are not suited to this form of training; the quality of support from the field supervisors is highly variable and their role in modelling crucial to the trainees performance; demands on the academic staff is high; and the frequency of contact between trainee and academic supervisor varies considerably. To date this program has made major contributions by enhancing communicable disease surveillance and control but it demands intensive resources to sustain, quality training, and support. This model of distance learning can be adapted in the Pacific both for graduate degree courses and also for continuing education for all levels of health professionals.

Training of Tonal Similarity Ratings in Non-Musicians: A “Rapid Learning” Approach

PubMed Central

Oechslin, Mathias S.; Läge, Damian; Vitouch, Oliver

2012-01-01

Although cognitive music psychology has a long tradition of expert–novice comparisons, experimental training studies are rare. Studies on the learning progress of trained novices in hearing harmonic relationships are still largely lacking. This paper presents a simple training concept using the example of tone/triad similarity ratings, demonstrating the gradual progress of non-musicians compared to musical experts: In a feedback-based “rapid learning” paradigm, participants had to decide for single tones and chords whether paired sounds matched each other well. Before and after the training sessions, they provided similarity judgments for a complete set of sound pairs. From these similarity matrices, individual relational sound maps, intended to display mental representations, were calculated by means of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and were compared to an expert model through procrustean transformation. Approximately half of the novices showed substantial learning success, with some participants even reaching the level of professional musicians. Results speak for a fundamental ability to quickly train an understanding of harmony, show inter-individual differences in learning success, and demonstrate the suitability of the scaling method used for learning research in music and other domains. Results are discussed in the context of the “giftedness” debate. PMID:22629252

Professional Development to Increase Teacher Behavior-Specific Praise: A Single-Case Design Replication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gage, Nicholas A.; Grasley-Boy, Nicolette M.; MacSuga-Gage, Ashley S.

2018-01-01

Effective classroom instruction is contingent upon successful classroom management. Unfortunately, not all teachers successfully manage classroom behavior and need in-service professional development. In this study, we replicated a targeted professional development approach that included a brief one-on-one training session and emailed visual…

School Nurse Summer Institute: A Model for Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neighbors, Marianne; Barta, Kathleen

2004-01-01

The components of a professional development model designed to empower school nurses to become leaders in school health services is described. The model was implemented during a 3-day professional development institute that included clinical and leadership components, especially coalition building, with two follow-up sessions in the fall and…

Developing Teachers as the Learning Profession: Findings from the State of Educators' Professional Learning in Canada Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Carol; Osmond-Johnson, Pamela; Faubert, Brenton

2016-01-01

Teachers' professional development and learning is of high interest in educational reform internationally. We present findings from the "State of Educators' Professional Learning in Canada" study. We identify ten features proposed for effective professional learning: evidence-informed subject specific and pedagogical content knowledge a…

Perceptions of School Principals on Participation in Professional Learning Communities as Job-Embedded Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudioso, Jennifer A.

2017-01-01

Perceptions of School Principals on Participation in Professional Learning Communities as Job-Embedded Learning Jennifer Gaudioso Principal Professional Learning Communities (PPLCs) have emerged as a vehicle for professional development of principals, but there is little research on how principals experience PPLCs or how districts can support…

Teacher Professional Development to Support Teacher Professional Learning: Systemic Factors from Irish Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Fiona

2016-01-01

Teacher professional learning is widely accepted as a mediating factor for enhancing student outcomes. While many teachers across the world engage in professional development (PD) to enhance their professional learning, what is less evident is how to support that learning to result in change following teacher PD. Acknowledging that not all teacher…

Implementing a Narrative Medicine Curriculum During the Internship Year: An Internal Medicine Residency Program Experience.

PubMed

Wesley, Tiffany; Hamer, Diana; Karam, George

2018-04-18

Narrative medicine develops professional and communication skills that align with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies. However, little is known about a narrative medicine curriculum's impact on physicians in training during residency. Implementing a narrative medicine curriculum during residency can be challenging because of time constraints and limited opportunity for nonclinical education. Six sessions were implemented throughout one academic year to expose first-year internal medicine residents (interns) to narrative medicine. Attendance and participation were documented. At the end of the year, interns completed an open-ended survey to gauge their perception of their experience with the sessions. In total, 17 interns attended at least 1 narrative medicine session, and each session averaged 5.4 attendees. Thirteen eligible interns completed the survey. Thematic analysis identified 3 predominant themes: Mindfulness, physician well-being, and professionalism. Overall, the narrative medicine sessions were well attended and the curriculum was well received. This intervention demonstrates the value of a narrative medicine curriculum during medical resident training. Large prospective studies are necessary to identify the long-term benefits of such a curriculum.

NITARP Summative Evaluation Report: 2013 Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebull, Luisa M.; Burtnyk, Kim; Gorjian, Varoujan; Squires, Gordon K.; Nitarp Team

2015-01-01

NITARP, the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program, provides educators with an authentic astronomical research experience. We partner small groups of educators with a mentor astronomer for a year-long original research project, during which the teams echo the entire research process: writing a proposal, conducting research, writing up and presenting the results at an AAS meeting. This program differs from other programs that we know of that get real astronomy data into the classroom: (a) Each team works on an original project. There are no canned labs! (b) Each team presents their results in AAS posters, in science sessions (not just outreach sessions). The posters are distributed throughout the meeting, in amongst other researchers' work and not isolated; the participants are not "given a free pass" because they are teachers. (c) The 'product' of each project is the scientific result, not a curriculum packet. (d) While teachers directly include some students in their research, they also seek to bring aspects of their projects into the broader classroom learning environment to the benefit of all of their students. In 2012, we embarked on a summative evaluation of the 2013 NITARP class, whose intensive work ran from Jan 2013-Jan 2014. Our goals were to determine both the cognitive and affective impacts of NITARP on teacher participants, and also to ascertain the extent to which NITARP changes teaching styles, or desires to teach science differently. The results of this evaluation will be discussed in this poster as part of quantifying NASA Astrophysics E/PO Impact. The findings include the following. NITARP is an invaluable authentic research experience that clarifies for educators the true nature of scientific research. Examples of personal and professional growth were enthusiastically offered at every stage, starting as early as April, demonstrating the value of NITARP as a significant professional development experience. NITARP reinvigorated educators' love of learning and teaching. NITARP reminded educators of what it is like to be a learner struggling with difficult content, subsequently engendering empathy for students and improving teaching practice.

Know your RO from your AE? Learning styles in practice.

PubMed

Woods, Helen Buckley

2012-06-01

In this article, Kolb's cycle of learning is put forward as a useful theory to consult when planning information literacy or other teaching sessions. The learning cycle is contextualised and Kolb's and other theories are briefly explored. The author then considers how learning style theories can be utilised when planning teaching and learning activities. The use of planning tools is advocated and ideas for sessions are suggested. HS. © 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group.

Using just-in-time teaching and peer instruction in a residency program's core curriculum: enhancing satisfaction, engagement, and retention.

PubMed

Schuller, Mary C; DaRosa, Debra A; Crandall, Marie L

2015-03-01

To assess use of the combined just-in-time teaching (JiTT) and peer instruction (PI) instructional strategy in a residency program's core curriculum. In 2010-2011, JiTT/PI was piloted in 31 core curriculum sessions taught by 22 faculty in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's general surgery residency program. JiTT/PI required preliminary and categorical residents (n=31) to complete Web-based study questions before weekly specialty topic sessions. Responses were examined by faculty members "just in time" to tailor session content to residents' learning needs. In the sessions, residents answered multiple-choice questions (MCQs) using clickers and engaged in PI. Participants completed surveys assessing their perceptions of JiTT/PI. Videos were coded to assess resident engagement time in JiTT/PI sessions versus prior lecture-based sessions. Responses to topic session MCQs repeated in review sessions were evaluated to study retention. More than 70% of resident survey respondents indicated that JiTT/PI aided in the learning of key points. At least 90% of faculty survey respondents reported positive perceptions of aspects of the JiTT/PI strategy. Resident engagement time for JiTT/PI sessions was significantly greater than for prior lecture-based sessions (z=-2.4, P=.016). Significantly more review session MCQ responses were correct for residents who had attended corresponding JiTT/PI sessions than for residents who had not (chi-square=13.7; df=1; P<.001). JiTT/PI increased learner participation, learner retention, and the amount of learner-centered time. JiTT/PI represents an effective approach for meaningful and active learning in core curriculum sessions.

The Plan's the Thing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raley, Nancy

1986-01-01

Planning is the process of setting direction, priorities, and guidelines. A CASE survey of public relations professionals is described that notes the use of staff retreats and brainstorming sessions, among other techniques and strategies, that help professionals plan. (MLW)

The 3 R's of Learning Time: Rethink, Reshape, Reclaim

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sackey, Shera Carter

2012-01-01

The Learning School Alliance is a network of schools collaborating about professional practice. The network embodies Learning Forward's purpose to advance effective job-embedded professional learning that leads to student outcomes. A key component of Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning is a focus on collaborative learning,…

Explaining variance in self-directed learning readiness of first year students in health professional programs.

PubMed

Slater, Craig E; Cusick, Anne; Louie, Jimmy C Y

2017-11-13

Self-directed learning (SDL) is expected of health science graduates; it is thus a learning outcome in many pre-certification programs. Previous research identified age, gender, discipline and prior education as associated with variations in students' self-directed learning readiness (SDLR). Studies in other fields also propose personality as influential. This study investigated relationships between SDLR and age, gender, discipline, previous education, and personality traits. The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale and the 50-item 'big five' personality trait inventory were administered to 584 first-year undergraduate students (n = 312 female) enrolled in a first-session undergraduate interprofessional health sciences subject. Students were from health promotion, health services management, therapeutic recreation, sports and exercise science, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and podiatry. Four hundred and seven responses (n = 230 females) were complete. SDLR was significantly higher in females and students in occupational therapy and physiotherapy. SDLR increased with age and higher levels of previous education. It was also significantly associated with 'big five' personality trait scores. Regression analysis revealed 52.9% of variance was accounted for by personality factors, discipline and prior experience of tertiary education. Demographic, discipline and personality factors are associated with SDLR in the first year of study. Teachers need to be alert to individual student variation in SDLR.

Meeting the Informal Learning Challenges of the Free Agent Learner: Drawing Insights from Research-Based Lessons Learned. Innovative Session 1. [Concurrent Innovative Session at AHRD Annual Conference, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsick, Victoria J.; Volpe, F. Marie; Brooks, Ann; Cseh, Maria; Lovin, Barbara Keelor; Vernon, Sally; Watkins, Karen E.; Ziegler, Mary

The concept of the free agent learner, which has roots in self-directed and informal learning theory, has recently emerged as a factor important to attracting, developing, and keeping knowledge workers. The literature on free agent learning holds important lessons for today's free agent learners, human resource developers, and work organizations.…

Emotional maturity of medical students impacting their adult learning skills in a newly established public medical school at the east coast of Malaysian Peninsula

PubMed Central

Bhagat, Vidya; Haque, Mainul; Bin Abu Bakar, Yasrul Izad; Husain, Rohayah; Khairi, Che Mat

2016-01-01

Emotional maturity (EM) is defined as the ability of an individual to respond to situations, control emotions, and behave in an adult manner when dealing with others. EM is associated with adult learning skill, which is an important aspect of professional development as stated in the principles of andragogy. These principles are basically a characteristic feature of adult learning, which is defined as “the entire range of formal, non-formal, and informal learning activities that are undertaken by adults after an initial education and training, which result in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills”. The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of EM on adult learning among Years I and II medical students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). The study population included preclinical medical students of UniSZA from Years I and II of the academic session 2015/2016. The convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. Data were collected using “EM scale” to evaluate emotional level and adult learning scale to assess the adult learning scores. Out of 120 questionnaires, only six response sheets were not complete and the remaining 114 (95%) were complete. Among the study participants, 23.7% (27) and 76.3% (87) were males and females, respectively. The data were then compiled and analyzed using SPSS Version 22. The Pearson’s correlation method was used to find the significance of their association. The results revealed a significant correlation between EM and adult learning scores (r=0.40, p<0.001). Thus, the study result supports the prediction, and based on the current findings, it can be concluded that there is a significant correlation between EM and adult learning and it has an effect on the students. Medical faculty members should give more emphasis on these aspects to produce health professionals. Henceforward, researchers can expect with optimism that the country will create more rational medical doctors. PMID:27790052

Professional Learning Communities: Assessment--Development--Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hipp, Kristine Kiefer; Huffman, Jane Bumpers

This presentation addresses three topics: (1) the assessment of professional learning communities in schools; (2) the design and development of professional learning communities in schools; and (3) the effects of professional learning communities in schools. The purpose of this brief document is to share descriptions, processes, and materials…

Planning Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guskey, Thomas R.

2014-01-01

Why does professional learning for educators have such a mixed history? Why is it so hard to find solid research evidence of professional development programs that actually improve student learning outcomes? Part of the answer, writes Thomas R. Guskey, is that professional learning experiences for educators are rarely well planned. Consequently,…

Professional Learning Communities Impact on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Jan L.

2013-01-01

This study examined the impact of the Professional Learning Community model on student achievement in the state of California. Specifically, the study compared student achievement between two school types: Professional Learning Community schools and Non Professional Learning schools. The research utilized existing API scores for California schools…

Everyone's an Expert.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodside, Jane Harris

2000-01-01

In rural Madison County (North Carolina), a project to plan community health services began with 40 community "listening sessions" in which local people discussed health needs and problems. These sessions led to a community coalition that actively cooperates with health professionals in planning health services and trainings,…

The Effectiveness of Peer Taught Group Sessions of Physiotherapy Students within the Clinical Setting: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Dee; Jelsma, Jennifer

2014-01-01

The study aimed to investigate whether learning from peers, learning from a clinical educator, or being the peer teacher during clinical group sessions was more effective at enhancing student learning outcomes for different health conditions. A secondary aim was to determine which method students found more satisfactory. Physiotherapy students at…

Exploring Temporal Sequences of Regulatory Phases and Associated Interactions in Low- and High-Challenge Collaborative Learning Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobocinski, Márta; Malmberg, Jonna; Järvelä, Sanna

2017-01-01

Investigating the temporal order of regulatory processes can explain in more detail the mechanisms behind success or lack of success during collaborative learning. The aim of this study is to explore the differences between high- and low-challenge collaborative learning sessions. This is achieved through examining how the three phases of…

The Effects of Observation of Learn Units during Reinforcement and Correction Conditions on the Rate of Learning Math Algorithms by Fifth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neu, Jessica Adele

2013-01-01

I conducted two studies on the comparative effects of the observation of learn units during (a) reinforcement or (b) correction conditions on the acquisition of math objectives. The dependent variables were the within-session cumulative numbers of correct responses emitted during observational sessions. The independent variables were the…

Caffeine effects on mood and memory.

PubMed

Herz, R S

1999-09-01

The purpose of the present research was to assess whether a psychoactive dose of caffeine would have differential affects on the mood dimensions of arousal versus feelings of pleasantness and whether these mood alterations would influence memory either by (1) the experience of arousal at learning and/or (2) altered and congruent mood states at learning and recall. To address these questions, the administration of 5 mg/kg caffeine or placebo at learning and retrieval sessions was manipulated and subjects' mood was evaluated by several different self-report measures. Sixteen words were incidentally studied during the learning session and memory was evaluated by the number of words correctly recalled at the retrieval session two days later. Results revealed that caffeine reliably increased arousal, but did not affect any emotion dimensions related to feelings of pleasure. Subjects who received caffeine at learning and retrieval were also in equivalent mood states at both sessions. Moreover, caffeine did not produce any effects on memory; thus, neither hypothesis concerning the influence of arousal on memory was supported. These data show that caffeine is a useful method for manipulating arousal in the laboratory without influencing feelings of pleasantness or learning and memory performance.

Examining the Efficacy of a Basic Functional Behavioral Assessment Training Package for School Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loman, Sheldon L.; Horner, Robert H.

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of manualized training in "Basic" functional behavioral assessment (FBA) for typical school professionals on the ability of these professionals to complete technically adequate FBAs. Twelve school professionals participated in four 1-hr training sessions using the Basic FBA training handbook. After…

Retention of Implicit Sequence Learning in Persons who Stutter and Persons with Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Smits-Bandstra, Sarah; Gracco, Vincent

2014-01-01

This study investigated the retention of implicit sequence learning in 14 persons with Parkinson's disease (PPD), 14 persons who stutter (PWS) and 14 control participants. Participants completed a nonsense syllable serial reaction time task in a 120-minute session. Participants named aloud four syllables in response to four visual stimuli. The syllables formed a repeating 8-item sequence not made known to participants. After one week, participants completed a 60-minute retention session that included an explicit learning questionnaire and a sequence generation task. PPD showed retention of general learning equivalent to controls but PWS's reaction times were significantly slower on early trials of the retention test relative to other groups. Controls showed implicit learning during the initial session that was retained on the retention test. In contrast, PPD and PWS did not demonstrate significant implicit learning until the retention test suggesting intact, but delayed, learning and retention of implicit sequencing skills. All groups demonstrated similar limited explicit sequence knowledge. Performance differences between PWS and PPD relative to controls during the initial session and on early retention trials indicated possible dysfunction of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loop. The etiological implications for stuttering, and clinical implications for both populations, of this dysfunction are discussed. PMID:23844763

Diagnosing developmental problems in children: parents and professionals negotiate bad news.

PubMed

Abrams, E Z; Goodman, J F

1998-04-01

To examine how parents and professionals engage in a process of negotiation over what labels to use and what developmental meaning to ascribe to those labels when imparting a diagnosis of mental disability to parents of young children. We performed a sociolinguistic analysis of 10 feedback sessions with parents whose children had been diagnosed by a clinical team as developmentally disabled. Professionals shied away from explicit use of labels; they preferred to describe children's deficits with rate descriptors (e.g., "slow"). Parties to the sessions see-sawed between optimistic and pessimistic statements. That is, when parents seemed despairing, professionals would try to hold out hope; when parents were unrealistic, professionals gave more blunt statements. Parents who received the most ambiguous interpretations seemed left with diagnostic questions still unanswered; those who received more forthright information appeared better able to move on to issues of prognosis. Diagnoses of developmental disabilities are jointly constructed by parents and professionals. We recommend larger and more controlled studies on the relationship between negotiation and labeling in diagnostic feedback interviews and the impact of these processes on parental satisfaction and adaptation.

Participating in a Community of Learners enhances resident perceptions of learning in an e-mentoring program: proof of concept

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Community learning and e-mentoring, learning methods used in higher education, are not used to any extent in residency education. Yet both have the potential to enhance resident learning and, in the case of community learning, introduce residents to basic lifelong learning skills. We set out to determine whether residents participating in an Internet based e-mentoring program would, with appropriate facilitation, form a community of learners (CoL) and hold regular community meetings. We also determined resident and faculty perceptions of CoL and Internet sessions as effective learning experiences. Methods A six-month e-mentoring pilot was offered to 10 Radiology residents in the Aga Khan University Postgraduate Medical Education Program in Nairobi, Kenya (AKUHN) with a Professor of Radiology, located at University of Virginia, USA, acting as the e-mentor. Monthly Internet case-based teaching sessions were facilitated by the e-mentor. In addition, residents were coached by a community facilitator to form CoL and collectively work through clinical cases at weekly face-to-face CoL sessions. Event logs described observed resident activity at CoL sessions; exit survey and interviews were used to elicit perceptions of CoL and Internet sessions as effective learning experiences. Results Resident adoption of CoL behaviors was observed, including self-regulation, peer mentoring and collaborative problem solving. Analysis revealed high resident enthusiasm and value for CoL. Surveys and interviews indicated high levels of acceptance of Internet learning experiences, although there was room for improvement in audio-visual transmission technologies. Faculty indicated there was a need for a larger multi-specialty study. Conclusions The pilot demonstrated resident acceptance of community building and collaborative learning as valued learning experiences, addressing one barrier to its formal adoption in residency education curricula. It also highlighted the potential of e-mentoring as a means of expanding faculty and teaching materials in residency programs in developing countries. PMID:21266070

Harnessing the Power of Learning Management Systems: An E-Learning Approach for Professional Development.

PubMed

White, Meagan; Shellenbarger, Teresa

E-learning provides an alternative approach to traditional professional development activities. A learning management system may help nursing professional development practitioners deliver content more efficiently and effectively; however, careful consideration is needed during planning and implementation. This article provides essential information in the selection and use of a learning management system for professional development.

The Relationship between Teacher Value Orientations and Engagement in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ning, Hoi Kwan; Lee, Daphnee; Lee, Wing On

2016-01-01

The development of teacher professional learning communities (PLC) has attracted growing attention among practitioners, policy-makers and researchers. The aims of this study were to identify typologies of professional learning teams based on measures of professional learning engagement, and assess their linkages with teachers' value orientations.…

ePortfolios: Enhancing Professional Learning of Vocational Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoekstra, Annemarieke; Crocker, Jocelyn R.

2015-01-01

Vocational educators urgently need to keep learning throughout their careers. However, traditional professional development (PD), such as courses and workshops, yields limited transfer to the workplace as it does not align with how professionals naturally learn at work. The study discussed here reports on professional learning of vocational…

A Collaborative Action Research Approach to Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleicher, Robert E.

2014-01-01

The field of professional development is moving towards the notion of professional learning, highlighting the active learning role that teachers play in changing their knowledge bases, beliefs and practice. This article builds on this idea and argues for creating professional learning that is guided by a collaborative action research (CAR)…

The Development of Professional Learning Communities and Their Teacher Leaders: An Activity Systems Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Julianne C.; Christensen, Andrea; Kackar-Cam, Hayal Z.; Fulmer, Sara M.; Trucano, Meg

2018-01-01

Professional learning communities can be effective vehicles for teacher learning and instructional improvement, partly because they help change professional culture. However, little is known about "how" these changes occur. We used activity systems analysis to investigate the development of professional learning communities and their…

INTEGRATED EXPERIENCE APPROACH TO LEARNING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

POSTLETHWAIT, S.N.; AND OTHERS

THE USE OF AUDIOTUTORIAL TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING INTRODUCTORY COLLEGE BOTANY IS DESCRIBED. SPECIFIC PRACTICES USED AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY TO ILLUSTRATE DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE APPROACH ARE ANALYZED. INCLUDED ARE INDEPENDENT STUDY SESSIONS, SMALL ASSEMBLY SESSIONS, GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSIONS, AND HOME STUDY SESSIONS. ILLUSTRATIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS…

Mobile Learning for Teacher Professional Learning: Benefits, Obstacles and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aubusson, Peter; Schuck, Sandy; Burden, Kevin

2009-01-01

This paper reflects on the role of mobile learning in teachers' professional learning. It argues that effective professional learning requires reflection and collaboration and that mobile learning is ideally suited to allow reflection-in-action and to capture the spontaneity of learning moments. The paper also argues for the value of…

Substance P signalling in primary motor cortex facilitates motor learning in rats

PubMed Central

Hertler, Benjamin; Hosp, Jonas Aurel; Blanco, Manuel Buitrago

2017-01-01

Among the genes that are up-regulated in response to a reaching training in rats, Tachykinin 1 (Tac1)—a gene that encodes the neuropeptide Substance P (Sub P)—shows an especially strong expression. Using Real-Time RT-PCR, a detailed time-course of Tac1 expression could be defined: a significant peak occurs 7 hours after training ended at the first and second training session, whereas no up-regulation could be detected at a later time-point (sixth training session). To assess the physiological role of Sub P during movement acquisition, microinjections into the primary motor cortex (M1) contralateral to the trained paw were performed. When Sub P was injected before the first three sessions of a reaching training, effectiveness of motor learning became significantly increased. Injections at a time-point when rats already knew the task (i.e. training session ten and eleven) had no effect on reaching performance. Sub P injections did not influence the improvement of performance within a single training session, but retention of performance between sessions became strengthened at a very early stage (i.e. between baseline-training and first training session). Thus, Sub P facilitates motor learning in the very early phase of skill acquisition by supporting memory consolidation. In line with these findings, learning related expression of the precursor Tac1 occurs at early but not at later time-points during reaching training. PMID:29281692

An Examination of Effective Professional Development Characteristics in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strickland, Crystal Y.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the extent to which professional development practices in professional learning communities are consistent with research-based principles of effective professional development. Additionally, the study investigated potential differences in the content focus, active learning, coherence, and…

Professional Identity and Professionals' Workplace Learning: A Theoretical Proposal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Jim

2008-01-01

When organizations employ professionals it is critical to comprehend the nature of professional identity as it relates to learning in the workplace. These findings indicate ways that professional identity influences workplace learning behavior in doctors of veterinary medicine. Using grounded theory, ethnographic investigation and analysis…

An Interprofessional Education Session for First-Year Health Science Students

PubMed Central

Ignjatovic, Milka; Langlois, Sylvia; Dematteo, Dale; DiProspero, Lisa; Wagner, Susan; Reeves, Scott

2009-01-01

Objective To implement and evaluate the effectiveness and short-term impact of an interprofessional education (IPE) session in the first year for health sciences students representing 9 health professions. Design An interprofessional faculty committee created a 2½ hour introductory interprofessional education session focusing on a single patient case and 2 possible discharge scenarios. A mixed method pretest/posttest research design was used to examine changes in students' perceptions of and attitudes toward IPE. Six follow-up focus groups also were held with students from the participating professions. Assessment Of 1197 health professions students enrolled, 914 students (76%) attended the IPE session. Two hundred thirty-two of 240 pharmacy students (97%) attended. Forty-three (18.5%) pharmacy students responded to the open-ended questions on the survey instrument. The most frequently reported gains from attending the session were recognition of teamwork importance to benefit the patient (30%) and understanding of other professionals' roles (29%). Shortfalls reported by students related to the content/style of presentation (26%) and technical/organizational (23%) aspects of the session. Pharmacy students who participated in one of the focus groups stated the session demonstrated the benefits as well as facilitators and barriers to collaborative care. Conclusion The session served as an effective introduction to IPE; debriefing and integration with uniprofessional curricula should occur. Students need additional small group interaction with other health professional students, and can contribute as members of the planning committee. PMID:19657495

Similar Comparative Low and High Doses of Deltamethrin and Acetamiprid Differently Impair the Retrieval of the Proboscis Extension Reflex in the Forager Honey Bee (Apis mellifera).

PubMed

Thany, Steeve H; Bourdin, Céline M; Graton, Jérôme; Laurent, Adèle D; Mathé-Allainmat, Monique; Lebreton, Jacques; Questel, Jean-Yves le

2015-09-28

In the present study, the effects of low (10 ng/bee) and high (100 ng/bee) doses of acetamiprid and deltamethrin insecticides on multi-trial learning and retrieval were evaluated in the honey bee Apis mellifera. After oral application, acetamiprid and deltamethrin at the concentrations used were not able to impair learning sessions. When the retention tests were performed 1 h, 6 h, and 24 h after learning, we found a significant difference between bees after learning sessions when drugs were applied 24 h before learning. Deltamethrin-treated bees were found to be more sensitive at 10 ng/bee and 100 ng/bee doses compared to acetamiprid-treated bees, only with amounts of 100 ng/bee and at 6 h and 24 h delays. When insecticides were applied during learning sessions, none of the tested insecticides was able to impair learning performance at 10 ng/bee or 100 ng/bee but retention performance was altered 24 h after learning sessions. Acetamiprid was the only one to impair retrieval at 10 ng/bee, whereas at 100 ng/bee an impairment of retrieval was found with both insecticides. The present results therefore suggest that acetamiprid and deltamethrin are able to impair retrieval performance in the honey bee Apis mellifera.

Professional identity formation in the transition from medical school to working life: a qualitative study of group-coaching courses for junior doctors.

PubMed

de Lasson, Lydia; Just, Eva; Stegeager, Nikolaj; Malling, Bente

2016-06-24

The transition from student to medical doctor is challenging and stressful to many junior doctors. To practice with confidence and professionalism the junior doctors have to develop a strong professional identity. Various suggestions on how to facilitate formation of professional identity have been offered including the possible positive effect of group-coaching courses. The purpose of this study was to explore how group-coaching might facilitate professional identity formation among junior doctors in the transition period. Group-coaching courses comprising three whole-day sessions and five 2 h sessions during a period of 4 months were offered to junior doctors in the first years after graduation. The purpose was to support the participants' professional development, ability to relate to patients, relatives and staff and career development. The coaches in this study had a background as health professionals combined with coaching educations. Data was obtained through observations, open-ended questionnaires and interviews. A generic thematic analysis was applied. Forty-five doctors participated in six coaching groups. The three main themes emerging in the sessions were: Adoption to medical culture, career planning, and work/life-balance. The junior doctors found the coaching intervention highly useful in order to cope with these challenges. Furthermore, the group was a forum where the junior doctors could share thoughts and feelings with colleagues without being afraid that this would endanger their professional career. Many found new ways to respond to everyday challenges mainly through a new awareness of patterns of thinking and feeling. The participants found that the group-coaching course supported their professional identity formation (thinking, feeling and acting as a doctor), adoption to medical culture, career planning and managing a healthy work/life-balance. Further studies in different contexts are recommended as well as studies using other methods to test the results of this qualitative study.

Inventing Our Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Glenn; Vosevich, Mary; O'Connor, Michael; Whitefield, Joe; Medlin, E. Lander

2011-01-01

Glenn Smith, APPA's Vice President for Professional Development, had the honor of introducing the closing panel discussion at APPA's annual conference in Boston last July--a discussion centered on the theme "Inventing Our Future." Previous general plenary sessions and related breakout sessions had explored the challenges people face in these…

Twelve tips for a successful interprofessional team-based high-fidelity simulation education session

PubMed Central

Bould, M. Dylan; Layat Burn, Carine; Reeves, Scott

2014-01-01

Simulation-based education allows experiential learning without risk to patients. Interprofessional education aims to provide opportunities to different professions for learning how to work effectively together. Interprofessional simulation-based education presents many challenges, including the logistics of setting up the session and providing effective feedback to participants with different backgrounds and mental models. This paper aims to provide educators with a series of practical and pedagogical tips for designing, implementing, assessing, and evaluating a successful interprofessional team-based simulation session. The paper is organized in the sequence that an educator might use in developing an interprofessional simulation-based education session. Collectively, this paper provides guidance from determining interprofessional learning objectives and curricular design to program evaluation. With a better understanding of the concepts and pedagogical methods underlying interprofessional education and simulation, educators will be able to create conditions for a unique educational experience where individuals learn with and from other specialties and professions in a controlled, safe environment. PMID:25023765

Understanding the Context of Learning in an Online Social Network for Health Professionals' Informal Learning.

PubMed

Li, Xin; Gray, Kathleen; Verspoor, Karin; Barnett, Stephen

2017-01-01

Online social networks (OSN) enable health professionals to learn informally, for example by sharing medical knowledge, or discussing practice management challenges and clinical issues. Understanding the learning context in OSN is necessary to get a complete picture of the learning process, in order to better support this type of learning. This study proposes critical contextual factors for understanding the learning context in OSN for health professionals, and demonstrates how these contextual factors can be used to analyse the learning context in a designated online learning environment for health professionals.

Neurofeedback of SMR and Beta1 Frequencies: An Investigation of Learning Indices and Frequency-Specific Effects.

PubMed

Pimenta, Miguel G; van Run, Chris; de Fockert, Jan W; Gruzelier, John H

2018-05-15

Despite evidence that Sensorimotor Rhythm (SMR) and beta1 neurofeedback have distinct cognitive enhancement effects, it remains unclear whether their amplitudes can be independently enhanced. Furthermore, demands for top-down attention control, postural restraint and maintenance of cognitive set processes, all requiring low-beta frequencies, might masquerade as learning and confound interpretation. The feasibility of selectively enhancing SMR and beta1 amplitudes was investigated with the addition of a random frequency control condition that also requires the potentially confounding cognitive processes. A comprehensive approach to assessing neurofeedback learning was undertaken through the calculation of learning indices within- and across-session and pre-to-post baseline. Herein we provide the first demonstration of beta1 within-session amplitude learning that was not attributable to extraneous cognitive processes, for it was not found with random frequency training. On the other hand, within-session SMR learning might have been obscured by high interindividual variability and methodological limitations such as the type of feedback screen, the insufficient number of sessions, and the exclusion of simultaneous theta and high-beta inhibition. Interestingly, SMR and beta1 amplitude increased across sessions in the three groups suggesting unspecific effects of neurofeedback in the low beta frequency band. Moreover, there was no clear evidence of frequency specificity associated with either SMR or beta1 training. Some methodological limitations may underpin the divergent results with previous studies. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. All rights reserved.

Investigating Professional Learning Communities in Turkish Schools: The Effects of Contextual Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellibas, Mehmet Sukru; Bulut, Okan; Gedik, Serafettin

2017-01-01

A great number of studies have focused on professional learning communities in schools, but only a limited number of studies have treated the construct of professional learning communities as a dependent variable. The purpose of this research is to investigate Turkish schools' capacity for supporting professional learning communities and to…

A Mixed-Methods Study Examining the Role of the Instructional Coach within a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgensen, Christie L.

2016-01-01

Although instructional coaching and professional learning communities provide ongoing, job-embedded support and professional learning, little is known about what role the instructional coach serves within the setting of the professional learning community or what coaching skills teachers find most helpful within this setting. Research examining…

The Development of Professional Learning Community in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sompong, Samoot; Erawan, Prawit; Dharm-tad-sa-na-non, Sudharm

2015-01-01

The objectives of this research are: (1) To study the current situation and need for developing professional learning community in primary schools; (2) To develop the model for developing professional learning community, and (3) To study the findings of development for professional learning community based on developed model related to knowledge,…

"Being the best we can be": medical students' reflections on physician responsibility in the social media era.

PubMed

Lie, Désirée; Trial, Janet; Schaff, Pamela; Wallace, Robert; Elliott, Donna

2013-02-01

To examine attitudes, self-reported behaviors, and intended actions related to medical students' use of online social media after an educational intervention. In 2011, 180 first-year medical students at the Keck School of Medicine participated in a required two-hour session on the relevance of online social media use to professionalism. Students submitted postsession written reflections about their online presence and professional roles. The authors qualitatively analyzed and coded these reflections for emerging themes. They also examined postsession evaluations and conducted a four-month follow-up survey to identify changes in students' online social networking behaviors. All 180 students submitted written reflections and postsession evaluations. The authors identified 10 theme categories within three domains (immediate action, intended future action, value change) from the reflections. The most common themes were "role awareness" (144/539), "did nothing" (94/539), and "intention to edit" (84/539). On a scale of 1 to 5, students rated the overall session quality at 3.92 (standard deviation 0.28). Sixty-four percent (115/180) of the students responded to the follow-up survey. Of those, 40% (46/115) reported editing or changing their Web presence after the session, and 24% (28/115) anticipated spending less time on online social networking. Attending a required session in a professionalism course led to thoughtful reflection, increased professional role awareness, and intention to edit and monitor future online presence among first-year medical students. After four months, students reported continued monitoring and editing of their online presence. Future studies should examine whether reinforcement throughout training is needed to maintain vigilance.

IFLA General Conference, 1991. Official Opening and Plenary Session, Open Forum on IFLA's Professional Activities, Contributed Papers Session. Booklet 0.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, The Hague (Netherlands).

The nine papers in this booklet were presented at three sessions of the IFLA General Conference. The text of the first paper, "Presidential Address at the Opening of the IFLA Council and General Conference: Moscow 1991" (Hans-Peter Geh, President of IFLA), is provided in English, German, and Russian. The text of the second paper,…

Metabolic Demand and Internal Training Load in Technical-Tactical Training Sessions of Professional Futsal Players.

PubMed

Wilke, Carolina F; Ramos, Guilherme P; Pacheco, Diogo A S; Santos, Weslley H M; Diniz, Mateus S L; Gonçalves, Gabriela G P; Marins, João C B; Wanner, Samuel P; Silami-Garcia, Emerson

2016-08-01

Wilke, CF, Ramos, GP, Pacheco, DAS, Santos, WHM, Diniz, MSL, Gonçalves, GGP, Marins, JCB, Wanner, SP, and Silami-Garcia, E. Metabolic demand and internal training load in technical-tactical training sessions of professional futsal players. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2330-2340, 2016-The aim of the study was to characterize aspects of technical-tactical training sessions of a professional futsal team. We addressed 4 specific aims: characterize the metabolic demands and intensity of these training sessions, compare the training intensity among players of different positions, compare the intensity of different futsal-specific activities (4 × 4, 6 × 4, and match simulation), and investigate the association between an objective (training impulse; TRIMP) and a subjective method (session rating of perceived exertion; sRPE) of measuring a player's internal training load. Twelve top-level futsal players performed an incremental exercise to determine their maximal oxygen consumption, maximal heart rate (HRmax), ventilatory threshold (VT), and respiratory compensation point (RCP). Each player's HR and RPE were measured and used to calculate energy expenditure, TRIMP, and sRPE during 37 training sessions over 8 weeks. The average intensity was 74 ± 4% of HRmax, which corresponded to 9.3 kcal·min. The players trained at intensities above the RCP, between the RCP and VT and below the VT for 20 ± 8%, 28 ± 6%, and 51 ± 10% of the session duration, respectively. Wingers, defenders, and pivots exercised at a similar average intensity but with different intensity distributions. No difference in intensity was found between the 3 typical activities. A strong correlation between the average daily TRIMP and sRPE was observed; however, this relationship was significant for only 4 of 12 players, indicating that sRPE is a useful tool for monitoring training loads but that it should be interpreted for each player individually rather than collectively.

Breaking the Cycle: Future Faculty Begin Teaching with Learner-Centered Strategies after Professional Development

PubMed Central

Ebert-May, Diane; Derting, Terry L.; Henkel, Timothy P.; Middlemis Maher, Jessica; Momsen, Jennifer L.; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A.

2015-01-01

The availability of reliable evidence for teaching practices after professional development is limited across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, making the identification of professional development “best practices” and effective models for change difficult. We aimed to determine the extent to which postdoctoral fellows (i.e., future biology faculty) believed in and implemented evidence-based pedagogies after completion of a 2-yr professional development program, Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST IV). Postdocs (PDs) attended a 2-yr training program during which they completed self-report assessments of their beliefs about teaching and gains in pedagogical knowledge and experience, and they provided copies of class assessments and video recordings of their teaching. The PDs reported greater use of learner-centered compared with teacher-centered strategies. These data were consistent with the results of expert reviews of teaching videos. The majority of PDs (86%) received video ratings that documented active engagement of students and implementation of learner-centered classrooms. Despite practice of higher-level cognition in class sessions, the items used by the PDs on their assessments of learning focused on lower-level cognitive skills. We attributed the high success of the FIRST IV program to our focus on inexperienced teachers, an iterative process of teaching practice and reflection, and development of and teaching a full course. PMID:26033870

The effect of interprofessional team-based learning among nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Wong, Arkers Kwan Ching; Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; Chan, Lap Ki; Chan, Namkiu; Ganotice, Fraide A; Ho, Jacqueline

2017-06-01

Although interprofessional education has received attention in recent years as a means of providing opportunities for health-care professionals to learn with, from and about other disciplines and enhance the quality of patient care, evidence of its effectiveness is limited. Interprofessional team-based learning was introduced to make it possible for students in different healthcare disciplines to interact with each other, and to prepare them to function effectively within a team in their future career. To examine the effects of interprofessional team-based learning for undergraduate nursing students in terms of knowledge level, readiness for interprofessional learning, attitude towards various aspects of team learning, and perceived collective efficacy. The study employed a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. An interprofessional education program was given to students from two universities in Hong Kong who were in different healthcare disciplines including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical science, and Chinese medicine programs. The program was based on four phases of student learning- individual readiness assessment test, ice breaking session, team readiness assessment test, and application exercise. Nursing students involved in the program were invited to complete anonymous questionnaires to evaluate their interprofessional team experience. A total of 40 nursing students (9 male, 31 female) participated in the study. A statistically significant improvement was identified in their knowledge level (p<0.001), attitude towards readiness for interprofessional learning, team learning, and perceived collective efficacy (p<0.001). This study suggests that interprofessional team-based learning can enhance cross-disciplinary learning and outcomes resulting from team efforts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personal Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Sumathi; Gledhill, Igle; Hartline, Beverly K.; Lakhdar, Zohra Ben; MacLachlan, Anne J.; Mack, Kelly; Mehta, Anita; Wu, Ling-An; Zhang, Hong

2009-04-01

Three workshop sessions on personal professional development were held during the Third IUPAP Women in Physics Conference. These were designed to teach participants about planning for career success, "survival skills," negotiation, and ways to transition into scientific leadership positions in their own countries.

Mixed-Effects Modeling of Neurofeedback Self-Regulation Performance: Moderators for Learning in Children with ADHD.

PubMed

Zuberer, Agnieszka; Minder, Franziska; Brandeis, Daniel; Drechsler, Renate

2018-01-01

Neurofeedback (NF) has gained increasing popularity as a training method for children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, it is unclear to what extent children learn to regulate their brain activity and in what way NF learning may be affected by subject- and treatment-related factors. In total, 48 subjects with ADHD (age 8.5-16.5 years; 16 subjects on methylphenidate (MPH)) underwent 15 double training sessions of NF in either a clinical or a school setting. Four mixed-effects models were employed to analyze learning: training within-sessions, across-sessions, with continuous feedback, and with transfer in which performance feedback is delayed. Age and MPH affected the NF performance in all models. Cross-session learning in the feedback condition was mainly moderated by age and MPH, whereas NF learning in the transfer condition was mainly boosted by MPH. Apart from IQ and task types, other subject-related or treatment-related effects were unrelated to NF learning. This first study analyzing moderators of NF learning in ADHD with a mixed-effects modeling approach shows that NF performance is moderated differentially by effects of age and MPH depending on the training task and time window. Future studies may benefit from using this approach to analyze NF learning and NF specificity. The trial name Neurofeedback and Computerized Cognitive Training in Different Settings for Children and Adolescents With ADHD is registered with NCT02358941.

A Playbook for Data: Real-Life Scenario Demonstrates Learning Forward's Data Standard in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsh, Stephanie; Hord, Shirley

2012-01-01

This article is an excerpt from "A Playbook for Professional Learning: Putting the Standards Into Action" (Learning Forward, 2012). Written by Learning Forward Executive Director Stephanie Hirsh and Scholar Laureate Shirley Hord, "A Playbook for Professional Learning" provides those who work in professional learning with readily accessible…

Stress Modulates Instrumental Learning Performances in Horses (Equus caballus) in Interaction with Temperament

PubMed Central

Valenchon, Mathilde; Lévy, Frédéric; Prunier, Armelle; Moussu, Chantal; Calandreau, Ludovic; Lansade, Léa

2013-01-01

The present study investigates how the temperament of the animal affects the influence of acute stress on the acquisition and reacquisition processes of a learning task. After temperament was assessed, horses were subjected to a stressor before or after the acquisition session of an instrumental task. Eight days later, horses were subjected to a reacquisition session without any stressor. Stress before acquisition tended to enhance the number of successes at the beginning of the acquisition session. Eight days later, during the reacquisition session, contrary to non-stressed animals, horses stressed after acquisition, and, to a lesser extent, horses stressed before acquisition, did not improve their performance between acquisition and reacquisition sessions. Temperament influenced learning performances in stressed horses only. Particularly, locomotor activity improved performances whereas fearfulness impaired them under stressful conditions. Results suggest that direct exposure to a stressor tended to increase acquisition performances, whereas a state of stress induced by the memory of a stressor, because it has been previously associated with the learning context, impaired reacquisition performances. The negative effect of a state of stress on reacquisition performances appeared to be stronger when exposure to the stressor occurred after rather than before the acquisition session. Temperament had an impact on both acquisition and reacquisition processes, but under stressful conditions only. These results suggest that stress is necessary to reveal the influence of temperament on cognitive performances. PMID:23626801

A course-based cross-cultural interaction among pharmacy students in Qatar and Canada.

PubMed

Wilby, Kyle John; Taylor, Jeff; Khalifa, Sherief I; Jorgenson, Derek

2015-03-25

To develop, implement, and evaluate a course-based, cross-cultural student interaction using real-time videoconferencing between universities in Canada and Qatar. A professional skills simulation practice session on smoking cessation was run for students in Qatar (n=22) and Canada (n=22). Students role played cases in small group situations and then interacted with colleagues from the other country regarding culturally challenging situations and communication strategies. Students were assessed on analytical content and communication skills through faculty member and peer evaluation. Cultural competency outcomes were assessed using a postsession survey. Overall, 92.3% of respondents agreed that learning was enhanced through the cross-cultural exchange, and 94.9% agreed that insight was gained into the health-related issues and needs of people from another culture. A course-based, cross-cultural interaction was an effective method to incorporate cultural competency principles into student learning. Future initiatives should increase direct student interaction and focus on culturally sensitive topics.

Manipulation of cognitive load variables and impact on auscultation test performance.

PubMed

Chen, Ruth; Grierson, Lawrence; Norman, Geoffrey

2015-10-01

Health profession educators have identified auscultation skill as a learning need for health professional students. This article explores the application of cognitive load theory (CLT) to designing cardiac and respiratory auscultation skill instruction for senior-level undergraduate nursing students. Three experiments assessed student auscultation performance following instructional manipulations of the three primary components of cognitive load: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load. Study 1 evaluated the impact of intrinsic cognitive load by varying the number of diagnoses learned in one instruction session; Study 2 evaluated the impact of extraneous cognitive load by providing students with single or multiple examples of diagnoses during instruction; and Study 3 evaluated the impact of germane cognitive load by employing mixed or blocked sequences of diagnostic examples to students. Each of the three studies presents results that support CLT as explaining the influence of different types of cognitive processing on auscultation skill acquisition. We conclude with a discussion regarding CLT's usefulness as a framework for education and education research in the health professions.

Project-Based Learning Courses: The Relationship Between Faculty-Intended Course Implementation and Students' Perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonovich, Jennifer A.; Towers, Emily; Zastavker, Yevgeniya V.

2012-02-01

Project-based learning (PjBL) has been shown to improve students' performance and satisfaction with their coursework, particularly in science and engineering courses. Specific aspects of PjBL that contribute to this improvement are student autonomy, course scaffolding, and instructor support. This study investigates two PjBL courses required for engineering majors at a small technical school, Introductory Mechanics Laboratory and Introductory Engineering Design. The three data sources used in this work are classroom observations (one laboratory and four design sessions) and semi-structured in-depth interviews with twelve students and six faculty. Grounded theory approach is used in a two-step fashion by (1) analyzing each data set individually and (2) performing full triangulation of all three data sets. In this talk, we demonstrate the relationship between faculty intentions and student perceptions regarding the three PjBL aspects -- student autonomy, course scaffolding, and instructor support -- within the context of these two courses. We further discuss implications for the course design and professional development of faculty.

Need for a Comprehensive Sex and Relationship Education Programme for Adults with Learning Disability.

PubMed

Enow, Humphrey; Nagalingam, Priya; Singh, Ranbir; Thalitaya, Madhusudan Deepak

2015-09-01

Most people with learning disabilities (PWLD) have little understanding of the concept of sex and relationship. PWLD are vulnerable and more likely to be victims of sexual offending. Currently, the only formal access to sex and relationship education that PWLD have is in special need schools. The right to express their sexuality is frequently restricted or denied by restricted policies, negative attitudes and lack of awareness of their needs. To provide a Comprehensive Sex and Relationship Education programme for PWLD. These group/individual sessions will led by a sexuality support worker with experience in working with PWLD. They will be supported by members of the multidisciplinary team including, psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapists etc. Providing sex and relationship education PWLD would help them achieve a fulfilling and rewarding sexual experience and make them less vulnerable to sexual abuse. There should be greater emphasis to be placed on sex and relationship education in PWLD; preferably by qualified professionals.

A Course-based Cross-Cultural Interaction among Pharmacy Students in Qatar and Canada

PubMed Central

Taylor, Jeff; Khalifa, Sherief I.; Jorgenson, Derek

2015-01-01

Objective. To develop, implement, and evaluate a course-based, cross-cultural student interaction using real-time videoconferencing between universities in Canada and Qatar. Design. A professional skills simulation practice session on smoking cessation was run for students in Qatar (n=22) and Canada (n=22). Students role played cases in small group situations and then interacted with colleagues from the other country regarding culturally challenging situations and communication strategies. Assessment. Students were assessed on analytical content and communication skills through faculty member and peer evaluation. Cultural competency outcomes were assessed using a postsession survey. Overall, 92.3% of respondents agreed that learning was enhanced through the cross-cultural exchange, and 94.9% agreed that insight was gained into the health-related issues and needs of people from another culture. Conclusion. A course-based, cross-cultural interaction was an effective method to incorporate cultural competency principles into student learning. Future initiatives should increase direct student interaction and focus on culturally sensitive topics. PMID:25861107

Using simulation pedagogy to enhance teamwork and communication in the care of older adults: the ELDER project.

PubMed

Mager, Diana R; Lange, Jean W; Greiner, Philip A; Saracino, Katherine H

2012-08-01

The Expanded Learning and Dedication to Elders in the Region (ELDER) project addressed the needs of under-served older adults by educating health care providers in home health and long-term care facilities. Four agencies in a health professional shortage/medically underserved area participated. Focus groups were held to determine agency-specific educational needs. Curricula from the John A. Hartford Foundation were adapted to design unique curricula for each agency and level of personnel during the first 2 years. The focus of this report is the case-based simulation learning approach used in year 3 to validate application of knowledge and facilitate teamwork and interprofessional communication. Three simulation sessions on varying topics were conducted at each site. Postsimulation surveys and qualitative interviews with hired evaluators showed that participants found simulations helpful to their practice. Tailored on-site education incorporating mid-fidelity simulation was an effective model for translating gerontological knowledge into practice and encouraging communication and teamwork in these settings. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies and Practices in Early Care and Education in Three States, 2014-2016.

PubMed

Smith, Teresa M; Blaser, Casey; Geno-Rasmussen, Cristy; Shuell, Julie; Plumlee, Catherine; Gargano, Tony; Yaroch, Amy L

2017-08-31

The National Early Care and Education Learning Collaboratives (ECELC) project aims to facilitate best practices in nutrition, physical activity, screen time, and breastfeeding support and infant feeding among early care and education (ECE) programs across multiple states. The project uses a train-the-trainer approach with 5, in-person learning-collaborative sessions, technical assistance, and action planning. We describe the longitudinal practice-based evaluation of the project and assess whether ECE programs evaluated (n = 104) sustained changes in policies and practices 1 year after completing the project. The number of best practices increased from pre-assessment to post-assessment (P < .01) but did not change significantly from post-assessment to follow-up assessment. ECELC shows promise as an approach to incorporate professional development and training focused on improving best practices for environment-level child nutrition and physical activity, which is one strategy among many that are warranted for obesity prevention in young children.

The development of vaccination perspectives among chiropractic, naturopathic and medical students: a case study of professional enculturation.

PubMed

McMurtry, Angus; Wilson, Kumanan; Clarkin, Chantalle; Walji, Rishma; Kilian, Brendan C; Kilian, Carney C; Lohfeld, Lynne; Alolabi, Bashar; Hagino, Carol; Busse, Jason W

2015-12-01

An important influence on parents' decisions about pediatric vaccination (children under 6 years of age) is the attitude of their health care providers, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers. Very limited qualitative research exists, however, on how attitudes towards vaccination develop among healthcare professionals in-training. We explored perspective development among three groups of students: medical, chiropractic, and naturopathic. We conducted focus group sessions with participants from each year of study at three different healthcare training programs in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured and open-ended questions were used to elicit dynamic interaction among participants and explore how they constructed their attitudes toward vaccination at the beginning and part way through their professional training. Analyses of verbatim transcripts of audiotaped interviews were conducted both inductively and deductively using questions structured by existing literature on learning, professional socialization and interprofessional relations. We found five major themes and each theme was illustrated with representative quotes. Numerous unexpected insights emerged within these themes, including students' general open-mindedness towards pediatric vaccination at the beginning of their training; the powerful influence of both formal education and informal socialization; uncritical acceptance of the vaccination views of senior or respected professionals; students' preference for multiple perspectives rather than one-sided, didactic instruction; the absence of explicit socio-cultural tensions among professions; and how divergences among professional students' perspectives result from differing emphases with respect to lifestyle, individual choice, public health and epidemiological factors-rather than disagreement concerning the biomedical evidence. This last finding implies that their different perspectives on pediatric vaccination may be complementary rather than irreconcilable. Our findings should be considered by developers of professional and interprofessional educational curricula and public health officials formulating policy on pediatric vaccination.

A turtle cognition research demonstration enhances visitor engagement and keeper-animal relationships.

PubMed

Alba, Andrew C; Leighty, Katherine A; Pittman Courte, Victoria L; Grand, Alison P; Bettinger, Tamara L

2017-07-01

Environmental enrichment techniques present animals with cognitive challenges while providing them opportunities to make choices and exert control over their environment. In this way, cognitive research and training is enriching to animals and can be used as a form of enrichment in zoos and aquariums. Cognitive research demonstrations also provide an opportunity to enhance visitor experience, as well as foster interactions between animals and keepers. We investigated how cognitive research sessions involving eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) at Disney's Animal Kingdom ® impacted both the rate of visitors coming to the exhibit and the amount of time they spent engaged. Further, we used a questionnaire to assess the impact of keeper participation in these sessions on their relationships with and perceptions of the turtles. While visitation rate to the exhibit was not impacted, cognitive research sessions held visitor attention for longer than keeper interpretation or at times during which no keepers or researchers were present. We also found that keepers that had worked with the turtles for longer and keepers that regularly participated in cognitive research sessions reported stronger bonds with the turtles. Our research suggests that use of cognitive research and training demonstrations for guest viewing in zoos and aquariums may enhance visitor learning opportunities by increasing the amount of time they spend at the exhibit. Our study also provides evidence that participation in such demonstrations by zoo and aquarium professionals can be related to improved keeper-animal bonds, potentially resulting in better husbandry and enhanced animal welfare. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of mindfulness and yoga on quality of life for elementary school students and teachers: results of a randomized controlled school-based study.

PubMed

Bazzano, Alessandra N; Anderson, Christopher E; Hylton, Chelsea; Gustat, Jeanette

2018-01-01

To assess the impact of a yoga curriculum in an elementary school on student quality of life, and to assess teacher and staff perception of potential barriers to, and benefits of, introducing yoga and mindfulness into the classroom. A randomized controlled trial was utilized to assess the impact of a brief intervention on third-grade students who screened positive for symptoms of anxiety. Students were randomized to an intervention group of 20 students receiving small-group yoga/mindfulness activities for 8 weeks between October 2016 and February 2017, and a control group of 32 students receiving care as usual. The Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale-Peabody Treatment Progress Battery and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) served as outcomes. Teachers were invited to participate in two professional development sessions about introducing yoga and mindfulness into the classroom, and completed a survey following each of the sessions. In generalized estimating equation models adjusted for time, the yoga-based intervention was associated with a 14.17 unit increase in student emotional PedsQL ( p -value 0.001) and a 7.43 unit increase in psychosocial PedsQL ( p -value 0.01). Results were not attenuated by adjustment. Teachers and staff reported using yoga more frequently in the classroom following the second of two professional development sessions ( p -value <0.05). Perceived barriers to introducing yoga to the classroom were similar at two data collection time points, while perceived benefits remained high. The intervention was associated with a significant improvement in emotional and psychosocial quality of life in the intervention group when compared to the control group, suggesting that yoga/mindfulness interventions may improve symptoms of anxiety among students. Yoga/mindfulness activities may facilitate stress management among elementary school students and may be added as a complement to social and emotional learning activities.

Effect of mindfulness and yoga on quality of life for elementary school students and teachers: results of a randomized controlled school-based study

PubMed Central

Bazzano, Alessandra N; Anderson, Christopher E; Hylton, Chelsea; Gustat, Jeanette

2018-01-01

Objective To assess the impact of a yoga curriculum in an elementary school on student quality of life, and to assess teacher and staff perception of potential barriers to, and benefits of, introducing yoga and mindfulness into the classroom. Methods A randomized controlled trial was utilized to assess the impact of a brief intervention on third-grade students who screened positive for symptoms of anxiety. Students were randomized to an intervention group of 20 students receiving small-group yoga/mindfulness activities for 8 weeks between October 2016 and February 2017, and a control group of 32 students receiving care as usual. The Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale-Peabody Treatment Progress Battery and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) served as outcomes. Teachers were invited to participate in two professional development sessions about introducing yoga and mindfulness into the classroom, and completed a survey following each of the sessions. Results In generalized estimating equation models adjusted for time, the yoga-based intervention was associated with a 14.17 unit increase in student emotional PedsQL (p-value 0.001) and a 7.43 unit increase in psychosocial PedsQL (p-value 0.01). Results were not attenuated by adjustment. Teachers and staff reported using yoga more frequently in the classroom following the second of two professional development sessions (p-value <0.05). Perceived barriers to introducing yoga to the classroom were similar at two data collection time points, while perceived benefits remained high. Conclusion The intervention was associated with a significant improvement in emotional and psychosocial quality of life in the intervention group when compared to the control group, suggesting that yoga/mindfulness interventions may improve symptoms of anxiety among students. Yoga/mindfulness activities may facilitate stress management among elementary school students and may be added as a complement to social and emotional learning activities. PMID:29695937

77 FR 52067 - In the Matter of Quality Inspection and Testing, Inc., New Iberia, LA; General License Pursuant...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-28

... June 27, 2012, the NRC and QIT representatives met in an ADR session with a professional mediator... of QIT must submit a paper for presentation at an NDT professional society meeting (national or local... professional society meeting (national or local chapter), such as the Non-Destructive Testing Management...

Lay the Foundation for Great Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celeste, Eric

2016-01-01

This article focuses on the "learning leader," exploring "What is professional learning leadership at its core?" Leaders of professional learning come to their responsibility from many roles, from teacher to district administrator, to instructional coach. They set the agenda for professional learning by aligning it to…

Rethinking Professional Standards to Promote Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forde, Christine; McMahon, Margery Anne; Hamilton, Gillian; Murray, Rosa

2016-01-01

This article explores some of the key issues that emerged in the revision of the professional standards in Scottish education. The revision of the professional standards was part of a wider project to build teacher professional learning in ways that had an impact on practice and on pupil learning. The article begins by examining the international…

Holding the Reins of the Professional Learning Community: Eight Themes from Research on Principals' Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cranston, Jerome

2009-01-01

Using a naturalistic inquiry approach and thematic analysis, this paper outlines the findings of a research study that examined 12 Manitoba principals' conceptions of professional learning communities. The study found that these principals consider the development of professional learning communities to be a normative imperative within the…

Create a good learning environment and motivate active learning enthusiasm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Weihong; Fu, Guangwei; Fu, Xinghu; Zhang, Baojun; Liu, Qiang; Jin, Wa

2017-08-01

In view of the current poor learning initiative of undergraduates, the idea of creating a good learning environment and motivating active learning enthusiasm is proposed. In practice, the professional tutor is allocated and professional introduction course is opened for college freshman. It can promote communication between the professional teachers and students as early as possible, and guide students to know and devote the professional knowledge by the preconceived form. Practice results show that these solutions can improve the students interest in learning initiative, so that the active learning and self-learning has become a habit in the classroom.

Improving clerkship preparedness: a hospital medicine elective for pre-clerkship students

PubMed Central

Connor, Denise M.; Conlon, Paul J.; O’Brien, Bridget C.; Chou, Calvin L.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Medical students often struggle to apply their nascent clinical skills in clerkships. While transitional clerkships can orient students to new roles and logistics, students may benefit from developing clinical skills in inpatient environments earlier in their curriculum to improve readiness for clerkships. Intervention: Our four- to six-session elective provides pre-clerkship students with individualized learning in the inpatient setting with the aim of improving clerkship preparedness. Students work one-on-one with faculty who facilitate individualized learning through mentoring, deliberate practice, and directed feedback. Second-year medical students are placed on an attending-only, traditionally ‘non-teaching’ service in the hospital medicine division of a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital for half-day sessions. Most students self-select into the elective following a class-wide advertisement. The elective also accepts students who are referred for remediation of their clinical skills. Outcome: In the elective’s first two years, 25 students participated and 47 students were waitlisted. We compared participant and waitlisted (non-participant) students’ self-efficacy in several clinical and professional domains during their first clerkship. Elective participants reported significantly higher clerkship preparedness compared to non-participants in the areas of physical exam, oral presentation, and formulation of assessments and plans. Conclusions: Students found the one-on-one feedback and personalized attention from attending physicians to be a particularly useful aspect of the course. This frequently cited benefit points to students’ perceived needs and the value they place on individualized feedback. Our innovation harnesses an untapped resource – the hospital medicine ‘non-teaching’ service – and serves as an attainable option for schools interested in enhancing early clinical skill-building for all students, including those recommended for remediation. Abbreviations: A&P: Assessment and plan; H&P: History and physical; ILP: Individual learning plan PMID:28395598

Team-based learning increases active engagement and enhances development of teamwork and communication skills in a first-year course for veterinary and animal science undergraduates.

PubMed

Hazel, Susan J; Heberle, Nicole; McEwen, Margaret-Mary; Adams, Karen

2013-01-01

Team-based learning (TBL) was implemented into a first-year course (Principles in Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics) for BSc Veterinary Bioscience (VB) and Animal Science (AS) students. TBL is now used widely in teaching medical students, but has had more limited uptake in veterinary education. This study reports its use over 2 years with cohorts of 126 and 138 students in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Average individual marks for multiple-choice question (MCQ) tests in the Readiness Assurance component of TBL were higher for the teams than for individuals for each session, explicitly demonstrating the advantages of teamwork. Students reported that they felt actively involved and that TBL helped them both with their learning and in developing other important skills, such as teamwork and communication. Qualitative analysis of written feedback from the students revealed positive themes of discussion, application, revelation, socializing, engagement, clarification, and retention/revision. In 2011 negative comments included the need to shorten the TBL sessions, but in 2012 tightening of the timelines meant that this was no longer a major concern. Requests to provide better introductory and background materials and ambiguity in questions in the TBL activities were what students least liked about the TBL. However, most comments were positive rather than negative in nature, and many students preferred the TBL to lectures. With requirements for curricula to teach professional skills, such as communication and teamwork, and the positive results from TBL's implementation, it is hoped that this study will encourage others to trial the use of TBL in veterinary education.

A "safe space" for learning and reflection: one school's design for continuity with a peer group across clinical clerkships.

PubMed

Chou, Calvin L; Johnston, C Bree; Singh, Bobby; Garber, Jonathan D; Kaplan, Elizabeth; Lee, Kewchang; Teherani, Arianne

2011-12-01

The value of continuity in medical education, particularly during clerkships, is increasingly recognized. Previous clerkship-based models have described changes that emphasize continuity in patient care, learner supervision, and curriculum. The creation of continuous student peer groups can foster interactions that enhance mutual support through uncomfortable professional transitions during the clerkship years. Here, the authors describe a third-year clerkship model based at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center called VA Longitudinal Rotations (VALOR), designed explicitly to establish a supportive learning environment for small peer groups.Seven groups of medical students (42 total) completed VALOR across three academic years between 2007 and 2009. On clerkships during VALOR, one hour per week was designated for faculty-facilitated sessions amongst peer groups. Students' perceptions of peer group support and overall program satisfaction were determined with immediate post surveys and focus groups at the end of VALOR, and with follow-up surveys 5 to 27 months after completing VALOR. Students strongly valued several elements of VALOR peer groups, including support through clerkship challenges, meeting for facilitated reflection, and appreciating patient experiences across the continuum of care. Students' appreciation for their peer group experiences persisted well after the conclusion of VALOR. VALOR students performed the same as or better than traditional clerkship students on knowledge and skill-based outcomes. The authors demonstrate that their third-year clerkship program using peer groups has built supportive learning networks and facilitated reflection, allowing students to develop critical professional skills. Student communication around patient care was also feasible and highly valued.

Nosogogy: when the learner is a patient with chronic renal failure.

PubMed

Ballerini, L; Paris, V

2006-11-01

Patient education approaches are currently derived from a biomedical 'acute' model characterized by the sequence of health, disease, and recovery resulting from our professional intervention. Unfortunately, this model proves to be totally inadequate when applied to a chronic disease such as kidney failure. Our patients never fully regain their health and may continue to worsen under our care, even after many state-of-the-art treatments. The solution is represented in acquiring a new professional identity, shifting from the 'biomedical' acute model to a 'bio-psycho-social-educational model'. Within this model, a Therapeutic Education approach in predialysis has been proven to provide both short- and long-term positive results for renal patients. There is a tremendous difference between the learning processes in children and adults and two different sciences have already been described. 'Pedagogy' deals with child learning and 'Andragogy' with adult learning. Nevertheless, when the learner is a patient with a chronic disease, we believe that new considerations must be taken into account. We propose to create a novel science and to call it 'Nosogogy', derived from the ancient Greek word (see text), meaning 'disease'. Nosogogy could be defined as the science of teaching adults affected by chronic disease. The new educator is someone deeply involved in renal care who knows and understands the characteristic conflicts and dynamics that arise in the renal patient, and possesses adequate communication skills to deal with him. In our experience, we prefer to have educational sessions run by nephrologists and nurses who have great experience in the field.

Exploration of the affordances of mobile devices in integrating theory and clinical practice in an undergraduate nursing programme.

PubMed

Willemse, Juliana J; Bozalek, Vivienne

2015-01-01

Promoting the quality and effectiveness of nursing education is an important factor, given the increased demand for nursing professionals. It is important to establish learning environments that provide personalised guidance and feedback to students about their practical skills and application of their theoretical knowledge. To explore and describe the knowledge and points of view of students and educators about introduction of new technologies into an undergraduate nursing programme. The qualitative design used Tesch's (1990) steps of descriptive data analysis to complete thematic analysis of the data collected in focus group discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews to identify themes. Themes identified from the students’ FGDs and individual interviews included: mobile devices as a communication tool; email, WhatsApp and Facebook as methods of communication; WhatsApp as a method of communication; nurses as role-models in the clinical setting; setting personal boundaries; and impact of mobile devices in clinical practice on professionalism. Themes identified from the FGD, individual interviews and a discussion session held with educators included: peer learning via mobile devices; email, WhatsApp and Facebook as methods of communication; the mobile device as a positive learning method; students need practical guidance; and ethical concerns in clinical facilities about Internet access and use of mobile devices. The research project established an understanding of the knowledge and points of view of students and educators regarding introduction of new technologies into an undergraduate nursing programme with the aim of enhancing integration of theory and clinical practice through use of mobile devices.

Empowering students with the hidden curriculum.

PubMed

Neve, Hilary; Collett, Tracey

2017-11-27

The hidden curriculum (HC) refers to unscripted, ad hoc learning that occurs outside the formal, taught curriculum and can have a powerful influence on the professional development of students. While this learning may be positive, it may conflict with that taught in the formal curriculum. Medical schools take a range of steps to address these negative effects; however, the existence and nature of the concept tends to be hidden from students. Since 2007, our medical school has incorporated into its small group programme an educational activity exploring the concept of the hidden curriculum. We undertook a qualitative evaluation of our intervention, conducting a thematic analysis of students' wiki reflections about the HC. We also analysed students' responses to a short questionnaire about the educational approach used. The majority of students felt that the HC session was important and relevant. Most appeared able to identify positive and negative HC experiences and consider how these might influence their learning and development, although a few students found the concept of the HC hard to grasp. Revealing and naming the hidden curriculum can make students aware of its existence and understand its potential impact. The hidden curriculum may also be a useful tool for triggering debate about issues such as power, patient centredness, personal resilience and career stereotypes in medicine. Supporting students to think critically about HC experiences may empower them to make active choices about which messages to take on board. The hidden curriculum can have a powerful influence on the professional development of students. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Learning about patient safety: organizational context and culture in the education of health care professionals.

PubMed

Pearson, Pauline; Steven, Alison; Howe, Amanda; Sheikh, Aziz; Ashcroft, Darren; Smith, Pam

2010-01-01

This study investigated the formal and informal ways pre-registration students from medicine, nursing, physiotherapy and pharmacy learn about keeping patients safe. This paper gives an overview of the study and explores findings in relation to organizational context and culture. The study employed a phased design using multiple qualitative methods. The overall approach drew on 'illuminative evaluation'. Ethical approval was obtained. Phase 1 employed a convenience sample of 13 pre-registration courses across the UK. Curriculum documents were gathered, and course directors interviewed. Phase 2 used eight case studies, two for each professional group, to develop an in-depth investigation of learning across university and practice by students and newly-qualified practitioners in relation to patient safety, and to examine the organizational culture that students and newly-qualified staff are exposed to. Analysis was iterative and ongoing throughout the study, using frameworks agreed by all researchers. Patient safety was felt to have become a higher priority for the health care system in recent years. Incident reporting was a key feature of the patient safety agenda within the organizations examined. Staff were often unclear or too busy to report. On the whole, students were not engaged and may not be aware of incident reporting schemes. They may not have access to existing systems in their organization. Most did not access employers' induction programmes. Some training sessions occasionally included students but this did not appear to be routine. Action is needed to develop an efficient interface between employers and education providers to develop up-to-date curricula for patient safety.

Implementing a Narrative Medicine Curriculum During the Internship Year: An Internal Medicine Residency Program Experience

PubMed Central

Wesley, Tiffany; Hamer, Diana; Karam, George

2018-01-01

Introduction Narrative medicine develops professional and communication skills that align with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies. However, little is known about a narrative medicine curriculum’s impact on physicians in training during residency. Implementing a narrative medicine curriculum during residency can be challenging because of time constraints and limited opportunity for nonclinical education. Methods Six sessions were implemented throughout one academic year to expose first-year internal medicine residents (interns) to narrative medicine. Attendance and participation were documented. At the end of the year, interns completed an open-ended survey to gauge their perception of their experience with the sessions. Results In total, 17 interns attended at least 1 narrative medicine session, and each session averaged 5.4 attendees. Thirteen eligible interns completed the survey. Thematic analysis identified 3 predominant themes: Mindfulness, physician well-being, and professionalism. Discussion Overall, the narrative medicine sessions were well attended and the curriculum was well received. This intervention demonstrates the value of a narrative medicine curriculum during medical resident training. Large prospective studies are necessary to identify the long-term benefits of such a curriculum. PMID:29702059

Open Online Spaces of Professional Learning: Context, Personalisation and Facilitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Peter

2015-01-01

This article explores professional learning through online discussion events as sites of communities of learning. The rise of distributed work places and networked labour coincides with a privileging of individualised professional learning. Alongside this focus on the individual has been a growth in informal online learning communities and…

Critical and Transformative Practices in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Servage, Laura

2008-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been held up as powerful structures for teachers' continuing professional development. In this work, the author has applied transformative learning theory to highlight the psychic risks of collaborative teacher learning, as well as the need for practical efforts to improve student learning--the means…

Teachers' Self-Initiated Professional Learning through Personal Learning Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tour, Ekaterina

2017-01-01

It is widely acknowledged that to be able to teach language and literacy with digital technologies, teachers need to engage in relevant professional learning. Existing formal models of professional learning are often criticised for being ineffective. In contrast, informal and self-initiated forms of learning have been recently recognised as…

Teacher Professional Learning: Developing with the Aid of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyprianou, Marianna; Nikiforou, Eleni

2016-01-01

Education is a field that constantly changes, which dictates the need for continuing teacher professional learning and development. Teacher professional learning and development can be divided into two categories: formal learning/ development and informal learning/development. This paper focuses on the experience of the presenters as coordinators…

Supporting Professional Learning in a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milligan, Colin; Littlejohn, Allison

2014-01-01

Professional learning, combining formal and on the job learning, is important for the development and maintenance of expertise in the modern workplace. To integrate formal and informal learning, professionals have to have good self-regulatory ability. Formal learning opportunities are opening up through massive open online courses (MOOCs),…

Professional Learning Communities Focusing on Results and Data-Use to Improve Student Learning: The Right Implementation Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz, Marco A.; Branham, Karen E.

2016-01-01

Professional Learning Communities are an important means toward the goal of improving schools so that students can learn at high levels. Professional Learning Communities, when well-implemented, have a laser-focus on learning, work collaboratively, and hold themselves accountable for results. In this article, the central concept of…

A Situative Perspective on Developing Writing Pedagogy in a Teacher Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pella, Shannon

2011-01-01

The bulk of current research on teacher professional development is focused on teacher learning in the context of teacher professional learning communities (PLCs). In teacher PLCs, groups of teachers meet regularly to increase their own learning and the learning of their students. Teacher PLCs offer a learning model in which, "new ideas and…

A Preliminary Investigation of Self-Directed Learning Activities in a Non-Formal Blended Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwier, Richard A.; Morrison, Dirk; Daniel, Ben K.

2009-01-01

This research considers how professional participants in a non-formal self-directed learning environment (NFSDL) made use of self-directed learning activities in a blended face-to-face and on line learning professional development course. The learning environment for the study was a professional development seminar on teaching in higher education…

The perceptions of danish physiotherapists on the ethical issues related to the physiotherapist-patient relationship during the first session: a phenomenological approach

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In the course of the last four decades, the profession of physiotherapy has progressively expanded its scope of responsibility and its focus on professional autonomy and evidence-based clinical practice. To preserve professional autonomy, it is crucial for the physiotherapy profession to meet society's expectations and demands of professional competence as well as ethical competence. Since it is becoming increasingly popular to choose a carrier in private practice in Denmark this context constitutes the frame of this study. Physiotherapy in private practice involves mainly a meeting between two partners: the physiotherapist and the patient. In the meeting, power asymmetry between the two partners is a condition that the physiotherapist has to handle. The aim of this study was to explore whether ethical issues rise during the first physiotherapy session discussed from the perspective of the physiotherapists in private practice. Methods A qualitative approach was chosen and semi-structured interviews with 21 physiotherapists were carried out twice and analysed by using a phenomenological framework. Results Four descriptive themes emerged: general reflections on ethics in physiotherapy; the importance of the first physiotherapy session; the influence of the clinical environment on the first session and; reflections and actions upon beneficence towards the patient within the first session. The results show that the first session and the clinical context in private practice are essential from an ethical perspective. Conclusions Ethical issues do occur within the first session, the consciousness about ethical issues differs in Danish physiotherapy private practice, and reflections and acts are to a lesser extent based on awareness of ethical theories, principles and ethical guidelines. Beneficence towards the patient is a fundamental aspect of the physiotherapists' understanding of the first session. However, if the physiotherapist lacks a deeper ethical awareness, the physiotherapist may reason and/or act ethically to a varying extent: only an ethically conscious physiotherapist will know when he or she reflects and acts ethically. Further exploration of ethical issues in private practice is recommendable, and as management policy is deeply embedded within the Danish public sector there are reasons to explore public contexts of physiotherapy as well. PMID:21992627

The perceptions of Danish physiotherapists on the ethical issues related to the physiotherapist-patient relationship during the first session: a phenomenological approach.

PubMed

Praestegaard, Jeanette; Gard, Gunvor

2011-10-12

In the course of the last four decades, the profession of physiotherapy has progressively expanded its scope of responsibility and its focus on professional autonomy and evidence-based clinical practice. To preserve professional autonomy, it is crucial for the physiotherapy profession to meet society's expectations and demands of professional competence as well as ethical competence. Since it is becoming increasingly popular to choose a carrier in private practice in Denmark this context constitutes the frame of this study. Physiotherapy in private practice involves mainly a meeting between two partners: the physiotherapist and the patient. In the meeting, power asymmetry between the two partners is a condition that the physiotherapist has to handle. The aim of this study was to explore whether ethical issues rise during the first physiotherapy session discussed from the perspective of the physiotherapists in private practice. A qualitative approach was chosen and semi-structured interviews with 21 physiotherapists were carried out twice and analysed by using a phenomenological framework. Four descriptive themes emerged: general reflections on ethics in physiotherapy; the importance of the first physiotherapy session; the influence of the clinical environment on the first session and; reflections and actions upon beneficence towards the patient within the first session. The results show that the first session and the clinical context in private practice are essential from an ethical perspective. Ethical issues do occur within the first session, the consciousness about ethical issues differs in Danish physiotherapy private practice, and reflections and acts are to a lesser extent based on awareness of ethical theories, principles and ethical guidelines. Beneficence towards the patient is a fundamental aspect of the physiotherapists' understanding of the first session. However, if the physiotherapist lacks a deeper ethical awareness, the physiotherapist may reason and/or act ethically to a varying extent: only an ethically conscious physiotherapist will know when he or she reflects and acts ethically. Further exploration of ethical issues in private practice is recommendable, and as management policy is deeply embedded within the Danish public sector there are reasons to explore public contexts of physiotherapy as well.

Student Evaluation of Summer Orientation, Learning, Advising, and Registration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, David F.

Incoming freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington completed evaluations of their two-day orientation. The Orientation Evaluation is administered to freshmen who have chosen to participate in one of three sessions: Summer Orientation, Learning, Advising, and Registration sessions (SOLAR). A total of 166 students completed the…

The Impact of Course Scheduling on Student Success in Intermediate Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrington, Linda G.

2010-01-01

Cognitive psychology research, as well as educational psychology research, suggests that learning is enhanced when new subjects are presented in spaced-out sessions rather than compressed into fewer, longer sessions (the "spacing effect"). This would suggest that students should learn better when taking courses that are scheduled over…

How to Implement Robots in Interventions for Children with Autism? A Co-creation Study Involving People with Autism, Parents and Professionals.

PubMed

Huijnen, Claire A G J; Lexis, Monique A S; Jansens, Rianne; de Witte, Luc P

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to gain insight into how robots can be practically implemented into current education and therapy interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This qualitative study included focus groups and co-creation sessions. 73 Participants (professionals and adults with ASD) took part in 13 focus groups to elicit requirements for robot assisted interventions. Additionally, 22 participants (professionals, parents of children with ASD and adults with ASD) generated ideas for interventions using robot KASPAR in three co-creation sessions. This study resulted in: an overview of requirements concerning the robot, end-user, environment and practical implementation; a template to systematically describe robot interventions in general and for KASPAR in particular; and finally new interventions.

Dorsolateral striatal lesions impair navigation based on landmark-goal vectors but facilitate spatial learning based on a “cognitive map”

PubMed Central

Poulter, Steven L.; Austen, Joe M.

2015-01-01

In three experiments, the nature of the interaction between multiple memory systems in rats solving a variation of a spatial task in the water maze was investigated. Throughout training rats were able to find a submerged platform at a fixed distance and direction from an intramaze landmark by learning a landmark-goal vector. Extramaze cues were also available for standard place learning, or “cognitive mapping,” but these cues were valid only within each session, as the position of the platform moved around the pool between sessions together with the intramaze landmark. Animals could therefore learn the position of the platform by taking the consistent vector from the landmark across sessions or by rapidly encoding the new platform position on each session with reference to the extramaze cues. Excitotoxic lesions of the dorsolateral striatum impaired vector-based learning but facilitated cognitive map-based rapid place learning when the extramaze cues were relatively poor (Experiment 1) but not when they were more salient (Experiments 2 and 3). The way the lesion effects interacted with cue availability is consistent with the idea that the memory systems involved in the current navigation task are functionally cooperative yet associatively competitive in nature. PMID:25691518

Achieving change through mutual development: supported online learning and the evolving roles of health and information professionals.

PubMed

Bury, Rachel; Martin, Lindsey; Roberts, Sue

2006-12-01

Major changes in health care, within an information- and technology-rich age, are impacting significantly on health professionals and upon their education and training. Health information professionals-in both the National Health Service (NHS) and higher education (HE) contexts-are consequently developing their roles, skills and partnerships to meet the needs of flexible education and training. This article explores one facet of this-supported online learning and its impact on role development. A case study approach was taken, aiming to explore how academics, health information professionals and learning technologists are developing supported online learning to explicitly address the e-literacy and information needs of health students within the context of NHS frameworks for education. This was contextualized by a literature review. The case study explores and discusses three dynamics--(i) The use of supported online learning tools by future health-care professionals throughout their professional training to ensure they have the appropriate e-literacy skills; (ii) the use of supported online learning by current health professionals to enable them to adapt to the changing environment; (iii) the development of the health information professional, and particularly their role within multi-disciplinary teams working with learning technologists and health professionals, to enable them to design and deliver supported online learning. The authors argue that, in this specific case study, health information professionals are key to the development of supported online learning. They are working successfully in collaboration and their roles are evolving to encompass learning and teaching activities in a wider context. There are consequently several lessons to be drawn in relation to professional education and role development.

Special ways of knowing in science: expansive learning opportunities with bilingual children with learning disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Álvarez, Patricia

2017-09-01

The field of bilingual special education is currently plagued with contradictions resulting in a serious underrepresentation of emergent bilinguals with learning disabilities in professional science fields. This underrepresentation is due in large part to the fact that educational systems around the world are inadequately prepared to address the educational needs of these children; this inadequacy is rooted in a lack of understanding of the linguistic and cultural factors impacting learning. Accepting such a premise and assuming that children learn in unexpected ways when instructional practices attend to culture and language, this study documents a place-based learning experience integrating geoscience and literacy in a fourth-grade dual language classroom. Data sources include transcribed audio-taped conversations from learning experience sessions and interviews that took place as six focus children, who had been identified as having specific learning disabilities, read published science texts (i.e. texts unaltered linguistically or conceptually to meet the needs of the readers). My analysis revealed that participants generated responses that were often unexpected if solely analyzed from those Western scientific perspectives traditionally valued in school contexts. However, these responses were also full of purposeful and rich understandings that revealed opportunities for expansive learning. Adopting a cultural historical activity theory perspective, instructional tools such as texts, visuals, and questions were found to act as mediators impacting the learning in both activity systems: (a) teacher- researcher learning from children, and (b) children learning from teachers. I conclude by suggesting that there is a need to understand students' ways of knowing to their full complexity, and to deliberately recognize teachers as learners, researchers, and means to expansive learning patterns that span beyond traditional learning boundaries.

Rapid Improvement in Visual Selective Attention Related to Action Video Gaming Experience.

PubMed

Qiu, Nan; Ma, Weiyi; Fan, Xin; Zhang, Youjin; Li, Yi; Yan, Yuening; Zhou, Zhongliang; Li, Fali; Gong, Diankun; Yao, Dezhong

2018-01-01

A central issue in cognitive science is understanding how learning induces cognitive and neural plasticity, which helps illuminate the biological basis of learning. Research in the past few decades showed that action video gaming (AVG) offered new, important perspectives on learning-related cognitive and neural plasticity. However, it is still unclear whether cognitive and neural plasticity is observable after a brief AVG session. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures, this study examined the plasticity of visual selective attention (VSA) associated with a 1 h AVG session. Both AVG experts and non-experts participated in this study. Their VSA was assessed prior to and after the AVG session. Within-group comparisons on the participants' performance before and after the AVG session showed improvements in response time in both groups and modulations of electrophysiological measures in the non-experts. Furthermore, between-group comparisons showed that the experts had superior VSA, relative to the non-experts, prior to the AVG session. These findings suggested an association between the plasticity of VSA and AVG. Most importantly, this study showed that the plasticity of VSA was observable after even a 1 h AVG session.

Rapid Improvement in Visual Selective Attention Related to Action Video Gaming Experience

PubMed Central

Qiu, Nan; Ma, Weiyi; Fan, Xin; Zhang, Youjin; Li, Yi; Yan, Yuening; Zhou, Zhongliang; Li, Fali; Gong, Diankun; Yao, Dezhong

2018-01-01

A central issue in cognitive science is understanding how learning induces cognitive and neural plasticity, which helps illuminate the biological basis of learning. Research in the past few decades showed that action video gaming (AVG) offered new, important perspectives on learning-related cognitive and neural plasticity. However, it is still unclear whether cognitive and neural plasticity is observable after a brief AVG session. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures, this study examined the plasticity of visual selective attention (VSA) associated with a 1 h AVG session. Both AVG experts and non-experts participated in this study. Their VSA was assessed prior to and after the AVG session. Within-group comparisons on the participants' performance before and after the AVG session showed improvements in response time in both groups and modulations of electrophysiological measures in the non-experts. Furthermore, between-group comparisons showed that the experts had superior VSA, relative to the non-experts, prior to the AVG session. These findings suggested an association between the plasticity of VSA and AVG. Most importantly, this study showed that the plasticity of VSA was observable after even a 1 h AVG session. PMID:29487514

Mentor relationship as a tool of professional development of student nurses in clinical practice.

PubMed

Saarikoski, Mikko

2003-09-01

This is a condensed version of a research project relating to the design and the development of a research instrument concerning 'Mentor Relationship as a Tool of Professional Development of Student Nurses in Clinical Practice'. This short research paper is taken from and reproduces the research work undertaken by Saarikoski (2002). The main themes refer to: (1) Evaluation scale to assess the quality of clinical learning environment and (2) Supervision of student nurses during their clinical placements. Parts one and two are taken from the main research study and include the following (i) developing and testing an evaluation tool (ii) describing how nursing students experience their clinical learning environment and (iii) the supervision given by qualified staff nurses working in a hospital setting. This abridged report discusses the methodology approaches undertaken by the author and includes: (a) comparative phased twin centred study (b) a pilot scheme and (c) a primary research instrument that was developed into an extensively validated assessment-measuring tool. This report strongly suggests that there is clear evidence in this research report that the supervisory relationship is the most important single element of pedagogical activities of staff nurses. The total satisfaction of students correlated most clearly with the method of supervision and that those satisfied students had a successful mentor relationship and frequently enough access to private supervision sessions with mentor. In the sample of this empirical study (n = 279 student nurses in Finland) individualized supervision system was most common on psychiatric wards. All nurse educators and clinical practitioners working across Europe and around the World in clinical learning environments will find this paper very useful in helping them to improve and quantify the supervisory process. This study starts bridging the gap between using and integrating both at a National and European level qualitative assessment systems that relate to the learning and supervisory process. The study encourages the need for professionals to test these new instruments in other nursing cultures and reflects upon the need for further research work in this area.

Student Poster Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumgartner, Erin

2004-01-01

Poster presentations are one way scientists present their latest research findings at professional meetings. This format also works well in the classroom and gives students the opportunity to communicate the results of their experiments (perhaps the most critical portion of their studies). In a performance-based task such as a poster session,…

Insect Identification Educational Volunteers Created in Train-the-Trainer Workshops in Oregon and Washington

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corp, Mary K.; Rondon, Silivia I.; Van Vleet, Stephen M.

2013-01-01

The "train-the-trainer" model successfully created volunteer educators in insect identification. Intensive training programs prepared 71 individuals during 2 1/2-day (20 hour) training sessions. Trainees included university Extension faculty (13), agricultural professionals (13), and certified Master Gardeners (45). The sessions were…

Assessing the Factors Impacting Professional Learning for Teachers in Seventh-Day Adventist Schools: A Comparison of Millennials and Non-Millennials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayer, Betty L.

2017-01-01

Problem and Purpose: Much research over several decades has established the importance of ongoing professional learning for teachers and has identified what effective professional learning should look like. Little research has been done, however, on the professional learning practices of teachers in faith-based schools, and few studies have…

The Bottom Line on Excellence: A Guide to Investing in Professional Learning that Increases Educator Performance and Student Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killion, Joellen; Hirsh, Stephanie

2012-01-01

What percentage of their budgets should schools and districts invest in professional learning? To answer that question, schools and districts must first know how much they are spending on professional learning and be able to connect that spending to student achievement. Knowing what is invested in professional learning requires understanding the…

Elementary School Teacher and Principal Perceptions of the Principal's Leadership Role in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillery, Patricia L.

2013-01-01

As school districts' professional development trends shift to meet annual budget requirements, it is worthy to explore the benefits of professional learning communities as they are a potential means for job-embedded professional development. As an advocate for professional learning, Hirsh (2009) stated that every teacher should engage in…

Curriculum Design for Campus-Wide Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunzicker, Jana; Mcconnaughay, Kelly; Burge, Jennifer Gruening

2016-01-01

Professional development in higher education is traditionally viewed as occurring through participation in workshops, attending conferences, and completing learning modules. But sometimes professional learning occurs in informal and unintended ways. This article contributes to the collective understanding of informal professional learning in…

Learning Professionalism in Athletic Training Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Debbie I.

2006-01-01

Objective: Student learning of professionalism in athletic training education programs (ATEPs) can be varied and even elusive. The purpose of this article is to define professionalism and discuss its development in athletic training students. Background: Medical professions have studied extensively how students learn professionalism. However, with…