Designing Standardized Patient Assessments to Measure SBIRT Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Wamsley, Maria A.; Julian, Katherine A.; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Satterfield, Jason M.; Satre, Derek D.; McCance-Katz, Elinore; Batki, Steven L.

2013-01-01

Objectives: Resident physicians report insufficient experience caring for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Resident training in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) has been recommended. We describe the development of a standardized patient (SP) assessment to measure SBIRT skills, resident perceptions of…

Mastery versus the standard proficiency target for basic laparoscopic skill training: effect on skill transfer and retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolozsvari, Nicoleta O; Kaneva, Pepa; Brace, Chantalle; Chartrand, Genevieve; Vaillancourt, Marilou; Cao, Jiguo; Banaszek, Daniel; Demyttenaere, Sebastian; Vassiliou, Melina C; Fried, Gerald M; Feldman, Liane S

2011-07-01

Little evidence exists to guide educators in the best way to implement simulation within surgical skills curricula. This study investigated whether practicing a basic Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) simulator task [peg transfer (PT)] facilitates learning a more complex skill [intracorporeal suturing (ICS)] and compared the effect of PT training to mastery with training to the passing level on PT retention and on learning ICS. For this study, 98 surgically naïve subjects were randomized to one of three PT training groups: control, standard training, and overtraining. All the participants then trained in ICS. The learning curves for ICS were analyzed by estimating the learning plateau and rate using nonlinear regression. Skill retention was assessed by retesting participants 1 month after training. The groups were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Effectiveness of skill transfer was calculated using the transfer effectiveness ratio (TER). Data are presented as mean±standard deviation (pstandard, and 23 overtrained subjects). The ICS learning plateau rose with increasing PT training (452±10 vs. 459±10 vs. 467±10; p0.5). The PT training took 20±10 min for standard training and 39±20 min for overtraining (pstandard training group, suggesting that PT overtraining took longer than the time saved on ICS training. For surgically naïve subjects, part-task training with PT alone was associated with slight improvements in the learning curve for ICS. However, overtraining with PT did not improve skill retention, and peg training alone was not an efficient strategy for learning ICS.

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: HVAC/R Technician Cluster.

Science.gov (United States)

Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in jobs in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry. Agency partners involved in this project include: the…

A Guttman scale for assessing condom use skills among college students.

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Lindemann, Dana F; Brigham, Thomas A

2003-03-01

HIV risk-reduction interventions frequently teach correct condom use skills, yet few researchers actually measure those skills. Without measuring condom use skills, it is not possible to evaluate the effectiveness of condom use interventions, or determine what variables may be related to those skills. The Measure of Observed Condom Use Skills (MOCUS) was developed using standard Guttman scaling procedures, and administered to 106 female and 71 male undergraduates. The MOCUS was administered by the primary investigator to each participant individually. Guttman scale analyses demonstrated the MOCUS has acceptable reproducibility. These findings support future use of the MOCUS to assess condom use skills.

Developing content standards for teaching research skills using a delphi method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaaf, M.F. van der; Stokking, K.M.; Verloop, N.

2005-01-01

The increased attention for teacher assessment and current educational reforms ask for procedures to develop adequate content standards. For the development of content standards on teaching research skills, a Delphi method based on stakeholders’ judgments has been designed and tested. In three

Summative and Formative Evaluations, National Skill Standards Project. Prepared for the National Grocers Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamm, Michael S.

In 1993-1996, the Grocers Research and Educational Foundation of the National Grocers Association developed entry-level skill standards for the food marketing industry. A coalition formed early in the project directed the skill standard development process and solicited input from major organizations involved in the industry. The validity of the…

The Relationship between Actual Fundamental Motor Skill Proficiency, Perceived Motor Skill Confidence and Competence, and Physical Activity in 8–12-Year-Old Irish Female Youth

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Orlagh Farmer

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study examines the relationship between actual fundamental motor skill (FMS proficiency, perceived motor confidence and competence, and physical activity (PA among female children (n= 160; mean age = 10.69 ± 1.40 years. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition (TGMD-2 was used to assess seven FMSs (locomotor, object-control, and stability. Motor confidence and competence were assessed using a valid skill-specific scale, and a modified version of the Self-Perception Profile for Children. PA levels were assessed using self-report (PA Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C and classified as low, moderate, and high active. One-way and two-way ANOVAs (post-hoc honest significant difference (HSD and correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. Findings indicate that the majority of youth (71.8% were not meeting the minimum 60 min of daily PA recommended for health, and that 98.1% did not achieve the FMS proficiency expected for their age. While there were high levels of perceived physical self-confidence (PSC reported within FMS skill-specific tasks, there was no significant correlation observed between actual FMS proficiency and perceived PSC among the cohort. Results show that low, moderately, and highly active female participants differ significantly in terms of their overall FMS (p = 0.03 and locomotor (LOC control scores (p = 0.03. Results from a two-way between-groups analysis of variance also revealed no statistically significant interaction effect between PA grouping and physical performance self-concept (PPSC on overall FMS proficiency levels. Results of a multiple linear regression indicate that perceived PSC is a significant predictor (beta = 0.183 of participants’ overall PA levels. Data show a need for targeting low levels of PA, and low FMS proficiency in female youth, and for developing interventions aiming to enhance perceived PSC levels.

On the actual controlling of standards concerning the 'fast breeder reactor'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rengeling, H.W.

1978-01-01

If the decision of the OVG Muenster to present the case to the Federal Constitutional Court asking whether Article 7 of the atomic energy law corresponds to the constitution or not, as far as the article allows the licensing of a fast breeder reactor, two problems arise: The legal question in how far the actual controlling of standards is to be preceeded by a statement of facts given by the court of first instance, and the problem behind concerning the responsibility of decision. The Federal Constitutional Court should accept the responsibility of decision to be borne by it. (orig.) [de

Measuring Life Skills: Standardizing the Assessment of Youth Development Indicators

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Mat D. Duerden

2012-03-01

Full Text Available While the development of life skills (e.g., communication, problem solving, etc. is a commonly targeted youth program outcome, the lack of standardized conceptualizations and instrumentation make it difficult to compare impacts across programs and develop validated best practices. In order to promote a more unified approach to life skill development, literature reviews were conducted for 10 life skill domains to identify common definitions and, if available, appropriate outcome measures. Data were then collected from an ethnically diverse sample (N = 758 of elementary, middle, and high school aged youth for the 10 identified instruments. Analyses were conducted to ascertain the psychometric qualities of each measure, the interrelationships among measures, and the measures’ relationships with gender, ethnicity, and school level. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to life skill theory and measurement.

Potential predictability and forecast skill in ensemble climate forecast: the skill-persistence rule

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Jin, Y.; Rong, X.; Liu, Z.

2017-12-01

This study investigates the factors that impact the forecast skill for the real world (actual skill) and perfect model (perfect skill) in ensemble climate model forecast with a series of fully coupled general circulation model forecast experiments. It is found that the actual skill of sea surface temperature (SST) in seasonal forecast is substantially higher than the perfect skill on a large part of the tropical oceans, especially the tropical Indian Ocean and the central-eastern Pacific Ocean. The higher actual skill is found to be related to the higher observational SST persistence, suggesting a skill-persistence rule: a higher SST persistence in the real world than in the model could overwhelm the model bias to produce a higher forecast skill for the real world than for the perfect model. The relation between forecast skill and persistence is further examined using a first-order autoregressive model (AR1) analytically for theoretical solutions and numerically for analogue experiments. The AR1 model study shows that the skill-persistence rule is strictly valid in the case of infinite ensemble size, but can be distorted by the sampling error and non-AR1 processes.

A reverse pathway? Actual and perceived skill proficiency and physical activity.

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Barnett, Lisa M; Morgan, Philip J; Van Beurden, Eric; Ball, Kylie; Lubans, David R

2011-05-01

Motor skills are considered a prerequisite to physical activity, yet the relationship may be reciprocal and perceived sports competence might mediate associations. In 2006/2007, 215 adolescents completed motor skill proficiency (Get Skilled Get Active), perceived sport competence (Physical Self-Perception Profile) and physical activity assessments (Adolescent Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire) as part of the Physical Activity and Skills Study. Using AMOS (Version 7.0), reciprocal relationships were examined between motor skill (object control and locomotor) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Both models were then run in different versions to understand the role of perceived sports competence as a potential mediator. Mean age was 16.4 yr (SD=0.6), 51.6% (111/215) were females. A reciprocal relationship between object control and MVPA and a one-way relationship from MVPA to locomotor skill was found. When perceived sports competence was examined as a mediator, the best-fitting model versions explained 16% (R=0.16) MVPA variation, and 30% object control (R=0.30), and 12% locomotor skill variation (R=0.12) (reverse relationship). Perceived sports competence partially mediates the relationship between object control proficiency and physical activity for both directions and fully mediates the relationship between physical activity and locomotor skill; but only when locomotor skill is the outcome. If the relationship between object control skill and physical activity is viewed as a "positive feedback loop," skill development and increasing physical activity should simultaneously be targeted in physical activity interventions. Increasing perceived sport competence should also be an intervention focus. © 2011 by the American College of Sports Medicine

Social-skills and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment for children with ADHD - the randomised SOSTRA trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Erik; Storebø, Ole Jakob; Gluud, Christian

2012-01-01

Objective To investigate the effects of social-skills training and parental training programme for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods We conducted a randomized two-armed, parallel group, assessor-blinded superiority trial consisting of social-skills training plus...... parental training and standard treatment versus standard treatment alone. A sample size calculation showed at least 52 children should be included for the trial with follow up three and six months after randomization. The primary outcome measure was ADHD symptoms and secondary outcomes were social skills...... and emotional competences. Results 56 children (39 boys, 17 girls, mean age 10.4 years, SD 1.31) with ADHD were randomized, 28 to the experimental group and 27 to the control group. Mixed-model analyses with repeated measures showed that the time course (y = a + bt + ct2) of ADHD symptoms (p = 0.40), social...

Wikis: Developing pre-service teachers’ leadership skills and knowledge of content standards

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Angelia Reid-Griffin

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this initial phase of our multi-year research study we set out to explore the development of leadership skills in our pre-service secondary teachers after using an online wiki, Wikispaces. This paper presents our methods for preparing a group of 13 mathematics and 3 science secondary pre-service teachers to demonstrate the essential knowledge, skills and dispositions of beginning teacher leaders. Our findings indicate the pre-service teachers' overall satisfaction with demonstrating leadership through collaborative practices. They were successful in these new roles as teacher/collaborator within the context of communication about content standards. Though the candidates participated in other collaborative tasks, this effort was noted for bringing together technology, content standards and leadership qualities that are critical for beginning teachers. Implications for addressing the preservice teachers' development of leadership skills, as they become professional teachers will be shared.

Potential predictability and forecast skill in ensemble climate forecast: a skill-persistence rule

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yishuai; Rong, Xinyao; Liu, Zhengyu

2017-12-01

This study investigates the factors relationship between the forecast skills for the real world (actual skill) and perfect model (perfect skill) in ensemble climate model forecast with a series of fully coupled general circulation model forecast experiments. It is found that the actual skill for sea surface temperature (SST) in seasonal forecast is substantially higher than the perfect skill on a large part of the tropical oceans, especially the tropical Indian Ocean and the central-eastern Pacific Ocean. The higher actual skill is found to be related to the higher observational SST persistence, suggesting a skill-persistence rule: a higher SST persistence in the real world than in the model could overwhelm the model bias to produce a higher forecast skill for the real world than for the perfect model. The relation between forecast skill and persistence is further proved using a first-order autoregressive model (AR1) analytically for theoretical solutions and numerically for analogue experiments. The AR1 model study shows that the skill-persistence rule is strictly valid in the case of infinite ensemble size, but could be distorted by sampling errors and non-AR1 processes. This study suggests that the so called "perfect skill" is model dependent and cannot serve as an accurate estimate of the true upper limit of real world prediction skill, unless the model can capture at least the persistence property of the observation.

Adaption and Standardization of the Test of Visual-Motor Skills Revised

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Mozhgan Farahbod

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: This research has been carried out with the aim of adaptation, standardization and finding the validity and reliability of Visual-Motor Skills-revised Test for children. Materials & Methods: A multi-stage sampling from the children of the city of Tehran resulted in a sample of 1281 subjects, ages 2,11 through 13,11.the test consisted of 23 geometric designs and each of the designs was assessed through a definite criteria and was scored as errors(weakness and accuracies(strength.For adaptation and standardization of this test, at first step the examiner`s manual and the test items were translated into Farsi. The final form of the test was obtained after performing the pre-tryout and tryout stages, and doing the data analysis by classic model of reliability. Internal consistency coefficients of the subtests were obtained by Cronbach`s Alpha time consistency of the subtests and compound scores were obtained by test-retest. Alpha coefficients for the compound scores were obtained by Guilford formula, which is designed for estimating the compound scores. To obtain the content validity, criterion-related validity and construct validity of the subtests and compound scores, appropriate methods were used. Results: The results obtained ensure the applicability of this test for the evaluation of visual-motor skills of children of Tehran. Conclusion: According to the findings, this test can be used for the disorders in eye-hand coordination, the identification of children with disorders in visual – motor skills. It can also be used for the documentation of the development of fine – motor skills specially in visual – motor skills in 3-14 years – old children.

Prepared for Practice? Interns’ Experiences of Undergraduate Clinical Skills Training in Ireland

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M. Morris

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background Many previous studies on internship have reported a lack of preparedness for the role. More recently in Ireland, medical schools have introduced formal clinical skills training programmes. This study sought to evaluate the impact, if any, of formal skills training in the medical training on intern's preparedness for practice. Methods The study utilized a survey approach followed by focus group discussions. The aim was to identify the skills that were taught and assessed in medical training and the skills that were actually required in their intern year. Results Most interns had received skills training in designated skills laboratories. No intern had received training in all skills advised in the European guidelines. Skills taught to all interns were intravenous cannulation, basic life support, and basic suture. Skills required from all interns were intravenous cannulation, phlebotomy, and arterial blood sampling. Removal of peripherally inserted central line (PICC lines, central lines, and chest drains were commonly requested but not taught. Senior staff underestimated skill abilities and expected failure. Conclusion These findings identify discordance between the skills taught and the skills required in the job. There is a need for standardization in the clinical skills training to ensure that all interns enter practice with equal competencies. Consideration should be given to experiential learning opportunities such as subintern programmes to consolidate learning and improve preparedness. Improvement in communications with senior clinicians is indicated to ensure that expectations are realistic and reflective of actual training.

Business Financial Occupations: Skill Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Vocational Technical Education Consortium of States, Decatur, GA.

This report organizes the information provided by 71 individuals in finance-related occupations in 11 states into skills inventories for persons in these jobs. The skills inventories contain the following sections: (1) occupation-specific knowledge (communication, mathematics, science); (2) workplace behaviors (work ethics, interpersonal…

Reading Speed as a Constraint of Accuracy of Self-Perception of Reading Skill

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Kwon, Heekyung; Linderholm, Tracy

2015-01-01

We hypothesised that college students take reading speed into consideration when evaluating their own reading skill, even if reading speed does not reliably predict actual reading skill. To test this hypothesis, we measured self-perception of reading skill, self-perception of reading speed, actual reading skill and actual reading speed to…

Pilot Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training Program for Psychiatry Residents Using Standardized Patient Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ditton-Phare, Philippa; Sandhu, Harsimrat; Kelly, Brian; Kissane, David; Loughland, Carmel

2016-10-01

Mental health clinicians can experience difficulties communicating diagnostic information to patients and their families/carers, especially about distressing psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. There is evidence for the effectiveness of communication skills training (CST) for improving diagnostic discussions, particularly in specialties such as oncology, but only limited evidence exists about CST for psychiatry. This study evaluated a CST program specifically developed for psychiatry residents called ComPsych that focuses on conveying diagnostic and prognostic information about schizophrenia. The ComPsych program consists of an introductory lecture, module booklets for trainees, and exemplary skills videos, followed by small group role-plays with simulated patients (SPs) led by a trained facilitator. A standardized patient assessment (SPA) was digitally recorded pre- and post-training with a SP using a standardized scenario in a time-limited (15 min) period. Recorded SPAs were independently rated using a validated coding system (ComSkil) to identify frequency of skills used in five skills categories (agenda setting, checking, questioning, information organization, and empathic communication). Thirty trainees (15 males and 15 females; median age = 32) undertaking their vocational specialty training in psychiatry participated in ComPsych training and pre- and post-ComPsych SPAs. Skills increased post-training for agenda setting (d = -0.82), while questioning skills (d = 0.56) decreased. There were no significant differences in any other skills grouping, although checking, information organization, and empathic communication skills tended to increase post-training. A dose effect was observed for agenda setting, with trainees who attended more CST sessions outperforming those attending fewer. Findings support the generalization and translation of ComPsych CST to psychiatry.

Selective automation and skill transfer in medical robotics: a demonstration on surgical knot-tying.

Science.gov (United States)

Knoll, Alois; Mayer, Hermann; Staub, Christoph; Bauernschmitt, Robert

2012-12-01

Transferring non-trivial human manipulation skills to robot systems is a challenging task. There have been a number of attempts to design research systems for skill transfer, but the level of the complexity of the actual skills transferable to the robot was rather limited, and delicate operations requiring a high dexterity and long action sequences with many sub-operations were impossible to transfer. A novel approach to human-machine skill transfer for multi-arm robot systems is presented. The methodology capitalizes on the metaphor of 'scaffolded learning', which has gained widespread acceptance in psychology. The main idea is to formalize the superior knowledge of a teacher in a certain way to generate support for a trainee. In our case, the scaffolding is constituted by abstract patterns, which facilitate the structuring and segmentation of information during 'learning by demonstration'. The actual skill generalization is then based on simulating fluid dynamics. The approach has been successfully evaluated in the medical domain for the delicate task of automated knot-tying for suturing with standard surgical instruments and a realistic minimally invasive robotic surgery system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Standardized Patients Provide a Reliable Assessment of Athletic Training Students' Clinical Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Kirk J.; Jarriel, Amanda J.

2016-01-01

Context: Providing students reliable objective feedback regarding their clinical performance is of great value for ongoing clinical skill assessment. Since a standardized patient (SP) is trained to consistently portray the case, students can be assessed and receive immediate feedback within the same clinical encounter; however, no research, to our…

Teamwork skills in actual, in situ, and in-center pediatric emergencies: performance levels across settings and perceptions of comparative educational impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Couto, Thomaz Bittencourt; Kerrey, Benjamin T; Taylor, Regina G; FitzGerald, Michael; Geis, Gary L

2015-04-01

Pediatric emergencies require effective teamwork. These skills are developed and demonstrated in actual emergencies and in simulated environments, including simulation centers (in center) and the real care environment (in situ). Our aims were to compare teamwork performance across these settings and to identify perceived educational strengths and weaknesses between simulated settings. We hypothesized that teamwork performance in actual emergencies and in situ simulations would be higher than for in-center simulations. A retrospective, video-based assessment of teamwork was performed in an academic, pediatric level 1 trauma center, using the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) tool (range, 0-44) among emergency department providers (physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, patient care assistants, and pharmacists). A survey-based, cross-sectional assessment was conducted to determine provider perceptions regarding simulation training. One hundred thirty-two videos, 44 from each setting, were reviewed. Mean total TEAM scores were similar and high in all settings (31.2 actual, 31.1 in situ, and 32.3 in-center, P = 0.39). Of 236 providers, 154 (65%) responded to the survey. For teamwork training, in situ simulation was considered more realistic (59% vs. 10%) and more effective (45% vs. 15%) than in-center simulation. In a video-based study in an academic pediatric institution, ratings of teamwork were relatively high among actual resuscitations and 2 simulation settings, substantiating the influence of simulation-based training on instilling a culture of communication and teamwork. On the basis of survey results, providers favored the in situ setting for teamwork training and suggested an expansion of our existing in situ program.

Concordance between Self and Standardized Patient Ratings of Medical Students' Communication Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Je, Min Ji; Lee, Su Hyun; Lee, Chang Hyung; Kim, Sung Soo

2013-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance between self and standardized patient (SP) ratings of medical students' communication skills. Forty-three students interviewed SPs. The students were asked to complete a communication skills questionnaire that comprised 2 measures (empathy and interpersonal communication) before the interview. After each student's interview with the SP, the latter completed the same questionnaire as the students. Based on Lin's concordance coefficient, there was strong disconcordance between students' self-ratings and the SPs' ratings. With regard to empathic communication, more than 50% of students who considered themselves higher than middle level were regarded by SP as low level. On interpersonal communication, 39% of students who assessed themselves as higher than middle level were scored low level by SPs. There was strong disconcordance between students' self-ratings and the SPs' ratings-students tended to overevaluate themselves regarding their communication skills. These differences might result in patient dissatisfaction and noncompliance. Further, it could become a serious hindrance to the development of a good doctor-patient relationship. Medical educators should make sincere efforts to reduce this gap by teaching medical students the importance of the patients' perception of his doctors' communication skills.

Gateway to the Future. Skill Standards for the Bioscience Industry for Technical Workers in Pharmaceutical Companies, Biotechnology Companies, and Clinical Laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Education Development Center, Inc., Newton, MA.

The Bioscience Industry Skills Standards Project (BISSP) is developing national, voluntary skill standards for technical jobs in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories in hospitals, universities, government, and independent settings. Research with employees and educators has pinpointed three issues underscoring the…

Teaching communication skills in clinical settings: comparing two applications of a comprehensive program with standardized and real patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Irene P; Pais, Vanessa G; Silva, Filipa R; Martins, Raquel; Figueiredo-Braga, Margarida; Pedrosa, Raquel; Almeida, Susana S; Correia, Luís; Ribeiro-Silva, Raquel; Castro-Vale, Ivone; Teles, Ana; Mota-Cardoso, Rui

2014-05-09

Communication is important for the quality of clinical practice, and programs have been implemented to improve healthcare providers' communication skills. However, the consistency of programs teaching communication skills has received little attention, and debate exists about the application of acquired skills to real patients. This study inspects whether (1) results from a communication program are replicated with different samples, and (2) results with standardized patients apply to interviews with real patients. A structured, nine-month communication program was applied in two consecutive years to two different samples of healthcare professionals (25 in the first year, 20 in the second year). Results were assessed at four different points in time, each year, regarding participants' confidence levels (self-rated), basic communication skills in interviews with standardized patients, and basic communication skills in interviews with real patients. Data were analyzed using GLM Repeated-Measures procedures. Improvements were statistically significant in both years in all measures except in simulated patients' assessment of the 2008 group. Differences between the two samples were non-significant. Differences between interviews with standardized and with real patients were also non-significant. The program's positive outcomes were replicated in different samples, and acquired skills were successfully applied to real-patient interviews. This reinforces this type of program structure as a valuable training tool, with results translating into real situations. It also adds to the reliability of the assessment instruments employed, though these may need adaptation in the case of real patients.

Randomised social-skills training and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - The SOSTRA trial protocol

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Thomsen Per

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD are hyperactive and impulsive, cannot maintain attention, and have difficulties with social interactions. Medical treatment may alleviate symptoms of ADHD, but seldom solves difficulties with social interactions. Social-skills training may benefit ADHD children in their social interactions. We want to examine the effects of social-skills training on difficulties related to the children's ADHD symptoms and social interactions. Methods/Design The design is randomised two-armed, parallel group, assessor-blinded trial. Children aged 8-12 years with a diagnosis of ADHD are randomised to social-skills training and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment alone. A sample size calculation estimated that at least 52 children must be included to show a 4-point difference in the primary outcome on the Conners 3rd Edition subscale for 'hyperactivity-impulsivity' between the intervention group and the control group. The outcomes will be assessed 3 and 6 months after randomisation. The primary outcome measure is ADHD symptoms. The secondary outcome is social skills. Tertiary outcomes include the relationship between social skills and symptoms of ADHD, the ability to form attachment, and parents' ADHD symptoms. Discussion We hope that the results from this trial will show that the social-skills training together with medication may have a greater general effect on ADHD symptoms and social and emotional competencies than medication alone. Trial registration ClinicalTrials (NCT: NCT00937469

Student Exposure to Actual Patients in the Classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Chisholm, Marie A.; McCall, Charles Y.; Francisco, George E., Jr.; Poirier, Sylvie

1997-01-01

Two clinical courses for first-year dental students were designed to develop students' interaction skills through actual patient case presentations and discussions and an interdisciplinary teaching approach. Results indicate students preferred the case presentations, with or without lecture, to the lecture-only approach and felt they learned more…

Evaluating the short-term effects of a communication skills program for preclinical medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young-Mee; Lee, Young Hee

2014-09-01

Regardless of the growing importance of communication skills as a core clinical competence, few studies have determined the effects of communication skills courses in undergraduate medical curricula in Asian medical schools. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a communication skills program for preclinical medical students. A communication skills course was provided to 111 second-year medical students in a medical college in Korea. Students' self-assessed competency of communication skills was evaluated by a questionnaire survey. To examine the improvement in observed communication skills, the students' encounters with standardized patients (SPs) were assessed at the first session and at the final course assessment. A structured checklist, consisting of 25 communication skills items, was used for the assessment. Students' self-assessed competency of communication skills increased significantly after completion of the course (pcommunication skills scores also improved significantly at the end of the course; the mean scores of the first SPs encounters was 49.6 (standard deviation [SD], 11.1), and those of cases A and B at the final assessment were 61.5 (SD, 8.4) and 69.6 (SD, 7.8), respectively (F61=269.54, pcommunication skills course was beneficial in developing and improving communication skills competency in preclinical medical students. Further studies should be followed to examine whether the acquisition of communication skills during preclinical studies can be sustained into clerkship and actual practice.

Teaching communication skills in clinical settings: comparing two applications of a comprehensive program with standardized and real patients

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Communication is important for the quality of clinical practice, and programs have been implemented to improve healthcare providers’ communication skills. However, the consistency of programs teaching communication skills has received little attention, and debate exists about the application of acquired skills to real patients. This study inspects whether (1) results from a communication program are replicated with different samples, and (2) results with standardized patients apply to interviews with real patients. Methods A structured, nine-month communication program was applied in two consecutive years to two different samples of healthcare professionals (25 in the first year, 20 in the second year). Results were assessed at four different points in time, each year, regarding participants’ confidence levels (self-rated), basic communication skills in interviews with standardized patients, and basic communication skills in interviews with real patients. Data were analyzed using GLM Repeated-Measures procedures. Results Improvements were statistically significant in both years in all measures except in simulated patients’ assessment of the 2008 group. Differences between the two samples were non-significant. Differences between interviews with standardized and with real patients were also non-significant. Conclusions The program’s positive outcomes were replicated in different samples, and acquired skills were successfully applied to real-patient interviews. This reinforces this type of program structure as a valuable training tool, with results translating into real situations. It also adds to the reliability of the assessment instruments employed, though these may need adaptation in the case of real patients. PMID:24886341

Assertiveness Training for Job-Seeking Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Patricia G.; McLoughlin, Mary Ellen

1977-01-01

Assertiveness Training for Job-Seeking Skills includes skill development in initiating the job search; arranging actual interviews; preparing a resume; articulating strengths, weaknesses, and career objectives; responding assertively in interviews; asking appropriate questions; accepting or rejecting job offers; confronting discrimination;…

State Skill Standards: Fashion, Textiles and Design

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Rene Crepaldi; Gaudy, Glenna; Green-Jobe, Victoria; Hatch, Susan; Moen, Julianne; Sheldon, Shannon; Smith, Loree; Chessell, Karen

2008-01-01

The mission of Fashion, Textiles and Design Education is to prepare students for family and community life and careers in the fashion industry by creating opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors needed to: (1) Examine skills needed to effectively manage clothing decisions; (2) Evaluate the use, care and production…

Automotive Technology Skill Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Tom; Asay, Don; Evans, Richard; Barbie, Bill; Herdener, John; Teague, Todd; Allen, Scott; Benshoof, James

2009-01-01

The standards in this document are for Automotive Technology programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school automotive program. Minimally, the student will complete a three-year program to achieve all standards. Although these exit-level standards are designed…

Standardized simulated palpation training--development of a palpation trainer and assessment of palpatory skills in experienced and inexperienced clinicians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Anders Holsgaard; Myburgh, Corrie; Hartvigsen, Jan

2010-01-01

Specific palpation skills are required to identify and treat myofascial pain. The aim of this study was to develop a device that reflects absolute pressure values during simulated palpation, and to test the hypothesis that training through standardized manual palpation results in improved skills...... palpation training, experienced examiners improved palpatory skills related to P(peak) and RPD (i.e. performed closer to predetermined guidelines and with reduced inter-examiner variation), while inexperienced examiners only improved RPD (p

Investigation of standard care versus sham Reiki placebo versus actual Reiki therapy to enhance comfort and well-being in a chemotherapy infusion center.

Science.gov (United States)

Catlin, Anita; Taylor-Ford, Rebecca L

2011-05-01

To determine whether provision of Reiki therapy during outpatient chemotherapy is associated with increased comfort and well-being. Double-blind, randomized clinical controlled trial. Outpatient chemotherapy center. 189 participants were randomized to actual Reiki, sham Reiki placebo, or standard care. Patients receiving chemotherapy were randomly placed into one of three groups. Patients received either standard care, a placebo, or an actual Reiki therapy treatment. A demographic tool and pre- and post-tests were given before and after chemotherapy infusion. Reiki therapy, sham Reiki placebo therapy, standard care, and self-reported levels of comfort and well-being pre- and postintervention. Although Reiki therapy was statistically significant in raising the comfort and well-being of patients post-therapy, the sham Reiki placebo also was statistically significant. Patients in the standard care group did not experience changes in comfort and well-being during their infusion session. The findings indicate that the presence of an RN providing one-on-one support during chemotherapy was influential in raising comfort and well-being levels, with or without an attempted healing energy field. An attempt by clinic nurses to provide more designated one-to-one presence and support for patients while receiving their chemotherapy infusions could increase patient comfort and well-being.

Impact of the site specialty of a continuity practice on students' clinical skills: performance with standardized patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeiffer, Carol A; Palley, Jane E; Harrington, Karen L

2010-07-01

The assessment of clinical competence and the impact of training in ambulatory settings are two issues of importance in the evaluation of medical student performance. This study compares the clinical skills performance of students placed in three types of community preceptors' offices (pediatrics, medicine, family medicine) on yearly clinical skills assessments with standardized patients. Our goal was to see if the site specialty impacted on clinical performance. The students in the study were completing a 3-year continuity preceptorship at a site representing one of the disciplines. Their performance on the four clinical skills assessments was compared. There was no significant difference in history taking, physical exam, communication, or clinical reasoning in any year (ANOVA p< or = .05) There was a small but significant difference in performance on a measure of interpersonal and interviewing skills during Years 1 and 2. The site specialty of an early clinical experience does not have a significant impact on performance of most of the skills measured by the assessments.

Battle of the bots: a comparison of the standard da Vinci and the da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulator in surgical skills acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kevin; Mosley, Natalie; Tierney, James

2017-06-01

Virtual reality simulators are increasingly used to gain robotic surgical skills. This study compared use of the da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulator (dVSSS) to the standard da Vinci (SdV) robot for skills acquisition in a prospective randomized study. Residents from urology, gynecology, and general surgery programs performed three virtual reality tasks (thread the ring, ring rail, and tubes) on the dvSSS. Participants were then randomized to one of the two study groups (dVSSS and SdV). Each participant then practiced on either the dVSSS or the SdV (depending on randomization) for 30 min per week over a 4-week time period. The dVSSS arm was not permitted to practice ring rail (due to no similar practice scenario available for the SdV group). Following 4 weeks of practice, participants performed the same three virtual reality tasks and the results were recorded and compared to baseline. Overall and percent improvement were recorded for all participants from pre-test to post-test. Two-way ANOVA analyses were used to compare the dVSSS and SdV groups and three tasks. Initially, 30 participants were identified and enrolled in the study. Randomization resulted in 15 participants in each arm. During the course of the study, four participants were unable to complete all tasks and practice sessions and were, therefore, excluded. This resulted in a total of 26 participants (15 in the dVSSS group and 11 in the SdV group) who completed the study. Overall total improvement score was found to be 23.23 and 23.48 for the SdV and dVSSS groups, respectively (p = 0.9245). The percent improvement was 60 and 47 % for the SdV and dVSSS groups respectively, which was a statistically significant difference between the two groups and three tasks. Practicing on the standard da Vinci is comparable to practicing on the da Vinci simulator for acquiring robotic surgical skills. In spite of several potential advantages, the dVSSS arm performed no better than the SdV arm in the final

The validity of parental reports on motor skills performance level in preschool children: a comparison with a standardized motor test.

Science.gov (United States)

Zysset, Annina E; Kakebeeke, Tanja H; Messerli-Bürgy, Nadine; Meyer, Andrea H; Stülb, Kerstin; Leeger-Aschmann, Claudia S; Schmutz, Einat A; Arhab, Amar; Ferrazzini, Valentina; Kriemler, Susi; Munsch, Simone; Puder, Jardena J; Jenni, Oskar G

2018-05-01

Motor skills are interrelated with essential domains of childhood such as cognitive and social development. Thus, the evaluation of motor skills and the identification of atypical or delayed motor development is crucial in pediatric practice (e.g., during well-child visits). Parental reports on motor skills may serve as possible indicators to decide whether further assessment of a child is necessary or not. We compared parental reports on fundamental motor skills performance level (e.g., hopping, throwing), based on questions frequently asked in pediatric practice, with a standardized motor test in 389 children (46.5% girls/53.5% boys, M age = 3.8 years, SD = 0.5, range 3.0-5.0 years) from the Swiss Preschoolers' Health Study (SPLASHY). Motor skills were examined using the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment 3-5 (ZNA3-5), and parents filled in an online questionnaire on fundamental motor skills performance level. The results showed that the answers from the parental report correlated only weakly with the objectively assessed motor skills (r = .225, p skills would be desirable, the parent's report used in this study was not a valid indicator for children's fundamental motor skills. Thus, we may recommend to objectively examine motor skills in clinical practice and not to exclusively rely on parental report. What is Known: • Early assessment of motor skills in preschool children is important because motor skills are essential for the engagement in social activities and the development of cognitive abilities. Atypical or delayed motor development can be an indicator for different developmental needs or disorders. • Pediatricians frequently ask parents about the motor competences of their child during well-child visits. What is New: • The parental report on fundamental motor skills performance level used in this study was not a reliable indicator for describing motor development in the preschool age. • Standardized examinations of motor skills are

Is the Einstein de Sitter model actually ruled out?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, A.

2003-01-01

The standard model for cosmology which is now strongly favored is a flat model, dominated by a vacuum density term. However, the actual direct evidences for such term are limited, essentially based on the supernova probe, i.e. based on a standard candle hypothesis. Here I would like to point out that contrary to the general belief there is room for an Einstein de Sitter universe. Actually several independent measurements, not based on stellar reference, pointed towards a high matter density Universe, weakening the need for a cosmological constant

Does playing a sports active video game improve young children's ball skill competence?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Tara M; Ridgers, Nicola D; Hulteen, Ryan M; Mellecker, Robin R; Barnett, Lisa M

2016-05-01

Actual and perceived object control (commonly ball) skill proficiency is associated with higher physical activity in children and adolescents. Active video games (AVGs) encourage whole body movement to control/play the electronic gaming system and therefore provide an opportunity for screen time to become more active. The purpose of this study was to determine whether playing sports AVGs has a positive influence on young children's actual and perceived object control skills. Two group pre/post experimental design study. Thirty-six children aged 6-10 years old from one school were randomly allocated to a control or intervention condition. The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 assessed object control skill. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence for Young Children assessed perceived object control skill. The intervention consisted of 6×50min lunchtime AVG sessions on the Xbox Kinect. Two to three sport games were chosen for participants to play each session. General linear models with either perceived object control or actual object control skill as the outcome variables were conducted. Each base model adjusted for intervention status and pre-score of the respective outcome variable. Additional models adjusted for potential confounding variables (sex of child and game at home). No significant differences between the control and intervention groups were observed for both outcomes. This study found that playing the Xbox Kinect does not significantly influence children's perceived or actual object control skills, suggesting that the utility of the Xbox Kinect for developing perceived and actual object control skill competence is questionable. Copyright © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of the workplace on learning physical examination skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duvivier, R.; Stalmeijer, R.; Dalen, J. Van; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der; Scherpbier, A.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hospital clerkships are considered crucial for acquiring competencies such as diagnostic reasoning and clinical skills. The actual learning process in the hospital remains poorly understood. This study investigates how students learn clinical skills in workplaces and factors affecting

Do Simulation-Based Skill Exercises and Post-Encounter Notes Add Additional Value to a Standardized Patient-Based Clinical Skills Examination?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D. Prislin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Standardized patient (SP clinical assessments have limited utility in assessing higher-level clinical competencies. This study explores the value of including simulation exercises and postencounter notes in an SP clinical skills examination. Methods. Two exercises involving cardiac auscultation and ophthalmic funduscopy simulations along with written post encounter notes were added to an SP-based performance examination. Descriptive analyses of students' performance and correlations with SP-based performance measures were obtained. Results. Students' abilities to detect abnormalities on physical exam were highly variable. There were no correlations between SP-based and simulation-derived measures of physical examination competency. Limited correlations were found between students' abilities to perform and document physical examinations and their formulation of appropriate differential diagnoses. Conclusions. Clinical simulation exercises add depth to SP-based assessments of performance. Evaluating the content of post encounter notes offers some insight into students' integrative abilities, and this appears to be improved by the addition of simulation-based post encounter skill exercises. However, further refinement of this methodology is needed.

Do laparoscopic skills transfer to robotic surgery?

Science.gov (United States)

Panait, Lucian; Shetty, Shohan; Shewokis, Patricia A; Sanchez, Juan A

2014-03-01

Identifying the set of skills that can transfer from laparoscopic to robotic surgery is an important consideration in designing optimal training curricula. We tested the degree to which laparoscopic skills transfer to a robotic platform. Fourteen medical students and 14 surgery residents with no previous robotic but varying degrees of laparoscopic experience were studied. Three fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery tasks were used on the laparoscopic box trainer and then the da Vinci robot: peg transfer (PT), circle cutting (CC), and intracorporeal suturing (IS). A questionnaire was administered for assessing subjects' comfort level with each task. Standard fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery scoring metric were used and higher scores indicate a superior performance. For the group, PT and CC scores were similar between robotic and laparoscopic modalities (90 versus 90 and 52 versus 47; P > 0.05). However, for the advanced IS task, robotic-IS scores were significantly higher than laparoscopic-IS (80 versus 53; P robotic-PT score when compared with laparoscopic-PT (92 versus 105; P  0.05). The robot was favored over laparoscopy for all drills (PT, 66.7%; CC, 88.9%; IS, 94.4%). For simple tasks, participants with preexisting skills perform worse with the robot. However, with increasing task difficulty, robotic performance is equal or better than laparoscopy. Laparoscopic skills appear to readily transfer to a robotic platform, and difficult tasks such as IS are actually enhanced, even in subjects naive to the technology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST). Common Ground: Toward a Standards-Based Training System for the U.S. Machine Tool and Metal Related Industries. Volume 11: Computer-Aided Manufacturing & Advanced CNC, of a 15-Volume Set of Skill Standards and Curriculum Training Materials for the Precision Manufacturing Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Texas State Technical Coll., Waco.

This document is intended to help education and training institutions deliver the Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology (MAST) curriculum to a variety of individuals and organizations. MAST consists of industry-specific skill standards and model curricula for 15 occupational specialty areas within the U.S. machine tool and metals-related…

Using standardized patients to assess communication skills in medical and nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, C Anthony; Walshe, Nuala; Gaffney, Robert; Shanks, Andrew; Burgoyne, Louise; Wiskin, Connie M

2010-03-17

A number of recent developments in medical and nursing education have highlighted the importance of communication and consultation skills (CCS). Although such skills are taught in all medical and nursing undergraduate curriculums, there is no comprehensive screening or assessment programme of CCS using professionally trained Standardized Patients Educators (SPE's) in Ireland. This study was designed to test the content, process and acceptability of a screening programme in CCS with Irish medical and nursing students using trained SPE's and a previously validated global rating scale for CCS. Eight tutors from the Schools of Nursing and Medicine at University College Cork were trained in the use of a validated communication skills and attitudes holistic assessment tool. A total of forty six medical students (Year 2 of 5) and sixty four nursing students (Year 2/3 of 4) were selected to under go individual CCS assessment by the tutors via an SPE led scenario. Immediate formative feedback was provided by the SPE's for the students. Students who did not pass the assessment were referred for remediation CCS learning. Almost three quarters of medical students (33/46; 72%) and 81% of nursing students (56/64) passed the CCS assessment in both communication and attitudes categories. All nursing students had English as their first language. Nine of thirteen medical students referred for enhanced learning in CCS did not have English as their first language. A significant proportion of both medical and nursing students required referral for enhanced training in CCS. Medical students requiring enhanced training were more likely not to have English as a first language.

Engineering design skills coverage in K-12 engineering program curriculum materials in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-11-01

The current K-12 Science Education framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed curriculum materials that are being used in K-12 settings. However, little is known about the nature and extent to which engineering design skills outlined in NGSS are addressed in these K-12 engineering education programme curriculum materials. We analysed nine K-12 engineering education programmes for the nature and extent of engineering design skills coverage. Results show that developing possible solutions and actual designing of prototypes were the highly covered engineering design skills; specification of clear goals, criteria, and constraints received medium coverage; defining and identifying an engineering problem; optimising the design solution; and demonstrating how a prototype works, and making iterations to improve designs were lowly covered. These trends were similar across grade levels and across discipline-specific curriculum materials. These results have implications on engineering design-integrated science teaching and learning in K-12 settings.

An Exploratory Analysis of American Indian Children's Cultural Engagement, Fluid Cognitive Skills, and Standardized Verbal IQ Scores

Science.gov (United States)

Tsethlikai, Monica

2011-01-01

This exploratory cross-sectional study examined fluid cognitive skills and standardized verbal IQ scores in relation to cultural engagement amongst Tohono O'odham children (N = 99; ages 7 to 12 years). Guardians with higher socioeconomic status engaged their children in more cultural activities, and participation in more cultural activities…

Training, executive, attention and motor skills (TEAMS) training versus standard treatment for preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vibholm, Helle Annette; Pedersen, Jesper; Faltinsen, Erlend

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the effectiveness of manualised training, executive, attention, and motor skills (TEAMS) training versus standard treatment in preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted a randomised parallel group, single...

A Novel Clinical-Simulated Suture Education for Basic Surgical Skill: Suture on the Biological Tissue Fixed on Standardized Patient Evaluated with Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) Tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Zhanlong; Yang, Fan; Gao, Pengji; Zeng, Li; Jiang, Guanchao; Wang, Shan; Ye, Yingjiang; Zhu, Fengxue

2017-06-21

Clinical-simulated training has shown benefit in the education of medical students. However, the role of clinical simulation for surgical basic skill training such as suturing techniques remains unclear. Forty-two medical students were asked to perform specific suturing tasks at three stations with the different settings within four minutes (Station 1: Synthetic suture pad fixed on the bench, Station 2: Synthetic suture pad fixed on the standardized patient, Station 3: Pig skin fixed on the standardized patient); the OSATS (Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill) tool was used to evaluate the performance of students. A questionnaire was distributed to the students following the examination. Mean performance score of Station 3 was significant lower than that of Station 1 and 2 in the general performance including tissue handling, time, and motion. The suturing techniques of students at Station 2 and 3 were not as accurate as that at Station 1. Inappropriate tension was applied to the knot at Station 2 compared with Station 1 and 3. On the questionnaire, 93% of students considered clinical-simulated training of basic surgical skills was necessary and may increase their confidence in future clinical work as surgeons; 98% of students thought the assessment was more objective when OSATS tool was used for evaluation. Clinical simulation examination assessed with OSATS might throw a novel light on the education of basic surgical skills and may be worthy of wider adoption in the surgical education of medical students.

Using standardized patients to assess communication skills in medical and nursing students

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ryan, C Anthony

2010-03-17

Abstract Background A number of recent developments in medical and nursing education have highlighted the importance of communication and consultation skills (CCS). Although such skills are taught in all medical and nursing undergraduate curriculums, there is no comprehensive screening or assessment programme of CCS using professionally trained Standardized Patients Educators (SPE\\'s) in Ireland. This study was designed to test the content, process and acceptability of a screening programme in CCS with Irish medical and nursing students using trained SPE\\'s and a previously validated global rating scale for CCS. Methods Eight tutors from the Schools of Nursing and Medicine at University College Cork were trained in the use of a validated communication skills and attitudes holistic assessment tool. A total of forty six medical students (Year 2 of 5) and sixty four nursing students (Year 2\\/3 of 4) were selected to under go individual CCS assessment by the tutors via an SPE led scenario. Immediate formative feedback was provided by the SPE\\'s for the students. Students who did not pass the assessment were referred for remediation CCS learning. Results Almost three quarters of medical students (33\\/46; 72%) and 81% of nursing students (56\\/64) passed the CCS assessment in both communication and attitudes categories. All nursing students had English as their first language. Nine of thirteen medical students referred for enhanced learning in CCS did not have English as their first language. Conclusions A significant proportion of both medical and nursing students required referral for enhanced training in CCS. Medical students requiring enhanced training were more likely not to have English as a first language.

Using standardized patients to assess communication skills in medical and nursing Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burgoyne Louise

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of recent developments in medical and nursing education have highlighted the importance of communication and consultation skills (CCS. Although such skills are taught in all medical and nursing undergraduate curriculums, there is no comprehensive screening or assessment programme of CCS using professionally trained Standardized Patients Educators (SPE's in Ireland. This study was designed to test the content, process and acceptability of a screening programme in CCS with Irish medical and nursing students using trained SPE's and a previously validated global rating scale for CCS. Methods Eight tutors from the Schools of Nursing and Medicine at University College Cork were trained in the use of a validated communication skills and attitudes holistic assessment tool. A total of forty six medical students (Year 2 of 5 and sixty four nursing students (Year 2/3 of 4 were selected to under go individual CCS assessment by the tutors via an SPE led scenario. Immediate formative feedback was provided by the SPE's for the students. Students who did not pass the assessment were referred for remediation CCS learning. Results Almost three quarters of medical students (33/46; 72% and 81% of nursing students (56/64 passed the CCS assessment in both communication and attitudes categories. All nursing students had English as their first language. Nine of thirteen medical students referred for enhanced learning in CCS did not have English as their first language. Conclusions A significant proportion of both medical and nursing students required referral for enhanced training in CCS. Medical students requiring enhanced training were more likely not to have English as a first language.

Improved staff procedure skills lead to improved managment skills: an observational study in an educational setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rüter, Anders; Vikstrom, Tore

2009-01-01

Good staff procedure skills in a management group during incidents and disasters are believed to be a prerequisite for good management of the situation. However, this has not been demonstrated scientifically. Templates for evaluation results from performance indicators during simulation exercises have previously been tested. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the possibility that these indicators can be used as a tool for studying the relationship between good management skills and good staff procedure skills. Good and structured work (staff procedure skills) in a hospital management group during simulation exercises in disaster medicine is related to good and timely decisions (good management skills). Results from 29 consecutive simulation exercises in which staff procedure skills and management skills were evaluated using quantitative measurements were included. The statistical analysis method used was simple linear regression with staff procedure skills as the response variable and management skills as the predictor variable. An overall significant relationship was identified between staff procedure skills and management skills (p(2)0.05). This study suggests that there is a relationship between staff procedure skills and management skills in the educational setting used. Future studies are needed to demonstrate if this also can be observed during actual incidents.

Evaluation of medical record quality and communication skills among pediatric interns after standardized parent training history-taking in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Mu Xue; Jiang, Xiao Yun; Li, Yi Juan; Shen, Zhen Yu; Zhuang, Si Qi; Gu, Yu Fen

2018-02-01

The effect of using standardized parent training history-taking on the quality of medical records and communication skills among pediatric interns was determined. Fifth-year interns who were undertaking a pediatric clinical practice rotation were randomized to intervention and control groups. All of the pediatric interns received history-taking training by lecture and bedside teaching. The pediatric interns in the intervention group also received standardized parent history-taking training. The following two outcome measures were used: the scores of medical records, which were written by the pediatric interns after history-taking from real parents of pediatric patients; and the communication assessment tool (CAT) assessed by real parents. The general information, history of present illness (HPI), past medical history, personal history, family history, diagnosis, diagnostic analysis, and differential diagnosis scores in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group (p history-taking is effective in improving the quality of medical records by pediatric interns. Standardized parent training history-taking is a superior teaching tool for clinical reasoning ability, as well as communication skills in clinical pediatric practice.

Estimations of actual availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molan, M.; Molan, G.

2001-01-01

Adaptation of working environment (social, organizational, physical and physical) should assure higher level of workers' availability and consequently higher level of workers' performance. A special theoretical model for description of connections between environmental factors, human availability and performance was developed and validated. The central part of the model is evaluations of human actual availability in the real working situation or fitness for duties self-estimation. The model was tested in different working environments. On the numerous (2000) workers, standardized values and critical limits for an availability questionnaire were defined. Standardized method was used in identification of the most important impact of environmental factors. Identified problems were eliminated by investments in the organization in modification of selection and training procedures in humanization of working .environment. For workers with behavioural and health problems individual consultancy was offered. The described method is a tool for identification of impacts. In combination with behavioural analyses and mathematical analyses of connections, it offers possibilities to keep adequate level of human availability and fitness for duty in each real working situation. The model should be a tool for achieving adequate level of nuclear safety by keeping the adequate level of workers' availability and fitness for duty. For each individual worker possibility for estimation of level of actual fitness for duty is possible. Effects of prolonged work and additional tasks should be evaluated. Evaluations of health status effects and ageing are possible on the individual level. (author)

Ostomy Home Skills Program

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... login or create account first) Skills Kits Broadcast Rights for Hospitals Ostomy Home Skills Hospital Quality Improvement Package The standardized interactive program has been developed by the ...

Development of a patient-doctor communication skills model for medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young Hee; Lee, Young-Mee

2010-09-01

Communication is a core clinical skill that can be taught and learned. The authors intended to develop a patient-doctor communication model for teaching and assessing undergraduate medical students in Korea. To develop a model, literature reviews and an iterative process of discussion between faculty members of a communication skills course for second year medical students were conducted. The authors extracted common communication skill competencies by comparing the Kalamazoo Consensus Statement, SEGUE framework communication skills, the Calgary Cambridge Observation Guides, and previous communication skills lists that have been used by the authors. The content validity, with regard to clinical importance and feasibility, was surveyed by both faculty physicians and students. The first version of the model consisted of 36 items under 7 categories: initiating the session (8 items), building a relationship (6), gathering information (8), understanding a patient's perspectives (4), sharing information (4), reaching an agreement (3), and closing the session (3). It was used as a guide for both students and teachers in an actual communication skills course. At the end of the course, student performance was assessed using two 7-minute standardized patient interviews with a 34-item checklist. This assessment tool was modified from the first version of the model to reflect the case specificity of the scenarios. A patient-doctor communication model, which can be taught to those with limited patient care experience, was finally developed. We recommended a patient-doctor communication skills model that can be used for teaching and evaluating preclinical and clinical students. Further studies are needed to verify its validity and reliability.

Effects of robotically modulating kinematic variability on motor skill learning and motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Jaime E; Reinkensmeyer, David J

2015-04-01

It is unclear how the variability of kinematic errors experienced during motor training affects skill retention and motivation. We used force fields produced by a haptic robot to modulate the kinematic errors of 30 healthy adults during a period of practice in a virtual simulation of golf putting. On day 1, participants became relatively skilled at putting to a near and far target by first practicing without force fields. On day 2, they warmed up at the task without force fields, then practiced with force fields that either reduced or augmented their kinematic errors and were finally assessed without the force fields active. On day 3, they returned for a long-term assessment, again without force fields. A control group practiced without force fields. We quantified motor skill as the variability in impact velocity at which participants putted the ball. We quantified motivation using a self-reported, standardized scale. Only individuals who were initially less skilled benefited from training; for these people, practicing with reduced kinematic variability improved skill more than practicing in the control condition. This reduced kinematic variability also improved self-reports of competence and satisfaction. Practice with increased kinematic variability worsened these self-reports as well as enjoyment. These negative motivational effects persisted on day 3 in a way that was uncorrelated with actual skill. In summary, robotically reducing kinematic errors in a golf putting training session improved putting skill more for less skilled putters. Robotically increasing kinematic errors had no performance effect, but decreased motivation in a persistent way. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Social skills programmes for schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Almerie, Muhammad Qutayba; Okba Al Marhi, Muhammad; Jawoosh, Muhammad; Alsabbagh, Mohamad; Matar, Hosam E; Maayan, Nicola; Bergman, Hanna

2015-06-09

Social skills programmes (SSP) are treatment strategies aimed at enhancing the social performance and reducing the distress and difficulty experienced by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and can be incorporated as part of the rehabilitation package for people with schizophrenia. The primary objective is to investigate the effects of social skills training programmes, compared to standard care, for people with schizophrenia. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Trials Register (November 2006 and December 2011) which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, BIOSIS, AMED, EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and registries of clinical trials. We inspected references of all identified studies for further trials.A further search for studies has been conducted by the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group in 2015, 37 citations have been found and are currently being assessed by review authors. We included all relevant randomised controlled trials for social skills programmes versus standard care involving people with serious mental illnesses. We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated risk ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD) and 95% CIs. We included 13 randomised trials (975 participants). These evaluated social skills programmes versus standard care, or discussion group. We found evidence in favour of social skills programmes compared to standard care on all measures of social functioning. We also found that rates of relapse and rehospitalisation were lower for social skills compared to standard care (relapse: 2 RCTs, n = 263, RR 0.52 CI 0.34 to 0.79, very low quality evidence), (rehospitalisation: 1 RCT, n = 143, RR 0.53 CI 0.30 to 0.93, very low quality evidence) and participants' mental state results (1 RCT, n = 91, MD -4.01 CI -7.52 to -0.50, very low quality evidence) were better in the group receiving social skill programmes

Actual survey of dose evaluation method for standardization of radiation therapy techniques. With special reference to display method of radiation doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumagai, Kozo; Yoshiura, Takao; Izumi, Takashi; Araki, Fujio; Takada, Takuo; Jingu, Kenichi.

1994-01-01

This report presents the results of questionnaire survey for actual conditions of radiation therapy, which was conducted with the aim of establishing the standardization of radiation therapy techniques. Questionnaires were sent to 100 facilities in Japan, and 86 of these answered, consisting of 62 university hospitals, 2 national hospitals, 14 cancer centers, 4 prefectural or municipal hospitals, and 4 other hospitals. In addition to electron beam therapy, the following typical diseases for radiation therapy were selected as standard irradiation models: cancers of the larynx, esophagus, breast, and uterine cervix, and malignant lymphomas. According to these models, questionnaire results are analyzed in terms of the following four items: (1) irradiation procedures, (2) energy used for radiotherapy, (3) the depth for calculating target absorption doses, and (4) points for displaying target absorption doses. (N.K.)

Assessing Interpersonal and Communication Skills in Radiation Oncology Residents: A Pilot Standardized Patient Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, Melody; Berman, Abigail T.; Hwang, Wei-Ting; LaMarra, Denise; Baffic, Cordelia; Suneja, Gita; Vapiwala, Neha

2014-01-01

Purpose: There is a lack of data for the structured development and evaluation of communication skills in radiation oncology residency training programs. Effective communication skills are increasingly emphasized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and are critical for a successful clinical practice. We present the design of a novel, pilot standardized patient (SP) program and the evaluation of communication skills among radiation oncology residents. Methods and Materials: Two case scenarios were developed to challenge residents in the delivery of “bad news” to patients: one scenario regarding treatment failure and the other regarding change in treatment plan. Eleven radiation oncology residents paired with 6 faculty participated in this pilot program. Each encounter was scored by the SPs, observing faculty, and residents themselves based on the Kalamazoo guidelines. Results: Overall resident performance ratings were “good” to “excellent,” with faculty assigning statistically significant higher scores and residents assigning lower scores. We found inconsistent inter rater agreement among faculty, residents, and SPs. SP feedback was also valuable in identifying areas of improvement, including more collaborative decision making and less use of medical jargon. Conclusions: The program was well received by residents and faculty and regarded as a valuable educational experience that could be used as an annual feedback tool. Poor inter rater agreement suggests a need for residents and faculty physicians to better calibrate their evaluations to true patient perceptions. High scores from faculty members substantiate the concern that resident evaluations are generally positive and nondiscriminating. Faculty should be encouraged to provide honest and critical feedback to hone residents' interpersonal skills

Using standardized patients to assess the communication skills of graduating physicians for the comprehensive osteopathic medical licensing examination (COMLEX) level 2-performance evaluation (level 2-PE).

Science.gov (United States)

Weidner, Angela C; Gimpel, John R; Boulet, John R; Solomon, Mia

2010-01-01

Standardized patients can be trained to assess the communication and interpersonal skills of medical students and graduates. The purpose of this study is to present data to support the psychometric adequacy of the communication ratings provided by standardized patients. Using the data from testing of 3, 450 examinees over a 1-year period, a number of psychometric analyses were undertaken. These included a variance component analysis, the calculation of various validity coefficients, the comparison of communication ratings for select examinee cohorts and case characteristics, and the investigation of some potential sources of score invalidity. Communication skills scores are moderately correlated to other competencies (knowledge, skills) and may be influenced by candidate characteristics such as gender and English language proficiency. They are not dependant on the age of the examinees, the clinical case content, or the gender of the standardized patients. For a multistation assessment, a reasonably precise and valid estimate of a candidate's communication ability can be obtained from trained standardized patients.

National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12. A Special Publication of the Journal of School Health. Special Report

Science.gov (United States)

American School Health Association (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

The goal of this paper, "National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12," is to provide clear, consistent and straightforward guidance on the "essential minimum, core content" for sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades K-12. The development of these standards is a result of an…

Developing Human Resources through Actualizing Human Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Clarken, Rodney H.

2012-01-01

The key to human resource development is in actualizing individual and collective thinking, feeling and choosing potentials related to our minds, hearts and wills respectively. These capacities and faculties must be balanced and regulated according to the standards of truth, love and justice for individual, community and institutional development,…

Evaluating a nursing communication skills training course: The relationships between self-rated ability, satisfaction, and actual performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullan, Barbara A; Kothe, Emily J

2010-11-01

Effective communication is a vital component of nursing care, however, nurses often lack the skills to communicate with patients, carers and other health care professionals. Communication skills training programs are frequently used to develop these skills. However, there is a paucity of data on how best to evaluate such courses. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between student self rating of their own ability and their satisfaction with a nurse training course as compared with an objective measure of communication skills. 209 first year nursing students completed a communication skills program. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and associations between measures were investigated. Paired samples t-tests showed significant improvement in self-rated ability over the course of the program. Students generally were very satisfied with the course which was reflected in both qualitative and quantitative measures. However, neither self-rated ability nor satisfaction was significantly correlated with the objective measure of performance, but self-rated ability and satisfaction were highly correlated with one another. The importance of these findings is discussed and implications for nurse education are proposed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting failing performance on a standardized patient clinical performance examination: the importance of communication and professionalism skills deficits.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Anna; Boscardin, Christy; Chou, Calvin L; Loeser, Helen; Hauer, Karen E

2009-10-01

The purpose is to determine which assessment measures identify medical students at risk of failing a clinical performance examination (CPX). Retrospective case-control, multiyear design, contingency table analysis, n = 149. We identified two predictors of CPX failure in patient-physician interaction skills: low clerkship ratings (odds ratio 1.79, P = .008) and student progress review for communication or professionalism concerns (odds ratio 2.64, P = .002). No assessments predicted CPX failure in clinical skills. Performance concerns in communication and professionalism identify students at risk of failing the patient-physician interaction portion of a CPX. This correlation suggests that both faculty and standardized patients can detect noncognitive traits predictive of failing performance. Early identification of these students may allow for development of a structured supplemental curriculum with increased opportunities for practice and feedback. The lack of predictors in the clinical skills portion suggests limited faculty observation or feedback.

Are soil pollution risks established by governments the same as actual risks?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reijnders, L.

2009-01-01

Though soil pollution policies in North America and the European Union increasingly use risk-based standards, the construction and application of such standards are often deficient in taking account of actual risks. Standards refer to total concentrations of substances and not to the biologically

Actual imaging time in fetal MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugger, Peter C.; Prayer, Daniela

2012-01-01

Objective: Safety issues in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important, especially in fetal MRI. However, since basic data with respect of the effective exposure time in fetal MRI are not available, this study aimed to determine the actual imaging time during a fetal MRI study. Methods: 100 fetal MRI studies of singleton pregnancies performed on a 1.5 T system were analysed with respect to study duration (from starting the survey scan until the end of study), the number of sequences acquired, and the actual imaging time, which was calculated by adding up scan time of each sequence. Furthermore, each sequence type was analysed regarding the number of acquisitions, specific absorption rates (SAR), and duration. Results: Mean study duration was 34.6 min (range: 14–58 min; standard deviation (SD): 9.7 min), the average number of sequences acquired was 26.6 (range: 11–44, SD: 6.6). Actual scan time averaged 11.4 min (range: 4–19 min, SD: 4.0 min). Ultrafast T2-weighted and steady-state free-precession sequences accounted for 62.3% of actual scan time, and were distributed over the whole duration of the study. Conclusion: Actual imaging time only accounts for 33% of total study time and is not continuous. The remaining time is consumed by the preparation phases of the scanner, and is spent with planning sequences and the eventual repositioning of the coil and/or pregnant woman. These data may help to more accurately estimate the exposure to radiofrequency deposition and noise during fetal MRI studies.

Adolescent Loneliness and Social Skills : Agreement and Discrepancies Between Self-, Meta-, and Peer-Evaluations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lodder, G. M. A.; Goossens, L.; Scholte, R. H. J.; Engels, R. C. M. E.; Verhagen, M.

2016-01-01

Lonely adolescents report that they have poor social skills, but it is unknown whether this is due to an accurate perception of a social skills deficit, or a biased negative perception. This is an important distinction, as actual social skills deficits require different treatments than biased

Adolescent loneliness and social skills: Agreement and discrepancies between self-, meta-, and peer-evaluations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lodder, G.M.A.; Goossens, L.; Scholte, R.H.J.; Engels, R.C.M.E.; Verhagen, M.

2016-01-01

Lonely adolescents report that they have poor social skills, but it is unknown whether this is due to an accurate perception of a social skills deficit, or a biased negative perception. This is an important distinction, as actual social skills deficits require different treatments than biased

Standardized Patient Training Programs: an Efficient Solution to the Call for Quality Improvement in Oncologist Communication Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Melody; Berman, Abigail T; Vapiwala, Neha

2015-09-01

Several key medical and oncologic professional societies have endorsed the importance of physician communication as a quality improvement metric. Despite this clear message, there remain substantial barriers to communication skills training (CST) in oncologic specialties. Herein, we describe the major barriers to communications training and propose standardized patient (SP) programs as efficient and strategic starting points and as expansion opportunities for new and existing CSTs.

Standardization of the Self Control and Self-Management Skills Scale (SCMS) on the Student of University of Najran

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Al-Smadi, Marwan Saleh; Bani-Abduh, Yahya Mohammed

2017-01-01

This study aimed to standardize self-control and self-management skills (SCMS), Mezo 2009 , on students in the university of Najran And to identify the psychometric properties of the scale in the Arab Environment the society of Najran University student by taking a number of Procedures (Validity and reliability of the Scale ) and to get the Arabic…

Investigating the Perception of Stakeholders on Soft Skills Development of Students: Evidence from South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Estelle

2016-01-01

Soft skills are becoming increasingly important and will be critical for success in the Information Systems profession. Employers complain about a lack in soft skills among graduates from tertiary education institutions. No agreement exists about what these skills actually are, which are of importance, and how acquiring these soft skills should be…

Organisational skills and tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Wicker, Paul

2009-04-01

While this article mainly applies to practitioners who have responsibilities for leading teams or supervising practitioners, many of the skills and tools described here may also apply to students or junior practitioners. The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the main points about organisation, some of the organisational skills and tools that are available, and some examples of how these skills and tools can be used to make practitioners more effective at organising their workload. It is important to realise that organising work and doing work are two completely different things and shouldn't be mixed up. For example, it would be very difficult to start organising work in the middle of a busy operating list: the organisation of the work must come before the work starts and therefore preparation is often an important first step in organising work. As such, some of the tools and skills described in this article may need to be used hours or even days prior to the actual work taking place.

Ostomy Home Skills Program

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... The Ostomy Home Skills Kit supports patients with educational and simulation materials to learn and practice the skills needed for optimal postoperative recovery. The kit supports the entire surgical team with quality, comprehensive education. The standardized interactive program has been ...

Efficacy of short-term training for acquisition of basic laparoscopic skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Takeda

2016-08-01

Conclusion: Use of the virtual reality laparoscopic surgery simulator allowed us to objectively assess residents' acquisition of basic laparoscopic skills. We found that residents more readily acquired dominant-hand skills during their 2-month training. We conclude that our training system serves as an effective initial step towards the acquisition of the necessary laparoscopic surgery skills, even though residents do not actually perform surgeries during the training period.

Life skills programmes for chronic mental illnesses

Science.gov (United States)

Tungpunkom, Patraporn; Maayan, Nicola; Soares-Weiser, Karla

2014-01-01

Background Most people with schizophrenia have a cyclical pattern of illness characterised by remission and relapses. The illness can reduce the ability of self-care and functioning and can lead to the illness becoming disabling. Life skills programmes, emphasising the needs associated with independent functioning, are often a part of the rehabilitation process. These programmes have been developed to enhance independent living and quality of life for people with schizophrenia. Objectives To review the effects of life skills programmes compared with standard care or other comparable therapies for people with chronic mental health problems. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (June 2010). We supplemented this process with handsearching and scrutiny of references. We inspected references of all included studies for further trials. Selection criteria We included all relevant randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials for life skills programmes versus other comparable therapies or standard care involving people with serious mental illnesses. Data collection and analysis We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis, based on a random-effects model. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD), again based on a random-effects model. Main results We included seven randomised controlled trials with a total of 483 participants. These evaluated life skills programmes versus standard care, or support group. We found no significant difference in life skills performance between people given life skills training and standard care (1 RCT, n = 32, MD −1.10; 95% CI −7.82 to 5.62). Life skills training did not improve or worsen study retention (5 RCTs, n = 345, RR 1.16; 95% CI 0.40 to 3.36). We found no significant difference in PANSS positive, negative or total scores between life skills intervention and

Playing Active Video Games may not develop movement skills: An intervention trial

OpenAIRE

Barnett, Lisa M.; Ridgers, Nicola D.; Reynolds, John; Hanna, Lisa; Salmon, Jo

2015-01-01

Background: To investigate the impact of playing sports Active Video Games on children's actual and perceived object control skills. Methods: Intervention children played Active Video Games for 6 weeks (1 h/week) in 2012. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 assessed object control skill. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence assessed perceived object control skill. Repeated measurements of object control and perceived object control were analysed for the whole sample, u...

Psychomotor skills in medical ultrasound imaging: an analysis of the core skill set.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Delwyn; Sweet, Linda; Hyett, Jon

2014-08-01

Sonographers use psychomotor skills to perform medical ultrasound examinations. Psychomotor skills describe voluntary movements of the limb, joints, and muscles in response to sensory stimuli and are regulated by the motor neural cortex in the brain. We define a psychomotor skill in relation to medical ultrasound imaging as "the unique mental and motor activities required to execute a manual task safely and efficiently for each clinical situation." Skills in clinical ultrasound practice may be open or closed; most skills used in medical ultrasound imaging are open. Open skills are both complex and multidimensional. Visuomotor and visuospatial psychomotor skills are central components of medical ultrasound imaging. Both types of skills rely on learners having a visual exemplar or standard of performance with which to reference their skill performance and evaluate anatomic structures. These are imperative instructional design principles when teaching psychomotor skills. © 2014 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

45 CFR 73.735-904 - Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of interest.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of... ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS OF CONDUCT Reporting Financial Interests § 73.735-904 Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of interest. (a) Disqualification from participating in a particular matter or category of matters...

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare e-Feedback Versus "Standard" Face-to-Face Verbal Feedback to Improve the Acquisition of Procedural Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Jundi, Wissam; Elsharif, Mohamed; Anderson, Melanie; Chan, Phillip; Beard, Jonathan; Nawaz, Shah

Constructive feedback plays an important role in learning during surgical training. Standard feedback is usually given verbally following direct observation of the procedure by a trained assessor. However, such feedback requires the physical presence of expert faculty members who are usually busy and time-constrained by clinical commitments. We aim to evaluate electronic feedback (e-feedback) after video observation of surgical suturing in comparison with standard face-to-face verbal feedback. A prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing e-feedback with standard verbal feedback was carried out in February 2015 using a validated pro formas for assessment. The study participants were 38 undergraduate medical students from the University of Sheffield, UK. They were recorded on video performing the procedural skill, completed a self-evaluation form, and received e-feedback on the same day (group 1); observed directly by an assessor, invited to provide verbal self-reflection, and then received standard verbal feedback (group 2). In both groups, the feedback was provided after performing the procedure. The participants returned 2 days later and performed the same skill again. Poststudy questionnaire was used to assess the acceptability of each feedback among the participants. Overall, 19 students in group 1 and 18 students in group 2 completed the study. Although there was a significant improvement in the overall mean score on the second performance of the task for all participants (first performance mean 11.59, second performance mean 15.95; p ≤ 0.0001), there was no difference in the overall mean improvement score between group 1 and group 2 (4.74 and 3.94, respectively; p = 0.49). The mean overall scores for the e-feedback group at baseline recorded by 2 independent investigators showed good agreement (mean overall scores of 12.84 and 11.89; Cronbach α = 0.86). Poststudy questionnaire demonstrated that both e-feedback and standard verbal feedback

Technical Skills Training for Veterinary Students: A Comparison of Simulators and Video for Teaching Standardized Cardiac Dissection.

Science.gov (United States)

Allavena, Rachel E; Schaffer-White, Andrea B; Long, Hanna; Alawneh, John I

The goal of the study was to evaluate alternative student-centered approaches that could replace autopsy sessions and live demonstration and to explore refinements in assessment procedures for standardized cardiac dissection. Simulators and videos were identified as feasible, economical, student-centered teaching methods for technical skills training in medical contexts, and a direct comparison was undertaken. A low-fidelity anatomically correct simulator approximately the size of a horse's heart with embedded dissection pathways was constructed and used with a series of laminated photographs of standardized cardiac dissection. A video of a standardized cardiac dissection of a normal horse's heart was recorded and presented with audio commentary. Students were allowed to nominate a preference for learning method, and students who indicated no preference were randomly allocated to keep group numbers even. Objective performance data from an objective structure assessment criterion and student perception data on confidence and competency from surveys showed both innovations were similarly effective. Evaluator reflections as well as usage logs to track patterns of student use were both recorded. A strong selection preference was identified for kinesthetic learners choosing the simulator and visual learners choosing the video. Students in the video cohort were better at articulating the reasons for dissection procedures and sequence due to the audio commentary, and student satisfaction was higher with the video. The major conclusion of this study was that both methods are effective tools for technical skills training, but consideration should be given to the preferred learning style of adult learners to maximize educational outcomes.

[Standardizing the manipulation procedure of acupuncture-moxibustion, reinforcing the training of' clinical skill: learning experience of Acupuncture-moxibustion Clinical Skills Training: Chapter of Commonly Used Needling and Moxibustion Techniques].

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Hongfang; Yang, Chao; Tang, Jie; Qin, Qiuguo; Zhao, Mingwen; Zhao, Jiping

2015-07-01

The book Acupuncture-moxibustion Clinical Skills Training is one of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" in novative teaching materials, which is published by People's Medical Publishing House. Through learning the first half of the book commonly used needling and moxibustion techniques, it is realized that the selection of book content is reasonable and much attention is paid to needling and moxibustion techniques; the chapter arrangement is well-organized, and the form is novel, which is concise and intuitive; for every technique, great attention is paid to standardize the manipulation procedure and clarify the technique key, simultaneously the safety of acupuncture and moxibustion is also emphasized. The characteristics of the book, including innovativeness, practicability, are highlighted, and it greatly helps to improve students' clinical skills and examination ability.

The Need for Standardization in SMEs Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivana Mijatovic

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Many SMEs networking initiatives failed because of the absence of trust among companies and between companies and government, leadership and management approaches as well as absence of entrepreneurial skills in managing business networks. Even though local governments or regional agencies have a capacity to mobilize actors from the public and private sectors, generic public initiatives are proved not to be enough. The private sector should also be supported in gathering around joint interests and solving their mutual problems, thus improving business and competitiveness. Research, management and policy instruments to support SMEs will need to have some other directions. Can standardization be one of the directions? The main objective of this paper is to present some aspects of need for standardization in SMEs networking initiatives. The solution to actual or potential matching problems (intended and expected to be used repeatedly or continuously, during a certain period, by a substantial number of parties for whom they are meant can be formalized as standard. The standard development process can serve as basis for building connections and trust among cluster members. Even though some researche emphasizes the role of ad hoc de facto standards as well as standardization in the contexts of achievement of the optimum degree of order in SMEs networks, specific experience is evident in all cases, but experience in design of ad hoc de facto standards and standardization management are still missing.

Objectivation of actualization of humanistic component in the syllabus of agricultural universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myshak Olena Oleksiyivna

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article reviews the problem of combining the humanitarian training and the professional skills of future specialists. The author carries out the content analysis of educational programs of the disciplines of the humanitarian and professional cycles of agro-industrial specialists’ training. Humanistic component in the content of students’ training in the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine has been analysed and the need for its actualization has been argued.

Study of maintenance skill-work based on PSFs and error category

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Manabu; Yukimachi, Takeo; Hasegawa, Toshio

2001-01-01

In this investigation, the skill-types of skill-work are clarified according to the human error data on the maintenance works at nuclear power plants. At first, the causal PSFs of the errors are extracted from the data and some of the skill-types are characterized as results from factor analysis. Moreover, the skill-work model is reexamined on the basis of the contents of the human error data and the error category corresponding to the data. Furthermore, integrating the tendency of the causal PSFs and the actual error category concerning each skill-type, an extended skill-work model was developed with a flow-chart representation as a tentative stage of the investigation. (author)

Interventions to Promote Fundamental Movement Skills in Childcare and Kindergarten: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wick, Kristin; Leeger-Aschmann, Claudia S; Monn, Nico D; Radtke, Thomas; Ott, Laura V; Rebholz, Cornelia E; Cruz, Sergio; Gerber, Natalie; Schmutz, Einat A; Puder, Jardena J; Munsch, Simone; Kakebeeke, Tanja H; Jenni, Oskar G; Granacher, Urs; Kriemler, Susi

2017-10-01

Proficiency in fundamental movement skills (FMS) lays the foundation for being physically active and developing more complex motor skills. Improving these motor skills may provide enhanced opportunities for the development of a variety of perceptual, social, and cognitive skills. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effects of FMS interventions on actual FMS, targeting typically developing young children. Searches in seven databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) up to August 2015 were completed. Trials with children (aged 2-6 years) in childcare or kindergarten settings that applied FMS-enhancing intervention programs of at least 4 weeks and meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Standardized data extraction forms were used. Risk of bias was assessed using a standard scoring scheme (Effective Public Health Practice Project-Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies [EPHPP]). We calculated effects on overall FMS, object control and locomotor subscales (OCS and LMS) by weighted standardized mean differences (SMD between ) using random-effects models. Certainty in training effects was evaluated using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation System). Thirty trials (15 randomized controlled trials and 15 controlled trials) involving 6126 preschoolers (aged 3.3-5.5 years) revealed significant differences among groups in favor of the intervention group (INT) with small-to-large effects on overall FMS (SMD between 0.46), OCS (SMD between 1.36), and LMS (SMD between 0.94). Our certainty in the treatment estimates based on GRADE is very low. Although there is relevant effectiveness of programs to improve FMS proficiency in healthy young children, they need to be interpreted with care as they are based on low-quality evidence and immediate post-intervention effects without long-term follow-up.

Setting pass scores for clinical skills assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Min; Liu, Keh-Min

2008-12-01

In a clinical skills assessment, the decision to pass or fail an examinee should be based on the test content or on the examinees' performance. The process of deciding a pass score is known as setting a standard of the examination. This requires a properly selected panel of expert judges and a suitable standard setting method, which best fits the purpose of the examination. Six standard setting methods that are often used in clinical skills assessment are described to provide an overview of the standard setting process.

Standardized patient simulation versus didactic teaching alone for improving residents' communication skills when discussing goals of care and resuscitation: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Downar, James; McNaughton, Nancy; Abdelhalim, Tarek; Wong, Natalie; Lapointe-Shaw, Lauren; Seccareccia, Dori; Miller, Kim; Dev, Shelly; Ridley, Julia; Lee, Christie; Richardson, Lisa; McDonald-Blumer, Heather; Knickle, Kerry

2017-02-01

Communication skills are important when discussing goals of care and resuscitation. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of standardized patients for teaching medical trainees to communicate about goals of care. To determine whether standardized patient simulation offers benefit over didactic sessions alone for improving skill and comfort discussing goals of care. Single-blind, randomized, controlled trial of didactic teaching plus standardized patient simulation versus didactic teaching alone. First-year internal medicine residents. Changes in communication comfort and skill between baseline and 2 months post-training assessed using the Consultation and Relational Empathy measure. We enrolled 94 residents over a 2-year period. Both groups reported a significant improvement in comfort when discussing goals of care with patients. There was no difference in Consultation and Relational Empathy scores following the workshop ( p = 0.79). The intervention group showed a significant increase in Consultation and Relational Empathy scores post-workshop compared with pre-workshop (35.0 vs 31.7, respectively; p = 0.048), whereas there was no improvement in Consultation and Relational Empathy scores in the control group (35.6 vs 36.0; p = 0.4). However, when the results were adjusted for baseline differences in Consultation and Relational Empathy scores in a multivariable regression analysis, group assignment was not associated with an improvement in Consultation and Relational Empathy score. Improvement in comfort scores and perception of benefit were not associated with improvements in Consultation and Relational Empathy scores. Simulation training may improve communication skill and comfort more than didactic training alone, but there were important confounders in this study and further studies are needed to determine whether simulation is better than didactic training for this purpose.

Soft skills for TQM in Higher Education Standards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

PhD Everard van Kemenade

2012-01-01

The hard side in total quality management of measurement and data analysis can only be successful if it is replenished with the soft side, the people side. This conclusion has serious consequences for the education of professionals, especially managers. Managers should be trained in soft skills,

Effect of information literacy training course on information literacy skills of undergraduate students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on ACRL standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, Zohreh; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Papi, Ahmad; Shahrzadi, Leila; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2015-01-01

Information literacy is the basis for lifelong learning. Information literacy skills, especially for student in an environment that is full of information from multiple technologies are being developed is equally important. Information literacy is a set of cognitive and practical skills and like any other science, proper training is needed, and standard-based education is definitely better and evaluation would be easier. This study aimed to determine the impact of information literacy training course on information literacy skills of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences students based on ACRL standard in 2012. The study method is semi-experience with two group design (with pre-test and post-test) and applied. The data collection toll was a questionnaire assessing student's information literacy that developed by Davarpanah and Siamak and validity was confirmed by professional librarians and reliability as measured by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.83. The sample consisted of 50 undergraduate students from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences that by random sampling method was perch in both case and control groups. Before and after the training (once a week), a questionnaire was distributed between the two groups. This training was held in a classroom equipped with computers with internet access and in addition to training using brochures and librarian presentation, interactive methods such as discussion and exercises were used. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software and two level of descriptive (mean and SD) and inferential statistics (t-test and t-paired). The results showed that the students' information literacy scores before the training was lower than average, so that in the control group was 32.96 and in the case group was 33.24; while information literacy scores in the case group significantly increased after the training (46.68). Also, the effect of education, respectively had a greater impact on the ability to access information (the second

Perception versus reality: a comparative study of the clinical judgment skills of nurses during a simulated activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenske, Cynthia L; Harris, Margaret A; Aebersold, Michelle L; Hartman, Laurie S

2013-09-01

This study was conducted to determine how closely nurses' perceptions of their clinical judgment abilities matched their demonstrated clinical judgment skills during a simulation. Seventy-four registered nurses participated in a simulation using a video format. After the simulation, the nurses self-assessed their performance using the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric. This rubric was then used to rate the nurses' actual performance in the simulation activity. The study results showed a significant discrepancy between nurses' perceptions of their own clinical judgment abilities and their demonstrated clinical judgment skills. Age and length of nursing experience enhanced the difference between the findings of self-assessment and actual performance. Younger nurses and those with 1 year or less of nursing experience were significantly more likely to have self-assessed their abilities at a much higher level compared with their actual skills. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Setting Pass Scores for Clinical Skills Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Liu

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In a clinical skills assessment, the decision to pass or fail an examinee should be based on the test content or on the examinees' performance. The process of deciding a pass score is known as setting a standard of the examination. This requires a properly selected panel of expert judges and a suitable standard setting method, which best fits the purpose of the examination. Six standard setting methods that are often used in clinical skills assessment are described to provide an overview of the standard setting process.

Public University Educators’ Understanding and Conception of Soft Skills for Educators

OpenAIRE

Md-Ali, Ruzlan; Shaffie, Fuziah; Yusof, Fahainis Mohd

2016-01-01

There is still no formally agreed upon, universal set of soft skills. The lack of soft skills competence among graduates from public universities (PUs) is an issue and a reason for unsuccessful job applications. Students in PUs need to be guided to acquire the relevant soft skills and need to have role models to be professionally and socially competent. They can actually learn much from their lecturers or educators as role models. In a recent exploratory study, educators selected from PUs we...

Term Familiarity to indicate Perceived and Actual Difficulty of Text in Medical Digital Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Leroy, Gondy; Endicott, James E

2011-10-01

With increasing text digitization, digital libraries can personalize materials for individuals with different education levels and language skills. To this end, documents need meta-information describing their difficulty level. Previous attempts at such labeling used readability formulas but the formulas have not been validated with modern texts and their outcome is seldom associated with actual difficulty. We focus on medical texts and are developing new, evidence-based meta-tags that are associated with perceived and actual text difficulty. This work describes a first tag, term familiarity , which is based on term frequency in the Google corpus. We evaluated its feasibility to serve as a tag by looking at a document corpus (N=1,073) and found that terms in blogs or journal articles displayed unexpected but significantly different scores. Term familiarity was then applied to texts and results from a previous user study (N=86) and could better explain differences for perceived and actual difficulty.

Standards for Education Reporters: Skills, Knowledge, Ethics

Science.gov (United States)

Graves, Bill

2002-01-01

Experienced school reporters know plenty about standards. The struggle to set standards that define what students should know and be able to do at various stages of their education has been at the heart of school reform since the late 1980s. So if journalists are going to understand the value of standards, it will be those covering schools. It is…

Condom use self-efficacy: effect on intended and actual condom use in adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Baele, J; Dusseldorp, E; Maes, S

2001-05-01

To investigate aspects of adolescents' condom use self-efficacy that affect their intended and actual condom use. Four hundred twenty-four male and female sexually experienced and inexperienced adolescents with a mean age of 17.0 years filled out a questionnaire concerning condom use self-efficacy and intended and actual condom use. Specific condom use self-efficacy scales were constructed from 37 items on the basis of a principal component analysis. The effect of self-efficacy, both as a global measure and in terms of specific scales, on condom use intention and consistency was assessed using multiple hierarchic regression analyses. Six specific self-efficacy scales were constructed: Technical Skills, Image Confidence, Emotion Control, Purchase, Assertiveness, and Sexual Control. In sexually inexperienced adolescents, global self-efficacy explained 48%, the six self-efficacy scales 30%, and both together 51% of the variance in intention, after statistical control for gender, age, and education level. In the sexually experienced sample, this was 40%, 50%, and 57% for intention, and 23%, 29%, and 33% for consistency of condom use. Significant predictors of intention in the final model were gender, age, global self-efficacy and purchasing skills in the inexperienced sample, and global self-efficacy, emotion control, assertiveness, image confidence, and sexual control in the experienced sample, whereas gender, age, global self-efficacy, emotion control, assertiveness, and purchase predicted consistency of condom use in the experienced sample. Condom use self-efficacy is a multidimensional construct. Intended and actual condom use in adolescents are best predicted by self-efficacy measures that include both global and relevant specific aspects of condom use.

Lack of sensitivity of staffing for 8-hour sessions to standard deviation in daily actual hours of operating room time used for surgeons with long queues.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandit, Jaideep J; Dexter, Franklin

2009-06-01

At multiple facilities including some in the United Kingdom's National Health Service, the following are features of many surgical-anesthetic teams: i) there is sufficient workload for each operating room (OR) list to almost always be fully scheduled; ii) the workdays are organized such that a single surgeon is assigned to each block of time (usually 8 h); iii) one team is assigned per block; and iv) hardly ever would a team "split" to do cases in more than one OR simultaneously. We used Monte-Carlo simulation using normal and Weibull distributions to estimate the times to complete lists of cases scheduled into such 8 h sessions. For each combination of mean and standard deviation, inefficiencies of use of OR time were determined for 10 h versus 8 h of staffing. When the mean actual hours of OR time used averages standard deviation and relative cost of over-run to under-run. When mean > or = 8 h 50 min, 10 h staffing has higher OR efficiency. For 8 h 25 min standard deviation of 60 min and relative cost of over-run to under-run of 2.0 versus (b) 8 h 48 min for normal, standard deviation of 0 min and relative cost ratio of 1.50. Although the simplest decision rule would be to staff for 8 h if the mean workload is standard deviation 60 min, and relative cost ratio of 2.00, the inefficiency of use of OR time would be 34% larger if staffing were planned for 8 h instead of 10 h. For surgical teams with 8 h sessions, use the following decision rule for anesthesiology and OR nurse staffing. If actual hours of OR time used averages or = 8 h 50 min, plan 10 h staffing. For averages in between, perform the full analysis of McIntosh et al. (Anesth Analg 2006;103:1499-516).

The impact of statistical adjustment on conditional standard errors of measurement in the assessment of physician communication skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, Mark R; Clauser, Brian E; Furman, Gail E

2010-10-01

The use of standardized patients to assess communication skills is now an essential part of assessing a physician's readiness for practice. To improve the reliability of communication scores, it has become increasingly common in recent years to use statistical models to adjust ratings provided by standardized patients. This study employed ordinary least squares regression to adjust ratings, and then used generalizability theory to evaluate the impact of these adjustments on score reliability and the overall standard error of measurement. In addition, conditional standard errors of measurement were computed for both observed and adjusted scores to determine whether the improvements in measurement precision were uniform across the score distribution. Results indicated that measurement was generally less precise for communication ratings toward the lower end of the score distribution; and the improvement in measurement precision afforded by statistical modeling varied slightly across the score distribution such that the most improvement occurred in the upper-middle range of the score scale. Possible reasons for these patterns in measurement precision are discussed, as are the limitations of the statistical models used for adjusting performance ratings.

A standardized patient model to teach and assess professionalism and communication skills: the effect of personality type on performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lifchez, Scott D; Redett, Richard J

2014-01-01

Teaching and assessing professionalism and interpersonal communication skills can be more difficult for surgical residency programs than teaching medical knowledge or patient care, for which many structured educational curricula and assessment tools exist. Residents often learn these skills indirectly, by observing the behavior of their attendings when communicating with patients and colleagues. The purpose of this study was to assess the results of an educational curriculum we created to teach and assess our residents in professionalism and communication. We assessed resident and faculty prior education in delivering bad news to patients. Residents then participated in a standardized patient (SP) encounter to deliver bad news to a patient's family regarding a severe burn injury. Residents received feedback from the encounter and participated in an education curriculum on communication skills and professionalism. As a part of this curriculum, residents underwent assessment of communication style using the Myers-Briggs type inventory. The residents then participated in a second SP encounter discussing a severe pulmonary embolus with a patient's family. Resident performance on the SP evaluation correlated with an increased comfort in delivering bad news. Comfort in delivering bad news did not correlate with the amount of prior education on the topic for either residents or attendings. Most of our residents demonstrated an intuitive thinking style (NT) on the Myers-Briggs type inventory, very different from population norms. The lack of correlation between comfort in delivering bad news and prior education on the subject may indicate the difficulty in imparting communication and professionalism skills to residents effectively. Understanding communication style differences between our residents and the general population can help us teach professionalism and communication skills more effectively. With the next accreditation system, residency programs would need to

Adolescent Loneliness and Social Skills: Agreement and Discrepancies Between Self-, Meta-, and Peer-Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodder, G M A; Goossens, L; Scholte, R H J; Engels, R C M E; Verhagen, M

2016-12-01

Lonely adolescents report that they have poor social skills, but it is unknown whether this is due to an accurate perception of a social skills deficit, or a biased negative perception. This is an important distinction, as actual social skills deficits require different treatments than biased negative perceptions. In this study, we compared self-reported social skills evaluations with peer-reported social skills and meta-evaluations of social skills (i.e., adolescents' perceptions of how they believe their classmates evaluate them). Based on the social skills view, we expected negative relations between loneliness and these three forms of social skills evaluations. Based on the bias view, we expected lonely adolescents to have more negative self- and meta-evaluations compared to peer-evaluations of social skills. Participants were 1342 adolescents (48.64 % male, M age  = 13.95, SD = .54). All classmates rated each other in a round-robin design to obtain peer-evaluations. Self- and meta-evaluations were obtained using self-reports. Data were analyzed using polynomial regression analyses and response surface modeling. The results indicated that, when self-, peer- and meta-evaluations were similar, a greater sense of loneliness was related to poorer social skills. Loneliness was also related to larger discrepancies between self- and peer-evaluations of loneliness, but not related to the direction of these discrepancies. Thus, for some lonely adolescents, loneliness may be related to an actual social skills deficit, whereas for others a biased negative perception of one's own social skills or a mismatch with the environment may be related to their loneliness. This implies that different mechanisms may underlie loneliness, which has implications for interventions.

The actual problems of the standardization of magnetically hard materials and permanent magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurbatov, P.A.; Podolskiy, I.D.

1998-01-01

The standardization of industrial products raises their accordance with functional purpose, contributes to technological developments and the elimination of technical barriers in trade. The progress of the world trade necessitates the certification of permanent magnets and their manufacturing methods. According to ISO/IEC recommendations, the certification standards should contain the clear requirements to operation parameters of products, that can be impartially controlled. The testing procedures should be clearly formulated and assure that the results may be reproduced. This calls for creation of a system of interconnected certification standards: the standard for technical characteristics of prospective commercial magnetically hard materials, the standard specifications for permanent magnets, the standards for typical testing procedures and the standards for metrological assurance of measurements. (orig.)

Fundamental movement skills and habitual physical activity in young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Abigail; Reilly, John J; Kelly, Louise A; Montgomery, Colette; Williamson, Avril; Paton, James Y; Grant, Stan

2005-04-01

To test for relationships between objectively measured habitual physical activity and fundamental movement skills in a relatively large and representative sample of preschool children. Physical activity was measured over 6 d using the Computer Science and Applications (CSA) accelerometer in 394 boys and girls (mean age 4.2, SD 0.5 yr). Children were scored on 15 fundamental movement skills, based on the Movement Assessment Battery, by a single observer. Total physical activity (r=0.10, Pmovement skills score. Time spent in light-intensity physical activity was not significantly correlated with motor skills score (r=0.02, P>0.05). In this sample and setting, fundamental movement skills were significantly associated with habitual physical activity, but the association between the two variables was weak. The present study questions whether the widely assumed relationships between motor skills and habitual physical activity actually exist in young children.

The relationship of motor skills and social communicative skills in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Megan; Lord, Catherine; Ulrich, Dale A

2013-07-01

Motor skill deficits are present and persist in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Staples & Reid, 2010). Yet the focus of intervention is on core impairments, which are part of the diagnostic criteria for ASD, deficits in social communication skills. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the functional motor skills, of 6- to 15-year-old children with high-functioning ASD, predict success in standardized social communicative skills. It is hypothesized that children with better motor skills will have better social communicative skills. A total of 35 children with ASD between the ages of 6-15 years participated in this study. The univariate GLM (general linear model) tested the relationship of motor skills on social communicative skills holding constant age, IQ, ethnicity, gender, and clinical ASD diagnosis. Object-control motor skills significantly predicted calibrated ASD severity (p skills have greater social communicative skill deficits. How this relationship exists behaviorally, needs to be explored further.

Assessment of psychomotor skills acquisition during laparoscopic cholecystectomy courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hance, Julian; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Moorthy, Krishna; Munz, Yaron; Undre, Shabnam; Darzi, Ara

2005-09-01

Standardized short courses in laparoscopic cholecystectomy aim to teach laparoscopic skills to surgical trainees, although end-of-course assessments of performance remain subjective. The current study aims to objectively assess psychomotor skills acquisition of trainees attending laparoscopic cholecystectomy courses. Thirty-seven junior surgical trainees had their laparoscopic skills assessed before and after attending 1 of 3 separate 2-day courses (A, B, and C), all with identical format. Assessments were comprised of a standardized simulated laparoscopic task, with performance measured using a valid electromagnetic hand-motion tracking device. Overall, trainees made significant improvements in path length (P=.006), number of movements (Ppsychomotor skills on courses. In addition to providing participants with an insight into their skills, these data can be used to demonstrate course efficacy.

Improving the Teaching of Teamwork Skills in Engineering and Computer Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert W. Lingard

2010-12-01

Full Text Available It is important that engineering and computer science students learn teamwork skills as an integral part of their educational development. These skills are often not explicitly taught, but rather it is expected that students learn them on their own through participation in various team projects. Furthermore, the actual skills that students are expected to learn are usually not well articulated, or even understood. The approach outlined here attempts to address these problems by first establishing a process for defining what is meant by teamwork, by using this definition to assess the extent to which students are learning teamwork skills, and by using the assessment results to formulate approaches to improve student learning with respect to these skills. Specific attempts at the definition, assessment, and instruction improvement process are discussed.

New standards for digital radiography and qualification of detectors; Neue Standards zur Digitalen Radiographie und Qualifizierung von Detektoren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ewert, Uwe; Zscherpel, Uwe [Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin (Germany)

2017-08-01

The contribution describes the most important standards for radiographic examinations that are revised in different committees. Information is given on new requirements esp. on revised parameters that have to be considered in practical testing procedures and classification. Actually for the revision of ISO 17636-1/2 in 2018 user questions are collected concerning weld seam testing. The DIN 25435 standards for weld seam testing in nuclear technology have been translated into English. Revisions of ASTM standards have to be considered in the actual EN and ISO standards. Since several years the International Institute of Welding (IIW) is also revising the international standards.

Aligning CASAS Competencies and Assessments to Basic Skills Content Standards. Second Edition

Science.gov (United States)

CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2009

2009-01-01

Since its inception, the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) has focused on teaching and assessing basic skills in contexts that are relevant and important to adult learners. CASAS has developed and continues to refine a highly formalized hierarchy of competencies, the application of basic skills that adults need to be fully…

Who is Self-Actualized?

Science.gov (United States)

Roweton, William E.

1981-01-01

In an attempt to clarify Maslow's concept of self-actualization as it relates to human motivation, a class of educational psychology students wrote essays describing a self-actualized person and then attempted to decide whether public schools contribute to the production of self-actualized persons. Two-thirds of the students decided that schools…

Recommended observational skills training for IAEA safeguards inspections. Final report: Recommended observational skills training for IAEA safeguards inspections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toquam, J.L.; Morris, F.A.

1994-09-01

This is the second of two reports prepared to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA or Agency) in enhancing the effectiveness of its international safeguards inspections through inspector training in {open_quotes}Observational Skills{close_quotes}. The first (Phase 1) report was essentially exploratory. It defined Observational Skills broadly to include all appropriate cognitive, communications, and interpersonal techniques that have the potential to help IAEA safeguards inspectors function more effectively. It identified 10 specific Observational Skills components, analyzed their relevance to IAEA safeguards inspections, and reviewed a variety of inspection programs in the public and private sectors that provide training in one or more of these components. The report concluded that while it should be possible to draw upon these other programs in developing Observational Skills training for IAEA inspectors, the approaches utilized in these programs will likely require significant adaption to support the specific job requirements, policies, and practices that define the IAEA inspector`s job. The overall objective of this second (Phase 2) report is to provide a basis for the actual design and delivery of Observational Skills training to IAEA inspectors. The more specific purposes of this report are to convey a fuller understanding of the potential application of Observational Skills to the inspector`s job, describe inspector perspectives on the relevance and importance of particular Observational Skills, identify the specific Observational Skill components that are most important and relevant to enhancing safeguards inspections, and make recommendations as to Observational Skills training for the IAEA`s consideration in further developing its Safeguards training program.

IPMA STANDARD ELEMENTS AND FEEDBACK IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEACHING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BARTOŠKA, Jan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes the concept of project management teaching including the International Project Management Association (IPMA standard. The concept of teaching is theoretical and derives from the notion of competence, which the IPMA standard is based on. The paper presents a brief description of the IPMA standard and endeavours to define the notion of competence. The competence is worked with in respect to hierarchical recognition. The proposed teaching concept works with the concepts of information, knowledge and skills. The teaching proposal stems from the structure and contents of the IPMA standard elements. Furthermore, the paper elaborates the issue of embedding the elements of the IPMA standard competences into training courses. In the article, the eye of the IPMA competences is further enhanced with possible training courses and specialist areas in which the standard elements can thematically be included. The paper states that the competence elements and training courses cross one another and overlap in a manifold way. The authors also propose a way which could verify into what extent the students have actually acquired taught IPMA competence elements. The paper contains the proposal of feedback quantification for the IPMA standard and project management teaching. The results of the paper can be used as a starting premise for future research. Both the verification proposal and the embedding of the elements into teaching are derived from on-going academic experience of the authors of the article.

A reusable suture anchor for arthroscopy psychomotor skills training.

Science.gov (United States)

Tillett, Edward D; Rogers, Rainie; Nyland, John

2003-03-01

For residents to adequately develop the early arthroscopy psychomotor skills required to better learn how to manage the improvisational situations they will encounter during actual patient cases, they need to experience sufficient practice repetitions within a contextually relevant environment. Unfortunately, the cost of suture anchors can be a practice repetition-limiting factor in learning arthroscopic knot-tying techniques. We describe a technique for creating inexpensive reusable suture anchors and provide an example of their application to repair the anterior glenoid labrum during an arthroscopy psychomotor skills laboratory training session.

Steps to Opening the Skilled Trades to Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Employment Standards Administration (DOL), Washington, DC. Women's Bureau.

Employers' and unions' acceptance in attitude and practice of the equal capacity of women to function in the skilled trades and other apprentice-type jobs depends upon knowledge of facts, actual experience, and understanding of equal opportunity laws, according to the authors of the document, which offers to employers first steps to take to…

The effects of using high-fidelity simulators and standardized patients on the thorax, lung, and cardiac examination skills of undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuzer, Hilal; Dinc, Leyla; Elcin, Melih

2016-10-01

Existing research literature indicates that the use of various simulation techniques in the training of physical examination skills develops students' cognitive and psychomotor abilities in a realistic learning environment while improving patient safety. The study aimed to compare the effects of the use of a high-fidelity simulator and standardized patients on the knowledge and skills of students conducting thorax-lungs and cardiac examinations, and to explore the students' views and learning experiences. A mixed-method explanatory sequential design. The study was conducted in the Simulation Laboratory of a Nursing School, the Training Center at the Faculty of Medicine, and in the inpatient clinics of the Education and Research Hospital. Fifty-two fourth-year nursing students. Students were randomly assigned to Group I and Group II. The students in Group 1 attended the thorax-lungs and cardiac examination training using a high-fidelity simulator, while the students in Group 2 using standardized patients. After the training sessions, all students practiced their skills on real patients in the clinical setting under the supervision of the investigator. Knowledge and performance scores of all students increased following the simulation activities; however, the students that worked with standardized patients achieved significantly higher knowledge scores than those that worked with the high-fidelity simulator; however, there was no significant difference in performance scores between the groups. The mean performance scores of students on real patients were significantly higher compared to the post-simulation assessment scores (psimulator in increasing the knowledge scores of students on thorax-lungs and cardiac examinations; however, practice on real patients increased performance scores of all students without any significant difference in two groups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ostomy Home Skills Program

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... for Hospitals Ostomy Home Skills Hospital Quality Improvement Package The standardized interactive program has been developed by the American College of Surgeons ... and Associates Medical Students International Surgeons ...

"The Actualized Neurosurgeon": A Proposed Model of Surgical Resident Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipsman, Nir; Khan, Osaama; Kulkarni, Abhaya V

2017-03-01

Modern neurosurgical training is both physically and emotionally demanding, posing significant challenges, new and old, to residents as well as programs attempting to train safe, competent surgeons. Models to describe resident development, such as the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies and milestones, address the acquisition of specific skills but largely ignore the stresses and pressures unique to each stage of resident training. We propose an alternative model of resident development adapted from the developmental psychology literature. Our model identifies the challenges that must be met at each stage of junior, intermediate, and senior and chief residency, leading ultimately to an "actualized" neurosurgeon (i.e., one who has maximized his or her potential). Failure to overcome any 1 of these challenges can lead to specific long-lasting consequences, including regret, identity crisis, incompetence, and bitterness. In contrast, the actualized surgeon is one who has successfully acquired the virtues of hope, will, purpose, fidelity, productivity, leadership, competence, and wisdom. The actualized surgeon not only functions safely, confidently, and professionally, but also successfully navigates the challenges of residency and emerges from them having fulfilled his or her maximal potential. This developmental perspective provides an individualized description of healthy surgical development. Our model allows programs to identify the basis for residents who fail to progress, counsel residents during their training, and perhaps help identify resident candidates who are better prepared to meet the developmental challenges of residency training. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived and actual academic competence in maltreated children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinard, E M

2001-01-01

The aims were twofold: 1) to determine whether maltreated and nonmaltreated children differed in the accuracy of their self-assessments of academic achievement; and 2) to determine whether discrepancies between perceived and actual academic competence were related to perceptions of social support from mothers, teachers, and peers. A sample of 195 maltreated children known to a state protective service agency was compared to a control group of 179 nonmaltreated children. The groups were matched on child's gender, age, ethnicity, and birth order; socioeconomic ranking of neighborhood; and family structure. Although maltreated children had significantly lower achievement scores than did nonmal-treated children, the two groups did not differ on perceived academic competence. With regard to discrepancies between perceived and actual competence, maltreated children were more likely than nonmaltreated children to overestimate their level of competence, particularly for reading and arithmetic. Overall, children who reported low maternal support were more likely to overestimate reading competence than were those who reported average or high maternal support. When maltreatment status was considered, maltreated children with low support seemed likely to overestimate abilities, whereas nonmaltreated children with low support seemed likely to underestimate competence. Maltreated children may overestimate their academic abilities in order to compensate for self-perceptions of low self-worth. Efforts to improve academic performance in maltreated children should focus not only on increasing academic skills but also on enhancing self-esteem.

Neoadjuvant Treatment in Rectal Cancer: Actual Status

Science.gov (United States)

Garajová, Ingrid; Di Girolamo, Stefania; de Rosa, Francesco; Corbelli, Jody; Agostini, Valentina; Biasco, Guido; Brandi, Giovanni

2011-01-01

Neoadjuvant (preoperative) concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has become a standard treatment of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinomas. The clinical stages II (cT3-4, N0, M0) and III (cT1-4, N+, M0) according to International Union Against Cancer (IUCC) are concerned. It can reduce tumor volume and subsequently lead to an increase in complete resections (R0 resections), shows less toxicity, and improves local control rate. The aim of this review is to summarize actual approaches, main problems, and discrepancies in the treatment of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinomas. PMID:22295206

Students with Non-Proficient Information Seeking Skills Greatly Over-Estimate Their Abilities. A Review of: Gross, Melissa, and Don Latham.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Herron

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Objective – The objective of this study is an investigation of the relationship between students’ self-assessment of their information literacy skills and their actual skill level, as well as an analysis of whether library anxiety is related to information skill attainment. Design – Quantitative research design (Information Literacy Test (ILT, Library Anxiety Scale (LAS, pre and post surveys.Setting – Florida State University, United States.Subjects – Students, incoming freshmen.Methods – Information literacy skills were measured using the Information Literacy Test (ILT, presenting subjects with 65 multiple choice items designed around four of the five ACRL information literacy standards, in which students were expectedto: 1 determine the nature and extent of the information needed; 2 access needed information effectively and efficiently; 3 evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his/her knowledge base system; 4 understand many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally. The ILT categorized participant scores as non-proficient(Main Results – The main aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that students who test non-proficient on an information literacy test tend to overestimate their competency to a higher degree than proficient and advanced students. In the pre- and post-surveys, the students were asked to estimate their performance onthe ILT in terms of the expected percentage of questions they would answer correctly, the number of questions they expected to answer correctly, and how their performance on the ILT would compare toothers taking the test (in percentage. The results of the study show that all students overestimate their abilities, both in terms of performance and relative performance, in the pre-survey. The estimated percentage correct answers for the whole group was 75%, but

Actual heating energy savings in thermally renovated Dutch dwellings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majcen, Daša; Itard, Laure; Visscher, Henk

2016-01-01

The register of the Dutch social housing stock was analysed, containing 300.000 dwellings, renovated between 2010 and 2013. The main objective was twofold: to evaluate the performance gap in these dwellings before and after the renovation and to establish what renovation measures achieve the highest reduction of consumption, particularly in practice (actual savings). The results showed large performance gaps in dwellings with low R and high U values, local heating systems, changes from a non-condensing into a condensing boiler and upgrades to a natural ventilation system. Regarding the actual effectiveness of renovation measures, replacement of old gas boilers with more efficient ones yields the highest energy reduction, followed by deep improvements of windows. Installing mechanical ventilation yields a small reduction compared to other measures, but still much larger than theoretically expected. The paper shows once more that the calculation method currently in use cannot be considered accurate if compared to actual consumption. The study demonstrated that unrealistic theoretical efficiencies of heating systems and insulation values are causing a part of the performance gap. Nowadays, large datasets of buildings thermal performance and actual consumption offer an opportunity to improve these misconceptions. - Highlights: • Performance gap is lower in more efficient buildings. • Replacements of gas boilers – the most energy reduction among renovation measures. • Replacing the ventilation system yields a much larger reduction than expected. • How well are the standard values of the calculation methods defined? • Provide large public building performance databases including actual use data.

Training basic laparoscopic skills using a custom-made video game.

Science.gov (United States)

Goris, Jetse; Jalink, Maarten B; Ten Cate Hoedemaker, Henk O

2014-09-01

Video games are accepted and used for a wide variety of applications. In the medical world, research on the positive effects of playing games on basic laparoscopic skills is rapidly increasing. Although these benefits have been proven several times, no institution actually uses video games for surgical training. This Short Communication describes some of the theoretical backgrounds, development and underlying educational foundations of a specifically designed video game and custom-made hardware that takes advantage of the positive effects of games on basic laparoscopic skills.

Recommended observational skills training for IAEA safeguards inspections. Final report: Recommended observational skills training for IAEA safeguards inspections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toquam, J.L.; Morris, F.A.

1994-09-01

This is the second of two reports prepared to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA or Agency) in enhancing the effectiveness of its international safeguards inspections through inspector training in open-quotes Observational Skillsclose quotes. The first (Phase 1) report was essentially exploratory. It defined Observational Skills broadly to include all appropriate cognitive, communications, and interpersonal techniques that have the potential to help IAEA safeguards inspectors function more effectively. It identified 10 specific Observational Skills components, analyzed their relevance to IAEA safeguards inspections, and reviewed a variety of inspection programs in the public and private sectors that provide training in one or more of these components. The report concluded that while it should be possible to draw upon these other programs in developing Observational Skills training for IAEA inspectors, the approaches utilized in these programs will likely require significant adaption to support the specific job requirements, policies, and practices that define the IAEA inspector's job. The overall objective of this second (Phase 2) report is to provide a basis for the actual design and delivery of Observational Skills training to IAEA inspectors. The more specific purposes of this report are to convey a fuller understanding of the potential application of Observational Skills to the inspector's job, describe inspector perspectives on the relevance and importance of particular Observational Skills, identify the specific Observational Skill components that are most important and relevant to enhancing safeguards inspections, and make recommendations as to Observational Skills training for the IAEA's consideration in further developing its Safeguards training program

Analysis and training of cognitive skills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mumaw, R.J.

1991-01-01

Cognitive skills (e.g., decision making, problem solving) are critical to many jobs in the nuclear power industry, and yet the standard approach to training development does not always train these skills most effectively. In most cases, these skills are not described in sufficient detail, and training programs fail to address them explicitly. Cognitive psychologists have developed a set of techniques, based on analysis of expertise, for describing cognitive skills in more detail. These techniques incorporate a diverse set of human performance measures. An example is given to illustrate a method for determining how experts represent problems mentally. Cognitive psychologists have also established a set of empirical findings concerning skill acquisition. These findings can be used to provide some general rules for structuring the training of cognitive skills

Connections: Developing Skills for the Family of the Young Special Child, 0-5. [and] A Coordinators Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza, Jeanne; And Others

The program is intended to increase skills in parents of young handicapped children. The coordinator's guide traces the background and development of the parent involvement materials, presents suggestions for workshop planning and actual implementation, and discusses training approaches for developing small group facilitation skills. The companion…

Disparities in Private Health Insurance Coverage of Skilled Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stacey A. Tovino

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This article compares and contrasts public and private health insurance coverage of skilled medical rehabilitation, including cognitive rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and skilled nursing services (collectively, skilled care. As background, prior scholars writing in this area have focused on Medicare coverage of skilled care and have challenged coverage determinations limiting Medicare coverage to beneficiaries who are able to demonstrate improvement in their conditions within a specific period of time (the Improvement Standard. By and large, these scholars have applauded the settlement agreement approved on 24 January 2013, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont in Jimmo v. Sebelius (Jimmo, as well as related motions, rulings, orders, government fact sheets, and Medicare program manual statements clarifying that Medicare covers skilled care that is necessary to prevent or slow a beneficiary’s deterioration or to maintain a beneficiary at his or her maximum practicable level of function even though no further improvement in the beneficiary’s condition is expected. Scholars who have focused on beneficiaries who have suffered severe brain injuries, in particular, have framed public insurance coverage of skilled brain rehabilitation as an important civil, disability, and educational right. Given that approximately two-thirds of Americans with health insurance are covered by private health insurance and that many private health plans continue to require their insureds to demonstrate improvement within a short period of time to obtain coverage of skilled care, scholarship assessing private health insurance coverage of skilled care is important but noticeably absent from the literature. This article responds to this gap by highlighting state benchmark plans’ and other private health plans’ continued use of the Improvement Standard in skilled care coverage decisions and

Hospitality and Tourism Education Skill Standards: Grade 12

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Ryan; Spann, Lynda; Erickson, Karin; Povilaitis, Judy; Menditto, Louis; Jones, Terri; Sario, Vivienne; Verbeck, Kimberlee; Jacobi, Katherine; Michnal, Kenneth; Shelton-Meader, Sheree; Richens, Greg; Jones, Karin Erickson; Tighe, Denise; Wilhelm, Lee; Scott, Melissa

2010-01-01

The standards in this document are for Hospitality and Tourism programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school program. Minimally, the student will complete a two-year program to achieve all standards. The Hospitality and Tourism Standards Writing Team followed…

Training basic laparoscopic skills using a custom-made video game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goris, Jetse; Jalink, Maarten B; Ten Cate Hoedemaker, Henk O

Video games are accepted and used for a wide variety of applications. In the medical world, research on the positive effects of playing games on basic laparoscopic skills is rapidly increasing. Although these benefits have been proven several times, no institution actually uses video games for

Making standards work

OpenAIRE

Stigzelius, Ingrid

2009-01-01

Social and environmental standards can function as tools for companies that want to improve their conduct in social and environmental areas in the supply chain. However, relatively little attention has been given to how the adoption of social and environmental standards may influence the actual business practices in the supply chain. The overall aim of this thesis is to examine the institutional context surrounding the adoption of social and environmental standards and how these standards inf...

Simulation-based Mastery Learning Improves Cardiac Auscultation Skills in Medical Students

Science.gov (United States)

McGaghie, William C.; Cohen, Elaine R.; Kaye, Marsha; Wayne, Diane B.

2010-01-01

Background Cardiac auscultation is a core clinical skill. However, prior studies show that trainee skills are often deficient and that clinical experience is not a proxy for competence. Objective To describe a mastery model of cardiac auscultation education and evaluate its effectiveness in improving bedside cardiac auscultation skills. Design Untreated control group design with pretest and posttest. Participants Third-year students who received a cardiac auscultation curriculum and fourth year students who did not. Intervention A cardiac auscultation curriculum consisting of a computer tutorial and a cardiac patient simulator. All third-year students were required to meet or exceed a minimum passing score (MPS) set by an expert panel at posttest. Measurements Diagnostic accuracy with simulated heart sounds and actual patients. Results Trained third-year students (n = 77) demonstrated significantly higher cardiac auscultation accuracy compared to untrained fourth year students (n = 31) in assessment of simulated heart sounds (93.8% vs. 73.9%, p auscultation curriculum consisting of deliberate practice with a computer-based tutorial and a cardiac patient simulator resulted in improved assessment of simulated heart sounds and more accurate examination of actual patients. PMID:20339952

Critical Thinking Skills of United States Dental Hygiene Students

Science.gov (United States)

Notgarnie, Howard M.

2011-01-01

The complexity of decision-making in dental hygienists' practice requires critical thinking skills. Interest in raising educational standards for entry into the dental hygiene profession is a response to the demand for enhanced professional skills, including critical thinking skills. No studies found in the course of literature review compared…

Learning clinical communication skills: outcomes of a program for professional practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Irene P; Pais, Vanessa G; Almeida, Susana S; Ribeiro-Silva, Raquel; Figueiredo-Braga, Margarida; Teles, Ana; Castro-Vale, Ivone; Mota-Cardoso, Rui

2011-07-01

To assess the effects of a communication skills program on professional practitioners' performance and self-confidence in clinical interviewing. Twenty-five health professionals took 3 months of basic communication skills followed by 3 months of advanced communication skills. An additional quarter dealt with self-awareness and communication in special situations. Participants' performances were evaluated in clinical interviews with standardized patients before, during and after the program by external observers and standardized patients, using standardized instruments. Participants assessed their own confidence in their communication skills before and after the program. Data were analysed using GLM repeated-measures procedures in SPSS. Basic communication skills and self-confidence improved throughout the 6 months; competencies declined but self-confidence continued to increase 4 months later. Compared with taking no course, differences were statistically significant after the 6 months (external observers only) and 4 months later (external observers and participants). The program effectively improved communication skills, although significantly only when assessed by external observers. Four months later, effects were significant in communication skills (external observers), despite the decline and in self-confidence. While periodical enrollment in programs for the practice of communication skills may help maintain performance, more knowledge on communication and self-awareness may enhance self-confidence. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

SELF-REALIZATION IS INSEPARABLE FROM SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF A PERSONALITY

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Irina Ivanovna Vitkovskaya

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article considers the issues of a personality’s self-realization and self-actualization under current educational standards required in the time of impetuous development in informative technologies. The practical aspect of the article describes self-realization and self-actualization of a person as their social and useful activity, interdiscipline approach, it is characterised by interdependence of an individual and their social environment apart with the self-realization of a personality in educational process. Evidently, being a substantial ca-tegory of vital «self-assertion», it should be thought over in categories of self-actualization and self-realization. So, self-realization is considered to be a social process which continues all conscientious life. In pedagogics of our country, labour and professional activity were the spheres of self-actualization therefore, it should be taken into account external factors for self-realization and self-actualization of a person. If socio-pedagogic conditions presuppose having good teachers, what conditions should be created in an individual’s micro-groups and in particular, in the family and kind of values shoud an individual get through the process of socialization. Thus, technological project of self-realization of a personality has to assume that there is the strive for self-perfection and interrelation of ways of self-realization, self-education, and adaptation. The correlation of these ways in a specific educational field is the purpose of the article.

29 CFR 1620.15 - Jobs requiring equal skill in performance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.15 Jobs requiring equal skill in performance. (a) In general. The jobs to which the equal pay standard is applicable are jobs requiring equal skill in their performance. Where the amount... another job, the equal pay standard cannot apply even though the jobs may be equal in all other respects...

Practical-theological facilitation as skilled helping

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Elmo Pienaar

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The article discussed the idea of skilled helping in relation to what has been put forward as practical theological facilitation. It has been argued that various helping relationships, amongst which the author refers to coaching, facilitation, and therapy has more in common than what differentiates them if epistemology is viewed as a unifying concept. As such the scope of practical theology in terms of the contexts and themes in which it might be involved is said to widen. The public dimension of the organisational context, more so than the congregational context, has been put forward as an important habitus of practical-theological facilitation. The organisational involvement of the practical-theological facilitator in terms of professional-vocational skilled helping takes on an actual role through facilitation and other helping modalities.

ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTING ECDL COURSE IN THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.E. Petuhova

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The article deals with actual problems of providing training for future teachers in line with international standards in the ICT field, the experience of creating an Internet portal ECDL e-learning for higher education in the KSU, and the organization of a distance course by tools of platform MOODLE.

A simulation model for the actual, long wave and net solar radiation computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolev, B.; Stoilov, A.; Lyubomirov, L.

2004-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to present a calculating procedure for the components of the radiation balance - actual, long-wave and net radiation calculation, using the sunshine duration and the standard meteorological information, through a previously prepared program product.To calculate the actual solar radiation using the total cloudiness only, an empirical regression model has been developed. The results of the coefficient of correlation R(0.75-0.88), respectively for the spring and summer periods (March-May; June-August) show the adequacy of the chosen model. The verification of the model on the independent experimental material prove that the approach that authors suggested, can be successfully applied to the calculation of the actual radiation of the current place

An Exploration of Changes in First-Year College Students' Writing Skills between High School and the Conclusion of the Composition Course

Science.gov (United States)

Prior, Susan Vivienne

2012-01-01

Effective writing skills are important for success in college, work, and for society. Although there is little argument about the importance of communication skills, there is more debate about whether or not students and graduates are actually attaining these skills. An examination of the impact of completing the college composition course on…

An Initiative to Standardize the Identification of and Acute Response to Postoperative Lower-Extremity Neurological Deficits: Effects on Provider Knowledge, Confidence, and Communication Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Derman, Peter B; Iyer, Sravisht; Garner, Matthew; Orr, Steven; Felix, Karla J; Goldberg, Allison; Ologhobo, Titilayo; Wu, Minlun; Robbins, Laura; Cornell, Charles

2016-12-07

Although relatively uncommon, neurological deficits following hip and knee arthroplasty can have permanent and debilitating consequences. This study was conducted to quantify the effectiveness of an educational curriculum aimed at standardizing the identification of and acute response to postoperative neurological deficits in the inpatient setting, specifically with respect to improvements in clinician knowledge, confidence levels, and communication skills. A multidisciplinary committee at a single, high-volume academic institution created an algorithm delineating the appropriate clinical actions and escalation procedures in the setting of a postoperative neurological deficit for each clinical practitioner involved in care for patients who undergo arthroplasty. An educational curriculum composed of online learning modules and an in-person "boot camp" featuring simulations with standardized patients was developed, along with assessments of clinician knowledge, confidence levels, and communication skills. Nurses, physical therapists, physician assistants, residents, fellows, and attending surgeons were encouraged to participate. The intervention spanned a 5-month period in 2015 with a mean time of 18.4 weeks between baseline assessments and the time of the latest follow-up. Online modules were completed by 322 individuals, boot camp was completed by 70 individuals, and latest assessments were completed by 38 individuals. The percentage correct on the knowledge assessment increased from 74.5% before the learning modules to 89.5% immediately after (p communication skills assessment showed a significant mean increase (p = 0.02) over the course of the intervention from 30.32 to 32.50, and the mean self-assessed confidence survey scores increased by 16.7%, from 7.2 to 8.4 (p confidence and communication skills appear to be more long-lasting.

The Promotion of Critical Thinking Skills in School-Based Assessment (SBA)

Science.gov (United States)

Kamarulzaman, Wirawani; Kamarulzaman, Wirawahida

2016-01-01

The new curriculum introduced in the Malaysian primary students; the Primary School Standard Curriculum (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah-KSSR) together with the school-based assessment (SBA) is a step taken by the Malaysian government to encourage thinking skills to students, specifically critical thinking skills. The study explores teachers'…

Easier Seen Than Done: Merely Watching Others Perform Can Foster an Illusion of Skill Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Kardas, Michael; O'Brien, Ed

2018-04-01

Modern technologies such as YouTube afford unprecedented access to the skilled performances of other people. Six experiments ( N = 2,225) reveal that repeatedly watching others can foster an illusion of skill acquisition. The more people merely watch others perform (without actually practicing themselves), the more they nonetheless believe they could perform the skill, too (Experiment 1). However, people's actual abilities-from throwing darts and doing the moonwalk to playing an online game-do not improve after merely watching others, despite predictions to the contrary (Experiments 2-4). What do viewers see that makes them think they are learning? We found that extensive viewing allows people to track what steps to take (Experiment 5) but not how those steps feel when taking them. Accordingly, experiencing a "taste" of performing attenuates the illusion: Watching others juggle but then holding the pins oneself tempers perceived change in one's own ability (Experiment 6). These findings highlight unforeseen problems for self-assessment when watching other people.

Using the Interpersonal Skills tool to assess interpersonal skills of internationally educated nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Jay J; Xu, Yu; Staples, Shelley; Bolstad, Anne L

2014-07-01

To assess interpersonal skills of internationally educated nurses (IEN) while interacting with standardized patients. Participants included 52 IEN at two community hospitals in the southwestern region of the USA. Standardized patients were used to create patient-nurse encounter. Seventeen items in four domains ("skills in interviewing and collecting information"; "skills in counseling and delivering information"; "rapport"; and "personal manner") in an Interpersonal Skills (IPS) instrument were measured by a Likert scale 1-4 with 4 indicating the best performance. The average composite score per domain and scores of the 17 items were compared across the domains. On 10 of the 17 items, the nurses received scores under 3. Counseling with an average score of 2.10 and closure with an average score of 2.44 in domain 2, small talk with an average score of 2.06 in domain 3, and physical exam with average score of 2.21 in domain 4 were below 2.5. The average composite score of domain 1 was 3.54, significantly higher than those of domains 2-4 (2.77, 2.81, and 2.71, respectively). Age was moderately related to the average score per domain with every 10 year increase in age resulting in a 0.1 increase in the average score. Sex and country of origin showed mixed results. The interpersonal skills of IEN in three of the four domains need improvement. Well-designed educational programs may facilitate the improvement, especially in areas of small talk, counseling, closure, and physical exam. Future research should examine relationships between the IPS and demographics factors. © 2013 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2013 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Assessment of the critical thinking skills of student radiographers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castle, Alan [University of Portsmouth, Centre for Radiography Education, St George' s Building, Portsmouth PO1 2HY (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: alan.castle@port.ac.uk

2006-05-15

Purpose: Enabling students to develop critical thinking skills is one of the key aims of higher education and in preparing student radiographers for the future, there are increasing demands on educators to teach critical thinking skills to facilitate reflective, evidence-based practice and inter-professional working. The aim of the paper is to attempt to compare students' self-perception of their critical thinking skills to their actual written assessment performance. Methods: Students were asked to self-report how they thought the course had developed their critical thinking skills and the outcomes of this exercise were compared to the scores of previous assessments that required the demonstration of these skills. Results: The results suggest that whilst students report having developed critical thinking skills during the course, the results of their written assessments requiring the demonstration of these skills all had a mean score of less than 60% which indicates (in terms of the university's grade criteria guidelines) 'little attempt to use critical discussion in their work.' Discussion: Thirteen components of critical thinking are proposed, together with ways in which they could be incorporated into a radiographic curriculum. Conclusions: It is suggested that educators may need to review the constructive alignment of their curricula and re-assess their teaching and assessment strategies in order to effectively develop students' critical thinking skills.

Assessment of the critical thinking skills of student radiographers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castle, Alan

2006-01-01

Purpose: Enabling students to develop critical thinking skills is one of the key aims of higher education and in preparing student radiographers for the future, there are increasing demands on educators to teach critical thinking skills to facilitate reflective, evidence-based practice and inter-professional working. The aim of the paper is to attempt to compare students' self-perception of their critical thinking skills to their actual written assessment performance. Methods: Students were asked to self-report how they thought the course had developed their critical thinking skills and the outcomes of this exercise were compared to the scores of previous assessments that required the demonstration of these skills. Results: The results suggest that whilst students report having developed critical thinking skills during the course, the results of their written assessments requiring the demonstration of these skills all had a mean score of less than 60% which indicates (in terms of the university's grade criteria guidelines) 'little attempt to use critical discussion in their work.' Discussion: Thirteen components of critical thinking are proposed, together with ways in which they could be incorporated into a radiographic curriculum. Conclusions: It is suggested that educators may need to review the constructive alignment of their curricula and re-assess their teaching and assessment strategies in order to effectively develop students' critical thinking skills

Dutch courage? Effects of acute alcohol consumption on self-ratings and observer ratings of foreign language skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Renner, Fritz; Kersbergen, Inge; Field, Matt; Werthmann, Jessica

2018-01-01

A popular belief is that alcohol improves the ability to speak in a foreign language. The effect of acute alcohol consumption on perceived foreign language performance and actual foreign language performance in foreign language learners has not been investigated. The aim of the current study was to test the effects of acute alcohol consumption on self-rated and observer-rated verbal foreign language performance in participants who have recently learned this language. Fifty native German speakers who had recently learned Dutch were randomized to receive either a low dose of alcohol or a control beverage that contained no alcohol. Following the experimental manipulation, participants took part in a standardized discussion in Dutch with a blinded experimenter. The discussion was audio-recorded and foreign language skills were subsequently rated by two native Dutch speakers who were blind to the experimental condition (observer-rating). Participants also rated their own individual Dutch language skills during the discussion (self-rating). Participants who consumed alcohol had significantly better observer-ratings for their Dutch language, specifically better pronunciation, compared with those who did not consume alcohol. However, alcohol had no effect on self-ratings of Dutch language skills. Acute alcohol consumption may have beneficial effects on the pronunciation of a foreign language in people who have recently learned that language.

Basic visual observation skills training course. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toquam, J.L.; Morris, F.A.; Griggs, J.R.

1995-06-01

This is the third report in a series prepared to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA or Agency) in enhancing the effectiveness of its international safeguards inspections through inspector training in Observation Skills. The first report (Phase 1) was essentially exploratory. It defined Observation Skills' broadly to include all appropriate cognitive, communications, and interpersonal techniques that have the potential to help IAEA safeguards inspectors function more effectively. The second report (Phase 2) provided a more specific basis for the actual design and delivery of Observation Skills training to IAEA inspectors. The present report (Phase 3) documents the design of a Basic Visual Observation Skills course and delivery of the course to safeguards inspectors at IAEA Headquarters Vienna in February and May of 1995. The purpose of the course is to help safeguards inspectors evaluate and improve their skills in making observations during inspections and in evaluating and interpreting this information. The course is basic in the sense that it provides training in skills which are generally applicable to inspections of all types of facilities and activities subject to safeguards. The course is designed for 16 hours of classroom delivery, ideally in four 4-hour sessions over a period of four days. The first 12 hours provide training in five skill areas: perception and recognition; attention and attention to detail; memory; mental imaging, mapping, and modeling skills; and judgment and decision making. Following the training in each of the five skill areas is an Integrating Exercise involving a simulated safeguards inspection

The importance of the eyes: communication skills in infants of blind parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Senju, Atsushi; Tucker, Leslie; Pasco, Greg; Hudry, Kristelle; Elsabbagh, Mayada; Charman, Tony; Johnson, Mark H

2013-06-07

The effects of selectively different experience of eye contact and gaze behaviour on the early development of five sighted infants of blind parents were investigated. Infants were assessed longitudinally at 6-10, 12-15 and 24-47 months. Face scanning and gaze following were assessed using eye tracking. In addition, established measures of autistic-like behaviours and standardized tests of cognitive, motor and linguistic development, as well as observations of naturalistic parent-child interaction were collected. These data were compared with those obtained from a larger group of sighted infants of sighted parents. Infants with blind parents did not show an overall decrease in eye contact or gaze following when they observed sighted adults on video or in live interactions, nor did they show any autistic-like behaviours. However, they directed their own eye gaze somewhat less frequently towards their blind mothers and also showed improved performance in visual memory and attention at younger ages. Being reared with significantly reduced experience of eye contact and gaze behaviour does not preclude sighted infants from developing typical gaze processing and other social-communication skills. Indeed, the need to switch between different types of communication strategy may actually enhance other skills during development.

Development of a Standardized Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Tool for Radiologists: Validation, Multisource Reliability, and Lessons Learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Stephen D; Rider, Elizabeth A; Jamieson, Katherine; Meyer, Elaine C; Callahan, Michael J; DeBenedectis, Carolynn M; Bixby, Sarah D; Walters, Michele; Forman, Sara F; Varrin, Pamela H; Forbes, Peter; Roussin, Christopher J

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a standardized communication skills assessment instrument for radiology. The Delphi method was used to validate the Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment instrument for radiology by revising and achieving consensus on the 43 items of the preexisting instrument among an interdisciplinary team of experts consisting of five radiologists and four nonradiologists (two men, seven women). Reviewers assessed the applicability of the instrument to evaluation of conversations between radiology trainees and trained actors portraying concerned parents in enactments about bad news, radiation risks, and diagnostic errors that were video recorded during a communication workshop. Interrater reliability was assessed by use of the revised instrument to rate a series of enactments between trainees and actors video recorded in a hospital-based simulator center. Eight raters evaluated each of seven different video-recorded interactions between physicians and parent-actors. The final instrument contained 43 items. After three review rounds, 42 of 43 (98%) items had an average rating of relevant or very relevant for bad news conversations. All items were rated as relevant or very relevant for conversations about error disclosure and radiation risk. Reliability and rater agreement measures were moderate. The intraclass correlation coefficient range was 0.07-0.58; mean, 0.30; SD, 0.13; and median, 0.30. The range of weighted kappa values was 0.03-0.47; mean, 0.23; SD, 0.12; and median, 0.22. Ratings varied significantly among conversations (χ 2 6 = 1186; p communication skills assessment instrument is highly relevant for radiology, having moderate interrater reliability. These findings have important implications for assessing the relational competencies of radiology trainees.

Does playing a sports active video game improve object control skills of children with autism spectrum disorder?

OpenAIRE

Edwards, Jacqueline; Jeffrey, Sarah; May, Tamara; Rinehart, Nicole J.; Barnett, Lisa M.

2017-01-01

Background: Active video games (AVGs) encourage whole body movements to interact or control the gaming system, allowing the opportunity for skill development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show decreased fundamental movement skills in comparison with their typically developing (TD) peers and might benefit from this approach. This pilot study investigates whether playing sports AVGs can increase the actual and perceived object control (OC) skills of 11 children with ASD aged 6–1...

Educational Assessment Knowledge and Skills for Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Brookhart, Susan M.

2011-01-01

The 1990 Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students (AFT, NCME, & NEA, 1990) made a documentable contribution to the field. However, the Standards have become a bit dated, most notably in two ways: (1) the Standards do not consider current conceptions of formative assessment knowledge and skills, and (2) the Standards…

Skills, earnings, and employment: exploring causality in the estimation of returns to skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franziska Hampf

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Ample evidence indicates that a person’s human capital is important for success on the labor market in terms of both wages and employment prospects. However, unlike the efforts to identify the impact of school attainment on labor-market outcomes, the literature on returns to cognitive skills has not yet provided convincing evidence that the estimated returns can be causally interpreted. Using the PIAAC Survey of Adult Skills, this paper explores several approaches that aim to address potential threats to causal identification of returns to skills, in terms of both higher wages and better employment chances. We address measurement error by exploiting the fact that PIAAC measures skills in several domains. Furthermore, we estimate instrumental-variable models that use skill variation stemming from school attainment and parental education to circumvent reverse causation. Results show a strikingly similar pattern across the diverse set of countries in our sample. In fact, the instrumental-variable estimates are consistently larger than those found in standard least-squares estimations. The same is true in two “natural experiments,” one of which exploits variation in skills from changes in compulsory-schooling laws across U.S. states. The other one identifies technologically induced variation in broadband Internet availability that gives rise to variation in ICT skills across German municipalities. Together, the results suggest that least-squares estimates may provide a lower bound of the true returns to skills in the labor market.

Perceptual-cognitive skill and the in situ performance of soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

van Maarseveen, Mariëtte J J; Oudejans, Raôul R D; Mann, David L; Savelsbergh, Geert J P

2018-02-01

Many studies have shown that experts possess better perceptual-cognitive skills than novices (e.g., in anticipation, decision making, pattern recall), but it remains unclear whether a relationship exists between performance on those tests of perceptual-cognitive skill and actual on-field performance. In this study, we assessed the in situ performance of skilled soccer players and related the outcomes to measures of anticipation, decision making, and pattern recall. In addition, we examined gaze behaviour when performing the perceptual-cognitive tests to better understand whether the underlying processes were related when those perceptual-cognitive tasks were performed. The results revealed that on-field performance could not be predicted on the basis of performance on the perceptual-cognitive tests. Moreover, there were no strong correlations between the level of performance on the different tests. The analysis of gaze behaviour revealed differences in search rate, fixation duration, fixation order, gaze entropy, and percentage viewing time when performing the test of pattern recall, suggesting that it is driven by different processes to those used for anticipation and decision making. Altogether, the results suggest that the perceptual-cognitive tests may not be as strong determinants of actual performance as may have previously been assumed.

Actual energy implementations and basic investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nockemann, C.; Wuestenberg, H.

1995-01-01

The actual implementations in guaranteeing the reliability of NDE systems applied in service inspections in nuclear power plants will be presented. The difference between the American PDI (Performance Demonstration Initiative) which is based on blind trials and the European ENIQ (European Network for Inspection Qualification) approach which is based on a mixed procedure of physical modeling, experience data and test experiments will be discussed. The ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) has been adapted from the signal detection theory to NDE problems at BAM to be used for basic investigations and for the validation of new exceptional NDE systems where modeling and reference to standards is not yet possible. Examples of application will be shown and critical discussed especially concerning the influence of the grading unit raster

Validation and standardization of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ among Indian university students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tabassum Rashid

2009-11-01

Full Text Available There is a seeming theoretical incoherence surrounding the construct emotional intelligence (EI, as well as the problematic issues related to its measurement. The development of the psychometrically sound measurement tools based on the coherent theoretical models is fundamental for the EI to be considered as a valid construct. The current research is aimed to reexamine the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ, as well as to evaluate the convergent validity in terms of its relationship with the multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS developed and standardized in the Indian cultural settings. The results indicated that the self-report measure of emotional competence is reliable and valid. Moreover, the factor structure of the questionnaire is confirmed, and other psychometric properties are found to be much in line with the earlier studies conducted in various cultural backgrounds.

Education Graduate Skill Development as Perceived by Employers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Skill development and training in institution and industries serves as a veritable tool for the improvement of technical education graduates. Skill development through training and on-job-training constitute an inevitable strategy if standard must be improved in the institution and industries. It appears from available evidence ...

Using Thinking Skills as a Bridge between ELA and Science Teaching Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Robin Lee

2008-01-01

This article presents five activities that demonstrate developing thinking skills in students, uses comparable ELA and science skills. The thinking skills of Blooms Taxonomy are the organizer. Skills and processes gleaned from NYS ELA and Science Standards included in the article are: categorizing, comparing, following procedures, sequencing,…

Systematic evaluation of nuclear operator team skills training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrington, D.K.; Kello, J.E.

1991-01-01

In recent years, the nuclear industry has increasingly recognized with the technical training given its control room operators. As yet, however, little has been done to determine the actual effectiveness of such nontechnical training. Thus, the questions of how team training should be carried out for maximum impact on the safety and efficiency of control room operation and just what the benefits of such training might be remain open. We are in the early stages of establishing a systematic evaluation process that will help nuclear utilities assess the effectiveness of their existing team skills training programs for control room operators. Research focuses on defining the specific behavioral and attitudinal objectives of team skills training. Simply put, what does good practice look like and sound like in the control room environment? What specific behaviors and attitudes should the training be directed toward? Obviously, the answers to the questions have clear implications for the design of nuclear team skills training programs

Skills Development and Transfer Strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mutshena, M.T.; Nkuna, K.K. [Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Pty (Ltd), P O Box 9394, Centurion, 0046 (South Africa); South African Young Nuclear Professionals Society (South Africa); Thugwane, S.J. [South African Young Nuclear Professionals Society (South Africa); Rasweswe, M.A. [South African Young Nuclear Professionals Society (South Africa); Nuclear Energy Cooperation of South Africa, P O Box 582, PRETORIA 0001 (South Africa)

2008-07-01

South Africa as a developing country is faced with numerous challenges amongst them is the shortage of skills in the working environment. Skills shortage has been aggravated by the retirement of the ageing skilled workforce and emigration of most experienced professionals to first world countries. Some professionals once they acquire the experience they opt out for a consultative business. This leaves a gap or void in the industries which can results into poor performance and quality, lessening of business standards and loosing competition. This challenge need to be attended to, because it will lead to hiring of consultants in most jobs or having many young and less experienced professionals and new graduates filling these gaps. The South African Young Nuclear Professionals Society (SAYNPS) has developed a strategic plan to serve as a guideline on how these challenges mentioned above can be addressed [1]. The proposed strategy will be aligned with skills development in the line of work and should get support from the nuclear Industry. Young professionals and recent graduates are the most affected people who lack skills and shall benefit from these programmes. In order for skill development and transfer to be accomplished there should be a Skill Development and Transfer Strategy and procedures to be followed. (authors)

Skills Development and Transfer Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mutshena, M.T.; Nkuna, K.K.; Thugwane, S.J.; Rasweswe, M.A.

2008-01-01

South Africa as a developing country is faced with numerous challenges amongst them is the shortage of skills in the working environment. Skills shortage has been aggravated by the retirement of the ageing skilled workforce and emigration of most experienced professionals to first world countries. Some professionals once they acquire the experience they opt out for a consultative business. This leaves a gap or void in the industries which can results into poor performance and quality, lessening of business standards and loosing competition. This challenge need to be attended to, because it will lead to hiring of consultants in most jobs or having many young and less experienced professionals and new graduates filling these gaps. The South African Young Nuclear Professionals Society (SAYNPS) has developed a strategic plan to serve as a guideline on how these challenges mentioned above can be addressed [1]. The proposed strategy will be aligned with skills development in the line of work and should get support from the nuclear Industry. Young professionals and recent graduates are the most affected people who lack skills and shall benefit from these programmes. In order for skill development and transfer to be accomplished there should be a Skill Development and Transfer Strategy and procedures to be followed. (authors)

Calculation of the actual cost in the chemical fertilizer industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion Ionescu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The main goal of the research is to present a way of organising the managerial accounting of totally and semi finished product obtained in chemical fertilizer industry entities. For this study, we analyzed the current principle of managerial accounting to an entity in the studied area, in order to emphasize the need of organizing and implementing a modern accounting management to control the cost and increase the performance of the entities in this area, starting from the premise that there are sufficient similarities between entities in the field. The research has highlighted the fact that, nowadays, the cost calculation is organized using traditional methods, which focus on the monthly determination of the actual unit cost per product (semi-fabric and that it is necessary to organize and implement a managerial accounting, based on the use of a modern method, namely the standard cost method combined with cost centre method. The major implications of the proposed system for the researched field are the monthly calculation of actual costs per cost centres, the calculation of the actual cost per product, as the final cost carrier, to be performed over longer periods of time, usually, quarterly.

Actual competence, rather than perceived competence, is a better predictor of physical activity in children aged 6-9 years.

Science.gov (United States)

McIntyre, Fleur; Parker, Helen; Chivers, Paola; Hands, Beth

2018-07-01

There is a limited understanding about the relative importance of perceived and actual competence on emergent physical activity levels in children and whether there is a difference in their development and strength between boys and girls. This study used a single-cohort, multiple age group design to monitor physical activity, actual motor competence (AMC) and perceived competence (PC) on four occasions over 18 months in 6-to 9-year-old boys and girls (N = 201). Physical activity was measured by 7-day daily step counts (pedometer) and activity diary. AMC was assessed by mastery of skill criteria for 4 motor skills; run, overhand throw, standing broad jump, and line walk. PC was measured with the Self Description Questionnaire-I. Linear Mixed Model analysis revealed that AMC, Gender and School significantly impacted physical activity levels longitudinally in these children. AMC made a greater contribution (9-30%) to physical activity levels than PC (0-5%), and at an earlier age in boys (7 years) than girls (9 years). The need to acknowledge these developing distinctions in considering emergent physical activity levels has important implications for childhood learning environments and physical activity interventions.

Enhancing clinical skills education: University of Virginia School of Medicine's Clerkship Clinical Skills Workshop Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbett, Eugene C; Payne, Nancy J; Bradley, Elizabeth B; Maughan, Karen L; Heald, Evan B; Wang, Xin Qun

2007-07-01

In 1993, the University of Virginia School of Medicine began a clinical skills workshop program in an effort to improve the preparation of all clerkship students to participate in clinical care. This program involved the teaching of selected basic clinical skills by interested faculty to small groups of third-year medical students. Over the past 14 years, the number of workshops has increased from 11 to 31, and they now involve clerkship faculty from family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Workshops include a variety of common skills from the communication, physical examination, and clinical test and procedure domains such as pediatric phone triage, shoulder examination, ECG interpretation, and suturing. Workshop sessions allow students to practice skills on each other, with standardized patients, or with models, with the goal of improving competence and confidence in the performance of basic clinical skills. Students receive direct feedback from faculty on their skill performance. The style and content of these workshops are guided by an explicit set of educational criteria.A formal evaluation process ensures that faculty receive regular feedback from student evaluation comments so that adherence to workshop criteria is continuously reinforced. Student evaluations confirm that these workshops meet their skill-learning needs. Preliminary outcome measures suggest that workshop teaching can be linked to student assessment data and may improve students' skill performance. This program represents a work-in-progress toward the goal of providing a more comprehensive and developmental clinical skills curriculum in the school of medicine.

Potret interpersonal communication skill mahasiswa calon konselor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dian Ari Widyastuti

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the interpersonal communication skill level of the counselor candidate students. This study is a quantitative descriptive study with data collection instrument in the form of Interpersonal Communication Skill (ICS scale. The subjects of the study were 105 students of Guidance and Counseling Study Program in one of the universities in Yogyakarta City which was taken by random sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis, where the criteria were calculated using standard deviation and mean formulas. The results showed that as many as 14.29% of students are in the criteria of interpersonal communication skill is very high, 23.81% of students are in interpersonal communication skill criteria high, 37.14% of students are on interpersonal communication skill criteria are, 20% sinterpersonal communication skills criteria are low, and 4.76% of students are in very low interpersonal communication skill criteria. The results of this study can be used as a reference in an effort to develop interpersonal communication skill prospective student counselor

Construct and concurrent validity of a Nintendo Wii video game made for training basic laparoscopic skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalink, M B; Goris, J; Heineman, E; Pierie, J P E N; ten Cate Hoedemaker, H O

2014-02-01

Virtual reality (VR) laparoscopic simulators have been around for more than 10 years and have proven to be cost- and time-effective in laparoscopic skills training. However, most simulators are, in our experience, considered less interesting by residents and are often poorly accessible. Consequently, these devices are rarely used in actual training. In an effort to make a low-cost and more attractive simulator, a custom-made Nintendo Wii game was developed. This game could ultimately be used to train the same basic skills as VR laparoscopic simulators ought to. Before such a video game can be implemented into a surgical training program, it has to be validated according to international standards. The main goal of this study was to test construct and concurrent validity of the controls of a prototype of the game. In this study, the basic laparoscopic skills of experts (surgeons, urologists, and gynecologists, n = 15) were compared to those of complete novices (internists, n = 15) using the Wii Laparoscopy (construct validity). Scores were also compared to the Fundamentals of Laparoscopy (FLS) Peg Transfer test, an already established assessment method for measuring basic laparoscopic skills (concurrent validity). Results showed that experts were 111 % faster (P = 0.001) on the Wii Laparoscopy task than novices. Also, scores of the FLS Peg Transfer test and the Wii Laparoscopy showed a significant, high correlation (r = 0.812, P < 0.001). The prototype setup of the Wii Laparoscopy possesses solid construct and concurrent validity.

Scientific Literacy Matters: Using Literature to Meet Next Generation Science Standards and 21st Century Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia Tomovic

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Scientific literacy matters. It matters because it is vitally important to the education and development of America’s children, tomorrow's workforce, and the keepers of our future. If the future of American individual decision making, engagement in civic and cultural affairs, and valuable contributions to economic development is to be protected, it is critical that American students become more scientifically literate than they are today. Today, most Americans, including students, are considered scientifically illiterate. Recognizing the need to develop and enhance scientific literacy (also known as science literacy, science educators have worked diligently at developing new science standards, new approaches to science teaching, and new techniques aimed at engaging students in the practice of science. In this article, the use of literature is discussed as one method to augment or supplement the teaching of science. In the context of making a literature selection, a new conceptual approach is proposed that includes attention to meeting the Next Generation Science Standards while being responsive to the importance of 21st Century Skills. Additionally, a Literary Assessment Tool is shared that demonstrates how science educators can evaluate a literary selection in terms of how well it will help them to enhance scientific literacy.

Understanding standard drinks and drinking guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, William C; Stockwell, Tim

2012-03-01

For consumers to follow drinking guidelines and limit their risk of negative consequences they need to track their ethanol consumption. This paper reviews published research on the ability of consumers to utilise information about the alcohol content of beverages when expressed in different forms, for example in standard drinks or units versus percentage alcohol content. A review of the literature on standard drink definitions and consumer understanding of these, actual drink pouring, use of standard drinks in guidelines and consumer understanding and use of these. Standard drink definitions vary across countries and typically contain less alcohol than actual drinks. Drinkers have difficulty defining and pouring standard drinks with over-pouring being the norm such that intake volume is typically underestimated. Drinkers have difficulty using percentage alcohol by volume and pour size information in calculating intake but can effectively utilise standard drink labelling to track intake. Standard drink labelling is an effective but little used strategy for enabling drinkers to track their alcohol intake and potentially conform to safe or low-risk drinking guidelines. © 2011 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

40 CFR 63.2854 - How do I determine the weighted average volume fraction of HAP in the actual solvent loss?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... volume fraction of HAP in the actual solvent loss? 63.2854 Section 63.2854 Protection of Environment... AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Solvent... average volume fraction of HAP in the actual solvent loss? (a) This section describes the information and...

Are Soil Pollution Risks Established by Governments the Same as Actual Risks?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reijnders, L.

2010-01-01

Though soil pollution policies in North America and the European Union increasingly use risk-based standards, the construction and application of such standards are often deficient in taking account of actual risks. Standards refer to total concentrations of substances and not to the biologically available amount. A number of countries neglect -background exposure, and assumptions regarding routes of exposure to soil pollution can be very different and at variance with empirical data. Recent dose-effect studies are neglected in a number of cases. The application of standards does not take account of the overall risk of soil pollution but rather leads to the decision whether or not there is violation of at least one standard for a specified (group of) substance(s). Standards for soil pollutants are often based on the assumption that only effect addition can occur, whereas dose addition, antagonism and synergism, and indirect effects may in fact apply. Several remedies for current shortcomings are proposed

Study Skills of Arts and Science College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sekar, J. Master Arul; Rajendran, K. K.

2015-01-01

The main objective of this study is to find out the level of study skills of arts and science college students. Study Skills Check List developed and standardized by Virginia University, Australia (2006) is used to collect the relevant data. The sample consists of 216 Government arts and science college students of Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil…

Assessing Teamwork Skills for Assurance of Learning Using CATME Team Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Loughry, Misty L.; Ohland, Matthew W.; Woehr, David J.

2014-01-01

Colleges of business must meet assurance of learning requirements to gain or maintain AACSB accreditation under the new standards adopted April 8, 2013. Team skills are among the most important skills desired by recruiters, yet employers and scholars perceive that team skills are frequently deficient in college graduates. This article describes…

A Systematic Review of Studies Regarding Applying Standardized Patients for Teaching Communication Skills to Medical Students Between 2000 - 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Shirazi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction : Standardized patients, people who are prepared to act as patient as if they are factual and proven performance.   Methods : BEME systematic review of the current approach was for the first time. Databases searched in this study, Scopus, Medline Cinahl, Web of science, Eric, Cochrane, Jama, Ebsco. According to the study, the general criteria for inclusion of articles to study 42 papers were accepted for inclusion into the check list. Check list used is taken from the BEME coding sheet that fits certain criteria, it was added to the study objectives and was developed.   Results : 42 Articles entered into the study, all articles were searched using electronic search. According to a Check list design , types of communication skills that have been studied in this way that doctors and patients communicate Article 7 , Article 2 to start the discussion with the patient, listening skills Article 7 , Article 16 verbal communication with the patient, patient 18, article nonverbal communication , such as body movements , eye contact , etc. 7 articles to gather information , to communicate article 5 , article 5 to understand the patient's perspective , article 13 words, bad news patient (e.g. adversity , cancer, etc , articles 10 to empathize with the patient.   Conclusions : Standardized patients as a teaching method and teaching and assessment practices in recent years have been considered. The lack of articles in the area, the possibility of a vacuum in the decisions of the causes that systematic crossings are operating, particularly the kind of BEME and update that due to the growth of the papers in this area, partly to solve this problem will help.

Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Sameena; Andrades, Marie; Basir, Fasia; Jaleel, Anila; Azam, Iqbal; Islam, Muhammad; Ahmed, Rashida

2016-01-01

Evidence highlights a lack of communication skills in doctors leading to dysfunctional consultations. To address this deficit, a private medical college instituted curricular reforms with inclusion of a longitudinal communication skills program. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of this program by comparing the consultation skills of medical students of this college with a medical college without a communication skills program. A 4-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conducted in the third and final year. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference in the distribution between OSCE stations total and construct scores. At the end of the third year, 21 (31.34%), students of the study site (medical college 1 [college with integrated longitudinal communication skills program]) and 31 (46.26%) students from the comparison site (medical college 2 [comparable college without communication skills program]) consented. Medical college 1 achieved a significantly higher overall mean total station score of 68.0% (standard deviation [SD] =13.5) versus 57.2% (SD = 15.4) (P skills in an undergraduate curriculum positively impacted consultation skills. Community-based training and faculty development are required to develop effective patient-centered consultation skills.

Teaching Advanced Leadership Skills in Community Service (ALSCS) to medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Adam O; Calleson, Diane; Bearman, Rachel; Steiner, Beat D; Frasier, Pamela Y; Slatt, Lisa

2009-06-01

Inadequate access to health care, lack of health insurance, and significant health disparities reflect crises in health care affecting all of society. Training U.S. physicians to possess not only clinical expertise but also sufficient leadership skills is essential to solve these problems and to effectively improve health care systems. Few models in the undergraduate medical curriculum exist for teaching students how to combine needed leadership competencies with actual service opportunities.The Advanced Leadership Skills in Community Service (ALSCS) selective developed in response to the shortage of leadership models and leadership training for medical students. The ALSCS selective is designed specifically to increase students' leadership skills, with an emphasis on community service. The selective integrates classroom-based learning, hands-on application of learned skills, and service learning. More than 60 medical students have participated in the selective since inception. Short-term outcomes demonstrate an increase in students' self-efficacy around multiple dimensions of leadership skills (e.g., fundraising, networking, motivating others). Students have also successfully completed more than a dozen leadership and community service projects. The selective offers an innovative model of a leadership-skills-based course that can have a positive impact on leadership skill development among medical school students and that can be incorporated into the medical school curriculum.

Crowd-sourced assessment of technical skills: an opportunity for improvement in the assessment of laparoscopic surgical skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Deal, Shanley B; Lendvay, Thomas S; Haque, Mohamad I; Brand, Timothy; Comstock, Bryan; Warren, Justin; Alseidi, Adnan

2016-02-01

Objective, unbiased assessment of surgical skills remains a challenge in surgical education. We sought to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of Crowd-Sourced Assessment of Technical Skills. Seven volunteer general surgery interns were given time for training and then testing, on laparoscopic peg transfer, precision cutting, and intracorporeal knot-tying. Six faculty experts (FEs) and 203 Amazon.com Mechanical Turk crowd workers (CWs) evaluated 21 deidentified video clips using the Global Objective Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills validated rating instrument. Within 19 hours and 15 minutes we received 662 eligible ratings from 203 CWs and 126 ratings from 6 FEs over 10 days. FE video ratings were of borderline internal consistency (Krippendorff's alpha = .55). FE ratings were highly correlated with CW ratings (Pearson's correlation coefficient = .78, P Assessment of Technical Skills as a reliable, basic tool to standardize the evaluation of technical skills in general surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Actualism and Fictional Characters

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André Leclerc

2016-04-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2016v20n1p61 In what follows, I present only part of a program that consists in developing a version of actualism as an adequate framework for the metaphysics of intentionality. I will try to accommodate in that framework suggestions found in Kripke’s works and some positions developed by Amie Thomasson. What should we change if we accept “fictional entities” in the domain of the actual world? Actualism is the thesis that everything that exists belongs to the domain of the actual world and that there are no possibilia. I shall defend that there are abstract artefacts, like fictional characters, and institutions. My argument could be seen as a version of Moore’s paradox: it is paradoxical to say: “I made (created it, but I do not believe it exists”. Moreover, there are true sentences about them. I will examine what it means to include abstract artefacts in the domain of the actual world. I favour a use of “exist” that includes beings with no concrete occupation of tri-dimensional space; to exist, it is enough to have been introduced at some moment in history. Abstract artefacts, like fictional characters, exist in that sense. I argue that it is important to distinguish two perspectives (internal and external in order to clarify the kind of knowledge we have of fictional characters. However, their existence presupposes a relation of dependence to a material basis and the mental activities of many people.

Do resident's leadership skills relate to ratings of technical skill?

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Gannon, Samantha J; Law, Katherine E; Ray, Rebecca D; Nathwani, Jay N; DiMarco, Shannon M; D'Angelo, Anne-Lise D; Pugh, Carla M

2016-12-01

This study sought to compare general surgery research residents' survey information regarding self-efficacy ratings to their observed performance during a simulated small bowel repair. Their observed performance ratings were based on their leadership skills in directing their assistant. Participants were given 15 min to perform a bowel repair using bovine intestines with standardized injuries. Operative assistants were assigned to help assist with the repair. Before the procedure, participants were asked to rate their expected skills decay, task difficulty, and confidence in addressing the small bowel injury. Interactions were coded to identify the number of instructions given by the participants to the assistant during the repair. Statistical analyses assessed the relationship between the number of directional instructions and participants' perceptions self-efficacy measures. Directional instructions were defined as any dialog by the participant who guided the assistant to perform an action. Thirty-six residents (58.3% female) participated in the study. Participants who rated lower levels of decay in their intraoperative decision-making and small bowel repair skills were noted to use their assistant more by giving more instructions. Similarly, a higher number of instructions correlated with lower perceived difficulty in selecting the correct suture, suture pattern, and completing the entire surgical task. General surgery research residents' intraoperative leadership skills showed significant correlations to their perceptions of skill decay and task difficulty during a bowel repair. Evaluating resident's directional instructions may provide an additional individualized intraoperative assessment metric. Further evaluation relating to operative performance outcomes is warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The savant syndrome: intellectual impairment and exceptional skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, L K

1999-01-01

Occasionally, people with developmental disability display skills at a level inconsistent with their general intellectual functioning, so-called "savant" behavior. Studies of savant behavior are reviewed to determine their relevance to notions about the importance of general intellective functions in the development of exceptional skill. It is concluded that (a) the skill exhibited by savants shares many characteristics with that in people without disability, (b) the skill is usually accompanied by normative levels of performance on at least some subtests of standardized measures of cognitive achievement, and (c) it is unclear whether savants have distinctive cognitive strengths or motivational dispositions, though their relative prevalence among people with certain kinds of disability suggests predisposing constraints. The author proposes that these skills typically reflect highly elaborated preconceptual representational systems.

Standardisation And Validation Study Of A New Study Skills ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Concerns have also been raised by various researchers about the latent constructs of existing western scales to assess study skills. The objective of this study was to develop, standardize and validate a culturally sensitive study skills questionnaire (SSQ). Methods: a stratified random sample of secondary school students (n ...

Recolecta: estado actual y perspectivas

OpenAIRE

López Medina, Alicia

2010-01-01

Estado actual del Recolector de ciencia abierta español: Recolecta y proyectos de futuro. López Medina, A. (2010). Recolecta: estado actual y perspectivas. X Workshop Rebiun sobre proyectos digitales. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/8710.

Face validity of a Wii U video game for training basic laparoscopic skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jalink, Maarten B.; Goris, Jetse; Heineman, Erik; Pierie, Jean-Pierre E. N.; Hoedemaker, Henk O. ten Cate

a BACKGROUND: Although the positive effects of playing video games on basic laparoscopic skills have been studied for several years, no games are actually used in surgical training. This article discusses the face validity of the first video game and custom-made hardware, which takes advantage of

A management framework for training providers to improve skills development in the workplace

OpenAIRE

2011-01-01

D.Ed. A skills revolution was launched in the South African workplace by the Department of Labour in 1998. Various skills development legislation were introduced to meet international standards, redress skills imbalances, curb skills shortages and improve the general skills in the current workforce. Training providers were the drivers of workplace training, yet are now displaced by skills authorities, such as the SET As, the ETQAs and SAQA. While the custody of skills development is placed...

Shifting Gears: Standards, Assessments, Curriculum, & Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Eleanor

This book is designed to help educators move from a system that measures students against students to one that values mastery of central concepts and skills, striving for proficiency in publicly acknowledged standards of academic performance. It aims to connect the operative parts of standards-based education (standards, assessment, curriculum,…

Peranan Moderasi Soft Skills dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Pelayanan Rumah Sakit

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Viviyanti Azwar

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Penurunan mutu pelayanan Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Dr. M. Djamil merupakan penentu bagi kinerja rumah sakit sebagai perusahaan jasa. Penurunan mutu pelayanan diindikasikan dengan penurunan rata-rata pelayanan periode tahun 2008-2010 pada instalasi radiologi mencapai 11,29%, laboratorium 5,19%, farmasi 18,5%, instalasi rehabilitasi medik 3,74%, gizi 9,12%, pemulasan jenazah 11,86%, operasi 5,29%, dan hemodialisa 3,62%. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis peranan soft skills memoderasi sumber daya organisasi, keterikatan kerja, kinerja karyawan dalam meningkatkan mutu pelayanan rumah sakit. Pengukuran seluruh konstruksi dan indikator penelitian menggunakan kuesioner yang disebarkan kepada 530 karyawan rumah sakit sebagai tenaga medis maupun nonmedis yang dijadikan responden. Metode analisis data menggunakan Structural Equation Modeling (SEM dengan software. Hasil penelitian menyimpulkan soft skills memoderasi sumber daya organisasi berperan meningkatkan mutu pelayanan dengan standar koefisien sebesar 0,53. Soft skills memoderasi keterikatan kerja berperan meningkatkan mutu pelayanan dengan koefisien standardize sebesar 0,62. Soft skills memoderasi kinerja karyawan berperan meningkatkan mutu pelayanan dengan standar koefisien sebesar 0,32. The decline in the quality of service General Hospital Dr. M. Djamil is a determinant for the performance of the Hospital as a service company. Decline in service quality as indicated by the decline in average service period of 2008-2010 on radiological installations reached 11.29%, laboratory 5.19%, pharmacy 18.5%, IRM 3.74%, 9.12% nutrition, smear bodies 11.86%, surgery 5.29%, and hemodialysis 3.62%. This study aims to analyze the moderating role of soft skills of organizational resources, work engagement, employee performance in improving the quality of hospital care. Measurement of whole constructs and indicators study used questionnaires distributed to 530 employees at the Hospital as a medical or

Exploring Parliamentary Debate as a Pedagogical Tool to Develop English Communication Skills in EFL/ESL Classrooms

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Eunice M. Aclan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available To survive in the 21st century workplace, communication skills are extremely important. However, a mismatch between the industry requirement and the university graduates’ competencies in terms of effective communication skills exists. Rote learning and lack of opportunities to practice English communication skills inside and outside the classroom are common issues in EFL/ESL contexts. Thus, this qualitative study was conducted to explore how debate as a pedagogical tool with three stages - pre-debate, actual debate and post-debate - can develop communication skills. The data were gathered through semi-structured one-on-one interview with five debate experts across from ASEAN countries and focus group interview with six ASEAN debate students. The participants of this study  described  the use of the pre-debate stage for the research and brainstorming tasks  that engage the team members with each other, the actual debate for the arguments, POI and rebuttals that actively engage debaters with their opponents, and the post-debate stage that engage all the debaters with the adjudicators, their team-mates and their opponents. This pedagogical aspect focusing on the three stages of debate which has implications for SLA and language teaching was not substantially dealt with in previous studies on debate.

Addressing Perceived Skill Deficiencies in Student Affairs Graduate Preparation Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Jay; Mitchell, Donald, Jr.; Eckerle, Kayle; Martin, Kyle

2016-01-01

This article explores existing literature on perceived skill deficiencies among entry-level student affairs practitioners. Through a review of recent literature, seven perceived skill deficiencies were identified, including budgeting and financial management, strategic planning, research and assessment, legal knowledge and standards, supervision,…

Marijuana and actual driving performance

Science.gov (United States)

1993-11-01

This report concerns the effects of marijuana smoking on actual driving performance. It presents the results of one pilot and three actual driving studies. The pilot study's major purpose was to establish the THC dose current marijuana users smoke to...

Motor skills of children with autistic spectrum disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zikl Pavel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The contribution contains results of a research of motor skills of children with autistic spectrum disorder. The group of children represents besides major triad of symptoms, also described difficulties in the field of motor skills. Our aim to find out what motor skills of these children are in comparison with intact population and what differences are found in individual motor items, i.e. in fine motor skills, gross motor skills and in balance. The data was gained with the use of standardized Movement Assessment Battery test for Children 2 (MABC-2. Objective testing of this group of children is relatively difficult. There were successfully tested 36 children with ASD during this phase of research. The research demonstrated evident motor disorder at 86% of children in the observed sample. Statistically significant were worse results in the field of fine motor skills compared to the results in gross motor skills and balance.

Identifying Students' Difficulties When Learning Technical Skills via a Wireless Sensor Network

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jingying; Wen, Ming-Lee; Jou, Min

2016-01-01

Practical training and actual application of acquired knowledge and techniques are crucial for the learning of technical skills. We established a wireless sensor network system (WSNS) based on the 5E learning cycle in a practical learning environment to improve students' reflective abilities and to reduce difficulties for the learning of technical…

The Divergent Thinking of Basic Skills of Sciences Process Skills of Life Aspects on Natural Sciences Subject in Indonesian Elementary School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Subali, Bambang; Paidi; Mariyam, Siti

2016-01-01

This research aims at measuring the divergent thinking of basic skills of science process skills (SPS) of life aspects in Natural Sciences subjects on Elementary School. The test instruments used in this research have been standardized through the development of instruments. In this case, the tests were tried out to 3070 students. The results of…

Gauging Skills of Hospital Security Personnel: a Statistically-driven, Questionnaire-based Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinkoo, Arvind Vashishta; Mishra, Shubhra; Rahesuddin; Nabi, Tauqeer; Chandra, Vidha; Chandra, Hem

2013-01-01

This study aims to gauge the technical and soft skills of the hospital security personnel so as to enable prioritization of their training needs. A cross sectional questionnaire based study was conducted in December 2011. Two separate predesigned and pretested questionnaires were used for gauging soft skills and technical skills of the security personnel. Extensive statistical analysis, including Multivariate Analysis (Pillai-Bartlett trace along with Multi-factorial ANOVA) and Post-hoc Tests (Bonferroni Test) was applied. The 143 participants performed better on the soft skills front with an average score of 6.43 and standard deviation of 1.40. The average technical skills score was 5.09 with a standard deviation of 1.44. The study avowed a need for formal hands on training with greater emphasis on technical skills. Multivariate analysis of the available data further helped in identifying 20 security personnel who should be prioritized for soft skills training and a group of 36 security personnel who should receive maximum attention during technical skills training. This statistically driven approach can be used as a prototype by healthcare delivery institutions worldwide, after situation specific customizations, to identify the training needs of any category of healthcare staff.

Teachers' Conceptualization and Actual Practice in the Student Evaluation Process at the Upper Secondary School Level in Japan, Focusing on Problem Solving Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Wai, Nu Nu; Hirakawa, Yukiko

2001-01-01

Studied the participation and performance of upper secondary school teachers in Japan through surveys completed by 360 Geography teachers. Findings suggest that the importance of developing problem-solving skills is widely recognized among these teachers. Implementing training in such skills is much more difficult. Developing effective teaching…

7 CFR 1437.101 - Actual production history.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Actual production history. 1437.101 Section 1437.101... Determining Yield Coverage Using Actual Production History § 1437.101 Actual production history. Actual production history (APH) is the unit's record of crop yield by crop year for the APH base period. The APH...

Efficacy of standardized training on a virtual reality simulator to advance knee and shoulder arthroscopic motor skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahm, Stefan; Wieser, Karl; Bauer, David E; Waibel, Felix Wa; Meyer, Dominik C; Gerber, Christian; Fucentese, Sandro F

2018-05-16

Most studies demonstrated, that training on a virtual reality based arthroscopy simulator leads to an improvement of technical skills in orthopaedic surgery. However, how long and what kind of training is optimal for young residents is unknown. In this study we tested the efficacy of a standardized, competency based training protocol on a validated virtual reality based knee- and shoulder arthroscopy simulator. Twenty residents and five experts in arthroscopy were included. All participants performed a test including knee -and shoulder arthroscopy tasks on a virtual reality knee- and shoulder arthroscopy simulator. The residents had to complete a competency based training program. Thereafter, the previously completed test was retaken. We evaluated the metric data of the simulator using a z-score and the Arthroscopic Surgery Skill Evaluation Tool (ASSET) to assess training effects in residents and performance levels in experts. The residents significantly improved from pre- to post training in the overall z-score: - 9.82 (range, - 20.35 to - 1.64) to - 2.61 (range, - 6.25 to 1.5); p < 0.001. The overall ASSET score improved from 55 (27 to 84) percent to 75 (48 to 92) percent; p < 0.001. The experts, however, achieved a significantly higher z-score in the shoulder tasks (p < 0.001 and a statistically insignificantly higher z-score in the knee tasks with a p = 0.921. The experts mean overall ASSET score (knee and shoulder) was significantly higher in the therapeutic tasks (p < 0.001) compared to the residents post training result. The use of a competency based simulator training with this specific device for 3-5 h is an effective tool to advance basic arthroscopic skills of resident in training from 0 to 5 years based on simulator measures and simulator based ASSET testing. Therefore, we conclude that this sort of training method appears useful to learn the handling of the camera, basic anatomy and the triangulation with instruments.

Skill Learning and Skill Transfer Mediated by Cooperative Haptic Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Avila Mireles, Edwin Johnatan; Zenzeri, Jacopo; Squeri, Valentina; Morasso, Pietro; De Santis, Dalia

2017-07-01

It is known that physical coupling between two subjects may be advantageous in joint tasks. However, little is known about how two people mutually exchange information to exploit the coupling. Therefore, we adopted a reversed, novel perspective to the standard one that focuses on the ability of physically coupled subjects to adapt to cooperative contexts that require negotiating a common plan: we investigated how training in pairs on a novel task affects the development of motor skills of each of the interacting partners. The task involved reaching movements in an unstable dynamic environment using a bilateral non-linear elastic tool that could be used bimanually or dyadically. The main result is that training with an expert leads to the greatest performance in the joint task. However, the performance in the individual test is strongly affected by the initial skill level of the partner. Moreover, practicing with a peer rather than an expert appears to be more advantageous for a naive; and motor skills can be transferred to a bimanual context, after training with an expert, only if the non-expert subject had prior experience of the dynamics of the novel task.

Fatigue life prediction of autofrettage tubes using actual material behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahed, Hamid; Farshi, Behrooz; Hosseini, Mohammad

2006-01-01

There is a profound Bauschinger effect in the behaviour of high-strength steels used in autofrettaged tubes. This has led to development of methods capable of considering experimentally obtained (actual) material behaviour in residual stress calculations. The extension of these methods to life calculations is presented here. To estimate the life of autofrettaged tubes with a longitudinal surface crack emanating from the bore more accurately, instead of using idealized models, the experimental loading-unloading stress-strain behaviour is employed. The resulting stresses are then used to calculate stress intensity factors by the weight function method as input to fatigue life determination. Fatigue lives obtained using the actual material behaviour are then compared with the results of frequently used ideal models including those considering Bauschinger effect factors and strain hardening in unloading. Using standard fatigue crack growth relationships, life of the vessel is then calculated based on recommended initial and final crack length. It is shown that the life gain due to autofrettage above 70% overstrain is considerable

Development of fine motor skills in preterm infants.

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Bos, Arend F; Van Braeckel, Koenraad N J A; Hitzert, Marrit M; Tanis, Jozien C; Roze, Elise

2013-11-01

Fine motor skills are related to functioning in daily life and at school. We reviewed the status of knowledge, in preterm children, on the development of fine motor skills, the relation with gross motor skills, and risk factors for impaired fine motor skills. We searched the past 15 years in PubMed, using ['motor skills' or 'fine motor function' and 'preterm infant'] as the search string. Impaired gross and fine motor skills are among the most frequently occurring problems encountered by preterm children who do not develop cerebral palsy. The prevalence is around 40% for mild to moderate impairment and 20% for moderate impairment. Fine motor skill scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children are about 0.62 of a standard deviation lower compared with term children. Risk factors for fine motor impairments include moderately preterm birth (odds ratio [OR] 2.0) and, among very preterm children (development of and recovery from brain injury could guide future intervention attempts aimed at improving fine motor skills of preterm children. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2013 Mac Keith Press.

Development and Highly Skilled Migrants: Perspectives from the Indian Diaspora and Returnees

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Gabriela Tejada

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The migration development nexus assumes that skilled migrants possess the potential to bring benefits to their developing countries of origin. In India in particular, this brain-gain is of great interest to study because of the significant presence of Indian skilled professionals in western countries. This paper examines the role of the factors on an individual and structural level which are responsible for skilled Indian migrants’ interests in their home country’s development. It also examines the extent to which returnees actually perceive themselves as agents of development at both a collective and an interpersonal level. The authors apply logistic regression to a primary data-based survey on skilled Indians in Europe and returnees in India. They find that both familiarity with the contemporary Indian situation as well as disadvantaged identities drive skilled migrants’ interests in home-country development. Disadvantaged identities also affect returnees’ own recognition of their role as agents of development and change. Other factors bearing this agency role include membership of cultural, religious, or political organisations, professional field, and level of education.

[Critical thinking skills in the nursing diagnosis process].

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Bittencourt, Greicy Kelly Gouveia Dias; Crossetti, Maria da Graça Oliveira

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to identify the critical thinking skills utilized in the nursing diagnosis process. This was an exploratory descriptive study conducted with seven nursing students on the application of a clinical case to identify critical thinking skills, as well as their justifications in the nursing diagnosis process. Content analysis was performed to evaluate descriptive data. Six participants reported that analysis, scientific and technical knowledge and logical reasoning skills are important in identifying priority nursing diagnoses; clinical experience was cited by five participants, knowledge about the patient and application of standards were mentioned by three participants; Furthermore, discernment and contextual perspective were skills noted by two participants. Based on these results, the use of critical thinking skills related to the steps of the nursing diagnosis process was observed. Therefore, that the application of this process may constitute a strategy that enables the development of critical thinking skills.

Games To Enhance Social and Emotional Skills: Sixty-Six Games That Teach Children, Adolescents, and Adults Skills Crucial to Success in Life.

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Malouff, John; Schutte, Nicola S.

By using a game-centered approach, mental health professionals can help teach social and emotional skills to their clients. The 66 games described in this book are presented using a standard format that includes suggestions for how to help players use their skills in daily life. The games were field tested using an evaluation strategy that focused…

LOW COMPRESSION TENNIS BALLS AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Hammond

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Coaching aims to improve player performance and coaches have a number of coaching methods and strategies they use to enhance this process. If new methods and ideas can be determined to improve player performance they will change coaching practices and processes. This study investigated the effects of using low compression balls (LCBs during coaching sessions with beginning tennis players. In order to assess the effectiveness of LCBs on skill learning the study employed a quasi-experimental design supported by qualitative and descriptive data. Beginner tennis players took part in coaching sessions, one group using the LCBs while the other group used standard tennis balls. Both groups were administered a skills at the beginning of a series of coaching sessions and again at the end. A statistical investigation of the difference between pre and post-test results was carried out to determine the effect of LCBs on skill learning. Additional qualitative data was obtained through interviews, video capture and the use of performance analysis of typical coaching sessions for each group. The skill test results indicated no difference in skill learning when comparing beginners using the LCBs to those using the standard balls. Coaches reported that the LCBs appeared to have a positive effect on technique development, including aspects of technique that are related to improving power of the shot. Additional benefits were that rallies went on longer and more opportunity for positive reinforcement. In order to provide a more conclusive answer to the effects of LCBs on skill learning and technique development recommendations for future research were established including a more controlled experimental environment and larger sample sizes across a longer period of time

ComOn Coaching: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of a varied number of coaching sessions on transfer into clinical practice following communication skills training.

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Niglio de Figueiredo, Marcelo; Rudolph, Bärbel; Rodolph, Bärbel; Bylund, Carma L; Goelz, Tanja; Heußner, Pia; Sattel, Heribert; Fritzsche, Kurt; Wuensch, Alexander

2015-07-07

Communication skills training has proven to be an effective means to enhance communication of health care professionals in oncology. These effects are well studied in standardized settings. The question of transferring these skills into clinical consultations remains open. We build up on a previous developed training concept consisting of a workshop and coaching. This training achieved a medium effect size in two studies with standardized patients. In the current study, we expanded and manualized the coaching concept, and we will evaluate effects of a varied number of coaching sessions on real clinical consultations. Our aim is to determine how much coaching oncologists need to transfer communication skills into clinical practice. Physicians of two German medical centers will participate in a workshop for communication skills and will be randomized to either a group with one coaching session or a group with four coaching sessions following the workshop. The participation is voluntary and the physicians will receive medical education points. Consultations held by the participating physicians with actual patients who gave their informed consent will be filmed at three time points. These consultations will be evaluated by blinded raters using a checklist based on the training content (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes will be the self-evaluated communication competence by physicians and an evaluation of the consultations by both physicians and patients. We will evaluate our communication training concept on three levels - rater, physician and patient - and concentrate on the transfer of communication skills into real life situations. As we emphasize the external validity in this study design, limitations will be expected due to heterogeneity of data. With this study we aim to gain data on how to improve communication skills training that will result in better patient outcomes. German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00004385 .

Non-technical skills assessment in surgery.

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Sharma, Bharat; Mishra, Amit; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2011-09-01

Adverse events in surgery have highlighted the importance of non-technical skills, such as communication, decision-making, teamwork, situational awareness and leadership, to effective organizational performance. These skills carry particular importance to surgical oncology, as members of a multidisciplinary team must work cohesively to formulate effective patient care plans. Several non-technical skills evaluation tools have been developed for use in surgery, without adequate comparison and consensus on which should be standard for training. Eleven articles describing the use of three non-technical evaluation tools related to surgery: NOTSS (Non Technical Skills for Surgeons), NOTECHS (Non Technical Skills) and OTAS (Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery) were analyzed with respect to scale formulation, validity, reliability and feasibility. Furthermore, their use in training thus far and the future of non-technical rating scales in surgical curricula was discussed. Future work should focus on incorporating these assessment tools into training and into a real operating room setting to provide formative evaluations for surgical residents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ICT SKILLS ENHANCEMENT TRAINING IN TEACHER EDUCATION: THE CASE IN CENTRAL VISAYAS, PHILIPPINES

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Dave E. Marcial

2014-02-01

Full Text Available There are many evidence that the use of information and communication technology (ICT in education provides effective pedagogical benefits. This paper describes the ICT skills enhancement training among faculty members in the teacher education in the four provinces, in Central Visayas, Philippines. The technology literacy training was designed for teacher educators who have the minimal or no knowledge or who have the ability to explain and discuss the task, but have not experienced the actual process of ICT operations in the classroom. It aimed to enhance skills in ICT operations and concepts using international and local ICT competency standards for teacher education. A total of 60 trainees who are coming from 30 private and public higher education institutions in the region participated in the training. The success level of the training program was measured in terms of the effectiveness of the trainers, learning level acquired by trainees, effectiveness of the administration of the training, relevance of the topic, and adequacy of information shared by the trainers. The evaluation shows that trainers were extremely efficient, and training is excellent in terms of the administration, relevance of the topic, and adequacy of information shared by the trainers. This study concludes that the training program attained its objectives, and it turned out into a big success. To ensure sustainability, a structured training program should be conducted.

Introducing Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nursing.

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Phelps, Sue F; Hyde, Loree; Planchon Wolf, Julie

2015-01-01

The Association for College and Research Libraries published the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nursing (ILCSN) in January 2014, written by a task force of the Health Sciences Interest Group of the American Library Association. The ILCSN describes skills ranging from basic to advanced information research competencies for students enrolled in nursing programs at all levels and for professional nurses. This article guides administrators and faculty in use of the standards to design programs and coursework in information skills to support evidence-based practice.

Following the Template: Transferring Modeling Skills to Nonstandard Problems

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Tyumeneva, Yu. A.; Goncharova, M. V.

2017-01-01

This study seeks to analyze how students apply a mathematical modeling skill that was previously learned by solving standard word problems to the solution of word problems with nonstandard contexts. During the course of an experiment involving 106 freshmen, we assessed how well they were able to transfer the mathematical modeling skill that is…

Influence of Writing Ability and Computation Skill on Mathematics Writing

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Powell, Sarah R.; Hebert, Michael A.

2016-01-01

Mathematics standards expect students to communicate about mathematics using oral and written methods, and some high-stakes assessments ask students to answer mathematics questions by writing. Assumptions about mathematics communication via writing include (a) students possess writing skill, (b) students can transfer this writing skill to…

Instructional skills evaluation in nuclear industry training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazour, T.J.; Ball, F.M.

1985-11-01

This report provides information to nuclear power plant training managers and their staffs concerning the job performance requirements of instructional personnel to implement prformance-based training programs (also referred to as the Systems Approach Training). The information presented in this report is a compilation of information and lessons learned in the nuclear power industry and in other industries using performance-based training programs. The job performance requirements in this report are presented as instructional skills objectives. The process used to develop the instructional skills objectives is described. Each objective includes an Instructional Skills Statement describing the behavior that is expected and an Instructional Skills Standard describing the skills/knowledge that the individual should possess in order to have achieved mastery. The instructional skills objectives are organized according to the essential elements of the Systems Approach to Training and are cross-referenced to three categories of instructional personnel: developers of instruction, instructors, and instructional managers/supervisors. Use of the instructional skills objectives is demonstrated for reviewing instructional staff training and qualification programs, developing criterion-tests, and reviewing the performance and work products of individual staff members. 22 refs

Theoretical vs. actual energy consumption of labelled dwellings in the Netherlands: Discrepancies and policy implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majcen, D.; Itard, L.C.M.; Visscher, H.

2013-01-01

In Europe, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) provides for compulsory energy performance certification (labelling) for all existing dwellings. In the Netherlands, a labelling scheme was introduced in 2008. Certificates contain the energy label of the dwelling and corresponding theoretical gas and electricity consumption, calculated based on the dwellings physical characteristics, its heating, ventilation and cooling systems and standard use characteristics. This paper reports on a large-scale study of around 200,000 dwellings comparing labels and theoretical energy use with data on actual energy use. The study shows that dwellings with a low energy label actually consume much less energy than predicted by the label, but on the other hand, energy-efficient dwellings consume more than predicted. In practice, policy targets are set according to the theoretical rather than the actual consumptions of the building stock. In line with identified discrepancies, the study shows that whereas most energy reduction targets can be met according to the theoretical energy consumption of the dwelling stock, the future actual energy reduction potential is much lower and fails to meet most of the current energy reduction targets. - Highlights: ► Actual gas consumption in Dutch dwellings is lower than the theoretical. ► In the dwellings with label A–B, theoretical gas consumption is lower than actual gas consumption. ► In less efficient dwellings, theoretical gas consumption is much higher than the actual. ► Most current energy reduction targets are unachievable if modelled with actual instead of theoretical energy consumption

Teaching and Assessing Communication Skills in Medical Undergraduate Training.

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Modi, Jyoti Nath; Anshu, -; Chhatwal, Jugesh; Gupta, Piyush; Singh, Tejinder

2016-06-08

Good communication skills are essential for an optimal doctor-patient relationship, and also contribute to improved health outcomes. Although the need for training in communication skills is stated as a requirement in the 1997 Graduate Medical Education Regulations of the Medical Council of India, formal training in these skills has been fragmentary and non-uniform in most Indian curricula. The Vision 2015 document of the Medical Council of India reaffirms the need to include training in communication skills in the MBBS curriculum. Training in communication skills needs approaches which are different from that of teaching other clinical subjects. It is also a challenge to ensure that students not only imbibe the nuances of communication and interpersonal skills, but adhere to them throughout their careers. This article addresses the possible ways of standardizing teaching and assessment of communication skills and integrating them into the existing curriculum.

A Conceptual Model for the Design and Delivery of Explicit Thinking Skills Instruction

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Kassem, Cherrie L.

2005-01-01

Developing student thinking skills is an important goal for most educators. However, due to time constraints and weighty content standards, thinking skills instruction is often embedded in subject matter, implicit and incidental. For best results, thinking skills instruction requires a systematic design and explicit teaching strategies. The…

Non-technical skills of surgical trainees and experienced surgeons.

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Gostlow, H; Marlow, N; Thomas, M J W; Hewett, P J; Kiermeier, A; Babidge, W; Altree, M; Pena, G; Maddern, G

2017-05-01

In addition to technical expertise, surgical competence requires effective non-technical skills to ensure patient safety and maintenance of standards. Recently the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons implemented a new Surgical Education and Training (SET) curriculum that incorporated non-technical skills considered essential for a competent surgeon. This study sought to compare the non-technical skills of experienced surgeons who completed their training before the introduction of SET with the non-technical skills of more recent trainees. Surgical trainees and experienced surgeons undertook a simulated scenario designed to challenge their non-technical skills. Scenarios were video recorded and participants were assessed using the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) scoring system. Participants were divided into subgroups according to years of experience and their NOTSS scores were compared. For most NOTSS elements, mean scores increased initially, peaking around the time of Fellowship, before decreasing roughly linearly over time. There was a significant downward trend in score with increasing years since being awarded Fellowship for six of the 12 NOTSS elements: considering options (score -0·015 units per year), implementing and reviewing decisions (-0·020 per year), establishing a shared understanding (-0·014 per year), setting and maintaining standards (-0·024 per year), supporting others (-0·031 per year) and coping with pressure (-0·015 per year). The drop in NOTSS score was unexpected and highlights that even experienced surgeons are not immune to deficiencies in non-technical skills. Consideration should be given to continuing professional development programmes focusing on non-technical skills, regardless of the level of professional experience. © 2017 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preparing Students for the 21st Century: Exploring the Effect of Afterschool Participation on Students' Collaboration Skills, Oral Communication Skills, and Self-Efficacy. CRESST Report 777

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Denise; Leon, Seth; Hodson, Cheri; La Torre, Deborah; Obregon, Nora; Rivera, Gwendelyn

2010-01-01

This study addressed key questions about LA's BEST afterschool students' self-efficacy, collaboration, and communication skills. We compared student perceptions of their own 21st century skills to external outcome measures including the California Standardized Test (CST), attendance, and teacher ratings. We found a substantial relationship…

Measuring actual scope of nursing practice: a new tool for nurse leaders.

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D'Amour, Danielle; Dubois, Carl-Ardy; Déry, Johanne; Clarke, Sean; Tchouaket, Eric; Blais, Régis; Rivard, Michèle

2012-05-01

: This project describes the development and testing of the actual scope of nursing practice questionnaire. : Underutilization of the skill sets of registered nurses (RNs) is a widespread concern. Cost-effective, safe, and efficient care requires support by management to facilitate the implementation of nursing practice at the full scope. : Literature review, expert consultation, and face validity testing were used in item development. The instrument was tested with 285 nurses in 22 medical units in 11 hospitals in Canada. : The 26-item, 6-dimension questionnaire demonstrated validity and reliability. The responses suggest that nurses practice at less than their optimal scope, with key dimensions of professional practice being implemented infrequently. : This instrument can help nurse leaders increase the effective use of RN time in carrying out the full scope of their professional practice.

Gross motor skill development of kindergarten children in Japan.

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Aye, Thanda; Kuramoto-Ahuja, Tsugumi; Sato, Tamae; Sadakiyo, Kaori; Watanabe, Miyoko; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2018-05-01

[Purpose] The purposes of this study were to assess and explore the gender-based differences in gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Japanese children. [Subjects and Methods] This cross-sectional study recruited 60 healthy 5-year-old (third-year kindergarten, i.e., nencho ) children (34 boys, 26 girls) from one local private kindergarten school in Otawara city, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Gross motor skills, including six locomotor and six object control skills, were assessed using the test of gross motor development, second edition (TGMD-2). All subjects performed two trials of each gross motor skill, and the performances were video-recorded and scored. Assessment procedures were performed according to the standardized guidelines of the TGMD-2. [Results] The majority of subjects had an average level of overall gross motor skills. Girls had significantly better locomotor skills. Boys had significantly better object control skills. [Conclusion] The gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Japanese children involves gender-based differences in locomotor and object control skills. This study provided valuable information that can be used to establish normative references for the gross motor skills of 5-year-old Japanese children.

How To Improve Listening Skills for Technical Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galina Artyushina

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Communication competence includes four main activities: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Listening is the most difficult skill for many of our students. But that of the time a person is engaged in communication, approximately 9% is devoted to writing, 16% to reading, 30% to speaking, and 45% to listening. That’s why for non-linguistic universities the perfection and development of the speech learning procedure becomes actual especially when we use academic hours of student independent work (self-study for this purpose.

Step Up-Not On-The Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam: Directors of Clinical Skills Courses (DOCS) Oppose Ending Step 2 CS.

Science.gov (United States)

Ecker, David J; Milan, Felise B; Cassese, Todd; Farnan, Jeanne M; Madigosky, Wendy S; Massie, F Stanford; Mendez, Paul; Obadia, Sharon; Ovitsh, Robin K; Silvestri, Ronald; Uchida, Toshiko; Daniel, Michelle

2018-05-01

Recently, a student-initiated movement to end the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Skills and the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination Level 2-Performance Evaluation has gained momentum. These are the only national licensing examinations designed to assess clinical skills competence in the stepwise process through which physicians gain licensure and certification. Therefore, the movement to end these examinations and the ensuing debate merit careful consideration. The authors, elected representatives of the Directors of Clinical Skills Courses, an organization comprising clinical skills educators in the United States and beyond, believe abolishing the national clinical skills examinations would have a major negative impact on the clinical skills training of medical students, and that forfeiting a national clinical skills competency standard has the potential to diminish the quality of care provided to patients. In this Perspective, the authors offer important additional background information, outline key concerns regarding the consequences of ending these national clinical skills examinations, and provide recommendations for moving forward: reducing the costs for students, exploring alternatives, increasing the value and transparency of the current examinations, recognizing and enhancing the strengths of the current examinations, and engaging in a national dialogue about the issue.

Practical skills of the future innovator

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Kaurov, Vitaliy

2015-03-01

Physics graduates face and often are disoriented by the complex and turbulent world of startups, incubators, emergent technologies, big data, social network engineering, and so on. In order to build the curricula that foster the skills necessary to navigate this world, we will look at the experiences at the Wolfram Science Summer School that gathers annually international students for already more than a decade. We will look at the examples of projects and see the development of such skills as innovative thinking, data mining, machine learning, cloud technologies, device connectivity and the Internet of things, network analytics, geo-information systems, formalized computable knowledge, and the adjacent applied research skills from graph theory to image processing and beyond. This should give solid ideas to educators who will build standard curricula adapted for innovation and entrepreneurship education.

Undergraduate Skills Laboratories at Sonoma State University

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Gill, Amandeep; Zack, K.; Mills, H.; Cunningham, B.; Jackowski, S.

2014-01-01

Due to the current economic climate, funding sources for many laboratory courses have been cut from university budgets. However, it is still necessary for undergraduates to master laboratory skills to be prepared and competitive applicants when entering the professional world and/or graduate school. In this context, student-led programs may be able to compensate for this lack of formal instruction and reinforce concepts from lecture by applying research techniques to develop hands-on comprehension. The Sonoma State University Chapter of Society of Physics Students has established a peer-led skills lab to teach research techniques in the fields of astronomy and physics. The goal is to alleviate the pressures of both independently learning and efficiently applying techniques to junior and senior-level research projects. These skill labs are especially valuable for nontraditional students who, due to work or family duties, may not get a chance to fully commit to research projects. For example, a topic such as Arduino programming has a multitude of applications in both astronomy and physics, but is not taught in traditional university courses. Although some programming and electronics skills are taught in (separate) classes, they are usually not applied to actual research projects, which combined expertise is needed. For example, in astronomy, there are many situations involving programming telescopes and taking data with electronic cameras. Often students will carry out research using these tools but when something goes wrong, the students will not have the skills to trouble shoot and fix the system. Another astronomical topic to be taught in the skills labs is the analysis of astronomical data, including running remote telescopes, analyzing photometric variability, and understanding the concepts of star magnitudes, flat fields, and biases. These workshops provide a setting in which the student teacher may strengthen his or her understanding of the topic by presenting

The effect of a multifaceted evidence-based practice programme for nurses on knowledge, skills, attitudes, and perceived barriers: A cohort study.

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van der Goot, Wieke E; Keers, Joost C; Kuipers, Ruud; Nieweg, Roos M B; de Groot, Martijn

2018-04-01

The Dutch professional nursing standard of 2012 stipulates that Dutch nursing practices are to be evidence-based. Not all practicing nurses can satisfy these requirements, therefore, an educational programme about Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was developed for a Dutch teaching hospital. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of a six month in-house EBP programme on knowledge, skills, attitudes, and perceived barriers of nurses (four European Credits equals two US Credit Hours). A multiple-cohort study was conducted with a pre-post-test design. In the period of 2011-2015, a total of 58 nurses (9 cohorts) followed the programme. Baseline and follow-up assessments consisted of three questionnaires each: the Dutch Modified Fresno, the two subscales of the McColl questionnaire, and the BARRIER scale to assess knowledge and skills, attitudes, and perceived barriers, respectively. Fifty nurses completed both assessments. The results demonstrated that actual knowledge and skills significantly increased by approximately 40%. Self-perceived knowledge increased significantly, while attitudes towards EBP remained (moderately) positive. Perceived barriers did not notably change except for the Research subscale which received many "no opinion" responses prior to the programme but fewer afterwards. Our multifaceted in-house EBP programme led to a significant improvement of approximately 40% in EBP knowledge and skills of participating nurses. Most nurses who followed the EBP programme are currently applying their knowledge and skills in practice. Managerial support and allocated time for EBP are important facilitators for its implementation. Furthermore, to maintain and expand nurses' EBP knowledge and skills and translate them into practice, follow-up interventions, such as journal clubs, may well be beneficial. Based on the positive results of our programme, we will implement it throughout the hospital with an emphasis on training more groups of nurses. Copyright �

Training Methods to Improve Evidence-Based Medicine Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiz Ozyigit

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Evidence based medicine (EBM is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It is estimated that only 15% of medical interventions is evidence-based. Increasing demand, new technological developments, malpractice legislations, a very speed increase in knowledge and knowledge sources push the physicians forward for EBM, but at the same time increase load of physicians by giving them the responsibility to improve their skills. Clinical maneuvers are needed more, as the number of clinical trials and observational studies increase. However, many of the physicians, who are in front row of patient care do not use this increasing evidence. There are several examples related to different training methods in order to improve skills of physicians for evidence based practice. There are many training methods to improve EBM skills and these trainings might be given during medical school, during residency or as continuous trainings to the actual practitioners in the field. It is important to discuss these different training methods in our country as well and encourage dissemination of feasible and effective methods. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2010; 9(3.000: 245-254

Pushing Critical Thinking Skills With Multiple-Choice Questions: Does Bloom's Taxonomy Work?

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Zaidi, Nikki L Bibler; Grob, Karri L; Monrad, Seetha M; Kurtz, Joshua B; Tai, Andrew; Ahmed, Asra Z; Gruppen, Larry D; Santen, Sally A

2018-06-01

Medical school assessments should foster the development of higher-order thinking skills to support clinical reasoning and a solid foundation of knowledge. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are commonly used to assess student learning, and well-written MCQs can support learner engagement in higher levels of cognitive reasoning such as application or synthesis of knowledge. Bloom's taxonomy has been used to identify MCQs that assess students' critical thinking skills, with evidence suggesting that higher-order MCQs support a deeper conceptual understanding of scientific process skills. Similarly, clinical practice also requires learners to develop higher-order thinking skills that include all of Bloom's levels. Faculty question writers and examinees may approach the same material differently based on varying levels of knowledge and expertise, and these differences can influence the cognitive levels being measured by MCQs. Consequently, faculty question writers may perceive that certain MCQs require higher-order thinking skills to process the question, whereas examinees may only need to employ lower-order thinking skills to render a correct response. Likewise, seemingly lower-order questions may actually require higher-order thinking skills to respond correctly. In this Perspective, the authors describe some of the cognitive processes examinees use to respond to MCQs. The authors propose that various factors affect both the question writer and examinee's interaction with test material and subsequent cognitive processes necessary to answer a question.

Mindful movement and skilled attention

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Clark, Dav; Schumann, Frank; Mostofsky, Stewart H.

2015-01-01

Bodily movement has long been employed as a foundation for cultivating mental skills such as attention, self-control or mindfulness, with recent studies documenting the positive impacts of mindful movement training, such as yoga and tai chi. A parallel “mind-body connection” has also been observed in many developmental disorders. We elaborate a spectrum of mindfulness by considering ADHD, in which deficient motor control correlates with impaired (disinhibited) behavioral control contributing to defining features of excessive distractibility and impulsivity. These data provide evidence for an important axis of variation for wellbeing, in which skillful cognitive control covaries with a capacity for skillful movement. We review empirical and theoretical literature on attention, cognitive control, mind wandering, mindfulness and skill learning, endorsing a model of skilled attention in which motor plans, attention, and executive goals are seen as mutually co-defining aspects of skilled behavior that are linked by reciprocal inhibitory and excitatory connections. Thus, any movement training should engage “higher-order” inhibition and selection and develop a repertoire of rehearsed procedures that coordinate goals, attention and motor plans. However, we propose that mindful movement practice may improve the functional quality of rehearsed procedures, cultivating a transferrable skill of attention. We adopt Langer’s spectrum of mindful learning that spans from “mindlessness” to engagement with the details of the present task and contrast this with the mental attitudes cultivated in standard mindfulness meditation. We particularly follow Feldenkrais’ suggestion that mindful learning of skills for organizing the body in movement might transfer to other forms of mental activity. The results of mindful movement training should be observed in multiple complementary measures, and may have tremendous potential benefit for individuals with ADHD and other

Mindful Movement and Skilled Attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dav eClark

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Bodily movement has long been employed as a foundation for cultivating mental skills such as attention, self-control or mindfulness, with recent studies documenting the positive impacts of mindful movement training, such as yoga and tai chi. A parallel mind-body connection has also been observed in many developmental disorders. We elaborate a spectrum of mindfulness by considering ADHD, in which deficient motor control correlates with impaired (disinhibited behavioral control contributing to defining features of excessive distractibility and impulsivity. These data provide evidence for an important axis of variation for wellbeing, in which skillful cognitive control covaries with a capacity for skillful movement. We review empirical and theoretical literature on attention, cognitive control, mind wandering, mindfulness and skill learning, endorsing a model of skilled attention in which motor plans, attention, and executive goals are seen as mutually co-defining aspects of skilled behavior that are linked by reciprocal inhibitory and excitatory connections. Thus, any movement training should engage higher-order inhibition and selection and develop a repertoire of rehearsed procedures that coordinate goals, attention and motor plans. However, we propose that mindful movement practice may improve the functional quality of rehearsed procedures, cultivating a transferrable skill of attention. We adopt Langer’s spectrum of mindful learning that spans from mindlessness to engagement with the details of the present task and contrast this with the mental attitudes cultivated in standard mindfulness meditation. We particularly follow Feldenkrais’ suggestion that mindful learning of skills for organizing the body in movement might transfer to other forms of mental activity. The results of mindful movement training should be observed in multiple complementary measures, and may have tremendous potential benefit for individuals with ADHD and other

Skill qualifications in pediatric minimally invasive surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanaka, Tadashi; Morikawa, Yasuhide; Yamataka, Atsuyuki; Nio, Masaki; Segawa, Osamu; Kawashima, Hiroshi; Sato, Masahito; Terakura, Hirotsugu; Take, Hiroshi; Hirose, Ryuichiro; Yagi, Makoto

2011-07-01

In 2006, The Japanese Society of Pediatric Endoscopic Surgeons devised a plan to develop a pediatric endoscopic surgical skill qualification (ESSQ) system. This system is controlled by The Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery. The standard requirement for skills qualification is the ability of each applicant to complete common types of laparoscopic surgery. The main goal of the system is to decrease complications of laparoscopic surgery by evaluating the surgical skills of each applicant and subsequently certify surgeons with adequate skills to perform laparoscopic operations safely. A committee of pediatric ESSQ created a checklist to assess the applicant's laparoscopic surgical skills. Skills are assessed in a double-blinded fashion by evaluating an unedited video recording of a fundoplication for pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease. The initial pediatric ESSQ system was started in 2008. In 2008 and 2009, respectively, 9 out of 17 (53%) and 6 out of 12 (50%) applicants were certified as expert pediatric laparoscopic surgeons. Our ultimate goal is to provide safe and appropriate pediatric minimally invasive procedures and to avoid severe complications. To prove the predictive validity of this system, a survey of the outcomes of operations performed by certified pediatric surgeons is required.

Advanced surgical skills for exposure in trauma: a new surgical skills cadaver course for surgery residents and fellows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhls, Deborah A; Risucci, Donald A; Bowyer, Mark W; Luchette, Fred A

2013-02-01

Surgical education is changing owing to workforce and economic demands. Simulation and other technical teaching methods are used to acquire skills transferable to the operating room. Operative management of traumatic injuries has declined, making it difficult to acquire and maintain competence. The ASSET course was developed by the Committee on Trauma's Surgical Skills Committee to fill a surgical skills need in resident and fellow education. Using a human cadaver, standardized rapid exposure of vital structures in the extremities, neck, thorax, abdomen, retroperitoneum, and pelvis is taught. A retrospective analysis of 79 participants in four ASSET courses was performed. Operative experience data were collected, and self-efficacy questionnaires (SEQs) were administered before and after the course. Course evaluations and instructor evaluation data were analyzed. Student's and paired samples t tests as well as analysis of variance and Spearman ρ correlation coefficient analysis were performed using α at p ASSET course would teach new surgical techniques and that learner self-assessed ability would improve. Participants included 27 PGY-4, 20 PGY-5, 24 PGY-6 or PGY-7 and PGY-8 at other levels of training. Self-assessed confidence improved in all body regions (p knowledge rated at 4.8 and learning new techniques at 4.72. A standardized cadaver-based surgical exposures course offered to senior surgical residents adds new surgical skills and improves participant self-assessed ability to perform emergent surgical exposure of vital structures.

Budget and Actuals

Data.gov (United States)

Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina — This dataset contains the Town's Year-to-Date Budget and Actuals for Fiscal Years 2016, 2017, and 2018. Fiscal years run from July 1 to June 30. The data comes from...

Testing a Model of Undergraduate Competence in Employability Skills and Its Implications for Stakeholders

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Denise

2014-01-01

Despite the development of employability skills being firmly entrenched in higher education's strategic agenda worldwide; recent graduates' standards in certain skills are not meeting industry expectations. This paper presents and tests a model of undergraduate competence in employability skills. It highlights those factors which impact on…

Training basic laparoscopic skills using a custom-made video game

OpenAIRE

Goris, Jetse; Jalink, Maarten B.; ten Cate Hoedemaker, Henk O.

2014-01-01

Video games are accepted and used for a wide variety of applications. In the medical world, research on the positive effects of playing games on basic laparoscopic skills is rapidly increasing. Although these benefits have been proven several times, no institution actually uses video games for surgical training. This Short Communication describes some of the theoretical backgrounds, development and underlying educational foundations of a specifically designed video game and custom-made hardwa...

Evaluation of cardiac auscultation skills in pediatric residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Komal; Thompson, W Reid

2013-01-01

Auscultation skills are in decline, but few studies have shown which specific aspects are most difficult for trainees. We evaluated individual aspects of cardiac auscultation among pediatric residents using recorded heart sounds to determine which elements pose the most difficulty. Auscultation proficiency was assessed among 34 trainees following a pediatric cardiology rotation using an open-set format evaluation module, similar to the actual clinical auscultation description process. Diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing normal from abnormal cases was 73%. Findings most commonly correctly identified included pathological systolic and diastolic murmurs and widely split second heart sounds. Those least likely to be identified included continuous murmurs and clicks. Accuracy was low for identifying specific diagnoses. Given time constraints for clinical skills teaching, this suggests that focusing on distinguishing normal from abnormal heart sounds and murmurs instead of making specific diagnoses may be a more realistic goal for pediatric resident auscultation training.

Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Guide to Evaluating Mastery and Authentic Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Greenstein, Laura

2012-01-01

The Common Core State Standards clearly define the skills students need for success in college and the 21st century workplace. The question is, how can you measure student mastery of skills like creativity, problem solving, and use of technology? Laura Greenstein demonstrates how teachers can teach and assess 21st century skills using authentic…

Implementing and Evaluating a National Certification Technical Skills Examination: The Colorectal Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

de Montbrun, Sandra; Roberts, Patricia L; Satterthwaite, Lisa; MacRae, Helen

2016-07-01

To implement the Colorectal Objective Structured Assessment of Technical skill (COSATS) into American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ABCRS) certification and build evidence of validity for the interpretation of the scores of this high stakes assessment tool. Currently, technical skill assessment is not a formal component of board certification. With the technical demands of surgical specialties, documenting competence in technical skill at the time of certification with a valid tool is ideal. In September 2014, the COSATS was a mandatory component of ABCRS certification. Seventy candidates took the examination, with their performance evaluated by expert colorectal surgeons using a task-specific checklist, global rating scale, and overall performance scale. Passing scores were set and compared using 2 standard setting methodologies, using a compensatory and conjunctive model. Inter-rater reliability and the reliability of the pass/fail decision were calculated using Cronbach alpha and Subkoviak methodology, respectively. Overall COSATS scores and pass/fail status were compared with results on the ABCRS oral examination. The pass rate ranged from 85.7% to 90%. Inter-rater reliability (0.85) and reliability of the pass/fail decision (0.87 and 0.84) were high. A low positive correlation (r= 0.25) was seen between the COSATS and oral examination. All individuals who failed the COSATS passed the ABCRS oral examination. COSATS is the first technical skill examination used in national surgical board certification. This study suggests that the current certification process may be failing to identify individuals who have demonstrated technical deficiencies on this standardized assessment tool.

The actual technological progress of NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florescu, Gheorghe; Popa, Adrian; Panaitescu, Valeriu

2010-01-01

The actual nuclear R and D issues require new technologies and continuous progress in order to find adequate and effective solutions in sustained and increasing energy demand. The current tendency in energy consumption and occurring of large consumers, especially from Asian countries, imposes finding new means for energy clean, large scale and sustained production. NPPs reliability and availability were permanently monitored and improved; in the mean time the safety of the nuclear energy production was under surveillance. Corresponding development of the new technologies and discovery of improved materials and adequate technological processes offers the possibilities for appropriate implementation and use of them in the NPPs systems configuration and functioning/operation. The modern technologies and scientific discoveries, also the international cooperation, offer the opportunities to brake the actual barriers in order to cumulate and use advanced energy production processes in finding new energy sources and to build improved, reliable and safety power plants. The monitoring systems, intelligent sensors and intelligent SSCs, nanotechnologies and and modern and intelligent materials constitute the main reasons in improvement of the NPPs systems configuration and processes. The paper presents: - The state of the art in the level of actual and useful technologies for nuclear power systems development; - The actual technological limits that need to be over passed for NPPs systems improvements; - The main systems that need improvement and reconfiguration for actual NPPs development and increase in efficient operation, appropriate availability and total safety; - The actual energy production issues; - The key arguments in sustaining the R and D new NPPs systems development; - Future trends in NPPs development; - The limitations in industrial processes knowledge and use. Appropriate R and D in the field of NPPs systems has a specific characteristic that is highlighted in

Using gamification to develop academic writing skills in dental undergraduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

El Tantawi, Maha; Sadaf, Shazia; AlHumaid, Jehan

2018-02-01

To assess the satisfaction of first-year dental students with gamification and its effect on perceived and actual improvement of academic writing. Two first-year classes of dental undergraduate students were recruited for the study which extended over 4 months and ended in January 2015. A pre-intervention assessment of students' academic writing skills was performed using criteria to evaluate writing. The same criteria were used to evaluate the final writing assignment after the intervention. Students' satisfaction with game aspects was assessed. The per cent change in writing score was regressed on scores of satisfaction with game aspects controlling for gender. Perceived improvement in writing was also assessed. Data from 87 (94.6%) students were available for analysis. Students' overall satisfaction with the gamified experience was modest [mean (SD) = 5.9 (2.1)] and so was their overall perception of improvement in writing [mean (SD) = 6.0 (2.2)]. The per cent score of the first assignment was 35.6 which improved to 80 in the last assignment. Satisfaction with playing the game was significantly associated with higher percentage of improvement in actual writing skills [regression coefficient (95% confidence interval) = 21.1 (1.9, 40.2)]. Using gamification in an obligatory course for first-year dental students was associated with an improvement in academic writing skills although students' satisfaction with game aspects was modest and their willingness to use gamification in future courses was minimal. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

High School Class for Gifted Pupils in Physics and Sciences and Pupils' Skills Measured by Standard and Pisa Test

Science.gov (United States)

Djordjevic, G. S.; Pavlovic-Babic, D.

2010-01-01

The "High school class for students with special abilities in physics" was founded in Nis, Serbia (www.pmf.ni.ac.yu/f_odeljenje) in 2003. The basic aim of this project has been introducing a broadened curriculum of physics, mathematics, computer science, as well as chemistry and biology. Now, six years after establishing of this specialized class, and 3 years after the previous report, we present analyses of the pupils' skills in solving rather problem oriented test, as PISA test, and compare their results with the results of pupils who study under standard curricula. More precisely results are compared to the progress results of the pupils in a standard Grammar School and the corresponding classes of the Mathematical Gymnasiums in Nis. Analysis of achievement data should clarify what are benefits of introducing in school system track for gifted students. Additionally, item analysis helps in understanding and improvement of learning strategies' efficacy. We make some conclusions and remarks that may be useful for the future work that aims to increase pupils' intrinsic and instrumental motivation for physics and sciences, as well as to increase the efficacy of teaching physics and science.

Construction Upgrade. A Pack To Improve Communication, Numerical and IT Skills for NVQ.

Science.gov (United States)

Rylands, Judy

This pack of materials is designed to help students working to improve their basic skills as part of their carpentry and joinery course. An introduction lists relevant core skills units and basic skills standards. The six individual sections of the pack are divided into task sheets and fact sheets. The fact sheets give information and teaching…

Standards for radiation protection instrumentation: design of safety standards and testing procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meissner, Frank

2008-01-01

This paper describes by means of examples the role of safety standards for radiation protection and the testing and qualification procedures. The development and qualification of radiation protection instrumentation is a significant part of the work of TUV NORD SysTec, an independent expert organisation in Germany. The German Nuclear Safety Standards Commission (KTA) establishes regulations in the field of nuclear safety. The examples presented may be of importance for governments and nuclear safety authorities, for nuclear operators and for manufacturers worldwide. They demonstrate the advantage of standards in the design of radiation protection instrumentation for new power plants, in the upgrade of existing instrumentation to nuclear safety standards or in the application of safety standards to newly developed equipment. Furthermore, they show how authorities may proceed when safety standards for radiation protection instrumentation are not yet established or require actualization. (author)

Learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills: does the type of mannequin make a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Noordergraaf, G J; Van Gelder, J M; Van Kesteren, R G; Diets, R F; Savelkoul, T J

1997-12-01

Resuscitation (CPR) courses stress acquisition of psychomotor skills. The number of mannequins may limit the 'hands-on' time available for each trainee to practise CPR and impede acquisition of skill. This may occur because expensive, sophisticated mannequins are favoured over individual, simple mannequins. In a blind, prospective, controlled study we compared one-rescuer CPR skills of 165 trainees in two cohorts using their own individual light-weight torso mannequins (Actar 911 and Laerdal Little Anne) and a control cohort with four to five trainees sharing a sophisticated mannequin (Laerdal Recording Resusci Anne). No major significant differences (p = 0.18) were found when using the 'Berden scoring system'. Both the Actar 911 and the Little Anne were compatible with the Recording Resusci Anne. Trainees preferred the individual mannequins. We conclude that the results indicate that the use of individual mannequins in conjunction with a sophisticated mannequin neither results in trainees learning incorrect skills nor in significant improvement. Further analysis of the actual training in lay person CPR training courses and evaluation of course didactics to optimize training time appear indicated.

Decadal prediction skill in the ocean with surface nudging in the IPSL-CM5A-LR climate model

Science.gov (United States)

Mignot, Juliette; García-Serrano, Javier; Swingedouw, Didier; Germe, Agathe; Nguyen, Sébastien; Ortega, Pablo; Guilyardi, Eric; Ray, Sulagna

2016-08-01

Two decadal prediction ensembles, based on the same climate model (IPSL-CM5A-LR) and the same surface nudging initialization strategy are analyzed and compared with a focus on upper-ocean variables in different regions of the globe. One ensemble consists of 3-member hindcasts launched every year since 1961 while the other ensemble benefits from 9 members but with start dates only every 5 years. Analysis includes anomaly correlation coefficients and root mean square errors computed against several reanalysis and gridded observational fields, as well as against the nudged simulation used to produce the hindcasts initial conditions. The last skill measure gives an upper limit of the predictability horizon one can expect in the forecast system, while the comparison with different datasets highlights uncertainty when assessing the actual skill. Results provide a potential prediction skill (verification against the nudged simulation) beyond the linear trend of the order of 10 years ahead at the global scale, but essentially associated with non-linear radiative forcings, in particular from volcanoes. At regional scale, we obtain 1 year in the tropical band, 10 years at midlatitudes in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, and 5 years at tropical latitudes in the North Atlantic, for both sea surface temperature (SST) and upper-ocean heat content. Actual prediction skill (verified against observational or reanalysis data) is overall more limited and less robust. Even so, large actual skill is found in the extratropical North Atlantic for SST and in the tropical to subtropical North Pacific for upper-ocean heat content. Results are analyzed with respect to the specific dynamics of the model and the way it is influenced by the nudging. The interplay between initialization and internal modes of variability is also analyzed for sea surface salinity. The study illustrates the importance of two key ingredients both necessary for the success of future coordinated decadal

"The university didn't actually tell us this is what you have to do": Social inclusion through embedding of academic skills in first year professional courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophie Goldingay

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The widening participation agenda means that students will be entering degree courses with increasingly diverse needs, particularly with respect to the academic skills necessary for successful tertiary study in Australia. This paper presents findings from a mixed methods project investigating first year social work students’ perceived role in academic skills and their development. Students expressed the perception that academic skill requirements and how they would be assessed should be made explicit, and identified a stigma associated with accessing study support services. The paper concludes that an intentional design strategy, such as embedding academic skills into the curriculum, helps bridge the different expectations between academics and students in the teaching and learning of academic skills, and hence constitutes a socially inclusive strategy to teaching professional courses such as social work, within higher education.  Recommendations to enhance the success and sustainability of such an initiative in the current higher education environment are offered.

Resident Ratings of Communication Skills Using the Kalamazoo Adapted Checklist.

Science.gov (United States)

Porcerelli, John H; Brennan, Simone; Carty, Jennifer; Ziadni, Maisa; Markova, Tsveti

2015-09-01

The Kalamazoo Essential Elements Communication Checklist-Adapted (KEECC-A) is a well-regarded instrument for evaluating communication and interpersonal skills. To date, little research has been conducted that assesses the accuracy of resident self-ratings of their communication skills. To assess whether residents can accurately self-rate communication skills, using the KEECC-A, during an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). A group of 104 residents from 8 specialties completed a multistation OSCE as part of an institutional communication skills curriculum conducted at a single institution. Standardized patients (SPs) and observers were trained in rating communication skills using the KEECC-A. Standardized patient ratings and resident self-ratings were completed immediately following each OSCE encounter, and trained observers rated archived videotapes of the encounters. Resident self-ratings and SP ratings using the KEECC-A were significantly correlated (r104  = 0.238, P = .02), as were resident self-ratings and observer ratings (r104  = 0.284, P = .004). The correlation between the SP ratings and observer (r104  = 0.378, P = .001) ratings were larger in magnitude, but not significantly different (P > .05) from resident/SP or resident/observer correlations. The results suggest that residents, with a modicum of training using the KEECC-A, can accurately rate their own communication and interpersonal skills during an OSCE. Using trained observers to rate resident communication skills provides a unique opportunity for evaluating SP and resident self-ratings. Our findings also lend further support for the reliability and validity of the KEECC-A.

Research on a Valuation Standard and the Actual Condition About Security Management in PACS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Jae Ho; Son, Gi Gyeong; Kang, Hee Doo; Dong, Kyung Rae; Kweon, Dae Cheol; Kim, Hyun Soo

2008-01-01

This study is to prepare an evaluation standard about personal information protection and security management of a medical institution and to build up a grade standard of evaluation in PACS environment. We built up evaluation index based on 10 detailed items in four big categories (political security, technical security, data management security and physical security) by referring to ISO17799 (BS 7799), HIPPA (Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and domestic medical law. We have investigated at the thirty places where medical facility with the extracted security criteria and security evaluation index. Average score of physical security list, one of the big categories, was 18.5/20 (93%) at all medical institutions. Political security score was 18.5/30 (62%), data management security score was 12/20 (60%) and technical security score was 17.5/30 (58%). Therefore, security evaluation score was average 67 in 30 general hospitals, which was 4th level. The results showed that it is necessary to establish evaluation and management standard about personal information protection and security consciousness which are weak in PACS environment.

The relationship between physical activity, volitional skills and weight loss maintenance in Danish obese individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elsborg, Peter; Pfister, Gertrud Ursula; Helge, Jørn Wulff

. However, the relationship between weight loss maintenance and volitional skills has not been investigated yet. This study investigates if volitional skills are related to the amount of physical activity in obese individuals, and their relationship with actual successful weight loss. Methods: Participants...... to exercise. Results: Success was determined by the difference between an individual’s highest ever and current BMI. Analyses indicated that the successful weight maintainers’ possessed significantly higher values in the volitional skills initiative, general self-confidence, volitional self......-confidence and coping with failure and lower values in lack of energy, postponing training, and avoiding effort than unsuccessful weight maintainers. Furthermore, the successful were significantly more physically active. Higher physical activity was related to higher positive lower negative values in a total of 9...

Workplace skills and the skills gaps related to employee critical thinking ability and science education curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, William A.

In recent years, business and industry have been vocal critics of education. Critics complain the American workforce, particularly young people, are deficient in workplace skills. A survey of 500 randomly selected Ohio businesses was used to determine opinions of respondents related to workplace skills gaps, rising skill levels, and level and type of critical thinking used on the job by all employees and entry-level employees. Four of 18 science outcomes promoted by the Ohio Department of Education had an application in business and these required critical-thinking skills to complete. These four formed the foundation in the survey because they provided a connection between thinking skills required on the Ohio 12 th Grade Proficiency Test and those required on the job. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to identify correlation between responses. The alpha level was p ≤ .05. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify significant (p ≤ .05) relationships between variables as represented by responses. In addition, one version of the Science Section of the Ohio 12th Grade Proficiency Test was analyzed for use of critical thinking using the SCAN's critical-thinking attributes as a standard. There were several findings related to workplace skills and critical thinking. Only 17.1% of respondents indicated dissatisfaction with the basic academic skill level of their employees. A majority (71.1%) of responding businesses perceived a lack of work ethic as more important than deficient academic skills. Only 17.1% of respondents reported the skill level of their entry-level employees was rising. Approximately 1/3 of responding businesses required no critical thinking at all from their entry-level employees. Small businesses were significantly more likely to require higher levels of critical thinking from their entry level employees than larger businesses. Employers who reported rising skill levels in entry-level employees required all of

Observed communication skills: how do they relate to the consultation content? A nation-wide study of graduate medical students seeing a standardized patient for a first-time consultation in a general practice setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holen Are

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this study, we wanted to investigate the relationship between background variables, communication skills, and the bio-psychosocial content of a medical consultation in a general practice setting with a standardized patient. Methods Final-year medical school students (N = 111 carried out a consultation with an actor playing the role of a patient with a specific somatic complaint, psychosocial stressors, and concerns about cancer. Based on videotapes, communication skills and consultation content were scored separately. Results The mean level of overall communication skills had a significant impact upon the counts of psychosocial issues, the patient's concerns about cancer, and the information and planning parts of the consultation content being addressed. Gender and age had no influence upon the relationship between communication skills and consultation content. Conclusion Communication skills seem to be important for final-year students' competence in addressing sensitive psychosocial issues and patients' concerns as well as informing and planning with patients being representative for a fairly complex case in general practice. This result should be considered in the design and incorporation of communication skills training as part of the curriculum of medical schools.

Cognitive training for technical and non-technical skills in robotic surgery: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Raison, Nicholas; Ahmed, Kamran; Abe, Takashige; Brunckhorst, Oliver; Novara, Giacomo; Buffi, Nicolò; McIlhenny, Craig; van der Poel, Henk; van Hemelrijck, Mieke; Gavazzi, Andrea; Dasgupta, Prokar

2018-05-07

To investigate the effectiveness of motor imagery (MI) for technical skill and non-technical skill (NTS) training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). A single-blind, parallel-group randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Vattikuti Institute of Robotic Surgery, King's College London. Novice surgeons were recruited by open invitation in 2015. After basic robotic skills training, participants underwent simple randomisation to either MI training or standard training. All participants completed a robotic urethrovesical anastomosis task within a simulated operating room. In addition to the technical task, participants were required to manage three scripted NTS scenarios. Assessment was performed by five blinded expert surgeons and a NTS expert using validated tools for evaluating technical skills [Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS)] and NTS [Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS)]. Quality of MI was assessed using a revised Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ). In all, 33 participants underwent MI training and 29 underwent standard training. Interrater reliability was high, Krippendorff's α = 0.85. After MI training, the mean (sd) GEARS score was significantly higher than after standard training, at 13.1 (3.25) vs 11.4 (2.97) (P = 0.03). There was no difference in mean NOTSS scores, at 25.8 vs 26.4 (P = 0.77). MI training was successful with significantly higher imagery scores than standard training (mean MIQ score 5.1 vs 4.5, P = 0.04). Motor imagery is an effective training tool for improving technical skill in MIS even in novice participants. No beneficial effect for NTS was found. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Systems Approach to Scaffold Communication Skills Development

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Nelson L.

2008-01-01

Objectives To implement a communication skills development (CSD) system and evaluate its effectiveness in a clinical communications course. Design Students conducted baseline interviews and wrote SOAP notes, and based on faculty, patient, self- and peer assessments, set goals for improvement of their communication skills. Students participated in various activities to scaffold their learning, several of which took place in a web-based environment to enhance access and function for both students and faculty members. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. Assessment Students' communication skills improved as evidenced by assessment scores. Student and faculty comments offered additional evidence of the effectiveness of standardized patient interviews, learning strategies, and assessment methods. Conclusion The CSD system effectively integrated various types of learning activities and feedback processes. The use of scaffolding strategies appeared to enhance the development of students' communication skills. PMID:18483601

Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction: Prediction of Cesium Extraction from Actual Wastes and Actual Waste Simulants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delmau, L.H.; Haverlock, T.J.; Sloop, F.V. Jr.; Moyer, B.A.

2003-01-01

This report presents the work that followed the CSSX model development completed in FY2002. The developed cesium and potassium extraction model was based on extraction data obtained from simple aqueous media. It was tested to ensure the validity of the prediction for the cesium extraction from actual waste. Compositions of the actual tank waste were obtained from the Savannah River Site personnel and were used to prepare defined simulants and to predict cesium distribution ratios using the model. It was therefore possible to compare the cesium distribution ratios obtained from the actual waste, the simulant, and the predicted values. It was determined that the predicted values agree with the measured values for the simulants. Predicted values also agreed, with three exceptions, with measured values for the tank wastes. Discrepancies were attributed in part to the uncertainty in the cation/anion balance in the actual waste composition, but likely more so to the uncertainty in the potassium concentration in the waste, given the demonstrated large competing effect of this metal on cesium extraction. It was demonstrated that the upper limit for the potassium concentration in the feed ought to not exceed 0.05 M in order to maintain suitable cesium distribution ratios

Investigation of actual conditions of mammography in Kagoshima prefecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, Natsuki; Tanimoto, Eriko; Kobayashi, Yasuhiro; Kuma, Kouji

2009-01-01

We surveyed the actual conditions of mammography with regard to image quality and radiation dose at 44 facilities in Kagoshima prefecture in 1999. In April 2004, guidelines for mammography newly included the standard of digital mammography. From September to October 2005, the survey was conducted at 48 facilities, and the results of the survey were compared with that in 1999. We visited 44 of the 48 facilities, and visually evaluated the image quality of mammograms for RMI156 and clinical mammograms. In addition, we measured average mammary gland dose at each facility. The number of the mammography device that satisfied the specified guideline criterion was larger than that in 1999. Image quality for the RMI156 mammograms improved. However, the results of the present survey revealed several problems. First, the number of facilities that had quality control instruments for mammography are few. Second, radiological technologists, medical doctors, and nurses did not share knowledge or information regarding mammography. Finally, there were differences in devices and image quality for mammography among the facilities. We achieved an understanding of the actual conditions of mammography in Kagoshima prefecture by visiting many facilities, evaluating image quality, and communicating with many staff members. Our results may be useful for the development of mammography examinations. (author)

Evaluation of a Standardized Program for Training Practicing Anesthesiologists in Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Mariano, Edward R; Harrison, T Kyle; Kim, T Edward; Kan, Jack; Shum, Cynthia; Gaba, David M; Ganaway, Toni; Kou, Alex; Udani, Ankeet D; Howard, Steven K

2015-10-01

Practicing anesthesiologists have generally not received formal training in ultrasound-guided perineural catheter insertion. We designed this study to determine the efficacy of a standardized teaching program in this population. Anesthesiologists in practice for 10 years or more were recruited and enrolled to participate in a 1-day program: lectures and live-model ultrasound scanning (morning) and faculty-led iterative practice and mannequin-based simulation (afternoon). Participants were assessed and recorded while performing ultrasound-guided perineural catheter insertion at baseline, at midday (interval), and after the program (final). Videos were scored by 2 blinded reviewers using a composite tool and global rating scale. Participants were surveyed every 3 months for 1 year to report the number of procedures, efficacy of teaching methods, and implementation obstacles. Thirty-two participants were enrolled and completed the program; 31 of 32 (97%) completed the 1-year follow-up. Final scores [median (10th-90th percentiles)] were 21.5 (14.5-28.0) of 30 points compared to 14.0 (9.0-20.0) at interval (P < .001 versus final) and 12.0 (8.5-17.5) at baseline (P < .001 versus final), with no difference between interval and baseline. The global rating scale showed an identical pattern. Twelve of 26 participants without previous experience performed at least 1 perineural catheter insertion after training (P < .001). However, there were no differences in the monthly average number of procedures or complications after the course when compared to baseline. Practicing anesthesiologists without previous training in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia can acquire perineural catheter insertion skills after a 1-day standardized course, but changing clinical practice remains a challenge. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

The Effects of Development Team Skill on Software Product Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Beaver, Justin M.; Schiavone, Guy A.

2006-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of the effect of the skill/experience of the software development team on the quality of the final software product. A method for the assessment of software development team skill and experience is proposed, and was derived from a workforce management tool currently in use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Using data from 26 smallscale software development projects, the team skill measures are correlated to 5 software product quality metrics from the ISO/IEC 9126 Software Engineering Product Quality standard. in the analysis of the results, development team skill is found to be a significant factor in the adequacy of the design and implementation. In addition, the results imply that inexperienced software developers are tasked with responsibilities ill-suited to their skill level, and thus have a significant adverse effect on the quality of the software product. Keywords: software quality, development skill, software metrics

Fine Motor Skills and Executive Function Both Contribute to Kindergarten Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Claire E.; Brock, Laura L.; Murrah, William M.; Bell, Lindsay H.; Worzalla, Samantha L.; Grissmer, David; Morrison, Frederick J.

2012-01-01

This study examined the contribution of executive function (EF) and multiple aspects of fine motor skills to achievement on 6 standardized assessments in a sample of middle-socioeconomic status kindergarteners. Three- and 4-year-olds' (n = 213) fine and gross motor skills were assessed in a home visit before kindergarten, EF was measured at fall…

Influence of the workplace on learning physical examination skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Duvivier, Robbert; Stalmeijer, Renée; van Dalen, Jan; van der Vleuten, Cees; Scherpbier, Albert

2014-03-28

Hospital clerkships are considered crucial for acquiring competencies such as diagnostic reasoning and clinical skills. The actual learning process in the hospital remains poorly understood. This study investigates how students learn clinical skills in workplaces and factors affecting this. Six focus group sessions with 32 students in Internal Medicine rotation (4-9 students per group; sessions 80-90 minutes). Verbatim transcripts were analysed by emerging themes and coded independently by three researchers followed by constant comparison and axial coding. Students report to learn the systematics of the physical examination, gain agility and become able to recognise pathological signs. The learning process combines working alongside others and working independently with increasing responsibility for patient care. Helpful behaviour includes making findings explicit through patient files or during observation, feedback by abnormal findings and taking initiative. Factors affecting the process negatively include lack of supervision, uncertainty about tasks and expectations, and social context such as hierarchy of learners and perceived learning environment. Although individual student experiences vary greatly between different hospitals, it seems that proactivity and participation are central drivers for learning. These results can improve the quality of existing programmes and help design new ways to learn physical examination skills.

Motor-independent Visual Perception Skill Indexes are Related with Reading Skills in Children with Cerebral Palsy

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Vahid Reza Khodabandeh

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: Cerebral palsy is one of the most common causes of physical disability in childhood that lead to various difficulties for children. These children may have abnormalities in visual perception. Visual perception plays an important role in learning of basic childhood’s skills. This research was designed to study the relation between each of subtests of visual perception with accuracy and speed components of reading skills in school-aged cerebral palsy children. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 24 spastic cerebral palsy students in second grade (10 girls and 14 boy were selected be available as from Tehran’s rehabilitation clinics. Visual perception and Reading skills were evaluated with the Test of Visual Perceptual Skill-revised (TVPS-R and Diagnostic Reading Test. Results: The results showed that between standard score of visual perception with accuracy and speed components of reading skills of cerebral palsy student were significantly correlated. Visual Discrimination with accuracy (P<0.001 and with speed (P<0.001, Visual Memory with accuracy  (P=0.002 and with speed (P=0.004, Visual-Spatial with accuracy (P<0.001 and with speed (P<0.001, Form Constancy with accuracy (P=0.003 and with speed (p<0.001, Visual Sequential Memory with accuracy (P=0.023 and with speed (P<0.028, Figure Ground Discrimination with accuracy (P=0.010 and with speed (P<0.011, Visual Closure with accuracy (p=0.009 and with speed (P<0.009 Conclusion: In general we can say that the relationship between visual perception skills with reading skills in first and second grade students with cerebral palsy is evident.

Aiming for a holistic integrated service for men diagnosed with prostate cancer - Definitions of standards and skill sets for nurses and allied healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Alastair D; Thompson, Sue; Kinsella, Netty; Gerbitz, Ingmar; Chapman, Elaine; Putt, Lisa; Bennett, Sophie; Thankappannair, Vineetha; Geoghegan, Lisa; Wright, Naomi; Stirton-Croft, Alison; Nixon, Penny; Styling, Andrew; Whitney, Diane; Hodgson, Lindsay; Punt, Lisa; Longmore, Jenny; Carter, Mike; Petch, Bill; Rimmer, Yvonne; Russell, Simon; Hughes-Davies, Luke; Mazhar, Danish; Shah, Nimish C; Gnanapragasam, Vincent J; Doble, Andrew; Bratt, Ola; Kastner, Christof

2017-08-01

To establish a comprehensive set of recommendations for the service structure and skill set of nurses and allied healthcare professionals in prostate cancer care. Using components of formal consensus methodology, a 30-member multidisciplinary panel produced 53 items for discussion relating to the provision of care for prostate cancer patients by specialist nurses and allied healthcare professionals. Items were developed by two rounds of email correspondence in which, first, items were generated and, second, items refined to form the basis of a consensus meeting which constituted the third round of review. The fourth and final round was an email review of the consensus output. The panel agreed on 33 items that were appropriate for recommendations to be made. These items were grouped under categories of "Environment" and "Patient Pathway" and included comments on training, leadership, communication and quality assessment as well as specific items related to prostate diagnosis clinics, radical treatment clinics and follow-up survivor groups. Specialist nurses and allied healthcare professionals play a vital role alongside urologists and oncologists to provide care to men with prostate cancer and their families. We present a set of standards and consensus recommendations for the roles and skill-set required for these practitioners to provide gold-standard prostate cancer care. These recommendations could form the basis for development of comprehensive integrated prostate cancer pathways in prostate cancer centres as well as providing guidance for any units treating men with prostate cancer. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Association between Preschool Children's Social Functioning and Their Emergent Academic Skills

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Arnold, David H.; Kupersmidt, Janis B.; Voegler-Lee, Mary Ellen; Marshall, Nastassja A.

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationship between social functioning and emergent academic development in a sample of 467 preschool children (M=55.9 months old, SD=3.8). Teachers reported on children's aggression, attention problems, and prosocial skills. Preliteracy, language, and early mathematics skills were assessed with standardized tests. Better…

Classroom Management Skills of The Language Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arif Sarıçoban

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Teachers or educators, most of the time, concentrate on the theoretical aspects oflanguage teaching and study them as much as possible. However, in practice, we start thinkingthat we will have to keep a number of people together in the same place. These are often thepeople who come from many different backgrounds and whose expectations differ. In thiscase, it becomes more and more difficult to appeal to every individual in class. Therefore, asteachers we should initially be trained on how to manage our classrooms and how to providethe necessary environment to put into practice the things we have learned to teach a language.Obviously, we need management skills as well as the language teaching skill. Actually, it isnot as difficult as many people think. As teachers if we fulfill our duties properly, a wellmanagedclass will ensue. In this study, therefore, the definition of class management isregarded roughly “to keep people from different environments directed to one single goal”.When this is accomplished, we are unlikely to live discipline problems.

Personal Skills. Facilitator's Skill Packets 1-7. Social Skills Training.

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Model Classrooms, Bellevue, WA.

This document contains the following seven facilitators' skill packets on personal skills: (1) personal hygiene; (2) personal appearance; (3) locker hygiene; (4) dorm cleanliness; (5) punctuality and attendance; (6) responding to supervision; and (7) teamwork. Each packet contains the following sections: definition of personal skills; objective;…

Precision Teaching a Foundational Motor Skill to a Child with Autism

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Fabrizio, Michael A.; Schirmer, Kristin; King, Amy; Diakite, Ami; Stovel, Leah

2007-01-01

Since the early work of Anne Desjardin (1980) and others, Precision Teachers have developed Big 6+6 skills in their students' repertoires when needed. In this article, the authors present the Standard Celeration Chart (SCC) which documents how they analyzed the Big 6+6 skill of "squeeze" in terms of arranging sequences of instruction. The SCC…

Evaluating verbal and non-verbal communication skills, in an ethnogeriatric OSCE.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Lauren G; Schrimmer, Anne; Diamond, James; Burke, Janice

2011-05-01

Communication during medical interviews plays a large role in patient adherence, satisfaction with care, and health outcomes. Both verbal and non-verbal communication (NVC) skills are central to the development of rapport between patients and healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of non-verbal and verbal communication skills on evaluations by standardized patients during an ethnogeriatric Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Interviews from 19 medical students, residents, and fellows in an ethnogeriatric OSCE were analyzed. Each interview was videotaped and evaluated on a 14 item verbal and an 8 item non-verbal communication checklist. The relationship between verbal and non-verbal communication skills on interview evaluations by standardized patients were examined using correlational analyses. Maintaining adequate facial expression (FE), using affirmative gestures (AG), and limiting both unpurposive movements (UM) and hand gestures (HG) had a significant positive effect on perception of interview quality during this OSCE. Non-verbal communication skills played a role in perception of overall interview quality as well as perception of culturally competent communication. Incorporating formative and summative evaluation of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills may be a critical component of curricular innovations in ethnogeriatrics, such as the OSCE. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laparoscopic skill improvement after virtual reality simulator training in medical students as assessed by augmented reality simulator.

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Nomura, Tsutomu; Mamada, Yasuhiro; Nakamura, Yoshiharu; Matsutani, Takeshi; Hagiwara, Nobutoshi; Fujita, Isturo; Mizuguchi, Yoshiaki; Fujikura, Terumichi; Miyashita, Masao; Uchida, Eiji

2015-11-01

Definitive assessment of laparoscopic skill improvement after virtual reality simulator training is best obtained during an actual operation. However, this is impossible in medical students. Therefore, we developed an alternative assessment technique using an augmented reality simulator. Nineteen medical students completed a 6-week training program using a virtual reality simulator (LapSim). The pretest and post-test were performed using an object-positioning module and cholecystectomy on an augmented reality simulator(ProMIS). The mean performance measures between pre- and post-training on the LapSim were compared with a paired t-test. In the object-positioning module, the execution time of the task (P virtual reality simulator improved the operative skills of medical students as objectively evaluated by assessment using an augmented reality simulator instead of an actual operation. We hope that these findings help to establish an effective training program for medical students. © 2015 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A randomized trial comparing two intraosseous access devices in intrahospital healthcare providers with a focus on retention of knowledge, skill, and self-efficacy.

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Derikx, H J G M; Gerritse, B M; Gans, R; van der Meer, N J M

2014-10-01

Intraosseous access is recommended in vitally compromised patients if an intravenous access cannot be easily obtained. Intraosseous infusion can be initiated by various healthcare providers. Currently, there are two mechanical intraosseous devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults and children. A comparison is made in this study of the theoretical and practical performance by anesthesiologists and registered nurses of anesthesia (RNAs) in the use of the battery-powered device (device A) versus the spring-loaded needle device (device B). This study entailed a 12-month follow-up of knowledge, skill retention, and self-efficacy measured by standardized testing. A prospective randomized trial was performed, initially comparing 15 anesthesiologists and 15 RNAs, both on using the two types of intraosseous devices. A structured lecture and skill station was given with the educational aids provided by the respective manufacturers. Individual knowledge and practical skills were tested at 0, 3, and 12 months after the initial course. There was no statistical significant difference in the retention of theoretical knowledge between RNAs and anesthesiologists on all testing occasions. However, the self-efficacy of the anesthesiologists is significantly higher (p intraosseous access has been disproven, as anesthesiologists were as successful as RNAs. However, the low self-efficacy of RNAs in the use of intraosseous devices could diminish the chance of them actually using one.

Improving Pharmacy Student Communication Outcomes Using Standardized Patients.

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Gillette, Chris; Rudolph, Michael; Rockich-Winston, Nicole; Stanton, Robert; Anderson, H Glenn

2017-08-01

Objective. To examine whether standardized patient encounters led to an improvement in a student pharmacist-patient communication assessment compared to traditional active-learning activities within a classroom setting. Methods. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with second-year pharmacy students in a drug information and communication skills course. Student patient communication skills were assessed using high-stakes communication assessment. Results. Two hundred and twenty students' data were included. Students were significantly more likely to have higher scores on the communication assessment when they had higher undergraduate GPAs, were female, and taught using standardized patients. Similarly, students were significantly more likely to pass the assessment on the first attempt when they were female and when they were taught using standardized patients. Conclusion. Incorporating standardized patients within a communication course resulted in improved scores as well as first-time pass rates on a communication assessment than when using different methods of active learning.

Assessing students' communication skills: validation of a global rating.

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Scheffer, Simone; Muehlinghaus, Isabel; Froehmel, Annette; Ortwein, Heiderose

2008-12-01

Communication skills training is an accepted part of undergraduate medical programs nowadays. In addition to learning experiences its importance should be emphasised by performance-based assessment. As detailed checklists have been shown to be not well suited for the assessment of communication skills for different reasons, this study aimed to validate a global rating scale. A Canadian instrument was translated to German and adapted to assess students' communication skills during an end-of-semester-OSCE. Subjects were second and third year medical students at the reformed track of the Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin. Different groups of raters were trained to assess students' communication skills using the global rating scale. Validity testing included concurrent validity and construct validity: Judgements of different groups of raters were compared to expert ratings as a defined gold standard. Furthermore, the amount of agreement between scores obtained with this global rating scale and a different instrument for assessing communication skills was determined. Results show that communication skills can be validly assessed by trained non-expert raters as well as standardised patients using this instrument.

Quality leadership skills Standards of Leadership Behavior

CERN Document Server

Leatherman, Richard W

2008-01-01

Would you like to really know how to empower employees to take greater charge over their careers? To teach employees how to take more responsibility for their performance appraisals? To delegate work to employees? You'll get clear direction in Quality Leadership - a practical manual that addresses today's need for quality performance and gives techniques for handling a wide array of employee problems. This how-to-do-it resource for new and future leaders explains basic leadership tasks in a simple, step-by-step manner. It is full of practical advice - not theories - and outlines clear standard

Soft skills, hard skills, and individual innovativeness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hendarman, Achmad Fajar; Cantner, Uwe

2018-01-01

of Indonesian firms from different industries are used from an online survey on manager and worker perceptions related to individual innovation performance on the one hand and individual skills on the other hand. The results show that soft skills and hard skills are significantly and positively associated...... with individual level innovativeness. However, no complementarity (positive interaction effect) is found between soft skills and hard skills....

Workplace-based communication skills training in clinical departments: Examining the role of collegial relations through positioning theory.

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Møller, Jane Ege; Malling, Bente Vigh

2018-04-27

Studies suggest that the workplace is a key to understanding how clinical communication skills learning takes place and that medical communication skills need to be reinforced over time in order not to deteriorate. This study explored the perceptions of doctors in four hospital departments who participated in a workplace-based communication training project. Its specific focus was the relationship between collegial relations and learning communication skills. The study applied a qualitative design using an ethnographic methodology, i.e. interviews and observations. Positioning theory was used as the theoretical framework. Training communication skills with colleagues in the actual workplace setting was valued by the participants who experienced more sharing of communication challenges, previously understood as something private one would not share with colleagues. However, collegial relations were also barriers for providing critical feedback, especially from junior doctors to their seniors. The position as "colleague" both reinforced the communication skills training and hindered it. The communication skills educational model had a flat, non-hierarchical structure which disturbed the hierarchical structure of the workplace, and its related positions.

Mathematical Skills and Motor Life Skills in Toddlers: Do Differences in Mathematical Skills Reflect Differences in Motor Skills?

Science.gov (United States)

Reikerås, Elin; Moser, Thomas; Tønnessen, Finn Egil

2017-01-01

This study examines possible relations between early mathematical skills and motor life skills in 450 toddlers aged two years and nine months. The study employs baseline data from the longitudinal Stavanger Project--The Learning Child. The children's mathematical skills and motor life skills were assessed by structured observation in the natural…

Improvements in fundamental movement skill competency mediate the effect of the SCORES intervention on physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in children.

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Cohen, Kristen E; Morgan, Philip J; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Barnett, Lisa M; Lubans, David R

2015-01-01

Numerous studies have identified a positive association between fundamental movement skill (FMS) competency and physical activity in children; however, the causal pathways have not been established. The aim of this study is to determine if changes in FMS competency mediated the effect of the Supporting Children's Outcomes using Rewards, Exercise and Skills (SCORES) intervention on physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in children. Eight primary schools (25 classes) and 460 children (aged 8.5 ± 0.6, 54% girls) were randomised to the SCORES intervention or control group for the 12-month study. The outcomes were accelerometer-determined moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness. The hypothesised mediators were actual FMS competency and perceived sport competence. Mediation analyses were conducted using multilevel linear analysis in MPlus. From the original sample, 138 (30.0%) and 370 (80.4%) children provided useable physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness data at post-test assessments. There were significant treatment effects for locomotor skills and overall FMSs. Changes in MVPA were associated with changes in object-control skills, overall FMSs and perceived competence. The overall FMSs had a significant mediating effect on MVPA (AB = 2.09, CI = 0.01-4.55). Overall FMSs (AB = 1.19, CI = 0.002-2.79) and locomotor skills (AB = 0.74, CI = 0.01-1.69) had a significant mediating effect on cardiorespiratory fitness. The results of this study conclude that actual but not perceived movement skill competency mediated the effect of the SCORES intervention on physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Assessing Hourly Precipitation Forecast Skill with the Fractions Skill Score

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Zhao, Bin; Zhang, Bo

2018-02-01

Statistical methods for category (yes/no) forecasts, such as the Threat Score, are typically used in the verification of precipitation forecasts. However, these standard methods are affected by the so-called "double-penalty" problem caused by slight displacements in either space or time with respect to the observations. Spatial techniques have recently been developed to help solve this problem. The fractions skill score (FSS), a neighborhood spatial verification method, directly compares the fractional coverage of events in windows surrounding the observations and forecasts. We applied the FSS to hourly precipitation verification by taking hourly forecast products from the GRAPES (Global/Regional Assimilation Prediction System) regional model and quantitative precipitation estimation products from the National Meteorological Information Center of China during July and August 2016, and investigated the difference between these results and those obtained with the traditional category score. We found that the model spin-up period affected the assessment of stability. Systematic errors had an insignificant role in the fraction Brier score and could be ignored. The dispersion of observations followed a diurnal cycle and the standard deviation of the forecast had a similar pattern to the reference maximum of the fraction Brier score. The coefficient of the forecasts and the observations is similar to the FSS; that is, the FSS may be a useful index that can be used to indicate correlation. Compared with the traditional skill score, the FSS has obvious advantages in distinguishing differences in precipitation time series, especially in the assessment of heavy rainfall.

Optimal skill distribution under convex skill costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tin Cheuk Leung

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper studies optimal distribution of skills in an optimal income tax framework with convex skill constraints. The problem is cast as a social planning problem where a redistributive planner chooses how to distribute a given amount of aggregate skills across people. We find that optimal skill distribution is either perfectly equal or perfectly unequal, but an interior level of skill inequality is never optimal.

Overview: Texas College and Career Readiness Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2009

2009-01-01

The Texas College and Career Readiness Standards define what students should know and be able to accomplish in order to succeed in entry-level college courses or skilled workforce opportunities upon graduation from high school. This paper answers the following questions: (1) Who developed the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards?; (2) What…

Assessing study skills among university students: an Iranian survey.

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Didarloo, Alireza; Khalkhali, Hamid Reza

2014-05-05

Numerous studies have revealed that study skills have a constructive role on the academic performance of students, in addition to educational quality, student' intelligence, and their affective characteristics. This study aims to examine study skills and the factors influencing them among the health sciences students of Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran. This was a cross-sectional study carried out from May to November 2013. A total of 340 Urmia health sciences students were selected using a simple sampling method. Data were collected using the Study Skills Assessment Questionnaire of Counseling Center of Houston University and analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics. The mean and standard deviation of the students' study skills were 172.5±23.2, out of a total score of 240. Around 1.2% of the study skills were weak; 86.8%, moderate; and 12%, good. Among the study skills, the scores of time management, and memory and concentration were better than the others. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between study skills scores and the students' family housing status and academic level (Pstudy skills, these were not sufficient and far from good. Improving and promoting the study skills of university students require the designing and implementing of education programs for study strategies. Therefore, decision makers and planners in the educational areas of universities should consider the topic described above.

76 FR 23470 - Version One Regional Reliability Standard for Transmission Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-27

...; Order No. 752] Version One Regional Reliability Standard for Transmission Operations AGENCY: Federal... Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves regional Reliability Standard TOP-007-WECC... purpose of this regional Reliability Standard is to ensure that actual flows and associated scheduled...

The Vise/Vice of Standardized Testing: National Depreciation by Quantification.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, Edmund J.

Current uses of standardized English tests are adversely affecting students, misleading lay people, and having a pernicious effect on the English profession. These tests are severely limited, incapable of assessing speaking skill and effectiveness, reading interests, appreciation of literature, listening skill, understanding and appreciation of…

Open knot-tying skills: residents skills assessed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Empel, P.J.; Verdam, M.G.E.; Huirne, J.A.; Bonjer, H.J.; Meijerink, W.J.; Scheele, F.

2013-01-01

Aim: Open knot-tying and suturing skills are fundamental surgical skills, founding many alternative knot-tying techniques. It is therefore mandatory for residents to possess adequate basic open knot-tying skills. The aim of this study was to compare an objective assessment of open knot-tying skills

Key decisions in a generic process for disposition of buildings that have actual or potential radiological contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spesard, A.; Donavan, K.; Bowden, B.; Crane, L.; Jensen, G.; Fox, K.L.; Goodwin, R.; Vandegrift, R.

1997-01-01

The Cleanup Standards Committee, formed within the Ohio Federal Facilities Forum, focuses on addressing issues related to cleanup levels and standards. To facilitate decision-making for the disposition of buildings that have potential or actual radiological contamination, the Cleanup Standards Committee developed a process to support building disposition decisions. This process is needed for two reasons: (1) due to changing missions, an increasing number of buildings on federal properties require disposition, and (2) current federal initiatives encourage the transfer of buildings and land for reuse and economic redevelopment. Since the committee developed this process using a teaming effort, the process reflects the experience, expertise, and opinions of committee members and other individuals with a broad range of experience and knowledge. The Generic Process for the Disposition of Buildings that have Potential or Actual Radiological Contamination is intended for use by Federal Facilities responsible for the cleanup of buildings at sites that have radiological process history. This process provides (1) a framework and supporting implementation guidelines for evaluating buildings that have actual or potential radiological contamination, and (2) a process for making building disposition decisions. This paper outlines on the key decision points and the associated data requirements of the process. Specifically, this paper focuses on the following decisions: Which decision-makers are appropriate to involve in the building disposition process; What is the preferred disposition of a building; What criteria are applicable for unconditional release; Is there sufficient existing information to proceed with disposition of a building; What level of survey is appropriate to determine and/or implement a preferred disposition of a building; and how are uncertainties addressed when implementing a building disposition

Hypochondria as an actual neurosis.

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Nissen, Bernd

2017-09-27

Freud defined hypochondria as an actual neurosis. In this paper the actual neurosis will be interpreted as unbound traumatic elements which threaten the self. In severe hypochondria, breakdowns have occurred, as outlined by Winnicott. The nameless traumatic elements of the breakdown have been encapsulated. The moment these encapsulated elements are liberated, an actual dynamic takes place which threatens the self with annihilation. Projective identification is not possible because no idea of containment exists. The self tries to evacuate these elements projectively, thus triggering a disintegrative regression. However, the object of this projection, which becomes a malign introject, is felt to remove the remaining psychical elements, forcing the worthless residue back into the self. In a final re-introjection, the self is threatened by unintegration. To save the self, these elements are displaced into an organ which becomes hypochondriacal, an autistoid object, protecting itself against unintegration and decomposition. An autistoid dynamic develops between the hypochondriac organ, the ego and the introject. Two short clinical vignettes illustrate the regressive dynamical and metapsychological considerations. Copyright © 2017 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Cloud-Based Collaborative Writing and the Common Core Standards

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Yim, Soobin; Warschauer, Mark; Zheng, Binbin; Lawrence, Joshua F.

2014-01-01

The Common Core State Standards emphasize the integration of technology skills into English Language Arts (ELA) instruction, recognizing the demand for technology-based literacy skills to be college- and career- ready. This study aims to examine how collaborative cloud-based writing is used in in a Colorado school district, where one-to-one…

Internet skills performance tests: are people ready for eHealth?

Science.gov (United States)

van Deursen, Alexander J A M; van Dijk, Jan A G M

2011-04-29

Despite the amount of online health information, there are several barriers that limit the Internet's adoption as a source of health information. One of these barriers is highlighted in conceptualizations of the digital divide which include the differential possession of Internet skills, or "eHealth literacy". Most measures of Internet skills among populations at large use self-assessments. The research discussed here applies a multifaceted definition of Internet skills and uses actual performance tests. The purpose of this study was to assess how ready a sample of the general population is for eHealth. More specifically, four types of Internet skills were measured in a performance test in which subjects had to complete health-related assignments on the Internet. From November 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010, 88 subjects participated in the study. Subjects were randomly selected from a telephone directory. A selective quota sample was used divided over equal subsamples of gender, age, and education. Each subject had to accomplish assignments on the Internet. The Internet skills accounted for were categorized as operational (basic skills to use the Internet), formal (navigation and orientation), information (finding information), and strategic (using the information for personal benefits). The tests took approximately 1.5 hours and were conducted in a University office, making the setting equally new for all. Successful completion and time spent on the assignments-the two main outcomes-were directly measured by the test leader. The subjects successfully completed an average of 73% (5.8/8) of the operational Internet skill tasks and an average of 73% (2.9/4) of the formal Internet skill tasks. Of the information Internet skills tasks, an average of 50% (1.5/3) was completed successfully and, of the strategic Internet skills tasks, 35% (0.7/2). Only 28% (25/88) of the subjects were able to successfully complete all operational skills tasks, 39% (34/88), all formal

Internet Skills Performance Tests: Are People Ready for eHealth?

Science.gov (United States)

van Dijk, Jan A G M

2011-01-01

Background Despite the amount of online health information, there are several barriers that limit the Internet’s adoption as a source of health information. One of these barriers is highlighted in conceptualizations of the digital divide which include the differential possession of Internet skills, or “eHealth literacy”. Most measures of Internet skills among populations at large use self-assessments. The research discussed here applies a multifaceted definition of Internet skills and uses actual performance tests. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess how ready a sample of the general population is for eHealth. More specifically, four types of Internet skills were measured in a performance test in which subjects had to complete health-related assignments on the Internet. Methods From November 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010, 88 subjects participated in the study. Subjects were randomly selected from a telephone directory. A selective quota sample was used divided over equal subsamples of gender, age, and education. Each subject had to accomplish assignments on the Internet. The Internet skills accounted for were categorized as operational (basic skills to use the Internet), formal (navigation and orientation), information (finding information), and strategic (using the information for personal benefits). The tests took approximately 1.5 hours and were conducted in a University office, making the setting equally new for all. Successful completion and time spent on the assignments—the two main outcomes—were directly measured by the test leader. Results The subjects successfully completed an average of 73% (5.8/8) of the operational Internet skill tasks and an average of 73% (2.9/4) of the formal Internet skill tasks. Of the information Internet skills tasks, an average of 50% (1.5/3) was completed successfully and, of the strategic Internet skills tasks, 35% (0.7/2). Only 28% (25/88) of the subjects were able to successfully complete all

Using web-based video to enhance physical examination skills in medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Orientale, Eugene; Kosowicz, Lynn; Alerte, Anton; Pfeiffer, Carol; Harrington, Karen; Palley, Jane; Brown, Stacey; Sapieha-Yanchak, Teresa

2008-01-01

Physical examination (PE) skills among U.S. medical students have been shown to be deficient. This study examines the effect of a Web-based physical examination curriculum on first-year medical student PE skills. Web-based video clips, consisting of instruction in 77 elements of the physical examination, were created using Microsoft Windows Moviemaker software. Medical students' PE skills were evaluated by standardized patients before and after implementation of the Internet-based video. Following implementation of this curriculum, there was a higher level of competency (from 87% in 2002-2003 to 91% in 2004-2005), and poor performances on standardized patient PE exams substantially diminished (from a 14%-22%failure rate in 2002-2003, to 4% in 2004-2005. A significant improvement in first-year medical student performance on the adult PE occurred after implementing Web-based instructional video.

Haptic feedback can provide an objective assessment of arthroscopic skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Chami, George; Ward, James W; Phillips, Roger; Sherman, Kevin P

2008-04-01

The outcome of arthroscopic procedures is related to the surgeon's skills in arthroscopy. Currently, evaluation of such skills relies on direct observation by a surgeon trainer. This type of assessment, by its nature, is subjective and time-consuming. The aim of our study was to identify whether haptic information generated from arthroscopic tools could distinguish between skilled and less skilled surgeons. A standard arthroscopic probe was fitted with a force/torque sensor. The probe was used by five surgeons with different levels of experience in knee arthroscopy performing 11 different tasks in 10 standard knee arthroscopies. The force/torque data from the hand and tool interface were recorded and synchronized with a video recording of the procedure. The torque magnitude and patterns generated were analyzed and compared. A computerized system was used to analyze the force/torque signature based on general principles for quality of performance using such measures as economy in movement, time efficiency, and consistency in performance. The results showed a considerable correlation between three haptic parameters and the surgeon's experience, which could be used in an automated objective assessment system for arthroscopic surgery. Level II, diagnostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Development and validation of a new assessment tool for suturing skills in medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundhagen, Henriette Pisani; Almeland, Stian Kreken; Hansson, Emma

2018-01-01

In recent years, emphasis has been put on that medical student should demonstrate pre-practice/pre-registration core procedural skills to ensure patient safety. Nonetheless, the formal teaching and training of basic suturing skills to medical students have received relatively little attention and there is no standard for what should be tested and how. The aim of this study was to develop and validate, using scientific methods, a tool for assessment of medical students' suturing skills, measuring both micro- and macrosurgical qualities. A tool was constructed and content, construct, concurrent validity, and inter-rater, inter-item, inter-test reliability were tested. Three groups were included: students with no training in suturing skills, students who have had training, plastic surgery. The results show promising reliability and validity when assessing novice medical students' suturing skills. Further studies are needed on implementation of the instrument. Moreover, how the instrument can be used to give formative feedback, evaluate if a required standard is met and for curriculum development needs further investigation.Level of Evidence: Not ratable.

Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sameena Shah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Evidence highlights a lack of communication skills in doctors leading to dysfunctional consultations. To address this deficit, a private medical college instituted curricular reforms with inclusion of a longitudinal communication skills program. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of this program by comparing the consultation skills of medical students of this college with a medical college without a communication skills program. Methods: A 4-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE was conducted in the third and final year. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference in the distribution between OSCE stations total and construct scores. Results: At the end of the third year, 21 (31.34%, students of the study site (medical college 1 [college with integrated longitudinal communication skills program] and 31 (46.26% students from the comparison site (medical college 2 [comparable college without communication skills program] consented. Medical college 1 achieved a significantly higher overall mean total station score of 68.0% (standard deviation [SD] =13.5 versus 57.2% (SD = 15.4 (P < 0.001. Significantly higher mean scores were achieved on three stations. At the end of the final year, 19 students (29.3% from medical college 1 and 22 (34% students from medical college 2 consented. The difference in overall mean total station score reduced from 9.2% to 7.1% (70.2 (SD = 13.7 versus 63.1 (SD = 15.2 (P = 0.004. The mean scores of both colleges decreased in "Patient presenting with Hepatitis C Report" station (P values 0.004 and 0.775 and in "Patient Request for Faith Healing Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus" station (P values 0.0046 and 0.036, respectively. Conclusion: Longitudinal communication skills in an undergraduate curriculum positively impacted consultation skills. Community-based training and faculty development are required to develop effective patient-centered consultation skills.

Hard skills or soft skills? Findings about importance of various skills in work

OpenAIRE

Niva, Anu

2016-01-01

Getting a job requires many things: hard skills, soft skills, the right attitude and motivation. To develop the degree programme in Business Information Systems in Oulu university of Applied Sciences (Oulu UAS), three surveys were conducted, to study importance of skills and knowledge in professional life: a graduate career survey in 2013, an employer survey in 2014, and a student survey in 2015. According to the results, readiness for change, learning skills and basic ICT skills seem to be t...

Student nurses need more than maths to improve their drug calculating skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Kerri

2007-05-01

Nurses need to be able to calculate accurate drug calculations in order to safely administer drugs to their patients (NMC, 2002). Studies have shown however that nurses do not always have the necessary skills to calculate accurate drug dosages and are potentially administering incorrect dosages of drugs to their patients (Hutton, M. 1998. Nursing Mathematics: the importance of application. Nursing Standard 13(11), 35-38; Kapborg, I. 1994. Calculation and administration of drug dosage by Swedish nurses, Student Nurses and Physicians. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 6(4), 389-395; O'Shea, E. 1999. Factors contributing to medication errors: a literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 8, 496-504; Wilson, A. 2003. Nurses maths: researching a practical approach. Nursing Standard 17(47), 33-36). The literature indicates that in order to improve drug calculations strategies need to focus on both the mathematical skills and conceptual skills of student nurses so they can interpret clinical data into drug calculations to be solved. A study was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of implementing several strategies which focussed on developing the mathematical and conceptual skills of student nurses to improve their drug calculation skills. The study found that implementing a range of strategies which addressed these two developmental areas significantly improved the drug calculation skills of nurses. The study also indicates that a range of strategies has the potential ensuring that the skills taught are retained by the student nurses. Although the strategies significantly improved the drug calculation skills of student nurses, the fact that only 2 students were able to achieve 100% in their drug calculation test indicates a need for further research into this area.

More active pre-school children have better motor competence at school starting age: an observational cohort study.

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Barnett, Lisa M; Salmon, Jo; Hesketh, Kylie D

2016-10-10

Almost half of young children do not achieve minimum recommendations of 60 daily minutes in physical activity. Physical activity is potentially an important determinant of the development of motor competence in children. This study is one of very few longitudinal studies in this area and the first to investigate early childhood physical activity as a predictor of subsequent motor skill competence. Children were assessed as part of the Melbourne InFANT Program longitudinal cohort study at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (accelerometry) was assessed at each time point. At age 5, children were also assessed in actual (Test of Gross Motor Development-2) and perceived motor competence (Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence). General linear models were performed with all 12 skills (six object control and six locomotor skills), both actual and perceived, at age 5 as the respective outcome variables. Predictor variables alternated between MVPA at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Based on standardized TGMD-2 scores most children were average or below in their skill level at age 5. MVPA at 19 months was not a predictor of actual or perceived skill at age 5. MVPA at 3.5 years was associated with actual locomotor skill (B = 0.073, p = 0.033) and perceived total skill at 5 years of age (B = 0.059, p = 0.044). MVPA was not a predictor of actual or perceived object control skill at any age. Parents and preschool staff should be informed that more time in MVPA as a preschool child contributes to locomotor skill and to perceptions of skill ability in a child of school starting age. Understanding this relationship will assist in intervention development.

More active pre-school children have better motor competence at school starting age: an observational cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa M. Barnett

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Almost half of young children do not achieve minimum recommendations of 60 daily minutes in physical activity. Physical activity is potentially an important determinant of the development of motor competence in children. This study is one of very few longitudinal studies in this area and the first to investigate early childhood physical activity as a predictor of subsequent motor skill competence. Methods Children were assessed as part of the Melbourne InFANT Program longitudinal cohort study at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA (accelerometry was assessed at each time point. At age 5, children were also assessed in actual (Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and perceived motor competence (Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. General linear models were performed with all 12 skills (six object control and six locomotor skills, both actual and perceived, at age 5 as the respective outcome variables. Predictor variables alternated between MVPA at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Results Based on standardized TGMD-2 scores most children were average or below in their skill level at age 5. MVPA at 19 months was not a predictor of actual or perceived skill at age 5. MVPA at 3.5 years was associated with actual locomotor skill (B = 0.073, p = 0.033 and perceived total skill at 5 years of age (B = 0.059, p = 0.044. MVPA was not a predictor of actual or perceived object control skill at any age. Conclusion Parents and preschool staff should be informed that more time in MVPA as a preschool child contributes to locomotor skill and to perceptions of skill ability in a child of school starting age. Understanding this relationship will assist in intervention development.

Influence of the workplace on learning physical examination skills

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Hospital clerkships are considered crucial for acquiring competencies such as diagnostic reasoning and clinical skills. The actual learning process in the hospital remains poorly understood. This study investigates how students learn clinical skills in workplaces and factors affecting this. Methods Six focus group sessions with 32 students in Internal Medicine rotation (4–9 students per group; sessions 80–90 minutes). Verbatim transcripts were analysed by emerging themes and coded independently by three researchers followed by constant comparison and axial coding. Results Students report to learn the systematics of the physical examination, gain agility and become able to recognise pathological signs. The learning process combines working alongside others and working independently with increasing responsibility for patient care. Helpful behaviour includes making findings explicit through patient files or during observation, feedback by abnormal findings and taking initiative. Factors affecting the process negatively include lack of supervision, uncertainty about tasks and expectations, and social context such as hierarchy of learners and perceived learning environment. Conclusion Although individual student experiences vary greatly between different hospitals, it seems that proactivity and participation are central drivers for learning. These results can improve the quality of existing programmes and help design new ways to learn physical examination skills. PMID:24678562

Use of relaxation skills in differentially skilled athletes.

OpenAIRE

Kudlackova, K.; Eccles, D. W.; Dieffenbach, K.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To examine the use of relaxation skills by differentially skilled athletes in relation to the deliberate practice framework. Design: Differentially skilled athletes completed a survey about their use of relaxation skills. Method: 150 athletes representing three skill levels (recreational, college, and professional) completed the deliberate relaxation for sport survey, which assessed relaxation on three deliberate practice dimensions (relevancy, concentration, and ...

National Framework of Professional Standards for Change Leadership in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Francis M.

2009-01-01

The ten professional standards form what Francis Duffy refers to as a "National Framework of Professional Standards for Change Leadership in Education." Each standard has examples of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the research suggests are important for effective change leadership. Duffy's hope is that this proposed…

Self-assessment of intercultural communication skills: a survey of physicians and medical students in Geneva, Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudelson, Patricia; Perron, Noelle Junod; Perneger, Thomas

2011-09-01

Physicians working with multicultural populations need to know how to elicit the patient's understanding of the illness; determine the patient's sociocultural context and identify any issues that might affect care; communicate effectively across patient-provider social and cultural differences; and collaborate effectively with an interpreter. Skills self-assessment can contribute to identifying training needs and monitoring skills development in these areas. As part of a larger study exploring the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Geneva physicians and medical students regarding the care of immigrant patients, we asked respondents to self-rate their ability to perform a range of common yet challenging intercultural communication tasks. Overall, respondents rated themselves less competent at intercultural tasks than at basic medical skills and less competent at specific intercultural communication skills than at general intercultural skills. Qualified doctors (as opposed to students), those with greater interest in caring for immigrants, and those who rarely encountered difficulties with immigrants rated themselves significantly more competent for all clinical tasks. Having a higher percentage of immigrant patients and previous cultural competence training predicted greater self-rated intercultural communication skills. Our self-assessment results suggest that students and physicians should be provided with the opportunity to practice intercultural skills with immigrant patients as part of their cultural competence training. To strengthen the validity of self-assessment measures, they should ideally be combined with more objective methods to assess actual skills.

The relationship between adolescents' physical activity, fundamental movement skills and weight status.

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O' Brien, Wesley; Belton, Sarahjane; Issartel, Johann

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine if a potential relationship among physical activity (PA), fundamental movement skills and weight status exists amongst early adolescent youth. Participants were a sample of 85 students; 54 boys (mean age = 12.94 ± 0.33 years) and 31 girls (mean age = 12.75 ± 0.43 years). Data gathered during physical education class included PA (accelerometry), fundamental movement skills and anthropometric measurements. Standard multiple regression revealed that PA and total fundamental movement skill proficiency scores explained 16.5% (P fundamental movement skills. Results from the current investigation indicate that weight status is an important correlate of fundamental movement skill proficiency during adolescence. Aligned with most recent research, school- and community-based programmes that include developmentally structured learning experiences delivered by specialists can significantly improve fundamental movement skill proficiency in youth.

Gender Gaps in Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills in Early Primary Grades : Evidence from Rural Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Nakajima, Nozomi; Jung, Haeil; Pradhan, Menno; Hasan, Amer; Kinnell, Angela; Brinkman, Sally

2016-01-01

This paper examines gender gaps in cognitive and non-cognitive skills among a sample of more than 10,000 children between the ages of 6 and 9 in rural Indonesia. In terms of cognitive skills, the analysis finds evidence of gender gaps favoring girls at each age in test scores of language (0.158-0.252 standard deviations) and mathematics (0.155-0.243 standard deviations) in the early years ...

A content validity approach to creating an end-user computer skill assessment tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirley Gibbs

Full Text Available Practical assessment instruments are commonly used in the workplace and educational environments to assess a person\\'s level of digital literacy and end-user computer skill. However, it is often difficult to find statistical evidence of the actual validity of instruments being used. To ensure that the correct factors are being assessed for a particular purpose it is necessary to undertake some type of psychometric testing, and the first step is to study the content relevance of the measure. The purpose of this paper is to report on the rigorous judgment-quantification process using panels of experts in order to establish inter-rater reliability and agreement in the development of end-user instruments developed to measure workplace skills using spreadsheet and word-processing applications.

The effects of video games on laparoscopic simulator skills.

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Jalink, Maarten B; Goris, Jetse; Heineman, Erik; Pierie, Jean-Pierre E N; ten Cate Hoedemaker, Henk O

2014-07-01

Recently, there has been a growth in studies supporting the hypothesis that video games have positive effects on basic laparoscopic skills. This review discusses all studies directly related to these effects. A search in the PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed using synonymous terms for video games and laparoscopy. All available articles concerning video games and their effects on skills on any laparoscopic simulator (box trainer, virtual reality, and animal models) were selected. Video game experience has been related to higher baseline laparoscopic skills in different studies. There is currently, however, no standardized method to assess video game experience, making it difficult to compare these studies. Several controlled experiments have, nevertheless, shown that video games cannot only be used to improve laparoscopic basic skills in surgical novices, but are also used as a temporary warming-up before laparoscopic surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Let your communication skills equal your clinical skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Demarais, Ann; Baum, Neil

2012-01-01

Relating effectively with patients is among the most valued skills of clinical care. Honing your communication skills is an art that every physician needs to learn and understand. In this era of increased volume of patients there is a tendency to lose sight of the importance of having good communication skills. This article will review 11 suggestions for letting your communication skills equal your clinical skills.

Use of the OSCE to Evaluate Brief Communication Skills Training for Dental Students

Science.gov (United States)

Cannick, Gabrielle F.; Horowitz, Alice M.; Garr, David R.; Reed, Susan G.; Neville, Brad W.; Day, Terry A.; Woolson, Robert F.; Lackland, Daniel T.

2009-01-01

Although communications competency is recommended by the American Dental Education Association, only a few (n=5) dental schools report evaluating students’ skills using a competency examination for communication. This study used an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to evaluate dental students’ competency in interpersonal and tobacco cessation communication skills. All students were evaluated on their interpersonal communication skills at baseline and at six months post-OSCE by standardized patients and on their tobacco cessation communication skills by two independent raters. First- and second-year dental students (n=104) were randomized to a control or intervention group. One month after the baseline OSCE, students in the intervention group participated in a two-hour training session in which faculty members communicated with a standardized patient during a head and neck examination and counseled the patient about tobacco cessation. There were no statistically significant differences from baseline to post-test between the intervention and control group students as measured by the OSCE. However, among first-year students, both the intervention (n=23) and control (n=21) groups significantly increased in tobacco cessation communication scores. Second-year students in both intervention (n=24) and control (n=28) groups declined in interpersonal communication skills from baseline to post-test. Overall, this one-shot intervention was not successful, and results suggest that a comprehensive communication skills training course may be more beneficial than a single, brief training session for improving dental students’ communication skills. PMID:17761627

Neither Basic Life Support knowledge nor self-efficacy are predictive of skills among dental students.

Science.gov (United States)

Mac Giolla Phadraig, C; Ho, J D; Guerin, S; Yeoh, Y L; Mohamed Medhat, M; Doody, K; Hwang, S; Hania, M; Boggs, S; Nolan, A; Nunn, J

2017-08-01

Basic life support (BLS) is considered a core competence for the graduating dentist. This study aimed to measure BLS knowledge, self-efficacy and skills of undergraduate dental students in Dublin. This study consisted of a cross-sectional survey measuring BLS knowledge and self-efficacy, accompanied by a directly observed BLS skills assessment in a subsample of respondents. Data were collected in January 2014. Bivariate correlations between descriptive and outcome variables (knowledge, self-efficacy and skills) were tested using Pearson's chi-square. We included knowledge and self-efficacy as predictor variables, along with other variables showing association, into a binary logistic regression model with BLS skills as the outcome measure. One hundred and thirty-five students participated. Almost all (n = 133, 98.5%) participants had BLS training within the last 2 years. One hundred and four (77%) felt that they were capable of providing effective BLS (self-efficacy), whilst only 46 (34.1%) scored >80% of knowledge items correct. Amongst the skills (n = 85) subsample, 38.8% (n = 33) were found to pass the BLS skills assessment. Controlling for gender, age and skills assessor, the regression model did not identify a predictive relationship between knowledge or self-efficacy and BLS skills. Neither knowledge nor self-efficacy was predictive of BLS skills. Dental students had low levels of knowledge and skills in BLS. Despite this, their confidence in their ability to perform BLS was high and did not predict actual competence. There is a need for additional hands-on training, focusing on self-efficacy and BLS skills, particularly the use of AED. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Wages and Skills Utilization: Effect of Broad Skills and Generic Skills on Wages in Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Catherine R.; Ng, Michael Chi Man; Sung, Johnny; Loke, Fiona

2013-01-01

Many people go for training to upgrade their skills which is hoped to pave the way for better pay. But what are the kinds of skills that really affect wages? Employers have emphasized the value of generic skills such as interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork and problem solving. Does possession of these skills translate to at least the…

Wikis: Developing Pre-Service Teachers' Leadership Skills and Knowledge of Content Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Reid-Griffin, Angelia; Slaten, Kelli M.

2016-01-01

In this initial phase of our multi-year research study we set out to explore the development of leadership skills in our pre-service secondary teachers after using an online wiki, Wikispaces. This paper presents our methods for preparing a group of 13 mathematics and 3 science secondary pre-service teachers to demonstrate the essential knowledge,…

Impact of education on living standard in Nigeria | Akande ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Education brings about awareness and increases opportunities for growth and development. On the individual level, education brings about economic opportunities and improves individual standard of living. On the aggregate level, education improves labour skills leading to increase in productivity and overall standard of ...

An Investigation of the Cross-Cultural Comparability of Social Skills

OpenAIRE

ISHII, Hidetoki; SUGIMURA, Niwako; ZHANG, Yiping; WATANABE, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

The inclusion of the measurement of social skills in the PISA administered by OECD is currently under consideration. However, it is often argued that standards for evaluation of social skills are set within the framework of a given society and that any cross-cultural comparison beyond this framework is essentially impossible. In this study, an investigation was conducted in cities in the Asian region (Shanghai, Shenzhen, Yangon) whose cultures are comparatively closer to Japan's. The Social S...

Contribution of Oral Language Skills, Linguistic Skills, and Transcription Skills to Chinese Written Composition among Fourth-Grade Students

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Pui-sze; Ho, Connie Suk-han; Chan, David Wai-ock; Chung, Kevin Kien-hoa

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the contribution of oral language skills, linguistic skills, and transcription skills to Chinese written composition among Grade 4 students in Hong Kong. Measures assessing verbal working memory, oral language skills, linguistic skills (i.e., syntactic skills and discourse skills), transcription skills (i.e.,…

Fine motor skills and executive function both contribute to kindergarten achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Claire E.; Brock, Laura L.; Murrah, William M.; Bell, Lindsay H.; Worzalla, Samantha L.; Grissmer, David; Morrison, Frederick J.

2012-01-01

This study examined the contribution of executive function (EF) and multiple aspects of fine motor skills to achievement on six standardized assessments in a sample of middle-SES kindergarteners. 3- and 4-year-olds’ (N=213) fine and gross motor skills were assessed in a home visit before kindergarten; EF was measured at fall of kindergarten; and Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III) Tests of Academic Achievement were administered at fall and spring. Correlations indicated that EF and fine motor skills appeared distinct. Further, controlling for background variables, higher levels of both EF and fine motor skills, specifically design copy, predicted higher achievement on multiple subtests at kindergarten entry, as well as improvement from fall to spring. Implications for research on school readiness are discussed. PMID:22537276

Proficiency training on a virtual reality robotic surgical skills curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Bric, Justin; Connolly, Michael; Kastenmeier, Andrew; Goldblatt, Matthew; Gould, Jon C

2014-12-01

The clinical application of robotic surgery is increasing. The skills necessary to perform robotic surgery are unique from those required in open and laparoscopic surgery. A validated laparoscopic surgical skills curriculum (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery or FLS™) has transformed the way surgeons acquire laparoscopic skills. There is a need for a similar skills training and assessment tool for robotic surgery. Our research group previously developed and validated a robotic training curriculum in a virtual reality (VR) simulator. We hypothesized that novice robotic surgeons could achieve proficiency levels defined by more experienced robotic surgeons on the VR robotic curriculum, and that this would result in improved performance on the actual daVinci Surgical System™. 25 medical students with no prior robotic surgery experience were recruited. Prior to VR training, subjects performed 2 FLS tasks 3 times each (Peg Transfer, Intracorporeal Knot Tying) using the daVinci Surgical System™ docked to a video trainer box. Task performance for the FLS tasks was scored objectively. Subjects then practiced on the VR simulator (daVinci Skills Simulator) until proficiency levels on all 5 tasks were achieved before completing a post-training assessment of the 2 FLS tasks on the daVinci Surgical System™ in the video trainer box. All subjects to complete the study (1 dropped out) reached proficiency levels on all VR tasks in an average of 71 (± 21.7) attempts, accumulating 164.3 (± 55.7) minutes of console training time. There was a significant improvement in performance on the robotic FLS tasks following completion of the VR training curriculum. Novice robotic surgeons are able to attain proficiency levels on a VR simulator. This leads to improved performance in the daVinci surgical platform on simulated tasks. Training to proficiency on a VR robotic surgery simulator is an efficient and viable method for acquiring robotic surgical skills.

Enhancing Cognitive Understanding to Improve Fundamental Movement Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Drost, Daniel K.; Todorovich, John R.

2013-01-01

The development of fundamental movement skills in physical education is an important contributor toward children's' lifetime interest and participation in physical activity. Physical education teachers and their curricula follow national and state standards to provide learning experiences and instruction that support the acquisition of…

Measuring adult literacy students' reading skills using the Gray Oral Reading Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Daphne; Pae, Hye Kyeong; Morris, Robin D; Calhoon, Mary Beth; Nanda, Alice O

2009-12-01

There are not enough reading tests standardized on adults who have very low literacy skills, and therefore tests standardized on children are frequently administered. This study addressed the complexities and problems of using a test normed on children to measure the reading comprehension skills of 193 adults who read at approximately third through fifth grade reading grade equivalency levels. Findings are reported from an analysis of the administration of Form A of the Gray Oral Reading Tests-Fourth Edition (Wiederholt & Bryant, 2001a, b). Results indicated that educators and researchers should be very cautious when interpreting test results of adults who have difficulty reading when children's norm-referenced tests are administered.

Radiological Control Technician: Standardized technician Qualification Standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-10-01

The Qualification Standard states and defines the knowledge and skill requirements necessary for successful completion of the Radiological Control Technician Training Program. The standard is divided into three phases: Phase I concerns RCT Academic training. There are 13 lessons associated with the core academics program and 19 lessons associated with the site academics program. The staff member should sign the appropriate blocks upon successful completion of the examination for that lesson or group of lessons. In addition, facility specific lesson plans may be added to meet the knowledge requirements in the Job Performance Measures (JPM) of the practical program. Phase II concerns RCT core/site practical (JPMs) training. There are thirteen generic tasks associated with the core practical program. Both the trainer/evaluator and student should sign the appropriate block upon successful completion of the JPM. In addition, facility specific tasks may be added or generic tasks deleted based on the results of the facility job evaluation. Phase III concerns the oral examination board successful completion of the oral examination board is documented by the signature of the chairperson of the board. Upon completion of all of the standardized technician qualification requirements, final qualification is verified by the student and the manager of the Radiological Control Department and acknowledged by signatures on the qualification standard. The completed Qualification Standard shall be maintained as an official training record

Incorporating Standardized Colleague Simulations in a Clinical Assessment Course and Evaluating the Impact on Interprofessional Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrader, Sarah; Dunn, Brianne; Blake, Elizabeth; Phillips, Cynthia

2015-05-25

To determine the impact of incorporating standardized colleague simulations on pharmacy students' confidence and interprofessional communication skills. Four simulations using standardized colleagues portraying attending physicians in inpatient and outpatient settings were integrated into a required course. Pharmacy students interacted with the standardized colleagues using the Situation, Background, Assessment, Request/Recommendation (SBAR) communication technique and were evaluated on providing recommendations while on simulated inpatient rounds and in an outpatient clinic. Additionally, changes in student attitudes and confidence toward interprofessional communication were assessed with a survey before and after the standardized colleague simulations. One hundred seventy-one pharmacy students participated in the simulations. Student interprofessional communication skills improved after each simulation. Student confidence with interprofessional communication in both inpatient and outpatient settings significantly improved. Incorporation of simulations using standardized colleagues improves interprofessional communication skills and self-confidence of pharmacy students.

The Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Enhancement of Self-Esteem and Marital Satisfaction among Addicts in Treatment Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Nooripour

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study has been done to determine the impact of life skills training on enhancement of self-esteem and marital satisfaction among addicts in treatment period. Method: The research design was semi experimental pretest-posttest with witness group. For each group 12men addicts in treatment period in Qazvin city were selected by available sampling. Rosenberg self-esteem and Enrich marital satisfaction questionnaires were administered among selected samples. Training workshop was conducted on role playing, questioning and answering which was taught by psychology professors in experimental group. Results: Results showed life skills training improved self-esteem and marital satisfaction of addicts in treatment period. Conclusion: Life skills training have a positive impact on self-esteem and marital satisfaction of individuals especially on addicts in treatment period, also life skills training in the field of smoking prevention enhances individuals’ skills (such as self-esteem, marital satisfaction, etc…. Life skills training empower person to actualize his knowledge, attitudes and values, and enable him to have motivation for healthy behavior which this will have significant impact on his relationship with his wife.

Reassessing word frequency as a determinant of word recognition for skilled and unskilled readers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuperman, Victor; Van Dyke, Julie A

2013-06-01

The importance of vocabulary in reading comprehension emphasizes the need to accurately assess an individual's familiarity with words. The present article highlights problems with using occurrence counts in corpora as an index of word familiarity, especially when studying individuals varying in reading experience. We demonstrate via computational simulations and norming studies that corpus-based word frequencies systematically overestimate strengths of word representations, especially in the low-frequency range and in smaller-size vocabularies. Experience-driven differences in word familiarity prove to be faithfully captured by the subjective frequency ratings collected from responders at different experience levels. When matched on those levels, this lexical measure explains more variance than corpus-based frequencies in eye-movement and lexical decision latencies to English words, attested in populations with varied reading experience and skill. Furthermore, the use of subjective frequencies removes the widely reported (corpus) Frequency × Skill interaction, showing that more skilled readers are equally faster in processing any word than the less skilled readers, not disproportionally faster in processing lower frequency words. This finding challenges the view that the more skilled an individual is in generic mechanisms of word processing, the less reliant he or she will be on the actual lexical characteristics of that word. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Reassessing word frequency as a determinant of word recognition for skilled and unskilled readers

Science.gov (United States)

Kuperman, Victor; Van Dyke, Julie A.

2013-01-01

The importance of vocabulary in reading comprehension emphasizes the need to accurately assess an individual’s familiarity with words. The present article highlights problems with using occurrence counts in corpora as an index of word familiarity, especially when studying individuals varying in reading experience. We demonstrate via computational simulations and norming studies that corpus-based word frequencies systematically overestimate strengths of word representations, especially in the low-frequency range and in smaller-size vocabularies. Experience-driven differences in word familiarity prove to be faithfully captured by the subjective frequency ratings collected from responders at different experience levels. When matched on those levels, this lexical measure explains more variance than corpus-based frequencies in eye-movement and lexical decision latencies to English words, attested in populations with varied reading experience and skill. Furthermore, the use of subjective frequencies removes the widely reported (corpus) frequency-by-skill interaction, showing that more skilled readers are equally faster in processing any word than the less skilled readers, not disproportionally faster in processing lower-frequency words. This finding challenges the view that the more skilled an individual is in generic mechanisms of word processing the less reliant he/she will be on the actual lexical characteristics of that word. PMID:23339352

Exploring students’ perceived and actual ability in solving statistical problems based on Rasch measurement tools

Science.gov (United States)

Azila Che Musa, Nor; Mahmud, Zamalia; Baharun, Norhayati

2017-09-01

One of the important skills that is required from any student who are learning statistics is knowing how to solve statistical problems correctly using appropriate statistical methods. This will enable them to arrive at a conclusion and make a significant contribution and decision for the society. In this study, a group of 22 students majoring in statistics at UiTM Shah Alam were given problems relating to topics on testing of hypothesis which require them to solve the problems using confidence interval, traditional and p-value approach. Hypothesis testing is one of the techniques used in solving real problems and it is listed as one of the difficult concepts for students to grasp. The objectives of this study is to explore students’ perceived and actual ability in solving statistical problems and to determine which item in statistical problem solving that students find difficult to grasp. Students’ perceived and actual ability were measured based on the instruments developed from the respective topics. Rasch measurement tools such as Wright map and item measures for fit statistics were used to accomplish the objectives. Data were collected and analysed using Winsteps 3.90 software which is developed based on the Rasch measurement model. The results showed that students’ perceived themselves as moderately competent in solving the statistical problems using confidence interval and p-value approach even though their actual performance showed otherwise. Item measures for fit statistics also showed that the maximum estimated measures were found on two problems. These measures indicate that none of the students have attempted these problems correctly due to reasons which include their lack of understanding in confidence interval and probability values.

The relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity in children: mediating roles of perceived motor competence and health-related physical fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodaverdi, Zeinab; Bahram, Abbas; Stodden, David; Kazemnejad, Anoshirvan

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether perceived motor competence and components of health-related physical fitness mediated the relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity in 8- to 9-year-old Iranian girls. A convenience sample of 352 girls (mean age = 8.7, SD = 0.3 years) participated in the study. Actual motor competence, perceived motor competence and children's physical activity were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, the physical ability sub-scale of Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children, respectively. Body mass index, the 600 yard run/walk, curl-ups, push-ups, and back-saver sit and reach tests assessed health-related physical fitness. Preacher & Hayes (2004) bootstrap method was used to assess the potential mediating effects of fitness and perceived competence on the direct relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity. Regression analyses revealed that aerobic fitness (b = .28, 95% CI = [.21, .39]), as the only fitness measure, and perceived competence (b = .16, 95% CI = [.12, .32]) were measures that mediated the relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity with the models. Development of strategies targeting motor skill acquisition, children's self-perceptions of competence and cardiorespiratory fitness should be targeted to promote girls' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Decision making in trauma settings: simulation to improve diagnostic skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, David J; Freeman, Brad D; Boulet, John R; Woodhouse, Julie; Fehr, James J; Klingensmith, Mary E

2015-06-01

In the setting of acute injury, a wrong, missed, or delayed diagnosis can impact survival. Clinicians rely on pattern recognition and heuristics to rapidly assess injuries, but an overreliance on these approaches can result in a diagnostic error. Simulation has been advocated as a method for practitioners to learn how to recognize the limitations of heuristics and develop better diagnostic skills. The objective of this study was to determine whether simulation could be used to provide teams the experiences in managing scenarios that require the use of heuristic as well as analytic diagnostic skills to effectively recognize and treat potentially life-threatening injuries. Ten scenarios were developed to assess the ability of trauma teams to provide initial care to a severely injured patient. Seven standard scenarios simulated severe injuries that once diagnosed could be effectively treated using standard Advanced Trauma Life Support algorithms. Because diagnostic error occurs more commonly in complex clinical settings, 3 complex scenarios required teams to use more advanced diagnostic skills to uncover a coexisting condition and treat the patient. Teams composed of 3 to 5 practitioners were evaluated in the performance of 7 (of 10) randomly selected scenarios (5 standard, 2 complex). Expert rates scored teams using standardized checklists and global scores. Eighty-three surgery, emergency medicine, and anesthesia residents constituted 21 teams. Expert raters were able to reliably score the scenarios. Teams accomplished fewer checklist actions and received lower global scores on the 3 analytic scenarios (73.8% [12.3%] and 5.9 [1.6], respectively) compared with the 7 heuristic scenarios (83.2% [11.7%] and 6.6 [1.3], respectively; P heuristic scenarios but were less effective when managing the scenarios that require a more analytic approach. Simulation can be used to provide teams with decision-making experiences in trauma settings and could be used to improve

A Simulated Clinical Skills Scenario to Teach Interprofessional Teamwork to Health Profession Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eileen Adel Herge

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Eastern Pennsylvania Delaware Geriatric Education Center developed an Interprofessional Clinical Skills Scenario (CSS to facilitate development of teamwork skills, specifically decision making, communication and collaboration, in health professions students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational and physical therapy programs. The case scenario provides students with the opportunity to practice communication and collaboration with a team and standardized patient and caregiver in a simulated clinical setting. The CSS was integrated into an existing occupational therapy course in 2011. Students were recruited by faculty from various schools (health professions, pharmacy, nursing, medicine throughout the university to participate in the CSS. The program evaluation included demographic assessment, process, and outcome measures. 166 students have participated in the CSS. Pre- and post-tests measured students' attitude toward healthcare teams. A Team Observation Tool was used by faculty and standardized patients/caregivers to evaluate student teams on communication, information sharing, and team interaction. A satisfaction survey was completed by the learners at the end of the CSS. This simulated Clinical Skills Scenario is a practical, interactive exercise that allows teams of interprofessional students to practice teamwork skills and patient-centered care with standardized patients and caregivers. Following a review of the learning activity and evaluation tools, the authors reflect on the effectiveness of the evaluation process for this CSS.

Teaching Physics at Preschool Level for Mexican Students in Order to Achieve the National Scientific Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez Díaz, Mario H.; Nieto Betance, Gabriela; García Trujillo, Luís Antonio; Chávez-Campos, David A.

2015-01-01

In its program of studies for preschool level, the Secretary of Public Education of Mexico promoted development of four standards of science: Scientific knowledge, applications of scientific knowledge and technology, skills associated to science, and attitudes associated to science. However, to develop this skills and reach out the standards there…

Laparoscopic skills assessment: an additional modality for pediatric surgery fellowship selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazboun, Rajaie; Rodriguez, Samuel; Thirumoorthi, Arul; Baerg, Joanne; Moores, Donald; Tagge, Edward P

2017-12-01

The Pediatric Surgery fellow selection is a multi-layered process which has not included assessment of surgical dexterity. Data was collected prospectively as part of the 2016 Pediatric Surgery Match interview process. Applicants completed a questionnaire to document laparoscopic experience and fine motor skills activities. Actual laparoscopic skills were assessed using a simulator. Time to complete an intracorporeal knot was tabulated. An initial rank list was formulated based only on the ERAS application and interview scores. The rank list was re-formulated following the laparoscopic assessment. Un-paired T-test and regression were utilized to analyze the data. Forty applicants were interviewed with 18 matched (45%). The mean knot tying time was 201.31s for matched and 202.35s for unmatched applicants. Playing a musical instrument correlated with faster knot tying (p=0.03). No correlation was identified between knot tying time and either video game experience (p=0.4) or passing the FLS exam (p=0.78). Laparoscopic skills assessment lead to significant reordering of rank list (p=0.01). Laparoscopic skills performance significantly impacted ranking. Playing a musical instrument correlated with faster knot tying. No correlation was identified between laparoscopic performance and passing the FLS exam or other activities traditionally believed to improve technical ability. Prospective study. Level II. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tactical skills of world-class youth soccer teams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kannekens, Rianne; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T.; Visscher, Chris

2009-01-01

In this study, we examined the relationship between tactical skills and competitive standard of two youth soccer teams by comparing 18 players (age 18-20 years) from the Dutch and 19 players (age 18-23 years) from the Indonesian national youth team. All players completed the declarative and

European standards applied by Gas Transmission System Operator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witek, M.; Kuchta, K.; Oleszkiewicz, J.; Teperek, T.

2005-01-01

The lecture described actual state of implementation of European standards concerning transmission of natural gas and underlined their importance for proper performance of Transmission System Operator (TSO). European standards implemented to Polish Standards as PN-EN, necessary for TSO, related to design, construction and operation of high pressure gas network were also described. The lecture underlined as well the impact of standards application on preparation process of national regulations. They obligate TSO to create the technical conditions that ensure safety of gas transmission network functioning as well as environmental and surroundings safety. (authors)

Role modelling in medical education: the importance of teaching skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, Annette; Oates, Kim; Goulston, Kerry

2016-04-01

By observation of role models, and participation in activities, students develop their attitudes, values and professional competencies. Literature suggests that clinical skills and knowledge, personality, and teaching skills are three main areas that students consider central to the identification of positive role models. The aim of this study was to explore junior medical students' opinions of the ideal attributes of a good role model in clinical tutors. The study was conducted with one cohort (n = 301) of students who had completed year 1 of the medical programme in 2013. All students were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the ideal attributes of a good role model in a clinical tutor. The questionnaire consisted of seven closed items and one open-ended question. The response rate to the questionnaire was 265/301 (88%). Although students found all three key areas important in a good role model, students emphasised the importance of excellence in teaching skills. Specifically, students see good role models as being able to provide a constructive learning environment, a good understanding of the curriculum and an ability to cater to the learning needs of all students. Students see good role models as being able to provide a constructive learning environment While acknowledging the importance of a patient-centred approach, as well as clinical knowledge and skills, our findings reinforce the importance of the actual teaching abilities of role models within medical education. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Standards, criteria, comparative study. Final report 1993-1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, M.

1995-01-01

The goal of this report is to compare standards and criteria used for the design of seismic resistant Nuclear Power plants in former USSR and Eastern Europe to the actual practice in Western Europe and USA. A review of USSR and Czech-Slovak standards for design of WWER-1000 NPPs is included. Comparative study deals involves a general comparison of standards and the comparison of seismic loads according to Eastern standards with the to-day practices. According to these comparisons it can be theoretically concluded that despite some differences the structural seismic forces calculated according to Soviet-Russian standards are in good agreement with the ones resulting from Western Standards

Development of standard surgical digital model by using 3-tesla MRI data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Kaoru; Watanabe, Eiju

2010-01-01

Despite soaring social demand for more skillful and safe surgery, the number of operation gradually declined due to remarkable development of other multimodality treatments, such as radiotherapy and intravascular surgery. Therefore, it is necessary to establish comprehensive surgical training system including acquisition of anatomical knowledge and microsurgical technique in order to meet the public demand for surgical safety and credibility. However, cadaver dissection, widely accepted as a standard surgical training method, generate burdensome costs and effort for most Japanese surgeons as a daily surgical training tool. As a result, alternatives, such as experimental animals, full-scale brain models, and computer based models, are being developed and have become more practical and useful. We should carefully recognize both their advantages and disadvantages and find an effective training system by combining them according to surgeon's proficiency level and their distinct purposes. With these factors in mind, we are exploiting a computer-based standard anatomical digital model derived from 3T MRI data as an alternative to cadaver dissection. It is useful for neurosurgeons to acquire three-dimensional microscopic neuroanatomy due to an unprecedented advantage that allows each anatomical structure to be segmented and manipulated individually based on an actual operative procedure. We have made an initial model of hippocampus resection surgery. This model allows both proficient and fledgling surgeon to confirm and understand three-dimensional detailed neuroanatomy. (author)

COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING: OVERVIEW OF MODERN STANDARDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Рupena

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article deals with modern international standards ISA-95 and ISA-88 on the development of computer inegreted manufacturing. It is shown scope of standards in the context of a hierarchical model of the enterprise. Article is built in such a way to describe the essence of the standards in the light of the basic descriptive models: product definition, resources, schedules and actual performance of industrial activity. Description of the product definition is given by hierarchical presentation of products at various levels of management. Much attention is given to describe this type of resources like equipment, which is logical chain to all these standards. For example, the standard batch process control shows the relationship between the definition of product and equipment on which it is made. The article shows the hierarchy of planning ERP-MES / MOM-SCADA (in terms of standard ISA-95, which traces the decomposition of common production plans of enterprises for specific works at APCS. We consider the appointment of the actual performance of production at MES / MOM considering KPI. Generalized picture of operational activity on a level MES / MOM is shown via general circuit diagrams of the relationship of activities and information flows between the functions. The article is finished by a substantiation of necessity of distribution, approval and development of standards ISA-88 and ISA-95 in Ukraine. The article is an overview and can be useful to specialists in computer-integrated systems control and management of industrial enterprises, system integrators and suppliers.

Dangers of "confirmatory" cancer trials that fail to actually test the original hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Markman, Maurie

2014-04-01

The concept of "confirmatory" studies is a standard and important component of the overall clinical trials strategy in oncology. However, it is critical that such studies are similar enough in basic design and how they are conducted that they actually have the realistic potential to confirm, or refute, objectively the findings of the original study. In this commentary, two examples of clinical studies in the gynecologic oncology arena suggested by some to serve as "confirmatory" trials for the original reports demonstrate both the dangers and potential inappropriateness of such conclusions.

Self-assessment of intercultural communication skills: a survey of physicians and medical students in Geneva, Switzerland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perneger Thomas

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physicians working with multicultural populations need to know how to elicit the patient's understanding of the illness; determine the patient's sociocultural context and identify any issues that might affect care; communicate effectively across patient-provider social and cultural differences; and collaborate effectively with an interpreter. Skills self-assessment can contribute to identifying training needs and monitoring skills development in these areas. Methods As part of a larger study exploring the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Geneva physicians and medical students regarding the care of immigrant patients, we asked respondents to self-rate their ability to perform a range of common yet challenging intercultural communication tasks. Results Overall, respondents rated themselves less competent at intercultural tasks than at basic medical skills and less competent at specific intercultural communication skills than at general intercultural skills. Qualified doctors (as opposed to students, those with greater interest in caring for immigrants, and those who rarely encountered difficulties with immigrants rated themselves significantly more competent for all clinical tasks. Having a higher percentage of immigrant patients and previous cultural competence training predicted greater self-rated intercultural communication skills. Conclusion Our self-assessment results suggest that students and physicians should be provided with the opportunity to practice intercultural skills with immigrant patients as part of their cultural competence training. To strengthen the validity of self-assessment measures, they should ideally be combined with more objective methods to assess actual skills.

From 21st century skills to 21st century human being

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjøllund, Niels-Peder Osmundsen; Jørgensen, Tobias Heiberg

2017-01-01

In Denmark, in Scandinavia and in all of Europe there is a lot of talk about the skills of the future. But if we want our students to aim for and gain a different learning outcome, we must set new and different standards for the way we teach – and start to walk the talk. The focus of the presenta...... CLD and we must take the next step, where we stop thinking about skills and competencies and start thinking and acting on the fundamental existential implication of the 21st century. What we need now is not more 21st century skills, but 21st century human beings....

Prospective memory in schizophrenia: relationship to medication management skills, neurocognition, and symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Raskin, Sarah A; Maye, Jacqueline; Rogers, Alexandra; Correll, David; Zamroziewicz, Marta; Kurtz, Matthew

2014-05-01

Impaired adherence to medication regimens is a serious concern for individuals with schizophrenia linked to relapse and poorer outcomes. One possible reason for poor adherence to medication is poor ability to remember future intentions, labeled prospective memory skills. It has been demonstrated in several studies that individuals with schizophrenia have impairments in prospective memory that are linked to everyday life skills. However, there have been no studies, to our knowledge, examining the relationship of a clinical measure of prospective memory to medication management skills, a key element of successful adherence. In this Study 41 individuals with schizophrenia and 25 healthy adults were administered a standardized test battery that included measures of prospective memory, medication management skills, neurocognition, and symptoms. Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated impairments in prospective memory (both time and event-based) relative to healthy controls. Performance on the test of prospective memory was correlated with the standardized measure of medication management in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, the test of prospective memory predicted skills in medication adherence even after measures of neurocognition were accounted for. This suggests that prospective memory may play a key role in medication management skills and thus should be a target of cognitive remediation programs.

Linac project - actual stage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlin Filho, N.

1990-01-01

The actual development stage of Pelletron accelerator to study heavy ion reactions, nuclear structures and applied nuclear physics is presented. The construction of acceleration systems able to provide beams of several mass and energies up to 20 MeV/A, is discussed, describing acceleration structures and implemented systems. (M.C.K.)

Effect of two additional interventions, test and reflection, added to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation training on seventh grade students' practical skills and willingness to act: a cluster randomised trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Nord, Anette; Hult, Håkan; Kreitz-Sandberg, Susanne; Herlitz, Johan; Svensson, Leif; Nilsson, Lennart

2017-06-23

The aim of this research is to investigate if two additional interventions, test and reflection, after standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training facilitate learning by comparing 13-year-old students' practical skills and willingness to act. Seventh grade students in council schools of two municipalities in south-east Sweden. School classes were randomised to CPR training only (O), CPR training with a practical test including feedback (T) or CPR training with reflection and a practical test including feedback (RT). Measures of practical skills and willingness to act in a potential life-threatening situation were studied directly after training and at 6 months using a digital reporting system and a survey. A modified Cardiff test was used to register the practical skills, where scores in each of 12 items resulted in a total score of 12-48 points. The study was conducted in accordance with current European Resuscitation Council guidelines during December 2013 to October 2014. 29 classes for a total of 587 seventh grade students were included in the study. The total score of the modified Cardiff test at 6 months was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were the total score directly after training, the 12 individual items of the modified Cardiff test and willingness to act. At 6 months, the T and O groups scored 32 (3.9) and 30 (4.0) points, respectively (ptraining improved the students' acquisition of practical CPR skills. Reflection did not increase further CPR skills. At 6-month follow-up, no intervention effect was found regarding willingness to make a life-saving effort. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Faculty Communication Knowledge, Attitudes, and Skills Around Chronic Non-Malignant Pain Improve with Online Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan, Anna K; Wood, Gordon J; Rubio, Doris M; Day, Hollis D; Spagnoletti, Carla L

2016-11-01

Many physicians struggle to communicate with patients with chronic, non-malignant pain (CNMP). Through the use of a Web module, the authors aimed to improve faculty participants' communication skills knowledge and confidence, use of skills in clinical practice, and actual communication skills. The module was implemented for faculty development among clinician-educators with university faculty appointments, outpatient clinical practices, and teaching roles. Participants completed the Collaborative Opioid Prescribing Education Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (COPE-REMS®) module, a free Web module designed to improve provider communication around opioid prescribing. Main study outcomes were improvements in CNMP communication knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Skills were assessed by comparing a subset of participants' Observed Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) performance before and after the curriculum. Sixty-two percent of eligible participants completed the curriculum in 2013. Knowledge-based test scores improved with curriculum completion (75% vs. 90%; P communication skills on the OSCE improved after the curriculum (mean 67% vs. 79%, P = 0.03). Experienced clinician-educators improved their communication knowledge, attitudes, and skills in managing patients with CNMP after implementation of this curriculum. The improvements in attitudes were sustained at six months. A Web-based curriculum such as COPE-REMS® may be useful for other programs seeking improvement in faculty communication with patients who have CNMP. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Leadership Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchison, Cathleen; And Others

1988-01-01

Lists skills identified by the Leadership Development Task Force as being critical skills for a leader. Discussion focuses on information managing skills, including problem solving, decision making, setting goals and objectives; project management; and people managing skills, including interpersonal communications, conflict management, motivation,…

United States Program for Technical assistance to IAEA Standards. Concept Paper: Knowledge Acquisition, Skills training for enhanced IAEA safeguards inspections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morris, F.A.; Toquam, J.L.

1993-11-01

This concept paper explores the potential contribution of ``Knowledge Acquisition Skills`` in enhancing the effectiveness of international safeguards inspections by the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA, or Agency) and identifies types of training that could be provided to develop or improve such skills. For purposes of this concept paper, Knowledge Acquisition Skills are defined broadly to include all appropriate techniques that IAEA safeguards inspectors can use to acquire and analyze information relevant to the performance of successful safeguards inspections. These techniques include a range of cognitive, analytic, judgmental, interpersonal, and communications skills that have the potential to help IAEA safeguards inspectors function more effectively.

Tracing Actual Causes

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-08

produce a full explanation. While related, this problem dif- fers from the problem of determining actual causes where the focus is on identifying...1987]. We prove that the decision problem for causal slices is DP1 - complete. DP1 is the class of computational problems that can be solved using an NP ...machine and a co- NP machine simultaneously. Based on this result, we further show that the decision problem for causal histories is in ΠP2 . Closely

The Importance of Spatial Reasoning Skills in Undergraduate Geology Students and the Effect of Weekly Spatial Skill Trainings

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Anne; Pendergast, Philip; Stempien, Jennifer; Ormand, Carol

2016-04-01

Spatial reasoning is a key skill for student success in STEM disciplines in general and for students in geosciences in particular. However, spatial reasoning is neither explicitly trained, nor evenly distributed, among students and by gender. This uneven playing field allows some students to perform geoscience tasks easily while others struggle. A lack of spatial reasoning skills has been shown to be a barrier to success in the geosciences, and for STEM disciplines in general. Addressing spatial abilities early in the college experience might therefore be effective in retaining students, especially females, in STEM disciplines. We have developed and implemented a toolkit for testing and training undergraduate student spatial reasoning skills in the classroom. In the academic year 2014/15, we studied the distribution of spatial abilities in more than 700 undergraduate Geology students from 4 introductory and 2 upper level courses. Following random assignment, four treatment groups received weekly online training and intermittent hands-on trainings in spatial thinking while four control groups only participated in a pre- and a posttest of spatial thinking skills. In this presentation we summarize our results and describe the distribution of spatial skills in undergraduate students enrolled in geology courses. We first discuss the factors that best account for differences in baseline spatial ability levels, including general intelligence (using standardized test scores as a proxy), major, video gaming, and other childhood play experiences, which help to explain the gender gap observed in most research. We found a statistically significant improvement of spatial thinking still with large effect sizes for the students who received the weekly trainings. Self-report data further shows that students improve their spatial thinking skills and report that their improved spatial thinking skills increase their performance in geoscience courses. We conclude by discussing the

THE ROLE OF TEENAGEERS’ LIFE EXPERIENCE ACTUALIZATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SAFE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT FORMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. A. Selivanov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper looks at the problem of social security and emphasizes the urgent need for developing the general theory of social security, its concepts and models designed to meet the requirements of time and specify different aspects and levels of socialization process – federal, regional and municipal. The author regards actualization of teenagers’ life experience as a promising direction for exploring the opportunities for creating the safe social environment.The individual socio-psychological functioning is delineated as a multilevel correlation of internal and external human resources used for resolving difficult situations. According to the author, the prompt mobilization of internal resources of a teenager, training the ability to apply the external resources for solving the problem and developing the safe behavior can improve the quality of life in the modern society. Along with the risks of modern information society, the author emphasizes a number of dangerous social trends: disruption of social institutions, ifantilization of education, distortion of historical cultural channels, and devaluation of the collectivism idea.In author’s opinion, teenagers should get some special knowledge and individual training to develop the skills of safe behavior in actual situations; and the prospects of the modern society considerably depend on the above procedures. 

Outcome of parent-physician communication skills training for pediatric residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikendei, Christoph; Bosse, Hans Martin; Hoffmann, Katja; Möltner, Andreas; Hancke, Rabea; Conrad, Corinna; Huwendiek, Soeren; Hoffmann, Georg F; Herzog, Wolfgang; Jünger, Jana; Schultz, Jobst-Hendrik

2011-01-01

communication skills represent an essential component of clinical competence. In the field of pediatrics, communication between physicians and patients' parents is characterized by particular difficulties. To investigate the effects of a parent-physician communication skills training program on OSCE performance and self-efficacy in a group control design. parallel to their daily work in the outpatient department, intervention-group experienced clinicians in practice (n=14) participated in a communication training with standardized parents. Control-group physicians (n=14) did not receive any training beyond their daily work. Performance was assessed by independent video ratings of an OSCE. Both groups rated their self-efficacy prior to and following training. regarding OSCE performance, the intervention group demonstrated superior skills in building relationships with parents (pperform better in exploring parents' problems (pcommunication training program led to significant improvement in self-efficacy with respect to the specific training objectives in the intervention group (pcommunication training with standardized parents leads to significant improvement in OSCE performance and self-efficacy. PRACTISE IMPLICATIONS: briefness and tight structure make the presented communication training program applicable even for experienced physicians in daily clinical practice. 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

AAVP Recommendations for Core Competency Standards Relating to Parasitological Knowledge and Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Snowden, Karen F; Krecek, Rosina C; Bowman, Dwight D

As part of the accreditation process, the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education has defined nine broad areas of core competencies that must be met by graduating students earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. To define competencies in veterinary parasitology, the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) has developed a detailed list of knowledge and skills that are recommended for inclusion in professional curricula. These recommendations were developed by instructors from colleges/schools of veterinary medicine in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, and were reviewed and endorsed following AAVP guidelines.

Seasonal prediction skill of winter temperature over North India

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, P. R.; Kar, S. C.; Mohanty, U. C.; Dey, S.; Kumari, S.; Sinha, P.

2016-04-01

The climatology, amplitude error, phase error, and mean square skill score (MSSS) of temperature predictions from five different state-of-the-art general circulation models (GCMs) have been examined for the winter (December-January-February) seasons over North India. In this region, temperature variability affects the phenological development processes of wheat crops and the grain yield. The GCM forecasts of temperature for a whole season issued in November from various organizations are compared with observed gridded temperature data obtained from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the period 1982-2009. The MSSS indicates that the models have skills of varying degrees. Predictions of maximum and minimum temperature obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) climate forecast system model (NCEP_CFSv2) are compared with station level observations from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE). It has been found that when the model temperatures are corrected to account the bias in the model and actual orography, the predictions are able to delineate the observed trend compared to the trend without orography correction.

The Computerized Perceptual Motor Skills Assessment: A new visual perceptual motor skills evaluation tool for children in early elementary grades.

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Tsu-Hsin; Chen, Hao-Ling; Lee, Candy Chieh; Chen, Ying-Dar; Wang, Tien-Ni

2017-10-01

Visual perceptual motor skills have been proposed as underlying courses of handwriting difficulties. However, there is no evaluation tool currently available to assess these skills comprehensively and to serve as a sensitive measure. The purpose of this study was to validate the Computerized Perceptual Motor Skills Assessment (CPMSA), a newly developed evaluation tool for children in early elementary grades. Its test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and responsiveness were examined in 43 typically developing children and 26 children with handwriting difficulty. The CPMSA demonstrated excellent reliability across all subtests with intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs)≥0.80. Significant moderate correlations between the domains of the CPMSA and corresponding gold standards including Beery VMI, the TVPS-3, and the eye-hand coordination subtest of the DTVP-2 demonstrated good concurrent validity. In addition, the CPMSA showed evidence of discriminant validity in samples of children with and without handwriting difficulty. This article provides evidence in support of the CPMSA. The CPMSA is a reliable, valid, and promising measure of visual perceptual motor skills for children in early elementary grades. Directions for future study and improvements to the assessment are discussed. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Facilitating the implementation of the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery phase III skills curriculum: training faculty in the assessment of team skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Louise; Arora, Sonal; Stefanidis, Dimitrios; Sevdalis, Nick

2015-11-01

Effective teamwork is critical to safety in the operating room; however, implementation of phase III of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) Curriculum that focuses on team-based skills remains worryingly low. Training and assessing the complexities of teamwork is challenging. The objective of this study was to establish guidelines and recommendations for training faculty in assessing/debriefing team skills. A multistage survey-based consensus study was completed by 108 experts responsible for training and assessing surgical residents from the ACS Accredited Educational Institutes. Experts agreed that a program to teach faculty to assess team-based skills should include training in the recognition of teamwork skills, practice rating these skills, and training in the provision of feedback/debriefing. Agreement was reached that faculty responsible for conducting team-based skills assessment should be revalidated every 2 years and stringent proficiency criteria should be met. Faculty development is critical to ensure high-quality, standardized training and assessment. Training faculty to assess team-based skills has the potential to facilitate the effective implementation of phase III of the ACS and APDS Curriculum. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

When do self-discrepancies predict negative emotions? Exploring formal operational thought and abstract reasoning skills as moderators.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Erin N; Holmberg, Nicole J; Lovejoy, M Christine; Pittman, Laura D

2014-01-01

Individual differences in higher-order cognitive abilities may be an important piece to understanding how and when self-discrepancies lead to negative emotions. In the current study, three measures of reasoning abilities were considered as potential moderators of the relationship between self-discrepancies and depression and anxiety symptoms. Participants (N = 162) completed measures assessing self-discrepancies, depression and anxiety symptoms, and were administered measures examining formal operational thought, and verbal and non-verbal abstract reasoning skills. Both formal operational thought and verbal abstract reasoning were significant moderators of the relationship between actual:ideal discrepancies and depressive symptoms. Discrepancies predicted depressive symptoms for individuals with higher levels of formal operational thought and verbal abstract reasoning skills, but not for those with lower levels. The discussion focuses on the need to consider advanced reasoning skills when examining self-discrepancies.

Critical Thinking Skills among Elementary School Students: Comparing Identified Gifted and General Education Student Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kettler, Todd

2014-01-01

Education reform efforts, including the current adoption of Common Core State Standards, have increased attention to teaching critical thinking skills to all students. This study investigated the critical thinking skills of fourth-grade students from a school district in Texas, including 45 identified gifted students and 163 general education…

Skill effort: A new theoretical perspective on the relation between skills, skill use, mismatches, and wages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Velden, Rolf; Bijlsma, Ineke

2017-01-01

Mismatches between workers’ skills and job demands have large negative effects on productivity, job satisfaction, and other outcomes. Current approaches to measure the impact of skills and skill mismatches on wages fail to specify the mechanism through which skills and mismatches may affect

Basic airway skills acquisition using the American College of Surgeons/Association for Surgical Education medical student simulation-based surgical skills curriculum: Initial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Muratore, Sydne; Kim, Michael; Olasky, Jaisa; Campbell, Andre; Acton, Robert

2017-02-01

The ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-Based Skills Curriculum was developed to standardize medical student training. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and validity of implementing the basic airway curriculum. This single-center, prospective study of medical students participating in the basic airway module from 12/2014-3/2016 consisted of didactics, small-group practice, and testing in a simulated clinical scenario. Proficiency was determined by a checklist of skills (1-15), global score (1-5), and letter grade (NR-needs review, PS-proficient in simulation scenario, CP-proficient in clinical scenario). A proportion of students completed pre/post-test surveys regarding experience, satisfaction, comfort, and self-perceived proficiency. Over 16 months, 240 students were enrolled with 98% deemed proficient in a simulated or clinical scenario. Pre/post-test surveys (n = 126) indicated improvement in self-perceived proficiency by 99% of learners. All students felt moderately to very comfortable performing basic airway skills and 94% had moderate to considerable satisfaction after completing the module. The ACS/ASE Surgical Skills Curriculum is a feasible and effective way to teach medical students basic airway skills using simulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The expected and actual communication of health care workers during the management of intrapartum: An interpretive multiple case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doreen K.M. M'Rithaa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Daily activities within a health care organisation are mediated by information communication processes (ICP involving multiple health care professionals at different levels of care. Effective perinatal management requires critical information to be accurately communicated. If there is a breakdown in this communication patient safety is at risk for various reasons such as: inadequate critical information, misconception of information and uninformed decisions being made. The purpose of this study was to interpret the complexities around ICP in order to contribute to the effective management of the intrapartum period. Methods: Multi method, multiple case study approach was used to understand the ICP during the management of the intrapartum period. During the study, the expected ICP, the actual ICP, the challenges involved and the desired ICP were analysed. Twenty-four in-depth interviews with skilled birth attendants (SBAs employing observer-as-participant roles, field notes, and document review methods were utilised to gather the data. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the data using Atlas TI software. Results: The study revealed three subthemes which emerged from the expected ICP, whilst three others that emerged formed the theme actual ICP. The subthemes from the expected ICP included: accessibility of obstetric services, expected referral, recommended tools, expected communication and expected documentation. The theme actual ICP held threee merging subthemes: the handover processes, collaborative information seeking, information communicated and referral processes. Conclusion: This study showed that what was expected was not what was actually happening. The requirements of the policies and protocols need to be effectively implemented to improve practice building these into current biomedical guidelines.

Exploring the Disconnect Between Information Literacy Skills and Self-Estimates of Ability in First-Year Community College Students. A Review of: Gross, M., & Latham, D. (2012. What’s skill got to do with it?: Information literacy skills and self-views of ability among first-year college students. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63(3, 574-583.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather Coates

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective – To explore the relationships between information literacy (IL test scores and self-estimated ability both prior to and after completing the test.Design – Information Literacy Test (ILT with pre- and post-test surveys of self-estimated ability.Setting – Two community colleges: a small institution in a rural area and a large institution in an urban area.Subjects – First-year community college students enrolled in entry-level English courses.Methods – The authors conducted a replication study of their earlier work using a larger sample from two community colleges. Information literacy (IL skills were assessed using the Information Literacy Test (ILT developed and validated by researchers at James Madison University. During the spring and fall semesters of 2009 and 2011, the authors administered in a single session the ILT, pre-, and post-test survey instruments to 580 participants. Participants self-selected via sign-up sheet. The first hundred students to sign up per enrollment period were scheduled. Participants received incentives for participation, with an additional incentive offered for scoring in the top 15%. Main Results – The majority of students at both schools (95% at school 1, 80% at school 2 scored in the below-proficient range on the ILT, a few scored in the proficient range (5% at school 1, 20% at school 2, but no students scored in the advanced range. The mean of the few scores in the proficient range was closer to the below-proficient range (≤65% than the advanced range (≥90%. For students at both schools, significant differences were found between their self-estimated and actual test score. While students at both schools adjusted their self-estimated scores downward after completing the ILT, post-test self-estimates remained significantly inflated in relation to their test performance. In particular, students scoring in the below-proficient range demonstrated a large and significant gap. The difference

PENGEMBANGAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN SOFT SKILLS DAN HARD SKILLS UNTUK SISWA SMK

OpenAIRE

Widarto Noto Widodo, Pardjono

2013-01-01

Abstrak: Pengembangan Model Pembelajaran Soft Skills dan Hard Skills untuk Siswa SMK. Era global menuntut sumber daya manusia yang memiliki daya saing, adaptif dan antisipatif, mampu belajar, terampil, mudah beradaptasi dengan teknologi baru. Profil tenaga kerja yang dibutuhkan pasar adalah yang kuat pada aspek soft skills dan hard skills. Ada tiga alternatif model pendidikan yang memadukan hard skills dan soft skills, yaitu (1) aspek soft skills dan hard skills dilaksanakan di sekolah; (2) a...

Development and Relationships Between Phonological Awareness, Morphological Awareness and Word Reading in Spoken and Standard Arabic

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Rachel Schiff

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This study addressed the development of and the relationship between foundational metalinguistic skills and word reading skills in Arabic. It compared Arabic-speaking children’s phonological awareness (PA, morphological awareness, and voweled and unvoweled word reading skills in spoken and standard language varieties separately in children across five grade levels from childhood to adolescence. Second, it investigated whether skills developed in the spoken variety of Arabic predict reading in the standard variety. Results indicate that although individual differences between students in PA are eliminated toward the end of elementary school in both spoken and standard language varieties, gaps in morphological awareness and in reading skills persisted through junior and high school years. The results also show that the gap in reading accuracy and fluency between Spoken Arabic (SpA and Standard Arabic (StA was evident in both voweled and unvoweled words. Finally, regression analyses showed that morphological awareness in SpA contributed to reading fluency in StA, i.e., children’s early morphological awareness in SpA explained variance in children’s gains in reading fluency in StA. These findings have important theoretical and practical contributions for Arabic reading theory in general and they extend the previous work regarding the cross-linguistic relevance of foundational metalinguistic skills in the first acquired language to reading in a second language, as in societal bilingualism contexts, or a second language variety, as in diglossic contexts.

Development and Relationships Between Phonological Awareness, Morphological Awareness and Word Reading in Spoken and Standard Arabic

Science.gov (United States)

Schiff, Rachel; Saiegh-Haddad, Elinor

2018-01-01

This study addressed the development of and the relationship between foundational metalinguistic skills and word reading skills in Arabic. It compared Arabic-speaking children’s phonological awareness (PA), morphological awareness, and voweled and unvoweled word reading skills in spoken and standard language varieties separately in children across five grade levels from childhood to adolescence. Second, it investigated whether skills developed in the spoken variety of Arabic predict reading in the standard variety. Results indicate that although individual differences between students in PA are eliminated toward the end of elementary school in both spoken and standard language varieties, gaps in morphological awareness and in reading skills persisted through junior and high school years. The results also show that the gap in reading accuracy and fluency between Spoken Arabic (SpA) and Standard Arabic (StA) was evident in both voweled and unvoweled words. Finally, regression analyses showed that morphological awareness in SpA contributed to reading fluency in StA, i.e., children’s early morphological awareness in SpA explained variance in children’s gains in reading fluency in StA. These findings have important theoretical and practical contributions for Arabic reading theory in general and they extend the previous work regarding the cross-linguistic relevance of foundational metalinguistic skills in the first acquired language to reading in a second language, as in societal bilingualism contexts, or a second language variety, as in diglossic contexts. PMID:29686633

The impacts of observing flawed and flawless demonstrations on clinical skill learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Domuracki, Kurt; Wong, Arthur; Olivieri, Lori; Grierson, Lawrence E M

2015-02-01

Clinical skills expertise can be advanced through accessible and cost-effective video-based observational practice activities. Previous findings suggest that the observation of performances of skills that include flaws can be beneficial to trainees. Observing the scope of variability within a skilled movement allows learners to develop strategies to manage the potential for and consequences associated with errors. This study tests this observational learning approach on the development of the skills of central line insertion (CLI). Medical trainees with no CLI experience (n = 39) were randomised to three observational practice groups: a group which viewed and assessed videos of an expert performing a CLI without any errors (F); a group which viewed and assessed videos that contained a mix of flawless and errorful performances (E), and a group which viewed the same videos as the E group but were also given information concerning the correctness of their assessments (FA). All participants interacted with their observational videos each day for 4 days. Following this period, participants returned to the laboratory and performed a simulation-based insertion, which was assessed using a standard checklist and a global rating scale for the skill. These ratings served as the dependent measures for analysis. The checklist analysis revealed no differences between observational learning groups (grand mean ± standard error: [20.3 ± 0.7]/25). However, the global rating analysis revealed a main effect of group (d.f.2,36 = 4.51, p = 0.018), which describes better CLI performance in the FA group, compared with the F and E groups. Observational practice that includes errors improves the global performance aspects of clinical skill learning as long as learners are given confirmation that what they are observing is errorful. These findings provide a refined perspective on the optimal organisation of skill education programmes that combine physical and observational practice

25 CFR 36.10 - Standard I-Philosophy and goals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Standard I-Philosophy and goals. 36.10 Section 36.10... § 36.10 Standard I—Philosophy and goals. (a) Each school shall develop a written mission statement and philosophy of education that addresses the accumulation of knowledge and development of skills, interests...

Proposed English Standards Promote Aviation Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatham, Robert L.; Thomas, Shelley

2000-01-01

Discusses the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Air Navigation's Commission approval of a task to develop minimum skill level requirements in English for air traffic control. The ICAO collaborated with the Defense Language Institute English Language Center to propose a minimum standard for English proficiency for international…

Correlations between technical skills and behavioral skills in simulated neonatal resuscitations.

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Sawyer, T; Leonard, D; Sierocka-Castaneda, A; Chan, D; Thompson, M

2014-10-01

Neonatal resuscitation requires both technical and behavioral skills. Key behavioral skills in neonatal resuscitation have been identified by the Neonatal Resuscitation Program. Correlations and interactions between technical skills and behavioral skills in neonatal resuscitation were investigated. Behavioral skills were evaluated via blinded video review of 45 simulated neonatal resuscitations using a validated assessment tool. These were statistically correlated with previously obtained technical skill performance data. Technical skills and behavioral skills were strongly correlated (ρ=0.48; P=0.001). The strongest correlations were seen in distribution of workload (ρ=0.60; P=0.01), utilization of information (ρ=0.55; P=0.03) and utilization of resources (ρ=0.61; P=0.01). Teams with superior behavioral skills also demonstrated superior technical skills, and vice versa. Technical and behavioral skills were highly correlated during simulated neonatal resuscitations. Individual behavioral skill correlations are likely dependent on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF ABDOMINAL PATHOLOGY IN CHILDREN (ACCORDING MATERIALS OF CONGRESS OF RUSSIAN PEDIATRISTS, 2008

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E.A. Kornienko

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This article describes actual problems of abdominal pathology in children: irritable colon syndrome and constipation. The questions of forming those state, criteria and standards of diagnostics and treatment, questions of differential diagnostics are discussed. This article presents modern recommendations on treatment of irritable colon syndrome and constipation, including medicamental and other methods of treatment.Key words: children, irritable colon syndrome, constipation, diagnostics, treatment.(Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. 2009;8(2:68-76

Longitudinal, reciprocal effects of social skills and achievement from kindergarten to eighth grade.

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Caemmerer, Jacqueline M; Keith, Timothy Z

2015-08-01

Previous research suggests that students' social skills and achievement are interrelated, and some findings support bi-directional effects between the two constructs. The purpose of this research study was to estimate the possible longitudinal and reciprocal effects of social skills and achievement for kindergarten through eighth grade students. Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study program were analyzed; teachers' ratings of students' social skills and students' standardized math and reading achievement performance were collected 4 and 5 times, respectively. Latent variable structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model of reciprocal, longitudinal effects of social skills and achievement. The results suggest that the effects of students' social skills and achievement are bi-directional, but the effects of students' achievement on their later social skills are stronger than the effects of social skills on achievement. The significant effects of students' social skills on their later achievement are mostly indirect. These findings suggest that the future social skills of students who struggle academically may be of particular concern to educators, and intervention and prevention efforts aimed to address both social and achievement skills may help remediate the other skill in the future. Copyright © 2015 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acquisition and retention of basic life support skills in an untrained population using a personal resuscitation manikin and video self-instruction (VSI)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne Møller; Henriksen, Mikael Johannes Vuokko; Isbye, Dan Lou

2010-01-01

Video-based self-instruction (VSI) with a 24-min DVD and a personal resuscitation manikin solves some of the barriers associated with traditional basic life support (BLS) courses. No accurate assessment of the actual improvement in skills after attending a VSI course has been determined...

Developing Career and Employability Skills: A US Case Study.

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Zinser, Richard

2003-01-01

Western Michigan University's technical teacher education program developed a course on teaching career and employability skills using state standards and benchmarks as a framework. Preservice teachers complete five projects: job shadowing, professional portfolio, written lesson plan, videotape and self-critique of lesson plan, and an application…

Relationships between Early Child Factors and School Readiness Skills in Young Children with Hearing Loss

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, Marjorie; DesJardin, Jean L.; Shea, Lynn C.

2010-01-01

The goal of this longitudinal study is to examine the relationships between early child factors (i.e., age at identification, enrollment in early intervention, oral language skills) and school readiness skills (i.e., conceptual knowledge) in a group of young children with hearing loss (HL). Standardized language, cognition, and conceptual…

The Use of Rubrics in Benchmarking and Assessing Employability Skills

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Riebe, Linda; Jackson, Denise

2014-01-01

Calls for employability skill development in undergraduates now extend across many culturally similar developed economies. Government initiatives, industry professional accreditation criteria, and the development of academic teaching and learning standards increasingly drive the employability agenda, further cementing the need for skill…

Las neurosis actuales y las psicosis ordinarias

OpenAIRE

Aguirre, Javier

2013-01-01

El trabajo tiene por finalidad poner en tensión las categorías de psicosis ordinaria y neurosis actuales. En primer lugar, se procede a examinar ambas categorías para luego establecer sus puntos de coincidencia y disidencia. Se concluye que la categoría de neurosis actual propuesta por Freud, es una posible expresión de lo que en la actualidad se llama psicosis ordinaria.

Workplace Skills Taught in a Simulated Analytical Department

Science.gov (United States)

Sonchik Marine, Susan

2001-11-01

Integration of workplace skills into the academic setting is paramount for any chemical technology program. In addition to the expected chemistry content, courses must build proficiency in oral and written communication skills, computer skills, laboratory safety, and logical troubleshooting. Miami University's Chemical Technology II course is set up as a contract analytical laboratory. Students apply the advanced sampling techniques, quality assurance, standard methods, and statistical analyses they have studied. For further integration of workplace skills, weekly "department meetings" are held where the student, as members of the department, report on their work in process, present completed projects, and share what they have learned and what problems they have encountered. Information is shared between the experienced members of the department and those encountering problems or starting a new project. The instructor as department manager makes announcements, reviews company and department status, and assigns work for the coming week. The department members report results to clients in formal reports or in short memos. Factors affecting the success of the "department meeting" approach include the formality of the meeting room, use of an official agenda, the frequency, time, and duration of the meeting, and accountability of the students.

Incorporating Interpersonal Skills into Otolaryngology Resident Selection and Training.

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Lu-Myers, Yemeng; Myers, Christopher G

2018-01-01

Increasing attention has been paid to the selection of otolaryngology residents, a highly competitive process but one with room for improvement. A recent commentary in this journal recommended that residency programs more thoroughly incorporate theory and evidence from personnel psychology (part of the broader field of organizational science) in the resident selection process. However, the focus of this recommendation was limited to applicants' cognitive abilities and independent work-oriented traits (eg, conscientiousness). We broaden this perspective to consider critical interpersonal skills and traits that enhance resident effectiveness in interdependent health care organizations and we expand beyond the emphasis on selection to consider how these skills can be honed during residency. We advocate for greater use of standardized team-based care simulations, which can aid in assessing and developing the key interpersonal leadership skills necessary for success as an otolaryngology resident.

Short communication: final year students' deficits in physical examination skills performance in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Krautter, Markus; Diefenbacher, Katja; Koehl-Hackert, Nadja; Buss, Beate; Nagelmann, Lars; Herzog, Wolfgang; Jünger, Jana; Nikendei, Christoph

2015-01-01

The physical examination of patients is an important diagnostic competence, but little is known about the examination skills of final-year medical students. To investigate physical examination skills of final-year medical students. In a cross-sectional study, 40 final-year students were asked to perform a detailed physical examination on standardized patients. Their performances were video-recorded and rated by independent video assessors. Video ratings showed a mean success rate of 40.1 % (SD 8.2). As regards accompanying doctor-patient communication, final-year students achieved a mean of no more than 36.7 % (SD 8.9) in the appropriate use of the corresponding communication items. Our study revealed severe deficits among final-year medical students in performing a detailed physical examination on a standardized patient. Thus, physical examination skills training should aim to improve these deficits while also paying attention to communicative aspects. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Development and Psychometric Analysis of a Nurses' Attitudes and Skills Safety Scale: Initial Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Gail E; Dietrich, Mary; Norman, Linda; Barnsteiner, Jane; Mion, Lorraine

Health care organizations have incorporated updated safety principles in the analysis of errors and in norms and standards. Yet no research exists that assesses bedside nurses' perceived skills or attitudes toward updated safety concepts. The aims of this study were to develop a scale assessing nurses' perceived skills and attitudes toward updated safety concepts, determine content validity, and examine internal consistency of the scale and subscales. Understanding nurses' perceived skills and attitudes about safety concepts can be used in targeting strategies to enhance their safety practices.

The role of multimedia in surgical skills training and assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shariff, Umar; Seretis, Charalampos; Lee, Doreen; Balasubramanian, Saba P

2016-06-01

Multimedia is an educational resource that can be used to supplement surgical skills training. The aim of this review was to determine the role of multimedia in surgical training and assessment by performing a systematic review of the literature. A systematic review for published articles was conducted on the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE (1992 to November 2014), SCOPUS (1992 to November 2014) and EMBASE (1992 to November 2014). For each study the educational content, study design, surgical skill assessed and outcomes were recorded. A standard data extraction form was created to ensure systematic retrieval of relevant information. 21 studies were included; 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 7 non-randomized controlled trials (Non-RCTs). Technical skills were assessed in 7 RCTs and 3 non-RCTs; cognitive skills were assessed in 9 RCTs and 4 non-RCTs. In controlled studies, multimedia was associated with significant improvement in technical skills (4 studies; 4 RCTs) and cognitive skills (7 studies; 6 RCTs). In two studies multimedia was inferior in comparison to conventional teaching. Evaluation of multimedia (9 studies) demonstrated strongly favourable results. This review suggests that multimedia effectively facilitates both technical and cognitive skills acquisition and is well accepted as an educational resource. Copyright © 2015 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TECHNIQUES AND FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

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Irina Vladimirovna Glukhova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the issue of working out and introduction in educational process of higher educational institutions of the innovative technology for developing skills of critical thinking skills of the future specialists. Research is aimed at revealing of the factors promoting formation of students’ critical thinking in high schools; the search of strategy and the receptions actualizing creative abilities of students and helping to formation of an active, independent person. The author gives the reasoned proving that it’s necessary to set up the creative educational environment and adjustment of positive dialogue between the teacher and the trainee for education of such person, development of abilities of an objective reflection, interpretation of the phenomena, formulations of adequate conclusions, well-founded evaluating. Methods. The methods involve the analysis of the philosophical, psychology-pedagogical, methodical literature and the scientific periodical publications; generalisation of the Russian and foreign background, classification and arrangement of the considered issues, supervision. Results. Current approaches to the rendering of critical thinking and a problem of its formation in the scientific literature are considered; the concept «the creative educational environment» is specified; the ways of increasing the educational process efficiency are shown. Scientific novelty. The complex of procedures and the conditions promoting effective development of critical thinking skills is theoretically proved on the basis of the analysis of various information sources. Practical significance. The research outcomes and the recommended methods of critical thinking skills formation can be useful for the professors and lecturers of higher education institutions to optimize subject matter selection, techniques and methods of education under the conditions of dynamically updated educational process. 

Development of a novel iPad-based laparoscopic trainer and comparison with a standard laparoscopic trainer for basic laparoscopic skills testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Renai; Del Junco, Michael; Kaplan, Adam; Okhunov, Zhamshid; Bucur, Philip; Hofmann, Martin; Alipanah, Reza; McDougall, Elspeth M; Landman, Jaime

2015-01-01

We developed the iTrainer (iT) as a portable laparoscopic trainer, which incorporates the iPad tablet. We then compared the iT with a standard pelvic trainer (SPT) to assess surgical skills as well as its image quality, resolution, brightness, comfort, and overall performance. We designed and constructed the iT to be compatible with the Apple iPad 3 and standard laparoscopic instruments. Participants were assigned to perform the thread-the-loops task on both trainers and were prospectively randomized to start on either the iT or the SPT. Each participant was allowed a 2-minute warm-up before the 2-minute testing period. We scored participants using the product of skill quality (0-4 scale) and quantity of loops threaded (0-10 scale). Participants then rated each trainer on image quality, resolution, brightness, comfort, and overall performance on a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 45 subjects including 10 undergraduates, 10 medical students, 10 general surgery and urology residents, and 15 experts (fellows and attending surgeons) participated in this study. There was no significant difference between thread-the-loops task scores completed on the iT when compared with the SPT for all groups tested (p > 0.05) with the exception of the medical student group, who performed better on the SPT (p < 0.05). On evaluation of each trainer, participants rated the iT as having superior image quality and resolution when compared with the SPT (p < 0.05) but rated the SPT higher in overall performance (p < 0.05). Brightness and comfort were rated similarly for both trainers. We have demonstrated face validity and criterion validity for the thread-the-loops task on the iT. The iT rated superior in image quality and resolution but inferior in overall performance compared with the SPT. The iT provides trainees a unique advantage over SPT as an additional resource to laparoscopic training as it is inexpensive, portable, and can be readily available for training. Copyright © 2014

REFRAMING THE SKILLED WORKER: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ORIGINS OF THE GERMAN SKILLS MACHINE

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David Meskill

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In 1926, shortly after the German economy had emerged from the fog of post-World War I hyperinflation, the principle employers’ groups, the National Association of German Industry and the Association of German Employers’ Organizations, founded a Working Committee on Vocational Training. The establishment of this body represented a decisive turning point in the emergence of the highly skilled modern German work force. By standardizing vocational definitions, training schemes, and national qualifying exams, the Committee and its successors helped German apprentices and employers overcome previous disincentives to investing in worker training.

Comparison of pharmacy students' perceived and actual knowledge using the Pharmacy Curricular Outcomes Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Naughton, Cynthia A; Friesner, Daniel L

2012-05-10

To determine whether a correlation exists between third-year PharmD students' perceived pharmacy knowledge and actual pharmacy knowledge as assessed by the Pharmacy Curricular Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). In 2010 and 2011, the PCOA was administered in a low-stakes environment to third-year pharmacy students at North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences (COPNAS). A survey instrument was also administered on which students self-assessed their perceived competencies in each of the core areas covered by the PCOA examination. The pharmacy students rated their competencies slightly higher than average. Performance on the PCOA was similar to but slightly higher than national averages. Correlations between each of the 4 content areas (basic biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, social/administrative sciences, and clinical sciences) mirrored those reported nationally by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Student performance on the basic biomedical sciences portion of the PCOA was significantly correlated with students' perceived competencies in the biomedical sciences. No other correlations between actual and perceived competencies were significant. A lack of correlation exists between what students perceive they know and what they actually know in the areas of pharmaceutical science; social, behavioral, and administrative science; and clinical science. Therefore, additional standardized measures are needed to assess curricular effectiveness and provide comparisons among pharmacy programs.

Comparison of Pharmacy Students’ Perceived and Actual Knowledge Using the Pharmacy Curricular Outcomes Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Friesner, Daniel L.

2012-01-01

Objective. To determine whether a correlation exists between third-year PharmD students’ perceived pharmacy knowledge and actual pharmacy knowledge as assessed by the Pharmacy Curricular Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Methods. In 2010 and 2011, the PCOA was administered in a low-stakes environment to third-year pharmacy students at North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences (COPNAS). A survey instrument was also administered on which students self-assessed their perceived competencies in each of the core areas covered by the PCOA examination. Results. The pharmacy students rated their competencies slightly higher than average. Performance on the PCOA was similar to but slightly higher than national averages. Correlations between each of the 4 content areas (basic biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, social/administrative sciences, and clinical sciences) mirrored those reported nationally by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Student performance on the basic biomedical sciences portion of the PCOA was significantly correlated with students’ perceived competencies in the biomedical sciences. No other correlations between actual and perceived competencies were significant. Conclusion. A lack of correlation exists between what students perceive they know and what they actually know in the areas of pharmaceutical science; social, behavioral, and administrative science; and clinical science. Therefore, additional standardized measures are needed to assess curricular effectiveness and provide comparisons among pharmacy programs. PMID:22611272

Blended Learning zur integrierten und standardisierten Vermittlung klinischer Untersuchungstechniken: Das KliFO-Projekt [A blended learning approach for the integrated and standardized teaching of clinical skills: The CliSO project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brüchner, Kirsten

2009-02-01

Full Text Available [english] Objective: The medical faculties of LMU Munich and CAU Kiel have developed a joint blended learning concept for computer-based learning and practical training of clinical skills: "CliSO – Clinical Skills Online" (. CliSO is implemented in their core curricula with the intention to foster students’ medical examination skills at the preclinical and clinical level. Methods: Both partners contributed their special competencies in the fields of case-based learning (Munich: CASUS e-learning platform and systematic learning (Kiel: Nickels e-learning platform. The didactic concept comprises the integration of theory and practice. It combines the standardized teaching of the following three components: Clinical skills are trained and reviewed in face-to-face courses. In the e-learning environment, the well-directed combination of case-based and systematic learning together with the chosen diversity of media (video, audio, animation facilitates situated learning as well as the intelligible presentation of clinical skills and their biomedical background. Both faculties agreed on joint learning objectives and standards. Results and prospects: It was possible to apply the concept to the different target groups at both faculties (first and second study phases and the differently designed face-to-face courses (Kiel: students examine each other; Munich: patients are examined in addition. Evaluations and studies confirmed the success of this approach, so that a transfer of the concept to other faculties is intended. [german] Zielsetzung: Mit „KliFO – Klinische Fertigkeiten Online“ ( haben die Medizinischen Fakultäten der LMU München und der CAU Kiel ein gemeinsames Blended Learning-Konzept zum computergestützten Lernen und praktischen Trainieren von klinischen Untersuchungstechniken entwickelt und in Pflichtveranstaltungen der Curricula integriert. Ziele sind die Verbesserung der Vor- und Nachbereitung von Untersuchungskursen im

Motivators to participation in actual HIV vaccine trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhalla, Shayesta; Poole, Gary

2014-02-01

An examination of actual HIV vaccine trials can contribute to an understanding of motivators for participation in these studies. Analysis of these motivators reveals that they can be categorized as social and personal benefits. Social benefits are generally altruistic, whereas personal benefits are psychological, physical, and financial. In this systematic review, the authors performed a literature search for actual preventive HIV vaccine trials reporting motivators to participation. Of studies conducted in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the authors retrieved 12 studies reporting on social benefits and seven reporting on personal benefits. From the non-OECD countries, nine studies reported on social benefits and eight studies on personal benefits. Social benefits were most frequently described on macroscopic, altruistic levels. Personal benefits were most frequently psychological in nature. Rates of participation were compared between the OECD and the non-OECD countries. Knowledge of actual motivators in specific countries and regions can help target recruitment in various types of actual HIV vaccine trials.

Teaching Social Skills and Assertiveness to Students with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Moffett, Aaron; Alexander, Melissa G. F.; Dummer, Gail M.

2006-01-01

This article discusses teaching social skills and assertiveness to students with disabilities. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) content standards for physical education emphasize teaching responsible personal and social behaviors to students of all abilities, to help them develop an understanding of and respect for…

Movement Skill Assessment of Typically Developing Preschool Children: A Review of Seven Movement Skill Assessment Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Cools, Wouter; Martelaer, Kristine De; Samaey, Christiane; Andries, Caroline

2009-01-01

The importance of movement is often overlooked because it is such a natural part of human life. It is, however, crucial for a child’s physical, cognitive and social development. In addition, experiences support learning and development of fundamental movement skills. The foundations of those skills are laid in early childhood and essential to encourage a physically active lifestyle. Fundamental movement skill performance can be examined with several assessment tools. The choice of a test will depend on the context in which the assessment is planned. This article compares seven assessment tools which are often referred to in European or international context. It discusses the tools’ usefulness for the assessment of movement skill development in general population samples. After a brief description of each assessment tool the article focuses on contents, reliability, validity and normative data. A conclusion outline of strengths and weaknesses of all reviewed assessment tools focusing on their use in educational research settings is provided and stresses the importance of regular data collection of fundamental movement skill development among preschool children. Key pointsThis review discusses seven movement skill assessment tool’s test content, reliability, validity and normative samples.The seven assessment tools all showed to be of great value. Strengths and weaknesses indicate that test choice will depend on specific purpose of test use.Further data collection should also include larger data samples of able bodied preschool children.Admitting PE specialists in assessment of fundamental movement skill performance among preschool children is recommended.The assessment tool’s normative data samples would benefit from frequent movement skill performance follow-up of today’s children. Abbreviations MOT 4-6: Motoriktest fur vier- bis sechsjährige Kinder, M-ABC: Movement Assessment Battery for Children, PDMS: Peabody Development Scales, KTK: K�

Procedures and reasoning for skill proficiency testing in physical education teacher education programs

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Timothy Baghurst

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study sought to determine how the testing of skill proficiency is being conducted in physical education teacher education (PETE programs in the USA and how fitness or skill proficiencies, as attributes of a physical educator, are perceived. Participants were 312 college PETE program coordinators who completed an online survey about skill testing in their program. The eligible respondents yielded a 52.7% total response rate. Most participants believed that skill proficiency for PETE students was important, but only 46% of programs reported testing within their program. Many participants stated it was possible for their students to graduate without demonstrating proficiency in skill technique, yet were confident their students would pass an independent skill test. Only 46.2% of respondents indicated their students needed to demonstrate proper skill technique in order to graduate, and there was no consistent method of assessment. Responses were evenly split regarding the importance of a physical educator being able to demonstrate proper skill technique or be physically fit. The lack of skill testing in programs, combined with the variation in assessment, is concerning, and the development of a standardized skill-based test may provide more rigor to this important area of teacher credibility and effectiveness.

Word Problem Solving in Contemporary Math Education: A Plea for Reading Comprehension Skills Training

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Boonen, Anton J. H.; de Koning, Björn B.; Jolles, Jelle; van der Schoot, Menno

2016-01-01

Successfully solving mathematical word problems requires both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. In Realistic Math Education (RME), however, students primarily learn to apply the first of these skills (i.e., representational skills) in the context of word problem solving. Given this, it seems legitimate to assume that students from a RME curriculum experience difficulties when asked to solve semantically complex word problems. We investigated this assumption under 80 sixth grade students who were classified as successful and less successful word problem solvers based on a standardized mathematics test. To this end, students completed word problems that ask for both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. The results showed that even successful word problem solvers had a low performance on semantically complex word problems, despite adequate performance on semantically less complex word problems. Based on this study, we concluded that reading comprehension skills should be given a (more) prominent role during word problem solving instruction in RME. PMID:26925012

Word problem solving in contemporary math education: A plea for reading comprehension skills training

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Anton eBoonen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Successfully solving mathematical word problems requires both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. In Realistic Math Education (RME, however, students primarily learn to apply the first of these skills (i.e., representational skills in the context of word problem solving. Given this, it seems legitimate to assume that students from a RME curriculum experience difficulties when asked to solve semantically complex word problems. We investigated this assumption under 80 sixth grade students who were classified as successful and less successful word problem solvers based on a standardized mathematics test. To this end, students completed word problems that ask for both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. The results showed that even successful word problem solvers had a low performance on semantically complex word problems, despite adequate performance on semantically less complex word problems. Based on this study, we concluded that reading comprehension skills should be given a (more prominent role during word problem solving instruction in RME.

Word Problem Solving in Contemporary Math Education: A Plea for Reading Comprehension Skills Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Boonen, Anton J H; de Koning, Björn B; Jolles, Jelle; van der Schoot, Menno

2016-01-01

Successfully solving mathematical word problems requires both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. In Realistic Math Education (RME), however, students primarily learn to apply the first of these skills (i.e., representational skills) in the context of word problem solving. Given this, it seems legitimate to assume that students from a RME curriculum experience difficulties when asked to solve semantically complex word problems. We investigated this assumption under 80 sixth grade students who were classified as successful and less successful word problem solvers based on a standardized mathematics test. To this end, students completed word problems that ask for both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. The results showed that even successful word problem solvers had a low performance on semantically complex word problems, despite adequate performance on semantically less complex word problems. Based on this study, we concluded that reading comprehension skills should be given a (more) prominent role during word problem solving instruction in RME.

[Relapse prevention program consisting of coping skills training, cue exposure treatment, and letter therapy for Japanese alcoholic men who relapsed after standard cognitive-behavioral therapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoyama, Akira; Matsushita, Sachio; Toyama, Tomomi; Nakayama, Hideki; Takimura, Tsuyoshi; Kimura, Mitsuru; Yoneda, Junichi; Maesato, Hitoshi; Mizukami, Takeshi; Higuchi, Susumu; Yokoyama, Tetsuji

2015-04-01

Coping skills training (CST) and cue exposure treatment (CET) have yielded favorable outcomes when used to treat alcoholics. We conducted 6-week inpatient programs that consisted of 9 CST group sessions (n = 117) during 2005-2009 and 9 CST group sessions plus 4 CET group sessions (n = 49) during 2009-2011 and subsequent 1-year letter therapy for Japanese alcoholic men who had relapsed and been readmitted after standard cognitive-behavioral inpatient therapy. When patients received a letter containing encouraging words every 2 weeks, they were asked to reread their CST and CET records and to respond to the letter by marking drinking days on a calendar and naming the skills on a list of the 9 CST themes and CET that were useful for maintaining abstinence during that 2-week period. The estimated percentages of achievement of 30 or fewer drinking days during the one year of letter therapy were 36.1 - 45.8%. 'Non-smoking', '2nd admission', and 'After age-limit job retirement' were significant factors in achieving good outcomes. The 'usefulness' responses for 'Increasing pleasant activities', 'CET', 'Anger management', ' Managing negative thinking', 'Problem solving', and ' Seemingly irrelevant decisions' as percentages of overall responses to the letters were significantly higher, in order of decreasing percentages, in the achiever group than in the non-achiever group, but the differences between the groups in ' Managing urges to drink', ' Drink refusal skills', ' Planning for emergencies', and ' Receiving criticism about drinking' were not significant. The odds ratios for achievement of 30 or fewer drinking days during the 1-year period increased significantly by 1.15 -1.31 fold per 10% increment in the 'usefulness' ratio for 'Increasing pleasant activities'. The difference in percentage achievement between the group treated by CST alone and the group treated by CST plus CET was not significant. In conclusion, some coping skills were more useful for relapse prevention

Employment Social Skills: What Skills Are Really Valued?

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Agran, Martin; Hughes, Carolyn; Thoma, Colleen A.; Scott, LaRon A.

2016-01-01

Although social skills have long been recognized as essential in promoting employees' employability (e.g., maintaining employment), there has been little research about work-related social skills for the last two decades. A systematic replication of Salzberg, Agran, and Lignugaris/Kraft's investigation of critical social skills was conducted.…

Competency Assessment in Senior Emergency Medicine Residents for Core Ultrasound Skills.

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Schmidt, Jessica N; Kendall, John; Smalley, Courtney

2015-11-01

Quality resident education in point-of-care ultrasound (POC US) is becoming increasingly important in emergency medicine (EM); however, the best methods to evaluate competency in graduating residents has not been established. We sought to design and implement a rigorous assessment of image acquisition and interpretation in POC US in a cohort of graduating residents at our institution. We evaluated nine senior residents in both image acquisition and image interpretation for five core US skills (focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), aorta, echocardiogram (ECHO), pelvic, central line placement). Image acquisition, using an observed clinical skills exam (OSCE) directed assessment with a standardized patient model. Image interpretation was measured with a multiple-choice exam including normal and pathologic images. Residents performed well on image acquisition for core skills with an average score of 85.7% for core skills and 74% including advanced skills (ovaries, advanced ECHO, advanced aorta). Residents scored well but slightly lower on image interpretation with an average score of 76%. Senior residents performed well on core POC US skills as evaluated with a rigorous assessment tool. This tool may be developed further for other EM programs to use for graduating resident evaluation.

Reliability of the ECHOWS Tool for Assessment of Patient Interviewing Skills.

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Boissonnault, Jill S; Evans, Kerrie; Tuttle, Neil; Hetzel, Scott J; Boissonnault, William G

2016-04-01

History taking is an important component of patient/client management. Assessment of student history-taking competency can be achieved via a standardized tool. The ECHOWS tool has been shown to be valid with modest intrarater reliability in a previous study but did not demonstrate sufficient power to definitively prove its stability. The purposes of this study were: (1) to assess the reliability of the ECHOWS tool for student assessment of patient interviewing skills and (2) to determine whether the tool discerns between novice and experienced skill levels. A reliability and construct validity assessment was conducted. Three faculty members from the United States and Australia scored videotaped histories from standardized patients taken by students and experienced clinicians from each of these countries. The tapes were scored twice, 3 to 6 weeks apart. Reliability was assessed using interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and repeated measures. Analysis of variance models assessed the ability of the tool to discern between novice and experienced skill levels. The ECHOWS tool showed excellent intrarater reliability (ICC [3,1]=.74-.89) and good interrater reliability (ICC [2,1]=.55) as a whole. The summary of performance (S) section showed poor interrater reliability (ICC [2,1]=.27). There was no statistical difference in performance on the tool between novice and experienced clinicians. A possible ceiling effect may occur when standardized patients are not coached to provide complex and obtuse responses to interviewer questions. Variation in familiarity with the ECHOWS tool and in use of the online training may have influenced scoring of the S section. The ECHOWS tool demonstrates excellent intrarater reliability and moderate interrater reliability. Sufficient training with the tool prior to student assessment is recommended. The S section must evolve in order to provide a more discerning measure of interviewing skills. © 2016 American Physical Therapy

Does Intervening in Childcare Settings Impact Fundamental Movement Skill Development?

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Adamo, Kristi B; Wilson, Shanna; Harvey, Alysha L J; Grattan, Kimberly P; Naylor, Patti-Jean; Temple, Viviene A; Goldfield, Gary S

2016-05-01

Knowing that motor skills will not develop to their full potential without opportunities to practice in environments that are stimulating and supportive, we evaluated the effect of a physical activity (PA)-based intervention targeting childcare providers on fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers attending childcare centers. In this two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial, six licensed childcare centers in Ottawa, Canada, were randomly allocated into one of two groups (three controls, n = 43; three interventions, n = 40). Participants were between the ages of 3 and 5 yr. Childcare providers in the experimental condition received two 3-h workshops and a training manual at program initiation aimed at increasing PA through active play and several in-center "booster" sessions throughout the 6-month intervention. Control childcare centers implemented their standard curriculum. FMS were measured at baseline and 6 months using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Groups did not differ on sociodemographic variables. Compared with control, children in the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in their standardized gross motor quotient (score, 5.70; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.74-10.67; P = 0.025 and gross motor quotient percentile, 13.33; 95% CI, 2.17-24.49; P = 0.020). Over the 6-month study period, the intervention group showed a significantly greater increase in locomotor skills score (1.20; 95% CI, 0.18-2.22; P = 0.022) than the control group. There was a significant decrease in the object control scores in the control group over the study period. A childcare provider-led PA-based intervention increased the FMS in preschoolers, driven by the change in locomotor skills. The childcare environment may represent a viable public health approach for promoting motor skill development to support future engagement in PA.

Improving Academic Writing Skills through Contextual Teaching Learning for Students of Bosowa University Makassar

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Syahriah Madjid

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is for helping students to improve their academic writing skills by changing the existing strategies which were considered ineffective at solving this kind of problem. This research was about how to improve student’s academic writing skills through contextual teaching and learning. The clientele of this research was the students of Civil Engineering Department of Bosowa University of Makassar. To gain the final result in this research there are three periods were needed. The result for the first period is only 26.67% or only 8 from 30 students could pass the standard qualifying. The students which passed the standard qualifying becomes 80% from 30 students in next period and in the final period the result was already succeeded, all of the students could pass the standard qualifying. Those experiments prove that this research showed that contextual teaching and learning effects can be used in helping students improve their academic writing skills. This research recommends the lecturer to conduct intensive training in the process of planning to write, the evaluation of sources of references, and the development of writing based on academic writing strategy.

Parent-Implemented Behavioral Skills Training of Social Skills

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Dogan, Rebecca K.; King, Melissa L.; Fischetti, Anthony T.; Lake, Candice M.; Mathews, Therese L.; Warzak, William J.

2017-01-01

Impairment in social skills is a primary feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Research indicates that social skills are intimately tied to social development and negative social consequences can persist if specific social behaviors are not acquired. The present study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching…

Developing the leadership skills of new graduates to influence practice environments: a novice nurse leadership program.

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Dyess, Susan; Sherman, Rose

2011-01-01

The authors of the recently published Institute of Medicine on the Future of Nursing report emphasized the importance of preparing nurses to lead change to advance health care in the United States. Other scholars linked practice environments to safe quality care. In order for nurses to fully actualize this role in practice environments, they need to possess leadership skills sets that identify and respond to challenges faced. New nurses are no exception. This article presents a program with a 5-year track record that is designed to support transition and enhance the skill sets of leadership for new nurses in their first year of practice. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation measurements at baseline and postprogram provided data for evaluation of the first 4 cohorts in the program. Evaluative outcomes presented indicate that new nurses gained leadership and translational research skills that contributed to their ability to influence practice environments. Nonetheless, practice environments continue to need improvement and ongoing leadership from all levels of nursing must be upheld.

Increasing the Reliability of Circulation Model Validation: Quantifying Drifter Slip to See how Currents are Actually Moving

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Anderson, T.

2016-02-01

Ocean circulation forecasts can help answer questions regarding larval dispersal, passive movement of injured sea animals, oil spill mitigation, and search and rescue efforts. Circulation forecasts are often validated with GPS-tracked drifter paths, but how accurately do these drifters actually move with ocean currents? Drifters are not only moved by water, but are also forced by wind and waves acting on the exposed buoy and transmitter; this imperfect movement is referred to as drifter slip. The quantification and further understanding of drifter slip will allow scientists to differentiate between drifter imperfections and actual computer model error when comparing trajectory forecasts with actual drifter tracks. This will avoid falsely accrediting all discrepancies between a trajectory forecast and an actual drifter track to computer model error. During multiple deployments of drifters in Nantucket Sound and using observed wind and wave data, we attempt to quantify the slip of drifters developed by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC) Student Drifters Program. While similar studies have been conducted previously, very few have directly attached current meters to drifters to quantify drifter slip. Furthermore, none have quantified slip of NEFSC drifters relative to the oceanographic-standard "CODE" drifter. The NEFSC drifter archive has over 1000 drifter tracks primarily off the New England coast. With a better understanding of NEFSC drifter slip, modelers can reliably use these tracks for model validation.

Development and Psychometric Analysis of a Nurses’ Attitudes and Skills Safety Scale: Initial Results

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Armstrong, Gail E.; Dietrich, Mary; Norman, Linda; Barnsteiner, Jane; Mion, Lorraine

2016-01-01

Health care organizations have incorporated updated safety principles in the analysis of errors and in norms and standards. Yet no research exists that assesses bedside nurses’ perceived skills or attitudes toward updated safety concepts. The aims of this study were to develop a scale assessing nurses’ perceived skills and attitudes toward updated safety concepts, determine content validity, and examine internal consistency of the scale and subscales. Understanding nurses’ perceived skills and attitudes about safety concepts can be used in targeting strategies to enhance their safety practices. PMID:27479518

Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar.

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Aye, Thanda; Oo, Khin Saw; Khin, Myo Thuzar; Kuramoto-Ahuja, Tsugumi; Maruyama, Hitoshi

2017-10-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar. [Subjects and Methods] Total 472 healthy Kindergarten children (237 males, 235 females) of 2016-2017 academic year from four schools in urban area and four schools in rural area of Myanmar were recruited. The gross motor skill development of all subjects was assessed with the test of gross motor development second edition (TGMD-2). All subjects performed two trials for each gross motor skill and the performance was video recorded and scored. The assessment procedures were done according to the standardized guidelines of TGMD-2. [Results] The majority of subjects had average level of gross motor skill rank. The significant differences were found on the run and gallop of locomotor skills and the most of object control skills except the catch between males and females. The significant differences were also found between subjects from urban and rural areas. [Conclusion] Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar had gender-based and region-based differences on both locomotor and object control skills. This study added a valuable information to the establishment of a normative reference of Kindergarten aged children for future studies.

Longitudinal effects of medical students' communication skills on future performance.

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Dong, Ting; LaRochelle, Jeffrey S; Durning, Steven J; Saguil, Aaron; Swygert, Kimberly; Artino, Anthony R

2015-04-01

The Essential Elements of Communication (EEC) were developed from the Kalamazoo consensus statement on physician-patient communication. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) has adopted a longitudinal curriculum to use the EEC both as a learning tool during standardized patient encounters and as an evaluation tool culminating with the end of preclerkship objective-structured clinical examinations (OSCE). Medical educators have recently emphasized the importance of teaching communication skills, as evidenced by the United States Medical Licensing Examination testing both the integrated clinical encounter (ICE) and communication and interpersonal skills (CIS) within the Step 2 Clinical Skills exam (CS). To determine the associations between students' EEC OSCE performance at the end of the preclerkship period with later communication skills assessment and evaluation outcomes in the context of a longitudinal curriculum spanning both undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education. Retrospective data from preclerkship (overall OSCE scores and EEC OSCE scores) and clerkship outcomes (internal medicine [IM] clinical points and average clerkship National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME] scores) were collected from 167 USU medical students from the class of 2011 and compared to individual scores on the CIS and ICE components of Step 2 CS, as well as to the communication skills component of the program directors' evaluation of trainees during their postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) residency. In addition to bivariate Pearson correlation analysis, we conducted multiple linear regression analysis to examine the predictive power of the EEC score beyond the IM clerkship clinical points and the average NBME Subject Exams score on the outcome measures. The EEC score was a significant predictor of the CIS score and the PGY-1 communication skills score. Beyond the average NBME Subject Exams score and the IM clerkship clinical points, the EEC score

The antecedents of herbal product actual purchase in Malaysia

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Sarina Ismail

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This study is meant to examine the relationships of several antecedents of actual purchase of herbal product in Malaysia. Actual purchase is considered to have a vital link to a business success. The study identified eight antecedents of consumer actual purchase such as intention, attitude, social influence, product safety and culture belief. A total of 473 respondents (about 82% completed and returned the questionnaire. A seven point Likert scale was used to measure responses. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS path modeling. The path coefficient results supported the direct influence of intention, attitude, social influence and product safety on actual buying. Moreover, the findings reveal that attitude, social influence, product safety, and culture belief also influenced buying intention.

Interpersonal Skills

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Barakat NG

2007-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTIONInterpersonal skills are becoming more and more a necessity in the medical profession. The expectation from health care professionals is beyond just knowledge of the medical facts. To practice medicine effectively, doctors need to develop interpersonal skills in communication, leadership, management, teaching and time management. All of these are vital tools and are becoming increasingly essential subjects in teaching both undergraduate students and postgraduate doctors. However, a degree of self-motivation and personal initiative is needed to develop these skills. In this article, I will give an overview on interpersonal skills and will be follow this by a series of articles, in future issues, dealing with these skills.

Mortality studies in unskilled and semi-skilled workers in Denmark. A comparative analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynge, E; Jeune, B

1982-01-01

Results from two Danish studies on mortality among male unskilled and semi-skilled workers are compared. The first study is based on union data, the second study on census data. Apparently conflicting results are found to be identical after making adjustment for differences in the study populations...... and standard populations. The male unskilled and semi-skilled workers have an excess mortality in the younger age groups which decreases with increasing age....

Adherence to Trained Standards After a Faculty Development Workshop on “Teaching With Simulated Patients”

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Freytag, Julia

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Nowadays, faculty development programs to improve teaching quality are considered to be very important by medical educators from all over the world. However, the assessment of the impact of such programs rarely exceeds tests of participants’ knowledge gain or self-assessments of their teaching behavior. It remains unclear what exactly is expected of the attending faculty and how the transfer to practice may be measured more comprehensively and accurately. Method: This study evaluates how specific teaching standards were applied after a workshop (10 teaching units focusing on teaching communication skills with simulated patients. Trained observers used a validated checklist to observe 60 teaching sessions (held by 60 different teachers of a communication skills course integrating simulated patients. Additionally, we assessed the amount of time that had passed since their participation in the workshop and asked them to rate the importance of communication and social skills in medical education. Results: The observations showed that more than two thirds of teaching standards were met by at least 75% of teachers. Fulfillment of standards was significantly connected to teachers’ rating of the importance of communication and social skills (=-.21, =.03. In addition, the results suggest a slight decrease in the amount of fulfilled standards over time (=-.14, =.15. Conclusions: Teachers' adherence to basic teaching standards was already satisfying after a one-day workshop. More complex issues need to be re-addressed in further faculty development courses with a special focus on teachers’ attitude towards teaching. In future, continuing evaluations of the transfer of knowledge and skills from faculty development courses into practice, preferably including pre-tests or control groups, are needed.

Medical teams and the standard of care in negligence.

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Sappideen, Carolyn

2015-09-01

Medical teams are essential to the delivery of modern, patient-centred health care in hospitals. A collective model of responsibility envisaged by team care is inconsistent with common law tort liability which focuses on the individual rather than the team. There is no basis upon which a team can be liable as a collective at common law. Nor does the common law'countenance liability for the conduct of other team members absent some form of agency, vicarious liability or non-delegable duty. Despite the barriers to the adoption of a team standard of care in negligence, there is scope for team factors to have a role in determining the standard of care so that being a team player is part and parcel of what it is to be a competent professional. If this is the case, the skill set, and the standard of care expected of the individual professional, includes skills based on team models of communication, cross-monitoring and trust.

Dancers' Perceived and Actual Knowledge of Anatomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotler, Dana H; Lynch, Meaghan; Cushman, Daniel; Hu, Jason; Garner, Jocelyn

2017-06-15

Dancers are highly susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries and frequently require interaction with medical professionals. While many dancers have a finely tuned awareness of their bodies, their knowledge of the fundamentals of human anatomy is not uniform. There is a paucity of literature on the benefits of human anatomy education in dancers, though it seems intuitive that there should be a relationship. The purpose of this study was to assess dancers' perceived and actual knowledge of basic musculoskeletal anatomy and its relationship to function. Adult dancers at the undergraduate, pre-professional, and professional levels were surveyed through an anonymous online questionnaire. Questions included demographic information, dance techniques studied, anatomy training, and injury history. Subjects rated their perceived knowledge of anatomy and were tested with 15 multiple-choice questions on basic musculoskeletal anatomy. Four hundred seventy-five surveys were completed. Ordinal regression showed a correlation of perceived to actual knowledge of anatomy (p < 0.001). Factors that correlated with increases in both perceived and actual knowledge of anatomy included having taken an anatomy course of any type (p < 0.001) and increased age (p ≤ 0.001). Years of dance training and professional dancer status both significantly correlated with increased knowledge of anatomy (p < 0.001) but not perceived knowledge. Chi-square analysis showed that dancers with training in either modern or jazz dance had a significantly higher perceived, but not actual, knowledge when compared to those without training in those styles of dance (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). In conclusion, dancers generally scored well on questions pertaining to basic musculoskeletal anatomy, and their perception correlated with their actual knowledge of anatomy. Factors that contribute to dancers' knowledge of anatomy include age, years of experience, professional dancer status, and anatomy training.

Self-assessment and goal-setting is associated with an improvement in interviewing skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanley, Kathleen; Zabar, Sondra; Charap, Joseph; Nicholson, Joseph; Disney, Lindsey; Kalet, Adina; Gillespie, Colleen

2014-01-01

Describe the relationship between medical students' self-assessment and goal-setting (SAGS) skills and development of interviewing skills during the first-year doctoring course. 157 first-year medical students completed three two-case standardized patient (SP) interviews. After each of the first two, students viewed videotapes of their interview, completed a SAGS worksheet, and reviewed a selected tape segment in a seminar. SAGS was categorized into good and poor quality and interviewing skills were rated by trained raters. SAGS improved over time (37% good week 1 vs. 61% good week 10). Baseline SAGS and interviewing skills were not associated. Initial SAGS quality was associated with change in interviewing skills - those with poor-quality SAGS demonstrated a decrease and those with good-quality SAGS demonstrated an increase in scores by 17 weeks (ANOVA F=4.16, p=0.024). For students whose SAGS skills were good at both week 1 and 10, interviewing skills declined in weeks 1-10 and then increased significantly at week 17. For those whose SAGS remained 'poor' in weeks 1-10, interviewing skills declined in weeks 10-17. In general, the quality of students' SAGS improved over time. Poor baseline SAGS skills and failure to improve were associated with a decrease in interviewing skills at 17 weeks. For students with better SAGS, interviewing skills increased at week 17. Improvement in SAGS skills was not associated with improved interviewing skills. Understanding structured self-assessment skills helps identify student characteristics that influence progressive mastery of communication skills and therefore may inform curriculum and remediation tailoring.

The Self-Actualization of Polk Community College Students.

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Pearsall, Howard E.; Thompson, Paul V., Jr.

This article investigates the concept of self-actualization introduced by Abraham Maslow (1954). A summary of Maslow's Needs Hierarchy, along with a description of the characteristics of the self-actualized person, is presented. An analysis of humanistic education reveals it has much to offer as a means of promoting the principles of…

Using Video-Based Self-Assessment to Develop Effective Conferencing Skills

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Marcia Knoll

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Conferencing is the commonly used vehicle for improving instruction by providing feedback to teachers. However, it is the nature of the feedback given to the teacher and how it is delivered, using effective conferencing strategies and techniques, that will actually involve the teacher in understanding, accepting, agreeing and initiating changes, or make him angry and hostile. This article focuses on defining effective conferencing strategies, and the process that was used to help program participants preparing for leadership certification to practice these strategies in a clinical setting. The leadership program at Hunter College prepares educators for certification as school building and district leaders. Supervision of instruction for student achievement is considered the heart of the work of the school and district leader. Therefore a major focus for program participants seeking leadership certification is on content and practice for conferencing effectiveness. Participants learn and practice these skills in simulations, and then implement them by trying out their abilities in the field in real observation and conferencing experiences with a practicing classroom teacher. Participants video-tape themselves conducing conferences with their practicing classroom teacher clients following an observation. They then view the video of their conference performance and self-assess their conferencing skills by electronically recording the behaviors they observe using a set of criteria and design a growth plan for the further development of their conferencing skills.

Serious gaming and voluntary laparoscopic skills training: a multicenter study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verdaasdonk, E. G. G.; Dankelman, J.; Schijven, M. P.; Lange, J. F.; Wentink, M.; Stassen, L. P. S.

2009-01-01

This study assesses the issue of voluntary training of a standardized online competition (serious gaming) between surgical residents. Surgical residents were invited to join a competition on a virtual reality (VR) simulator for laparoscopic motor skills. A final score was calculated based on the

42 CFR 484.30 - Condition of participation: Skilled nursing services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... services by or under the supervision of a registered nurse and in accordance with the plan of care. (a) Standard: Duties of the registered nurse. The registered nurse makes the initial evaluation visit..., furnishes those services requiring substantial and specialized nursing skill, initiates appropriate...

Serious gaming and voluntary laparoscopic skills training : A multicenter study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verdaasdonk, E.; Dankelman, J.; Schijven, M.P.; Lange, J.F.; Wentink, M.; Stassen, L.P.S.

2009-01-01

This study assesses the issue of voluntary training of a standardized online competition (serious gaming) between surgical residents. Surgical residents were invited to join a competition on a virtual reality (VR) simulator for laparoscopic motor skills. A final score was calculated based on the

Randomised social-skills training and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Storebo, Ole Jakob; Pedersen, Jesper; Skoog, Maria

2011-01-01

Background: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are hyperactive and impulsive, cannot maintain attention, and have difficulties with social interactions. Medical treatment may alleviate symptoms of ADHD, but seldom solves difficulties with social interactions. Social...... on the Conners 3(rd) Edition subscale for 'hyperactivity-impulsivity' between the intervention group and the control group. The outcomes will be assessed 3 and 6 months after randomisation. The primary outcome measure is ADHD symptoms. The secondary outcome is social skills. Tertiary outcomes include...

Playing Active Video Games may not develop movement skills: An intervention trial

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Lisa M.; Ridgers, Nicola D.; Reynolds, John; Hanna, Lisa; Salmon, Jo

2015-01-01

Background: To investigate the impact of playing sports Active Video Games on children's actual and perceived object control skills. Methods: Intervention children played Active Video Games for 6 weeks (1 h/week) in 2012. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 assessed object control skill. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence assessed perceived object control skill. Repeated measurements of object control and perceived object control were analysed for the whole sample, using linear mixed models, which included fixed effects for group (intervention or control) and time (pre and post) and their interaction. The first model adjusted for sex only and the second model also adjusted for age, and prior ball sports experience (yes/no). Seven mixed-gender focus discussions were conducted with intervention children after programme completion. Results: Ninety-five Australian children (55% girls; 43% intervention group) aged 4 to 8 years (M 6.2, SD 0.95) participated. Object control skill improved over time (p = 0.006) but there was no significant difference (p = 0.913) between groups in improvement (predicted means: control 31.80 to 33.53, SED = 0.748; intervention 30.33 to 31.83, SED = 0.835). A similar result held for the second model. Similarly the intervention did not change perceived object control in Model 1 (predicted means: control: 19.08 to 18.68, SED = 0.362; intervention 18.67 to 18.88, SED = 0.406) or Model 2. Children found the intervention enjoyable, but most did not perceive direct equivalence between Active Video Games and ‘real life’ activities. Conclusions: Whilst Active Video Game play may help introduce children to sport, this amount of time playing is unlikely to build skill. PMID:26844136

Playing Active Video Games may not develop movement skills: An intervention trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa M. Barnett

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: To investigate the impact of playing sports Active Video Games on children's actual and perceived object control skills. Methods: Intervention children played Active Video Games for 6 weeks (1 h/week in 2012. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 assessed object control skill. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence assessed perceived object control skill. Repeated measurements of object control and perceived object control were analysed for the whole sample, using linear mixed models, which included fixed effects for group (intervention or control and time (pre and post and their interaction. The first model adjusted for sex only and the second model also adjusted for age, and prior ball sports experience (yes/no. Seven mixed-gender focus discussions were conducted with intervention children after programme completion. Results: Ninety-five Australian children (55% girls; 43% intervention group aged 4 to 8 years (M 6.2, SD 0.95 participated. Object control skill improved over time (p = 0.006 but there was no significant difference (p = 0.913 between groups in improvement (predicted means: control 31.80 to 33.53, SED = 0.748; intervention 30.33 to 31.83, SED = 0.835. A similar result held for the second model. Similarly the intervention did not change perceived object control in Model 1 (predicted means: control: 19.08 to 18.68, SED = 0.362; intervention 18.67 to 18.88, SED = 0.406 or Model 2. Children found the intervention enjoyable, but most did not perceive direct equivalence between Active Video Games and ‘real life’ activities. Conclusions: Whilst Active Video Game play may help introduce children to sport, this amount of time playing is unlikely to build skill.

Playing Active Video Games may not develop movement skills: An intervention trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Lisa M; Ridgers, Nicola D; Reynolds, John; Hanna, Lisa; Salmon, Jo

2015-01-01

To investigate the impact of playing sports Active Video Games on children's actual and perceived object control skills. Intervention children played Active Video Games for 6 weeks (1 h/week) in 2012. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 assessed object control skill. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence assessed perceived object control skill. Repeated measurements of object control and perceived object control were analysed for the whole sample, using linear mixed models, which included fixed effects for group (intervention or control) and time (pre and post) and their interaction. The first model adjusted for sex only and the second model also adjusted for age, and prior ball sports experience (yes/no). Seven mixed-gender focus discussions were conducted with intervention children after programme completion. Ninety-five Australian children (55% girls; 43% intervention group) aged 4 to 8 years (M 6.2, SD 0.95) participated. Object control skill improved over time (p = 0.006) but there was no significant difference (p = 0.913) between groups in improvement (predicted means: control 31.80 to 33.53, SED = 0.748; intervention 30.33 to 31.83, SED = 0.835). A similar result held for the second model. Similarly the intervention did not change perceived object control in Model 1 (predicted means: control: 19.08 to 18.68, SED = 0.362; intervention 18.67 to 18.88, SED = 0.406) or Model 2. Children found the intervention enjoyable, but most did not perceive direct equivalence between Active Video Games and 'real life' activities. Whilst Active Video Game play may help introduce children to sport, this amount of time playing is unlikely to build skill.

Building Skills for All in Australia: Policy Insights from the Survey of Adult Skills. OECD Skills Studies

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OECD Publishing, 2017

2017-01-01

Australia's overall performance in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) ranges from average to very good. However, three million adults, representing one-fifth of the working age population, have low literacy and/or numeracy skills. Building Skills for All in Australia describes the characteristics of the low-skilled and discusses the consequences…

Effect of standards on new equipment design by new international standards and industry restraints

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Endelman, Lincoln L.

1991-01-01

The use of international standards to further trade is one of the objectives of creating a standard. By having form fit and function compatible the free interchange of manufactured goods can be handled without hindrance. Unfortunately by setting up standards that are peculiar to a particular country or district it is possible to exclude competition from a group of manufacturers. A major effort is now underway to develop international laser standards. In the May I 990 issue of Laser Focus World Donald R. Johnson the director of industrial technology services for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST formerly the National Bureau of Standards) is quoted as follows: " The common means of protectionism has been through certification for the market place. " The article goes on to say " Mr. Johnson expects this tradition to continue and that the new European Community (EC) will demand not just safety standards but performance standards as well. . . . the American laser industry must move very quickly on this issue or risk being left behind the European standards bandwagon. " The article continues laser companies must get involved in the actual standards negotiating process if they are to have a say in future policy. A single set of standards would reduce the need to repeatedly recalibrate products for different national markets. " As a member of ISO TC-72 SC9 I am

Fine and gross motor skills: The effects on skill-focused dual-tasks.

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Raisbeck, Louisa D; Diekfuss, Jed A

2015-10-01

Dual-task methodology often directs participants' attention towards a gross motor skill involved in the execution of a skill, but researchers have not investigated the comparative effects of attention on fine motor skill tasks. Furthermore, there is limited information about participants' subjective perception of workload with respect to task performance. To examine this, the current study administered the NASA-Task Load Index following a simulated shooting dual-task. The task required participants to stand 15 feet from a projector screen which depicted virtual targets and fire a modified Glock 17 handgun equipped with an infrared laser. Participants performed the primary shooting task alone (control), or were also instructed to focus their attention on a gross motor skill relevant to task execution (gross skill-focused) and a fine motor skill relevant to task execution (fine skill-focused). Results revealed that workload was significantly greater during the fine skill-focused task for both skill levels, but performance was only affected for the lesser-skilled participants. Shooting performance for the lesser-skilled participants was greater during the gross skill-focused condition compared to the fine skill-focused condition. Correlational analyses also demonstrated a significant negative relationship between shooting performance and workload during the gross skill-focused task for the higher-skilled participants. A discussion of the relationship between skill type, workload, skill level, and performance in dual-task paradigms is presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examination of motor skill competency in students: evidence-based physical education curriculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyun Chen

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Researchers found that children with a competent level of motor skill performance are more likely to be physically active. This study examined how well K-1 students demonstrated motor skill competency in relation to Physical Education Content Standard 1. Methods Participants were K-1 grade students (N = 1,223-1,588; boys = 568–857; girls = 526–695; Mean age = 5.5 yrs old who were enrolled in nine elementary schools. The K-1 students’ motor skill competency in running, weight transferring, hand dribbling, and underhand catching skills was assessed using four PE Metrics skill assessment rubrics in the intervention year 1 and year 2, respectively. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests. Results The students in the intervention year 1 and year 2 cohorts performed at the Competent Level or higher in the four skill assessments. The prevalence of the students’ demonstration of skill competency across the four skills was high in the two intervention years. The intervention year 2 cohort scored significantly higher than the intervention year 1 cohort in the four skill assessments. The boys significantly outperformed than the girls in the two manipulative skills in the intervention year 1 and in the two manipulative skills and the weight transferring skill in the intervention year 2. No gender differences in the running skill in either year were found. Conclusions The evidence-based CATCH PE play a critical role in developing and building K-1 students’ ability to demonstrate motor skill competency in four fundamental skills. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03015337 , registered date: 1/09/2017, as "retrospectively registered".

Videopodcasts in a “blended learning” approach to medical skills training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Cita; Graumann, Ole; Bollen, Peter

This study aims to challenge the traditional tutor based teaching of practical skills in the Clinical Skills Centre and other experimental settings. The concept of learning was changed to “blended” as the teachers constructed an online task as preparation for the practical lessons. The online......-organized studies after the tutorial sessions. Take-home message The use of videopodcasts in blended learning around clinical skills training is considered to be of great importance among students and teachers....... student questionnaires and the teacher evaluations. Summary of results Students generally evaluated that the use of videos enhanced their performance and the learning outcomes. Teachers tell that the face-to-face lessons became more efficient due to the new standards for student preparation. The results...

Reliability and Validity of the Inline Skating Skill Test.

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Radman, Ivan; Ruzic, Lana; Padovan, Viktoria; Cigrovski, Vjekoslav; Podnar, Hrvoje

2016-09-01

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the inline skating skill test. Based on previous skating experience forty-two skaters (26 female and 16 male) were randomized into two groups (competitive level vs. recreational level). They performed the test four times, with a recovery time of 45 minutes between sessions. Prior to testing, the participants rated their skating skill using a scale from 1 to 10. The protocol included performance time measurement through a course, combining different skating techniques. Trivial changes in performance time between the repeated sessions were determined in both competitive females/males and recreational females/males (-1.7% [95% CI: -5.8-2.6%] - 2.2% [95% CI: 0.0-4.5%]). In all four subgroups, the skill test had a low mean within-individual variation (1.6% [95% CI: 1.2-2.4%] - 2.7% [95% CI: 2.1-4.0%]) and high mean inter-session correlation (ICC = 0.97 [95% CI: 0.92-0.99] - 0.99 [95% CI: 0.98-1.00]). The comparison of detected typical errors and smallest worthwhile changes (calculated as standard deviations × 0.2) revealed that the skill test was able to track changes in skaters' performances. Competitive-level skaters needed shorter time (24.4-26.4%, all p skating skills in amateur competitive and recreational level skaters. Further studies are needed to evaluate the reproducibility of this skill test in different populations including elite inline skaters.

Reliability and Validity of the Inline Skating Skill Test

Science.gov (United States)

Radman, Ivan; Ruzic, Lana; Padovan, Viktoria; Cigrovski, Vjekoslav; Podnar, Hrvoje

2016-01-01

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the inline skating skill test. Based on previous skating experience forty-two skaters (26 female and 16 male) were randomized into two groups (competitive level vs. recreational level). They performed the test four times, with a recovery time of 45 minutes between sessions. Prior to testing, the participants rated their skating skill using a scale from 1 to 10. The protocol included performance time measurement through a course, combining different skating techniques. Trivial changes in performance time between the repeated sessions were determined in both competitive females/males and recreational females/males (-1.7% [95% CI: -5.8–2.6%] – 2.2% [95% CI: 0.0–4.5%]). In all four subgroups, the skill test had a low mean within-individual variation (1.6% [95% CI: 1.2–2.4%] – 2.7% [95% CI: 2.1–4.0%]) and high mean inter-session correlation (ICC = 0.97 [95% CI: 0.92–0.99] – 0.99 [95% CI: 0.98–1.00]). The comparison of detected typical errors and smallest worthwhile changes (calculated as standard deviations × 0.2) revealed that the skill test was able to track changes in skaters’ performances. Competitive-level skaters needed shorter time (24.4–26.4%, all p skating skills in amateur competitive and recreational level skaters. Further studies are needed to evaluate the reproducibility of this skill test in different populations including elite inline skaters. Key points Study evaluated the reliability and construct validity of a newly developed inline skating skill test. Evaluated test is a first protocol designed to assess specific inline skating skill. Two groups of amateur skaters with different skating proficiency repeated the skill test in four separate occasions. The results suggest that evaluated test is reliable and valid to evaluate inline skating skill in amateur skaters. PMID:27803616

We can predict when driving is no longer safe for people who have HD using standard neuropsychological measures.

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Hennig, Bonnie L; Kaplan, Richard F; Nowicki, Ariel E; Barclay, Jessy E; Gertsberg, Anna G

2014-01-01

Early cognitive dysfunction in Huntington's Disease (HD) is typically of a subcortical frontal executive type, with bradyphrenia, poor spatial and working memory, poor planning and organization, a lack of judgment, and poor mental flexibility. Although there is literature suggesting a correlation between deficits in speed of processing, working memory and executive function on driving competency, there is little direct evidence comparing these declines on tests to actual driving skills. The current study examines the utility of specific neuropsychological measures in predicting actual driving competency in patients with HD. Fifty-two patients at the UConn Health HD Program underwent yearly neuropsychological evaluations and were included in this study. Four scales were chosen a priori to predict driving impairment because of their reported relationship to driving ability. Within each test category, subjects who scored below the threshold suggestive of neurological impairment were found to have results within the impaired range (1.5 standard deviations below corrective normative data). A referral to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a driving evaluation was subsequently made on patients who were found impaired on any two of these tests. The authors found a strong relationship between scores on a simple battery of four neuropsychological tests and driving competency. This short battery may prove of pragmatic value for clinicians working with people with HD and their families.

Parenting Skills and Emotional Availability: An RCT.

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Yousafzai, Aisha K; Rasheed, Muneera A; Rizvi, Arjumand; Armstrong, Robert; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2015-05-01

To investigate whether a responsive stimulation intervention delivered to caregivers of young children either alone or integrated with nutrition interventions would benefit parenting skills and emotional availability to promote children's development and growth compared with either a nutrition intervention alone or the usual standard of care. A cluster randomized factorial effectiveness trial was implemented in an impoverished community in Pakistan. The 4 trial arms were control (usual standard of care), responsive stimulation (responsive care and stimulation), enhanced nutrition (education and multiple micronutrients), and a combination of both enriched interventions. The 4 intervention packages were delivered by community health workers to 1489 mother-infant dyads in the first 2 years of life. Parenting skills and emotional availability indexed by mother-child interaction, caregiving environment, knowledge and practices pertaining to early childhood care and feeding, and maternal depressive symptoms were assessed at multiple intervals. An intention-to-treat factorial analysis was conducted. Intervention groups were comparable at baseline. Responsive stimulation significantly benefitted parenting skills with large effect sizes on mother-child interaction (Cohen's d 0.8), caregiving environment (Cohen's d 0.9-1.0), and knowledge and practices (Cohen's d 0.7-1.1) compared with small-modest significant effects as a result of nutrition intervention on mother-child interaction and caregiving environment only (Cohen's d 0.4 and 0.2, respectively). The combined intervention had a small significant effect on decreasing maternal depressive symptoms over time (Cohen's d 0-0.2). A responsive stimulation intervention can promote positive caregiving behaviors among impoverished families. Additional research is needed on interventions to reduce maternal depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A primer on standards setting as it applies to surgical education and credentialing.

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Cendan, Juan; Wier, Daryl; Behrns, Kevin

2013-07-01

Surgical technological advances in the past three decades have led to dramatic reductions in the morbidity associated with abdominal procedures and permanently altered the surgical practice landscape. Significant changes continue apace including surgical robotics, natural orifice-based surgery, and single-incision approaches. These disruptive technologies have on occasion been injurious to patients, and high-stakes assessment before adoption of new technologies would be reasonable. We reviewed the drivers for well-established psychometric techniques available for the standards-setting process. We present a series of examples that are relevant in the surgical domain including standards setting for knowledge and skills assessments. Defensible standards for knowledge and procedural skills will likely become part of surgical clinical practice. Understanding the methodology for determining standards should position the surgical community to assist in the process and lead within their clinical settings as standards are considered that may affect patient safety and physician credentialing.

Research of radiation protection standard system in uranium mining and metallurgy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian Guoxi; Song Liquan; Xie Zhanjun

2011-01-01

The contents of radiation and environment protection standards used in uranium mining and metallurgy are analyzed and the existent problems in current standard system are pointed out. A new standard system is established according to theory of systematology and the actuality of uranium mining and metallurgy. Some standard checklists which need to be complemented, corrected, deleted and used during the work of perfection and complementation of standard system are presented. The procedures of establishing new standard system are described, and some suggestions on the establishment and implementation of radiation protection standard system in uranium mining and metallurgy are put forward. (authors)

Specificity of Occupational Training and Occupational Mobility: An Empirical Study Based on Lazear's Skill-Weights Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Geel, Regula; Mure, Johannes; Backes-Gellner, Uschi

2011-01-01

According to standard human capital theory, firm-financed training cannot be explained if the skills obtained are general in nature. Nevertheless, in German-speaking countries, firms invest heavily in apprenticeship training although the skills are assumed to be general. In our paper, we study the extent to which apprenticeship training is general…

Concerns for Skills Shortages in the 21st Century: A Review into the Construction Industry, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Watson

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The Australian Construction Industry is now facing skills shortages in all trades. As an industry focused on the skill of its workforce, there is now concern the Australian standard in quality, workmanship, and productivity will inhibit both at national and international level.This research paper addresses the underlying, influential factors concerning skills shortages in the Australian construction industry. The influential factors addressed include funding, training statistics, employer expectations, financial limitations, Industrial Relations and immigration. Given the reference to skills shortages within the industry, and documented in related literature, if skills shortages are to continue to exist, their effect will impact upon the overall performance of construction companies throughout Australia.

An investigation of the relationship between actual and apparent gasoline thickness in a uniform sand aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballestero, T.P.; Fiedler, F.R.; Kinner, N.E.

1994-01-01

A common effort involved in the remediation of contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons in porous media is the monitoring and volume estimation of the immiscible hydrocarbon fluid. The apparent free product thickness indicated by a standard monitoring well is typically much greater than the actual free product thickness in the surrounding soil. An equation to predict actual thickness was developed using heterogeneous fluid flow mechanics and hydrostatics. This equation is: t g =t(1-S g )-h a , where t g =actual formation free product thickness, t=apparent thickness, S g =specific gravity of petroleum hydrocarbon, and h a =distance between the groundwater table and the free product in the formation. The developed theory was compared to data collected from a physical model which simulated field conditions. The theory was used to estimate product thickness in the model, and then these estimates were statistically tested for accuracy. The theoretical slope was not statistically different from the regression slope at test levels of α=0.05 and α=0.01, while the theoretical intercept (h a ) was statistically different at α=0.05 and α=0.01. The discrepancy between the theoretical intercept and the regression intercept was probably due to either an incorrect assumption that h a =bar h c (bar h c =average wetting capillary rise), or an incorrect laboratory measurement of bar h c . The effects of water-table fluctuations were also studied. A rising water table caused a decrease in apparent thickness and an increase in actual thickness, and vice versa. Finally, the developed theoretical equation was compared to the results of previously published predictive methods and experiments. The comparison was made by calculating percent error and using a chi-square statistic. The developed theory was found to be the best predictor of actual product thickness for both laboratory data sets used

Teaching Electronic Health Record Communication Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Palumbo, Mary Val; Sandoval, Marie; Hart, Vicki; Drill, Clarissa

2016-06-01

This pilot study investigated nurse practitioner students' communication skills when utilizing the electronic health record during history taking. The nurse practitioner students (n = 16) were videotaped utilizing the electronic health record while taking health histories with standardized patients. The students were videotaped during two separate sessions during one semester. Two observers recorded the time spent (1) typing and talking, (2) typing only, and (3) looking at the computer without talking. Total history taking time, computer placement, and communication skills were also recorded. During the formative session, mean history taking time was 11.4 minutes, with 3.5 minutes engaged with the computer (30.6% of visit). During the evaluative session, mean history taking time was 12.4 minutes, with 2.95 minutes engaged with the computer (24% of visit). The percentage of time individuals spent changed over the two visits: typing and talking, -3.1% (P = .3); typing only, +12.8% (P = .038); and looking at the computer, -9.6% (P = .039). This study demonstrated that time spent engaged with the computer during a patient encounter does decrease with student practice and education. Therefore, students benefit from instruction on electronic health record-specific communication skills, and use of a simple mnemonic to reinforce this is suggested.

Teaching communications skills to medical students: Introducing the fine art of medical practice.

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Choudhary, Anjali; Gupta, Vineeta

2015-08-01

Like many other people based professions, communications skills are essential to medical practice also. Traditional medical teaching in India does not address communication skills which are most essential in dealing with patients. Communication skills can be taught to medical students to increase clinical competence. To teach basic communication and counseling skills to fourth-year undergraduate students to increase their clinical competence. A total of 48, fourth-year MBBS students participated in the study. They were given training in basic communication and counseling skills and taught the patient interview technique according to Calgary-Cambridge guide format. Improvement in communication was assessed by change in pre- and post-training multiple choice questions, clinical patient examination, and Standardized Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (SPSQ) scores. About 88% of the students in the sample were convinced of the importance of learning communication skills for effective practice. Almost 90% students were communicating better after training, as tested by improved SPSQ. As judged by Communication Skill Attitude Scale, student's positive attitude toward learning communication skill indicated that there is a necessity of communication skill training during undergraduate years. The ability to communicate effectively is a core competency for medical practitioners. Inculcating habits of good communications skill during formative years will help the medical students and future practitioners. Regular courses on effective communication should be included in the medical school curriculum.

Burnout, anxiety, depression, and social skills in medical residents.

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Pereira-Lima, K; Loureiro, S R

2015-01-01

The medical residency is recognized as a risk period for the development of burnout and mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, which have impact on the physician and clientele alike. There is a need for studies that address conditions of risk and protection for the development of such problems. This study aimed to verify the rates of burnout, anxiety, and depression presented by resident physicians, as well as the associations of these problems with social skills, as potential protective factors. The hypothesis was defined that the problems (burnout, anxiety, and depression) would be negatively associated with social skills. A total of 305 medical residents, of both genders, of different specialties, from clinical and surgical areas of a Brazilian university hospital were evaluated using the following standardized self-report instruments: Burnout Syndrome Inventory, Social Skills Inventory, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. High rates of burnout and mental health problems were verified and social skills were negatively associated with burnout dimensions such as emotional exhaustion, emotional detachment, and dehumanization, but positively associated with personal accomplishment. Furthermore, residents with indicators of problems presented significantly lower social skills means than those of residents without indicators of burnout, anxiety, or depression. More studies are needed, which include other types of instruments in addition to self-report ones and evaluate not only social skills but also social competence in the professional practice. These should adopt intervention and longitudinal designs that allow the continuity or overcoming of the problems to be verified. Since social skills can be learned, the results of the study highlight the importance of developing the interpersonal skills of the professionals during the training of resident physicians in order to improve their practice.

Using a Multimedia Tool to Improve Cardiac Auscultation Knowledge and Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, David T; Mangrulkar, Rajesh S; Gruppen, Larry D; Lang, Angela L; Grum, Cyril M; Judge, Richard D

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE Today's medical school graduates have significant deficits in physical examination skills. Medical educators have been searching for methods to effectively teach and maintain these skills in students. The objective of this study was to determine if an auscultation curriculum centered on a portable multimedia CD-ROM was effective in producing and maintaining significant gains in cardiac auscultatory skills. DESIGN Controlled cohort study PARTICIPANTS All 168 third-year medical students at 1 medical school in an academic medical center. INTERVENTIONS Students were tested before and after exposure to 1 or more elements of the auscultation curriculum: teaching on ward/clinic rotations, CD-ROM comprehensive cases with follow-up seminars, and a CD-ROM 20-case miniseries. The primary outcome measures were student performance on a 10-item test of auscultation skill (listening and identifying heart sound characteristics) and a 30-item test of auscultation knowledge (factual questions about auscultation). A subset of students was tested for attenuation effects 9 or 12 months after the intervention. RESULTS Compared with the control group (1 month clinical rotation alone), students who were also exposed to the CD-ROM 20-case miniseries had significant improvements in auscultation skills scores (P auscultation knowledge beyond the miniseries alone (P auscultation skills. Students' auscultation knowledge diminished one year after the intervention, but auscultation skills did not. CONCLUSION In addition to the standard curriculum of ward and conference teaching, portable multimedia tools may help improve quality of physical examination skills. PMID:11722691

Adaptive behaviour and motor skills in children with upper limb deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)