Enhancing Education through Leveraging Spatial Computing: A Conceptual Framework

Wilderness First Responder: Are Skills Soon Forgotten?

The teaching and learning activities of any undergraduate curriculum will have a specific set of learning outcomes that should be successfully achieved by the students. The balance between the workload of a student and the available time to achieve the learning outcomes plays a major role in achieving these learning outcomes, as well as a good student satisfaction score and excellent final grades for that particular module (Whillier & Lystad, 2013). In a traditional educational experience, a teacher stands in front of the classroom, delivers a lecture to a group of students, who sit in rows, quietly listening to the lecture and taking notes. At the end of the lecture, students are given homework or an assignment to be completed outside of the classroom environment. This characterises the principle of “sage-on-the stage”, and is synonymous with the present day term of teacher-centered learning. This is also referred to as the transmittal model (King, 1993), which assumes that the students are passive note-takers, receivers of the content or accumulators of factoids (Morrison, 2014). Usually, the teacher does not have time to interact with the students individually during the class (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight & Arfstorm, 2013), thus neglecting those students who do not understand the lecture. The traditional didactic way of teaching is primarily unidirectional and consists of limited interactions between the source of knowledge (teacher) and the passive recipients (students). One of the main challenges faced by lecturers is the overload of academic content that needs to be taught in a relatively short period of time. Equally, the main challenge faced by the students is loss of interest or motivation to learn within the stipulated period of time (Prober & Khan, 2013). The traditional way of teaching, therefore, discourages the students from active learning and critical thinking. There is also increasing pressure from accreditation institutions, which demand “an ability to communicate effectively”, “an ability to identify, formulate and solve problems”, and “an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams” (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). As such, there is a need to transform the current pedagogical strategies, in order to enhance active learning in a more effective way (Al Faris et al., 2013). Synthesis of research on the effectiveness of lectures shows that lectures are not very effective for teaching and developing values or personal development, and may only be effective for the sole goal of transmitting information (Bligh, 2000). Taking these points together, it is important to explore methods that have the potential to maximise the use of classroom time and transform the classroom into a platform for teacher-student interactions and critical thinking (Rui et al., 2017). Numerous factors have cumulatively led to several challenges for traditional teaching in health professional education (HPE), including the availability of digital technologies, digitally-empowered learners, the prolific expansion of courses, the amount of factual knowledge that has accumulated in the courses, prolific growth of health knowledge, advancement in healthcare disciplines, and investment into the scholarship of teaching and learning. To this end, newer delivery systems encompassing active learning in HPE have been developed. Studies have reported that active participation is an effective method to improve learning and understanding (Freeman et al., 2014; McCoy et al., 2015). Thus, to enhance interaction during their learning, there are educational strategies, which promote active learning in traditional lectures by engaging students in doing things and encouraging them to think about what they are doing. A classic example of active learning is a think–pair–share discussion, in which a student thinks individually for a moment about a question posed on the lecture, then pairs up with a classmate to discuss their ideas, and subsequently shares their answer with the entire class (King, 1993). There are various modifications which can be incorporated into traditional lectures that enable active learning in the classroom, for instance; (a) the feedback lecture, which consists of two mini lectures separated by a small-group study session built around a study guide, and (b) the guided lecture, in which students listen to a 20- to 30-min presentation without taking notes, followed by their writing for 5 min on what they remember, and spending the remainder of the class duration in small groups for clarification and elaboration on the study material (Ellis, 2010; Johnson, 2013). Moreover, there are other active learning pedagogies, which include visual-based instruction (Johnson et al., 2016), small group problem based learning, cooperative learning, debates, drama, role playing and simulation and peer teaching. One innovative approach in education delivery system is the “flipped classroom,” an educational technique that consists of two parts, interactive group learning activities inside the classroom and direct personal computer-based individual instruction outside the classroom (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). As such, work typically done as homework in the didactic model (e.g., problem solving, essay writing) is better undertaken in class with the guidance of the teacher. Listening to a lecture or watching videos is undertaken at home. Hence, the term flipped or inverted classroom is used (Herreid & Schiller, 2013). The essence of a flipped classroom is that the activities carried out during traditional class time and self-study time are reversed or “flipped” (Veeramani, Madhugiri & Chand, 2015). Approaches to undergraduate teaching have improved over the years as the scholarship of learning and teaching has provided evidence of what works to improve the outcomes. However, educational delivery approaches have shown little change in many disciplines and have remained the same for the majority of the sectors (Van Vliet, Winnips & Brouwer, 2015). The flipped class is flexible itself and can be tailored (Tetreault, 2013). Historically, the concept of flipped classroom started in early 1990s. General Sylvanus Thayer created a system at West Point in USA, where a set of learning materials was given to engineering students so that they obtained core content prior to attending class. The classroom space was then used for critical thinking and group problem solving (Musallam, 2011). Many credited the rejuvenation of this idea with the development of, and increased access to, educational technologies (Moffett, 2015). For instance, the School of Business at the University of Miami proposed an ‘inverted classroom,’ which had events that traditionally took place inside the classroom now taking place outside the classroom and vice versa (Lage, Platt & Treglia, 2000). In 2000, a conference paper entitled ‘The Classroom Flip’ was presented by J Wesley Baker and the phrase ‘flipping the classroom’ was coined. Baker described how flipping the classroom could allow the trainer to become the ‘guide on the side’ rather than the ‘sage on the stage’ (Baker, 2000). In a sense, this reversal also flips the Bloom's revised taxonomy because the lower level of cognitive work/knowledge acquisition is done by the students, while educators work interactively with the students to develop the higher forms of cognition (Figure 1). To date, this approach has attracted a large amount of attention in the HPE and a subsequent surge of literature. A comparison between the traditional learning and the flipped classroom in the Bloom's taxonomy [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] Fundamentally, a flipped classroom encompasses two established elements of education, the recorded lecture (off campus learning) and active learning (on campus learning). Lectures are given as homework, as an aid to learning. Homework is important because it is a time where students can share their learning progress with their family, reflect on their learning, and review the material as well as the educator's feedback (Fulton, 2012). The key characteristics of a flipped classroom compared to a traditional classroom and other existing teaching methods are summarised in Table 1. It has been highlighted that the flipped classroom fits into the broader context of blended learning (Tetreault, 2013). Blended learning as defined by Staker is ‘a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home’(Staker & Horn, 2012, p.3). The flipped classroom consists of a formal education program, and online learning as a mechanism of informal learning through educational video quizzes/games. The flipped classroom approach is connected between what the students learn online (e.g., video lecture) and what they learn face-to-face (e.g., in-class active case study), and vice versa, which is a common feature of blended learning (Tetreault, 2013). In principle, the flipped classroom assigns relatively low-level cognitive learning such as memorising and understanding, outside of the classroom and teaching in class is accomplished mostly through teacher-student interactions and cooperation between peers, thereby stimulating the students’ intellectual potential (Rui et al., 2017). The option to view video lectures (as an example) outside of classroom has beneficial effects for the learners as they can replay the videos as many times as needed to better understand the key concepts at their own pace. Furthermore, this allows each student to be able to comprehend the topics being covered to his/her satisfaction, whereas this might not be possible in the context of conventional teacher-centred teaching. This is an important pedagogical consideration for international students for whom English is their second language (Moraros, Islam, Yu, Banow & Schindelka, 2015). From the teacher's perspective, a flipped classroom setting makes it easier to engage students and empower them as active participants of their own learning. There are several theoretical constructs that are applicable for a flipped classroom. Two of these include: the technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis, 2003). These theoretical constructs provide a framework for the analysis and identification of relevant outcomes. We will outline how these two theories of flipped classroom learning can improve the learning outcomes such as student satisfaction and improved scores. TAM includes two theoretical constructs: (a) perceived usefulness and (b) perceived ease of use. These constructs are defined as "the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance" and "the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort", respectively (Davis, 1989, p320). The first theoretical construct relies on students’ prior knowledge, gained from the pre-class video lecture (for example), in enhancing their understanding (and overall learning performance) in the active in-class activities such as problem solving. The second theoretical construct is based on students' perceptions that if a flipped class room is more user friendly than the traditional teaching mode, then they would be more likely to accept it. The goal of the UTAUT model is to explain the intentions of a user to use a given information system and the subsequent behaviour of the user. The model is based on four primary constructs: 1) performance expectancy, 2) effort expectancy, 3) social influence, and 4) facilitating conditions (Venkatesh et al., 2003, p447). The first three constructs reflect the motivation of the users (i.e., students). The fourth construct reflects the characteristics of a flipped classroom setup when students engage with the pre-class materials that are uploaded on an e-learning portal. These material could be a video, an interactive presentation, a questionnaire or sometimes a recorded audio. With regard to these theoretical constructs, if students perceive that a flipped class room is user friendly and the academic environment facilitates their learning, then it will promote students' engagement, interactions and cooperation in learning, which will further improve their performance. There are potential advantages of a flipped classroom, including increased opportunities to provide individualised education to learners (Johnson, 2013; Kachka, 2012), increased student engagement with course material (Gross, Pietri, Anderson, Moyano-Camihort & Graham, 2015), and increased educator-student interaction, compared to a ‘performing’ lecture. The Kirkpatrick model of educational outcomes (Barry Issenberg, McGaghie, Petrusa, Lee Gordon & Scalese, 2005; Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 1994) comprises ‘learners’ reaction’ (to the educational experience); learning (modification of attitudes/perceptions and the acquisition of knowledge and skills); behaviour (self-reported changes in practice and observed changes in practice, including new leadership positions); and results (which refers to change at the level of the organisation) (Figure 2). For instance, regarding the 'results' outcome, the flipped classroom allows the teacher to gain advanced, real-time insight into how students learn and quickly identify and better address curriculum content that the students find most challenging. This insight can be used to better inform decisions with regard to effective curriculum organisation, structure and the delivery of future classes. Four levels of learning in Kirkpatrick's model [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] The success of a flipped classroom approach relies on a number of assumptions. Stimulation of students’ interest in learning and guided self-study (Moraros et al., 2015), primarily depends on the opportunities to actively engage students in self-directed learning and encourage progressive improvement (Bergmann, Overmyer & Wilie, 2012; Moraros et al., 2015) in assessment performances. Thus, a flipped class will not support effective learning if students fail to engage with the assigned pre-class or in-class activities (Kachka, 2012), for reasons which might include poorly designed educational materials (e.g., long, poor audio quality) or students feeling ‘lost’ (Moffett, 2015). As such, a number of contextual and structural factors that can influence flipped classroom learning include resources (inputs to the program), activities (aspects of implementation), outputs (observable products of the completed activities) and outcomes (effects or impacts within various time frames) as depicted in the conceptual framework (Figure 3). Logic model of flipped class learning [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] There are individual studies, which have evaluated flipped classroom in medical education, allied health education and health science education, using a pre-and post-test design or comparative designs to explore how learning outcomes are improved. Some studies showed positive outcomes with flipped classroom (Galway, Corbett, Takaro, Tairyan & Frank, 2014; Van Vliet et al., 2015), while others showed the opposite (Whillier & Lystad, 2015). For instance, a study on integrated flipped lectures with online teaching techniques assessed learning experiences and participation through active learning. The findings suggested that the students in the integrated flipped-online lectures had achieved an increase in active learning components compared to the group that were put in a didactic model (Galway et al., 2014). It is important to understand the factors that could have contributed to this difference. As an example, for balance of the safe learning environment (to be free from discomfort and fear) between the two groups of students, a comparability of the personality traits between the students in each group needs to be considered. On the other hand, another individual study, which assessed the effectiveness of flipped classroom in ophthalmology clerkship reported that the students in flipped classroom had more burden and pressure in preparing for the pre-class compared with the students in lecturer-based classroom group. Thus far, these published individual studies varied in design, sample size and outcome measures. It is unclear, if these findings would be generalised to other HPE. A non-Campbell systematic review of the flipped classroom reported how the flipped classroom has been applied in nursing education and the achieved outcomes associated with such teaching (Betihavas, Bridgman, Kornhaber & Cross, 2016). Due to the focus on a particular educational context (i.e., nursing or ophthalmology), the generalisability of their findings to other courses in undergraduate HPE is uncertain. Another non-Campbell collaborative systematic review, consisting of 82 studies reported on the effectiveness of flipped classroom in medical education where a pooled estimate of a subset of six experimental studies showed generally positive perceptions of the students to the flipped classroom. However, there were no significant changes in knowledge and skills (Cohen's d = −0.27 to 1.21, median: 0.08; Chen, Lui, & Martinelli, 2017). These systematic reviews, focused on a particular area (either nursing education or medical education) had a limited number of included studies, considerable variation in study designs, a lack of methodological quality assessment of the included studies, and the quality of evidence reported by these systematic reviews is poor. A systematic review which combines the results of interventions, using flipped classroom compared with alternative learning or traditional learning, will help us to make recommendations for the development and implementation of successful flipped classroom amongst health professionals. The current review also aims to serve as a reference for decision makers to support evidence-based approaches to flipped classroom in HPE. The primary objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of flipped classroom intervention for undergraduate health professional students on academic performance and course satisfaction. The influence of context in the design, delivery and outcomes of the flipped classroom interventions in undergraduate health professional education; The barriers and facilitators of flipped classroom learning effectiveness for undergraduate health professional students. Specifically, this review is designed to answer the following research questions: What are the effects of flipped classroom learning on undergraduate health professional students' academic performance? What are the effects of flipped classroom learning on undergraduate health professional students' course satisfaction? Do any moderator variables affect the effectiveness of flipped classroom learning on academic performance outcomes? Moderators will include (if data are available), study design, student related factors such as the amount of out-of-class preparation time, classroom availability and limited high speed internet access for rural and remote students, quality of interactive tools, and faculty related factors such as faculty members' preference to a more didactic approach. Randomised designs, which include individual-level randomised trials, cluster-level randomised trials and natural experiments, where assignment to treatment or control conditions is functionally random. Non-randomised designs, which include at least one treatment group and at least one comparison group, matching designs, two-group pre-post designs, regression discontinuity designs. We do not include qualitative research. We included all undergraduate health professional students, regardless of the type of healthcare streams (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy), duration of the learning activity (e.g., one or two semesters) or the country where the study is conducted. Any educational intervention that includes the flipped classroom as a teaching and learning activity in undergraduate programmes, regardless of the type of healthcare streams (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy) will be considered. To be included, a study must explicitly indicate that the teaching/learning activities for undergraduate students included in the flipped classroom, reversed classroom or flipping class, aiming to improve student learning and/or student satisfaction. Standard lectures and subsequent tutorial formats will not be considered as flipped classroom. Studies on flipped classroom methods among undergraduate or postgraduate students who are not from the healthcare streams (e.g., engineering, economics, computer science) will be excluded. We explored the impact of flipped classroom learning in undergraduate health professional students on academic related outcomes. The primary outcome is academic performance measured by examination scores, final grades or other formal assessment methods at immediate post-test. The secondary outcome is student satisfaction measured at immediate post-test using a self report scale, which may include the training institution's own format of assessing student satisfaction. 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ObjectiveTo systematically review current literature to determine whether active learning is more successful than passive learning at producing cognitive skills in health care professions students.Data SourcesAn electronic search was conducted in 4 databases: EBSCO-CINAHL, EBSCO-Sport Discus, Educational Resources Information Center, and PubMed. Search terms included: millennial AND health education, active learning AND knowledge retention, flipped classroom AND learning outcomes, problem based learning AND learning outcomes, problem based learning AND student confidence, active learning AND critical thinking, higher order thinking AND active learning.Study SelectionWe included studies if they were published in English between 2007 and 2017 and evaluated outcomes of an active learning intervention. Studies of nonhealth care disciplines, practicing health care practitioners, or studies that did not address the primary research questions were excluded.Data ExtractionStudy design, health care discipline, intervention used, assessment measures, outcome(s) measures, main results, and conclusions were extracted from each article, as appropriate.Data SynthesisArticles were categorized based on capacity to answer 1 or both of the research questions. Conclusions were summarized according to the learning technique used and its effectiveness in regard to studied learning outcome. Out of 85 studies on lower-order cognition, 61 (72%) indicated active learning techniques were effective at achieving improved recall, understanding, and/or application of course material. Of 69 studies on higher-order cognition, 58 (84%) supported active learning over passive instruction for improving students' confidence in or performance of analytical, evaluative, and creative skills.ConclusionsActive learning produces gains to both lower- and higher-order cognition at levels equal to, and more often, greater than the use of passive learning methods. Despite this evidence, we believe more high-quality, well-designed prospective studies using validated assessment measures are needed to endorse the value of these methods in producing cognitive skills.

The future is not ours to see, but there is always critical thinking

<b>Overview:</b> This systematic review explores the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for assessment, grading, and feedback in higher education. The review aims to establish how AI technologies enhance efficiency, scalability, and personalized learning experiences in educational settings, while addressing associated challenges that arise due to AI use.<br /> <b>Methods:</b> In this article, a comprehensive search of 6 different academic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, ERIC, and Scopus were conducted. The focus was on the published studies ranging between 2010 and 2023. Also, inclusion criteria required studies to be peer-reviewed, centered on AI applications in higher education. Studies were to provide empirical evidence or theoretical discussions relevant to assessment processes. Thus, twenty studies meeting these criteria were selected, scrutinized and analyzed.<br /> <b>Results:</b> Pertaining to the findings, they indicate that AI-driven systems significantly streamline grading processes, reduce turnaround times, and provide timely, personalized feedback. These systems also offer data-driven insights that inform instructional practices. However, challenges such as algorithmic bias, validity concerns in subjective assessments, and ethical issues related to data privacy persist. Effective AI integration necessitates alignment with pedagogical goals, ongoing professional development for educators, and transparent policies to ensure fairness and equity.<br /> <b>Conclusion:</b> AI technologies hold transformative potential for enhancing assessment practices in higher education. Therefore, addressing technical, ethical, and pedagogical challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based approaches is essential to fully realizing AI's benefits. Future research should focus on validating AI-driven assessment methods and exploring their long-term impact on educational outcomes.

Learning the nervous system has always been a difficult task for undergraduate students. In particular, the complexity of the system and the condensed time available present a difficult challenge. Regardless of audiovisual aids (blackboard, PowerPoint presentations, ready-made models, or CD-ROMs),

BackgroundStudents in healthcare professions taking pharmacology courses often feel challenged with learning and remembering crucial facts about medications, i.e., knowledge acquisition and retention. In addition, applying pharmacological knowledge into clinical settings consumes significant amounts of the student’s working memory (i.e., cognitive load). Mnemonics (memory aids) are used to reduce cognitive load and facilitate learning and knowledge retention among students. Our study assessed the impact of the mnemonics' use in a Pharmacology course offered to second‐year pharmacy students on students' perceptions of knowledge acquisition, retention, and clinical application in correlation to their exam performance.MethodsEighteen mnemonics were developed and used in a course covering endocrine and autonomic pharmacology topics. Students' perceptions of the impact of mnemonics' use on their knowledge acquisition, retention, clinical application, critical thinking, and confidence while answering questions on exams were collected using an anonymous survey in the fall semester of 2020. Further, students' perceptions were matched to their exam performance.ResultsSurvey responses from 56 students (85% response rate) indicated that 80.4% agreed that mnemonics' use facilitated knowledge acquisition by reducing anxiety while learning, and 98.2% of students indicated that the use of mnemonics improved knowledge retention and application. Mnemonics' use was also reported to improve critical thinking while answering exam questions (89.3% agreed) and increased confidence during test‐taking (96.4% agreed). Interestingly, 64.7% of students using mnemonics answered the associated exam questions correctly compared to 35.3% of students (p<0.05) who did not use the mnemonic aids.ConclusionsOur study suggests that mnemonics' use in pharmacology courses not only improved students' perception of knowledge acquisition, retention, application, and critical thinking but also improved their exam performance on specific questions that tested concepts taught with mnemonics. Future studies will assess students' knowledge retention and perceptions of mnemonics' use with exam performance in subsequent pharmacotherapy and pharmacy skills courses.

Novel Educational Approaches to Enhance Learning and Interest in Nephrology

ABSTRACTThe cognitive mechanisms and benefits of active learning in early child development are poorly understood. The current study investigated 20–23‐month‐old infants’ curiosity‐driven information selection in a novel word learning task, designed to identify any potential advantage for active learning over passive learning. In a gaze‐contingent eye‐tracking paradigm, infants in one condition were given the opportunity to structure their own information seeking to actively create word learning opportunities for themselves, while infants in two other conditions engaged in learning novel words passively. Infants’ learning of word‐object associations was compared across active and passive learning paradigms. The results indicate no advantage of active information selection on retention of novel words above and beyond passive learning, with infants across all conditions retaining novel words above chance. This study provides a crucial insight advancing our understanding of early word learning, and of the mechanisms and benefits of active, curiosity‐based learning in infants.SummaryWe investigated the effect of active, curiosity‐driven word learning, as compared to passive word learning, on infants’ label recognition.Infants’ self‐motivated information selection was tested using a novel word learning task in a gaze‐contingent eye‐tracking paradigm.Self‐motivated information selection had no effect on early word learning above and beyond passive learning, with infants across all conditions retaining novel words above chance.This provides novel insights into infants’ active and passive learning for language acquisition.

PurposeWith the use of a curriculum framework, consumer educators can “work to improve their students' emotional states and examine critically their self-beliefs.” Active learning research has focused on attitudinal reactions rather than cognitive outcomes. It can be processed and implemented for real, dynamic and vibrant learning whereas passive learning is used to acquire ideas and information that is available for recall. This study aims to assess the impact of active and passive learning tools on Environmentally sustainable consumption behaviour [ESCB]. This study will help to grasp the authorities' focus on recommending the types of active and passive learning for the institutions for enhancing Environmentally sustainable consumption behaviour [ESCB] among children.Design/methodology/approachThe data analysis for this study was conducted using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), a statistical method commonly used to compare the means of multiple groups to determine if there are significant differences among them. The study followed an experimental design, specifically a pre-test–post-test control group design, which is ideal for assessing the impact of an intervention. The study involved a total of 641 school children as participants. These children were distributed across three grade levels: Third Class, Fourth Class and Fifth Class.FindingsIt was found that active learning forms were effective and statistically significant for impacting ESCB as compared to control group results. It was also found that passive learning forms were an effective but statistically non-significant method for impacting ESCB among primary school children.Research limitations/implicationsBased on the findings, the study concluded that while active learning styles have a greater impact on ESCB than passive learning styles, it is still necessary to determine which active or passive learning styles are most effective in influencing ESCB.Practical implicationsThis study will assist educators in understanding the kinds of Active and Passive learning environments that can be used to encourage children's environmentally friendly consumption practices.Originality/valueThis paper is entirely novel and has been composed by the author

This chapter focuses on the authentic learning interventions for team-based and flipped classroom collaborative learning that assesses real-time class participation which develops competency and employability skills set. The discussions address the process in achieving the intended learning outcomes with the adoption of these learning interventions. It provides evidence-based results in terms of how these learning interventions facilitate effective learning in terms of higher-order critical thinking (refers to the process of thinking is made intensive through scaffolding approach that potentially enables learners to question and reflect deeply), deeper engagement amongst students (refers to the ability for students to be motivated and their involvement through listening and/or participation is much more spontaneous) and higher level of collaboration at inter- and intra-group levels (refers to much more interactivity, team-based involvement in engaging within the team members and/or across members of another group). Collaborative learning is generally defined as a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together (Dillenbourg in Collaborative Learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches 1:1–15, 1999), whereas in a cooperative learning context, individuals work together to optimize, maximize their own and each other’s learning to attain shared goals. Largely, there are three categories of cooperative learning namely informal cooperative learning groups, formal cooperative learning groups and cooperative base groups. In our context, informal cooperative learning was focused on. In accordance with research scholars (Johnson et al. in Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 30(4):26–35, 1998a; Johnson et al. in Cooperation in the classroom, Interaction Book Company, Edina, MN, 1998b), informal cooperative learning entails students working together to achieve common learning goal in temporary, ad-hoc groups that last from a few minutes to one class period. In a meta-analysis performed by Johnson et al. (Johnson et al. in Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 30(4):26–35, 1998a), studies since 1924 were reviewed and it was found that when students learn together, academic achievement is enhanced. Moreover, students were found to have higher self-esteem and better quality of relationships (Johnson et al. in Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 30(4):26–35, 1998a). The functionalities offered within the learning interventions and support systems fundamentally promote collaboration. Student engagement is correlated with participation in public service, self-reported learning gains, increased student achievement (Carini et al. in Research in Higher Education 47:1–32, 2006) and job engagement (Busteed & Seymour in Gallup Business Journal 19, 2015). The goal of the learning interventions is to maximize student engagement in meaningful learning activities within classroom settings. When students engage in more meaningful learning activities, they are actively learning. DeLozier and Rhodes (DeLozier & Rhodes in Educational Psychology Review 29:141–151, 2017) believed that it is the active learning in class that is responsible for the enhancement in learning performances. The use of learning interventions also increases the number of students participating in meaningful learning activities through providing the quieter students in class an alternative avenue of input other than speaking up in front of the class. Cain and Klein (Independent School 75(1):64–71, 2015) found in their study that quiet students indeed feel more comfortable sharing their ideas online. Moreover, shy and quiet students contribute more through synchronous online discussion than in regular classroom discussion (Warschauer in CALICO Journal, 7–26, 2015). Lastly, with the synchronous online discussion feature of the activity support system and the organized class activity sequences, it is expected that there will be a reduction in time used for transitions between activities, introductions to activities, and disruptions within activities. Both collaborative learning, through “discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of others’ ideas” (Gokhale in Journal of Technology Education 7:22–30, 1995), and high student engagement (Carini et al. in Research in Higher Education 47:1–32, 2006) enhance the development of critical thinking. It was also argued that critical thinking can be learnt through every interaction (MacKnight in Educause Quarterly 23:38–41, 2000) provided the interaction is supported with specific critical thinking activities (Astleitner in Journal of Instructional Psychology 29:53, 2002; Kim in Interactive Learning Environments 22:467–484, 2014; Weltzer-Ward & Carmona in International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning 3:86–88, 2008). Therefore, our learning interventions and supports systems, which enhances students’ engagement and collaborative learning, would also lead to a desirable development of students’ critical thinking ability. The chapter will also describe the varying functionalities and the process of how the learning interventions enable the intended learning outcomes to be achieved. This chapter also furnishes the relevant video and training resources that are developed for the learning interventions. The findings from the surveys and interviews serve as evidence based to validate the discussions that emerge from the analysis.

The NCSBN National Simulation Study: A Longitudinal, Randomized, Controlled Study Replacing Clinical Hours with Simulation in Prelicensure Nursing Education

Everyday experience affords us many opportunities to learn about objects through multiple senses using physical interaction. Previous work has shown that active motor learning of unisensory items enhances memory and leads to the involvement of motor systems during subsequent perception. However, the impact of active motor learning on subsequent perception and recognition of associations among multiple senses has not been investigated. Twenty participants were included in an fMRI study that explored the impact of active motor learning on subsequent processing of unisensory and multisensory stimuli. Participants were exposed to visuo-motor associations between novel objects and novel sounds either through self-generated actions on the objects or by observing an experimenter produce the actions. Immediately after exposure, accuracy, RT, and BOLD fMRI measures were collected with unisensory and multisensory stimuli in associative perception and recognition tasks. Response times during audiovisual associative and unisensory recognition were enhanced by active learning, as was accuracy during audiovisual associative recognition. The difference in motor cortex activation between old and new associations was greater for the active than the passive group. Furthermore, functional connectivity between visual and motor cortices was stronger after active learning than passive learning. Active learning also led to greater activation of the fusiform gyrus during subsequent unisensory visual perception. Finally, brain regions implicated in audiovisual integration (e.g., STS) showed greater multisensory gain after active learning than after passive learning. Overall, the results show that active motor learning modulates the processing of multisensory associations.

Many studies explored the use of math applications in education and there was a limited research on how specific apps like Photo Map, Math Way, and Khan Academy enhanced students' mathematical performance and critical thinking. This study explored the effectiveness of Photo Way Academy as a mathematics application in enhancing the critical thinking skills of Grade 9 students. Employing a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group structure, the research involved two groups: an experimental group that utilized the Photo Way Academy strategy and a control group taught using conventional methods. A teacher-made test was used to assess the students' critical thinking skills before and after the intervention. The findings revealed that students in the experimental group showed marked improvement in their critical thinking abilities following the intervention. Initially, these students demonstrated limited proficiency, but after using the Photo Way Academy, their performance improved significantly, reaching a level categorized as very satisfactory. In contrast, the control group, which was exposed to traditional teaching methods, showed only moderate improvement. A comparison of post-test results indicated a statistically significant advantage for the experimental group, both in performance scores and mean gain scores. The effectiveness of integrating technology-based, student-centered instructional strategies in mathematics education demonstrated a significant effect on students’ critical thinking skills. Photo Way Academy proved to be an engaging tool that fostered deeper learning, improved problem-solving skills, and promoted better knowledge retention. It is recommended that school heads may support the use of innovative learning applications, and teachers may integrate interactive tools like Photo Way Academy into regular instruction.

In higher education, increasing emphasis is being placed on the use of new technologies in the classroom. However, the emphasis needs to be placed on methods that truly enhance understanding and knowledge retention. Class discussions help students understand and retain information previously presented in lecture format. Furthermore, if students are challenged to critically evaluate, communicate, and defend their ideas, knowledge retention and understanding will increase even more. Critical interactive thinking exercises (CITE) were employed at two different universities to enhance student knowledge retention and promote the development of critical thinking. Applicability of CITE to undergraduate learning was assessed over a 3-yr period in the undergraduate reproductive physiology courses at Michigan State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia. For each exercise, students were challenged to prepare a one-page, double-spaced composition addressing an incompletely understood phenomenon or problem-solving situation related to the reproductive system. In preparing their compositions, students were encouraged to use information previously presented in lecture plus outside information to develop their ideas. Students were required to formulate and defend a hypothesis or approach to the problem presented. At the subsequent class period, students were divided into groups of three to four, in which they interactively discussed their ideas. Each group member was challenged to defend his or her hypothesis and explanation and to persuade other group members to adopt their ideas. Each group then arrived at a consensual opinion that was presented during a discussion by the entire class. The class then debated the merits of each group's hypothesis or explanation and the supporting arguments presented. At first, the students were apprehensive about the CITE, particularly about communicating and defending ideas with their classmates. However, course evaluations showed that 131 out of 137 students considered the CITE a positive experience that enhanced learning. Additionally, 131 out of 137 students reported that the CITE enhanced their critical thinking skills. We feel that the use of CITE in teaching reproductive theory to undergraduate students fosters critical thinking skills, communication skills, and knowledge retention. The general concept can be readily applied to courses in other subject areas in the animal sciences.