Factors Inhibiting the Mentally Challenged in the Acquisition of Skills in Ugenya District, Siaya County, Kenya

Virtual reality is an emerging technology that can support the teaching and learning process by allowing the user to acquire knowledge in an immersive and interactive way. Virtual environments can help students to build their learning through experiences abstracted from reality by representing different concepts and interacting with well-defined elements within virtual scenarios. This work proposes the production and use of virtual reality environments as a support for the acquisition of skills within the teaching-learning process of children in basic education, including children with special educational needs. A proposed model is presented under the instructional design that considers technological platforms, multidisciplinary teams for the production of virtual reality environments according to the needs of users, and thus offers both teachers, parents, and students solutions that can promote the acquisition of learning skills through the execution of various tasks designed to encourage the user to the acquisition of learning skills in an immersive, safe, and fun way.

The Nursing Process (NP) is a fundamental tool for providing quality patient care. It has 5 stages, the first being the assessment, which is considered the most relevant since it supports the NP in the information obtained. In this stage, inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation techniques are used in the physical examination as tools in the assessment process. Virtual reality could be a beneficial intervention to train nursing students in acquiring their inspection and auscultation skills in the cardiac, respiratory, and digestive systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the didactic strategy with the use of virtual reality in the acquisition of physical examination skills in the cardiac, respiratory, and digestive systems in nursing students. Methodology: a quantitative study of the quasi-experimental design of one group with pre and post-intervention evaluation was carried out. Results: the results in the pre-test related to the median was 5.5, varying positively with an increase in the post-test to 6.3, obtaining that the application of a didactic strategy with virtual reality significantly improves/enhances the processes of acquisition of physical exploration skills in nursing students. Discussion: the results obtained in our research demonstrate that the use of a realistic and low-cost simulator for cardiac, respiratory, and digestive exploration improves the acquisition of skills and stimulates learning in the student, in addition to facilitating the deliberate practice of the procedure before performing it on a real patient. The incorporation of virtual reality in the acquisition of physical examination skills in the cardiac, respiratory, and digestive systems is an instrument that can be added to the nursing curriculum as a new didactic strategy.

Nursing and midwifery are skill based professions. Students are expected to have acquired their professional skills on graduation and be able to offer quality care. Several factors have been seen to influence the process of acquisition of skills during clinical placement and one of them being clinical supervision. The aim of the review was to determine the role of clinical Supervision in acquisition of skills among Nursing and Midwifery Students. A search of the literature regarding supervision and acquisition of skills was undertaken using CINAHL, PubMed, Science Direct, Hinari, EBSCO Host Research, Biomed central, Cochrane Review and Google scholar databases using keywords: “clinical supervision” AND “acquisition of kills” “nursing and midwifery Students . The search was limited to English full-length research articles in peer-reviewed journals from the year 2005 to 2017 inclusive. A total of 18 articles that met the criteria were included in this review. From the search conducted using the search terms described above, it yielded several articles and abstracts (223 articles and abstracts) that were focusing on clinical supervision in general and also the supervision models. However eighteen articles that were close to the review topic and met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. From the reviewed article four themes emerged; Provides support and professional socialisation, Improves interpersonal and communication skills, Increases students’ opportunities and confidence in learning and Increases students’ reflective thinking, self-evaluation and decision making. There has been a lot of discussion concerning clinical supervision for nursing and midwifery students during clinical placement for them to learn and differing views from both the learners, clinical staff and educators. The article included in the review has highlighted several views regarding the role supervision plays in the process of acquiring skills. Although there are other factors that influence acquisition of skills, clinical supervision has an important role in helping students learn and become competent in those skills required for their professional practice. The reviewers have also come to conclusion that clinical supervision regardless of the model used still has an important role with regard to acquisition of clinical skill by students. The highlighted themes are a learning point for some countries to strengthen supervision strategies so that they yield intended outcomes for students’ learning.

In the modern era, the acquisition of learning skills has become crucial for personal and professional success due to technological advancements and changes in the nature of work. The rise of automation and artificial intelligence has displaced traditional jobs, necessitating continuous skill development to remain employable. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for digital skills in the transition to remote work. Learning skills are vital for personal growth, expanding perspectives, and enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. They also promote innovation, collaboration, and interpersonal interaction, essential for success in personal and professional situations. This study aimed to explore the importance of learning skills in the modern era and its impact on employability and career success. It investigated individuals’ involvement in skill acquisition through self-determination or heutagogy, a learner-centered approach emphasizing autonomy and capacity development. The study employed an exploratory research design and a survey method to attain the objectives. The tool used was a researcher-administered questionnaire shared through online digital platforms. The sample included more than 700 counts consisting of individuals belonging to each age group and employment status. The research found that 84.24% of individuals learned new skills during the COVID period, indicating a positive response to the opportunity for self-improvement. The majority of participants focused on Personality Development Skills (PDS) and Communication Skills (CMS) for personal growth and career advancement. Leadership and Management Skills (LS), Analytical Skills (AS), and Technical Skills (TS) were also highly valued for career progression. Overall, the study highlights the importance of continuous skill development and the role of self-determined learning in enhancing employability. It suggests that individuals who took advantage of the COVID-19 period to acquire new skills have increased their career prospects and contributed to a growing pool of skilled workers in India. The research underscores the significance of lifelong learning and the potential of online digital education to foster innovative teaching and learning strategies, especially in resource-constrained settings

The effectiveness of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)-trained instructors plays a vital role in enhancing students’ cognitive, technical, and practical skills acquisition. This study examined the relationship between instructor effectiveness at Oroquieta Agro-Industrial School (OAIS) and students' skill development using a descriptive-correlational research design. Data were gathered through structured surveys assessing instructor effectiveness in pedagogical skills, technical expertise, instructional methods, assessment and feedback, industry relevance, student engagement, and professional development. Students’ skills acquisition was measured in cognitive, technical, and practical domains, competency-based learning, retention and transferability, self-efficacy, feedback and reflection, and collaboration and teamwork. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis revealed that TVET-trained instructors at OAIS demonstrated high effectiveness, particularly in pedagogical skills, technical expertise, and instructional methods, while students exhibited strong skills acquisition across all measured domains. A strong positive correlation was found between instructor effectiveness and students’ skills acquisition, highlighting the significant role of well-trained instructors in fostering hands-on learning and industry-aligned training. The study recommends continuous professional development, curriculum alignment with industry demands, stronger employer partnerships, increased funding, and community awareness to further enhance TVET education quality and student employability.

Expressive language function has a definitive role in personality development. Tracing the chronology of the child's language development is one of the main starting points in the process of establishing signs of atypical development, as well as in establishing the first signs of peculiarities in the acquisition of learning skills. This necessitates the need for careful observation, research and assessment of preschool children's abilities for language expression. The aim of the study is, on the one hand, to create a model for evaluating the expressive language of Bulgarian children aged 4 to 6 years, and on the other - to study its content validity. The proposed model is constructed in accordance with the state educational requirements for training of preschool children in "Bulgarian language and literature", as well as in accordance with the expert opinion of specialists (university lecturers and practitioners). The model covers key aspects of language development, including semantics, morphology and syntax, and the results confirm its potential to be applied in practice.

This article is a theoretical discussion on five forms of cultural resources that constitute cultural capital for children in the meritocratic yet stratified society of Singapore. These five forms of cultural capital are namely ‘academic’ tastes and leisure preferences, use of Standard English, access to and dispositions toward information communication technology, acquisition of learning skills, and confidence/learning dispositions. They cover two important aspects of cultural capital—namely objectified and embodied components—that may vary in levels with social class and that mediate the influence of social class on children’s academic achievement. Equally importantly, the focus on one societal context—in this case, Singapore—recognizes the contextual specificities of cultural capital in form and consumption pattern among individuals.

Catheter-based cardiovascular interventions (CBCVI) provide a fascinating context to study skill acquisition. In CBCVI, multiple cognitive skills are crucial; technical, perceptual, and decision-making skills are all used at the same time and often depend on each other. In order to be able to develop and implement the best possible medical education curriculum, it is important to understand cognition. Cognitive neuroscience studies the relationship between cognitive functions and brain processes. Recently, new techniques have become available that allow study of how learning changes specific brain structures and the connections between different brain areas. This chapter gives an overview of these studies. It also discusses the process of skill acquisition and the two types of knowledge on which learning is based: declarative knowledge (know what) and procedural knowledge (know how). These different types of knowledge have different representations and different properties. We discuss how changes in gray and white matter can be measured using different structural magnetic resonance imaging techniques, and describe experimental studies on brain plasticity in declarative and procedural learning and skill acquisition.

Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Learning in Skill Acquisition Ron Sun (rsun@cecs.missouri.edu) Xi Zhang (xzf73@mizzou.edu) Department of CECS, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA Abstract This paper studies the interaction between implicit and explicit processes in skill learning, in terms of top-down learning (that is, learning that goes from explicit to implicit knowledge) vs. bottom-up learn- ing (that is, learning that goes from implicit to ex- plicit knowled e). Instead of studying each type of knowledge emplicit or explicit) in isolation, we highlight the interaction between the two types of processes, especially in terms of one type giving rise to another. The work presents an integrated model of skill learning that takes into account both im- plicit and explicit processes and both top-down and bottom-up learning. We examine and simulate hu- man data in the Tower of Hanoi task. The paper shows how the quantitative data in this task may be captured using either top-down or bottom-up ap- proaches, although top-down learning is a more apt explanation of the human data currently available. The results demonstrate the difference between the two different directions of learning (top-down vs. bottom-up), and also provide a new perspective on skill learning in the Tower of Hanoi task. Introduction This paper studies the interaction between the im- plicit and explicit processes in skill learning. It explores two directions of skill learning: top-down learning and bottom-up learning. Top-down learn- ing goes from explicit knowledge to implicit knowl- edge, while bottom-up learning goes from implicit knowledge to explicit knowledge. Instead of study- ing each type of knowledge (implicit or explicit) in isolation, we want to highlight the interaction be- tween the two types of processes, especially in terms of one type giving rise to another. In this work, we want to test possibilities of bottom-up learning vs. top-down learning. We do so by using the task of Tower of Hanoi, which is arguably a typical benchmark problem in high-level cognitive skill acquisition and has been used in many previous studies of skill acquisition, cognitive mod- eling, and cognitive architectures (see, e.g., Proc- tor and Dutta 1995, Anderson 1993, Anderson and Lebiere 1998). To explore bottom-up and top-down learning, the work presents an integrated model of skill learning that takes into account both implicit and explicit processes and both top-down and bottom-up learn- ing, although the model was initially designed as a purely bottom-up learning model. We examine and simulate human data in the Tower of Hanoi task. The work shows how the quantitative data in this task may be captured using either top-down or bottom-up approaches, although we will show that top-down learning is a more apt explanation of the human data currently available in this task. Overall, the result of our simulations suggests that both directions are possible in human cognitive skill acquisition, and the actual direction may be either bottom-up or top-down (or a mix of both), depend- ing on task settings, instructions, and other vari- ables. These results demonstrate the two dilferent directions of learning (top-down vs. bottom-up), and also provide a new perspective on skill learning. Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up: The CLARION Model The role of implicit learning in skill acquisition and the distinction between implicit and explicit learn- ing have been widely recognized in recent years (see, e.g., Reber 1989, Stanley et al 1989, Willingham et al 1989, Anderson 1993, Seger 1994, Proctor and Dutta 1995, Stadler and Frensch 1998). However, although implicit learning has been actively inves- tigated, complex and multifaceted interaction be- tween the implicit and the explicit and the impor- tance of this interaction have not been universally recognized. To a large extent, such interaction has been downplayed or ignored, with only a few no- table exceptions (e.g., Mathews et al 1989, Sun et al 2001). Similar oversight is also evident in compu- tational simulation models of implicit learning (with few exceptions such as Cleeremans 1994 and Sun et al 2001). Despite the lack of studies of interaction, it has been gaining recognition that it is difficult, if not im- possible, to find a situation in which only one type of learning is engaged (Reber 1989, Seger 1994, Sun et al 2001). Our review of existing data has indicated that, while one can manipulate conditions to empha- size one or the other type, in most situations, both types of learning are involved, with varying amounts

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the integrated project-based approach to learning and the acquisition of lifelong learning skills in pupils of Government bilingual nursery and primary schools in the Mbouda sub-division. The study was guided by the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and the experiential theory of John Dewey. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. The sample population for the study was made up of respondents that were Headteachers, and teachers. The population and sample were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The instruments used were closed-ended questionnaires. Data was collected from a sample of 14 head teachers and 80 teachers. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The hypotheses of the study were tested using a non-parametric Spearman’s rho test. Findings showed that there was a significant, positive, and relatively strong relationship between the identification of problems and learners' acquisition of lifelong skills (R-value 0.504**). Similarly, findings revealed that there was a significant, positive, and strong relationship between the use of appropriate instructional methodologies and learners' acquisition of lifelong skills (R-value 0.630**). Furthermore, findings showed that there was a significant, positive, and relatively strong relationship between collaboration learning and learners' acquisition of lifelong skills (R-value 0.515**). Findings equally revealed that there is a significant, positive, and strong relationship between the integration of ICT in the teaching-learning process and learners' acquisition of lifelong skills (R-value 0.556**). It was concluded that an integrated project-based approach to learning influences the lifelong learning skills in some government bilingual primary schools in Mbouda Sub Division. Based on the findings: it was recommended that teachers should be given the impunities and facilities that can help them identify pupils’ problems and provide possible solutions. Teachers and the community should work together on appropriate instructional methodologies, integrating ICT into the teaching-learning process so that pupils can acquire lifelong learning skills.

Acquisition of skills and knowledge by employees is one of the most important elements of gaining competitive advantage, but also of creating a modern company based on knowledge and experience. This article aims to highlight the issue of employee upskilling in teal organisations. The particular importance of this issue stems from the fact that such companies do not offer typical career paths and their employees have to look after their development and acquisition of new and useful skills on their own. The article presents the actions undertaken by a teal organisation and its employees in terms of supplementing qualifications and acquiring new skills. The article is based on literature on the subject of employee training and upskilling. In addition, information was also taken from sources which describe the functioning of teal companies. The aim was to present the process of knowledge acquisition by employees in teal organisations and its effect on the functioning of a given organisation.

P 173. Motor skill acquisition in neurofibromatosis type 1 patients

Background: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that encompasses multiple neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and persist through the lifespan of the individual. Early interventions for infants with CP utilizing assisted-motion robotic devices have shown promising effects in rehabilitation of the motor function skills. The impact of cognitive function during motor learning and skill acquisition in infants using robotic technologies is unclear. Purpose: To assess the impact of cognitive function of infants with and without CP on their motor learning using the Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC) robot. Methods: Statistical analysis was conducted on the data obtained from a randomized control trial in which the movement learning strategies in infants with or at risk for CP was assessed during a 16-week SIPPC robot intervention. Cognitive function was measured by the Bayley scales of Infant and Toddler Development–Third edition (Bayley-III) and motor function was measured by the Movement Observation Coding Scheme (MOCS). The infants were categorized into three distinct groups based on their cognitive scores at baseline: “above average” (n1 = 11), “below average” (n2 = 10), and “average” (n3 = 26). Tri-weekly averages of the MOCS scores (observations at five time points) were used for the analyses. This study involved computing descriptive statistics, data visualization, repeated measures analysis of variances (rmANOVA), and survival analyses. Results: The descriptive statistics were calculated for the MOCS and Bayley III scores. The repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that there was a statistically significant effect of time (p < 0.0001) on scores of all subscales of the MOCS. A statistically significant effect of interaction between group and time (p < 0.05) was found in MOCS scores of subscales 1 and 2. The survival analyses indicated that infants in different cognition groups significantly differed (p < 0.0001) in their ability to achieve the crawling milestone within the 16-week intervention period. Conclusion: The findings in this study reveal the key movement strategies required to move the SIPPC robot, assessed by the MOCS, vary depending on the infants’ cognition. The SIPPC robot is well-matched to cognitive ability of infants with CP. However, lower cognitive ability was related to delayed improvement in their motor skills.

Background:Students’ opinions about their medical curriculum is essential process for evaluating program strength and weakness. Aim: We aimed to assess the benefits and effectiveness of PBL in acquisition of knowledge and soft skills during basic (Phase I) and preclinical (Phase II) sciences.Methods:Across-sectional study was conducted at the University of Bisha, College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia. Students at Phase I and Phase II were involved. A validated self-administered questionnaire used for data collection. Responses to the questionnaire items regarding PBL benefits, preferences and effectiveness in acquisition of knowledge and soft skills were ordinal following a four-point Likert scale format. Independent and paired t tests were used to compare between the means and SD of each two variables. A p value ≤ 0.05 considered as statistically significant.Results:Most of students (86.3%) reported a positive perception on all the items assessing the benefits of PBL approach. Students’ responses on PBL relating to the acquisition of knowledge (3.27±0.46) and soft skill (3.32±0.45) were high. There were no significant differences determined in the mean score and SD of acquisition of knowledge (p=0.768) and soft skills (p=0.297) between second and third year students. PBL was preferred in Phase II comparable to Phase I modules (3.371±0.299 vs. 3.026±0.627; p=0.001).Conclusion:Effectiveness of PBL found to be high and increasing after taking a series of modules. Although PBL methodology has impact in acquisition of knowledge and skills, intended program outcome should be determined to assess the effects of PBL.

In response to calls for examples from sports settings that highlight successful collaborations between skill acquisition specialists and coaches, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a skill acquisition coach education intervention. After an analysis of practice by a skill acquisition specialist, which provided context to impact learning design, two senior coaches from British Para Swimming with no prior knowledge of skill acquisition principles were observed and interviewed. The intervention harnessed coach experiential knowledge by emphasising development in understanding of theory underpinning three key principles of skill acquisition (i) implicit learning , (ii), focus of attention , and (iii) contextual interference , and encouraging informal and experiential learning between sessions. Following the intervention, coaches had adapted their approach to practice design to incorporate theory-informed techniques. Coach observations and interviews highlighted a range of novel findings in skill acquisition. First, outcomes indicated the use of implicit learning techniques in the form of analogy or metaphor cues can facilitate learning for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Second, coaches reported the learning benefits of utilising external and holistic focus cues in the elite athlete setting. Finally, through an increased understanding of the learning-performance distinction, coaches described the benefits of incorporating contextual interference, which emphasised temporal spacing between learning events. The coaches’ interpretation and implementation of skill acquisition theory are discussed with reference to potential avenues of exploration in future research.