Academic Hours Research Articles

Cyberloafing in the classroom: A qualitative study with Nigerian undergraduate students

Background and Objective: The rise of academic cyberloafing — the non-academic use of internet connections during class — has emerged as a concern within the university context. While cyberloafing in the workplace has received ample attention, its counterpart in educational settings, particularly in Nigeria, remains less explored. This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate students at a private Nigerian university regarding cyberloafing. Method: Using an adaption of the Cyberloafing in Educational Settings Scale, this study targeted a class of 15 final-year library and information science students. Data collected online underwent qualitative description and was presented verbatim. Results: Though students were unfamiliar with the term 'cyberloafing,' they acknowledged participating in such behaviors. The findings revealed habitual social media use during class hours, the employment of online tools for academic purposes, and a prevalent trend of gaming activities, often driven by internet addiction and boredom. Students also conveyed an understanding of the potential downsides and benefits of digital engagements during academic hours. Conclusion: The study urges university policymakers to implement measures promoting positive internet use and incorporate ethical cyber behavior awareness into curricula. It further recommends that parents and lecturers foster proper online usage and advocates for society-wide campaigns to raise awareness about ethical digital technology behavior.

Experience in Implementing an Additional Professional Advanced Training Program “Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. Basic Course" at the Training and Accreditation Center — Medical Simulation Center of the Botkin Hospital

Training of anesthesiologists-resuscitators under the additional professional advanced training program “Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Basic course "(18 academic hours) at the Medical Center of the Botkin Hospital.

Effects of Bilingualism on Students' Linguistic Education: Specifics of Teaching Phonetics and Lexicology.

In the study of English in a bylingual environment, issues related to the need to develop students' phonetic and lexical competencies, which include communication, phonetic and auditory skills and lexical sufficiency, are of particular relevance. The motive of this study is the need to improve the methodology of teaching English in the context of student immersion in a foreign language educational environment, by implementing additional thematic courses in the general educational program aimed at improving the phonetic and lexical competencies necessary for successful learning in a bilingual environment. The purpose of the article is to study the feasibility and effectiveness of studying phonetics and lexicology by students-translators who study in a bilingual educational environment. An educational experiment was conducted with the participation of 75 students-translators, in the educational process of which the disciplines of phonetics and lexicology were integrated for two academic hours per week for one year. The effectiveness of studying phonetics and lexicology within the framework of bilingual education has been proved and the skills and achievements of students that they have acquired in the process of bilingual education with an emphasis on phonetics and lexicology have been analyzed. Control tests yielded the following results: among the 46 Russian-speaking participants the percentage of English speakers at the C2 level was 7% (3 people), C1-79% (36 people), B2-14% (7 people). To achieve the most effective learning in a bilingual environment, especially when it takes place in a minority language, it is worth emphasizing students' learning of phonetics and vocabulary. Using this approach, students were able to form and develop a number of phonetic and lexical skills and improve academic performance.

Experience of teaching doctors the principles of rational pharmacotherapy on the example of patients with a fall in a hospital

The postgraduate education of doctors in the principles of rational pharmacotherapy, conducted on the educational program «Polypragmasia in a therapeutic and preventive organization: a problem and a solution» of 36 academic hours, allowed to reduce the total number of simultaneously prescribed medications in elderly patients of a cardiological profile in a gerontological hospital (the number of medications received by patients older than 75 years before and after training, respectively 9.48±2.6 vs 7.12±1.9, p<0.001). A decrease in polypragmasia contributed to a decrease in the frequency of suspected unforeseen serious adverse reactions, which included falls associated with taking medications. The simultaneous introduction of Safety Protocols, Standard Operating Procedures for identifying patients at high risk of falling and conducting incident analysis led to the analysis of each case of an elderly and senile patient falling in a hospital and a review of the treatment received.

Epidemiology of New Coronavirus Infection in educational process of students of Pediatric Faculty of Astrakhan State Medical University

Objective. To describe and characterize the curriculum regarding a new coronavirus infection in the educational process of students of the Pediatric Faculty of Astrakhan State Medical University. Materials and methods. The working program "Epidemiology and Prevention of New Coronavirus Infection COVID-19" (hereinafter referred to as the Program) was developed by the staff of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology of Astrakhan State Medical University in 2021 and introduced into the curriculum of fourth-year students (8th semester) in the specialty 31.05.02 "Pediatrics" as an optional discipline. Results. Seventy-two academic hours are assigned for the study of the discipline, of which 50 % (36 hours) for classroom work of the teacher with students including 33.3 % (12 hours) for lectures, and the remaining 66.7 % for practical classes. Independent work of students with the educational literature, educational portal of Astrakhan State Medical University and electronic resources takes the remaining 50 % (36 hours). At the last lesson, students take a test in the form of a final test (100 test tasks). Conclusions. Thus, summing up all of the above, we can note that those students, who have attended a full course of lectures and practical classes on epidemiology and prevention of a new coronavirus infection, at the senior courses (5th and 6th courses) much better orientate themselves in epidemiology, clinic, diagnostics and prevention of not only infections with an aerogenic transmission mechanism, but also other infections with different mechanisms and transmission routes than students who have not studied this discipline.

ПОДХОД НА ПРОФИЛИРАНО ОБУЧЕНИЕ ПО УЕБ ДИЗАЙН В ГИМНАЗИАЛЕН ЕТАП НА СРЕДНОТО ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ

The paper examines a learning method in teaching website building technologies to students in a learning environment where a role-playing game from the practice of a software company is simulated. The data collection and evaluation of the results was carried out through the qualitative methods of participant observation, interviewing, content analysis and survey card. The article analyzes the state of the researched problem by reviewing the normative base of web design training at school, the scientific and educational literature on the methods of learning through role play and teamwork. A staging of the implementation of an experiment for web design training is presented, describing the general framework for organizing the learning process, the stages of conducting the research, as well as the plot and scenario of conducting. The final results of the research were analyzed on the basis of a discussion with students and data from survey cards. The training, according to the experiment, is in the form of a simulation game and takes place in six academic hours of 40 minutes in three consecutive weeks, passing through four stages. The work of two teams of students with representative roles was studied: manager, web designer, graphic designer, stylist and web programmer. The final product of the role-playing game is the development of a website, and its final result for the learning process is knowledge and skills acquired during the formal training by the teacher and the informal training between the students during their team work.

IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH-SAVING TECHNOLOGIES IN SWIMMING LESSONS

The article defines the peculiarities of the implementation of health-saving technologies in swimming lessons in higher education institutions. Modern health-saving technologies used in the field of physical education of student youth are disclosed. The current state of health and physical fitness of student swimmers was analyzed, a set of problems related to the development of sports and mass swimming in Ukraine was identified, in particular, regarding the training of the country's population and its conscript contingents in the ability to swim. The role and place of swimming in the system of physical fitness of student youth and ensuring their adherence to the basics of a healthy lifestyle in the context of the implementation of health-saving technologies are determined.
 Swimming training is carried out in the form of practical classes, which take up one training pair (2 academic hours).
 Methodical planning and structuring of the training process, which includes the logical and systematic ordering of several training variables (intensity, volume, frequency, recovery period and exercises) in an integrative way aimed at optimizing specific performance results at predetermined points in time.
 The main characteristics of such approaches are systematic variations in the content of the intensity of classes and the amount of workload throughout the entire program.
 However, this should not be seen as a simple strategy of training variation, but as an appropriate sequence and integration of different training variables, including not only volume and intensity, but also frequency, recovery periods, density and selection of exercises.
 The duration of each session may increase. The total training contribution of strength work on land is a product of intensity, frequency and duration of training. The general goal is the uniform development of all muscle groups.
 Land exercises are used to train muscular strength and endurance, and they complement the improvements in muscular endurance that result from swimming training. The exercise program should be simple (that is, two exercises for each of the main muscle groups) so that it corresponds to the total training time for one session.

Assessing Opportunities for Self-Study and Out-of-Class Activities in a Prescriptive High Contact-Hour Engineering Curriculum

Contribution: This work identifies some attributes of a prescriptive high contact-hour engineering curriculum that could be limiting the development of core skills among engineering students. The findings are put together to develop a guideline for curriculum review that optimizes characteristic student academic hours for in- and out-of-class educational activities. Background: One of the identified factors that contribute to developing core technical and soft skills among engineering students is the amount and nature of the academic workload stipulated by the curriculum. An implication of a curriculum with a high quantity of instruction (QI) (class contact hours) is a deficiency in self-directed learning; an activity believed to support the development of critical thinking and lifelong learning skills among students. Research Question: 1) How does the QI of a prescriptive high contact-hour engineering program affect the time for self-study (TSS)? 2) Are there some features of the curriculum of such programs that can be adapted for controlling QI and TSS? Methodology: A narrative review of a curriculum guideline document was carried out. Using an earlier proposed model that expresses TSS as a function of QI, an analysis of TSS and QI characteristics of six universities awarding the same engineering degree was presented. Findings: Given an average weekly contact hour of 27.75, students in the studied engineering programs are likely to have 60% less TSS in comparison to global counterparts. By addressing some characteristics of the curriculum, these numbers can be improved for more out-of-class activities that foster the development of core technical and soft skills.

Impaired sleep pattern in rotary nursing internships according to the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA)

Introduction: Sleep is an indicator of quality of life, so good sleep leads to good academic and work performance, rotating interns, being subject to shifts and academic hours, usually present a deterioration in the sleep pattern since that it is postponed having 5 to 6 hours of rest. Objective: To analyze the deterioration of the sleep pattern in rotary nursing interns according to the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA). Methodology: This research is quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive and cross-sectional. It uses the data collection with the application of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey in 78 nursing interns and its subsequent analysis in Excel and IBM SPSS 25. Results: it was possible to analyze the results in seven components: 1) subjective sleep quality, 2) sleep latency, 3) sleep duration, 4) habitual sleep efficiency, 5) sleep disturbances, 6) use of hypnotic medication, and 7) daytime dysfunction. Conclusion: there is a deterioration in the sleep pattern in rotating nursing interns with the presence of drowsiness and daytime dysfunction.

Influencia de la gestión por competencias en el desempeño docente en una Universidad de la Selva Central-Perú, 2018

Management by competencies has an impact on the teacher's performance and the effective execution of their functions. The objective was to evaluate the influence of management by competencies on the performance of teachers at a university in the Central Jungle, Peru. The research was of a descriptive cross-sectional type carried out in the 2018 academic semester II. The sample was made up of 20 teachers with a workload >12 hours and <19 academic hours. As a data collection instrument, a questionnaire validated by experts was applied before (pre-test) andafter (post-test) training on management by competencies and teaching performance. The data were stored in Excel and processed in SPSS 23 with Spearman's Rho for correlation coefficient and statistical significance. As a result, in the management of competencies, it was known that before the training (Pre-test) 80.00% (16/20) of the teachers were on the “Acceptable” measurement scale, after the training (Post-test). -test), the measurement scale of “Good” increased to 90.00% (18/20), the teaching performance was 80.00% (16/20) “Acceptable”, 75.00% (15/20) ) was “Good”, impacting assertive communication (65.00% = “Good”) as well as leadership, conflict resolution (50.00% = “Good”) and pedagogical planning (60.00 %= “Good”), finally, the study revealed a positive correlation of moderate magnitude (Rho Spearman = 0.612**, p = 0.004) between management by competencies and teaching performance, conclusively supporting the influence of competency management on teaching performance

Habilidades laborales y conductuales efectivas para un mejor desempeño profesional docente en Perú

Teaching professional performance has acquired great importance in recent decades in Peru, where work and behavioral skills are essential. The objective was to determine the effective work and behavioral skills for better professional teaching performance at a University of Peru, in the 2018 academic semester II. The study was descriptive-experimental correlational. The sample was made up of 20 teachers with a workload >12 academic hours. A questionnaire validated by experts was applied as a data collectioninstrument. The data were stored in Microsoft Excel and processed in SPSS 23 with Spearman's Rho for correlation coefficient and statistical significance. As a result, within the basic skills, mathematics obtained 80.00% “Acceptable”, within the generic skills, the ability to solve problems and work planning had 75.00%, in the specific work skills, management of the licensing process (75.00%) was “Acceptable”, followed by talent management (70.00%), in terms of behavioral skills, in the individual skills the flexibility, tenacity and integrity with 80.00%, while in motivational behavioral skills, 70.00% (“Acceptable”) was Customer Service, likewise, it was known that the teaching professional performance was 80.00% “Acceptable” and 20.00% “ Good", Spearman's Rho coefficient indicated a positive correlation (0.764**, p: 0.000), indicating that work skills significantly influence teacher professional performance, as well as behavioral skills and teacher professional performance (Rho of Spearman 0.850**,p: 0.000).

Climate change and health: Changes in student environmental knowledge and awareness due to the implementation of a mandatory elective at the Medical Faculty of Ulm?

According to the World Health Organization, climate change constitutes the single greatest threat to human health. However, the health care system contributes to climate change worldwide through its high CO2 emissions. In order to make future physicians more aware of this issue and to expand medical education to include climate-related aspects, the mandatory 28 academic hours elective "Climate Change and Health" for students of human medicine in the preclinical study stage was implemented at the Medical Faculty of Ulm in the 2020/21 winter semester. Our accompanying study investigated 1. in what form the topic of climate change can be successfully integrated into the study of human medicine in a manner that includes student opinions and2. whether being required to take an elective on the topic led to changes in student environmental knowledge and awareness. Personal individual interviews were conducted with all n=11 students after the course in a pilot that was carried out in the 2020/21 winter semester to determine course feasibility and student acceptance. The students were also able to evaluate the course using an evaluation form and were asked to complete a questionnaire on their environmental knowledge and awareness before and after the course. The course was revised on the basis of the results and offered again in the 2021 summer semester with an intervention group (n=16, participation in the mandatory elective) and a comparison group (n=25, no participation in the mandatory elective). The intervention group was asked to evaluate the course on the evaluation form. Both groups completed the environmental questionnaire at the same time. The positive feedback from students for both semesters indicates a good feasibility and acceptance of the course. Student environmental knowledge was increased in both semesters. However, there were only few observable changes in student environmental awareness. This paper illustrates how the topic of climate change and health can be embedded into medical studies. The students considered climate change an important topic and drew added value from the course for their future work in healthcare. The study shows that knowledge transfer at the university level is an effective way to educate the young generation on climate change and its impacts.

MOOC in physics as an additional resource for the fundamental training of would-be engineers

Physics is one of the key disciplines stipulated by the curricular of engineering majors. Despite a sufficient amount of academic hours dedicated to this discipline at schools and universities, it is necessary to expand the opportunities for applying additional learning tools, autonomous studies of the most important areas of physics. One of such tools is mass open online courses (MOOCs). The article analyzes open online courses in physics provided by foreign (Coursera and EdX) and Russian (Open Education and Stepik) platforms. The criteria for analysis were the courses duration, the required level of training, the scope and content, as well as the features of pedagogical design of the courses. The demand for courses (number of learners), the universities developing them and the language of teaching were also taken into account.

Evaluating the effectiveness of curriculum implementation and supplementation program in a private medical college in south India

Background: The new competency based medical curriculum was introduced in India from 2019. The curriculum implementation support program (CISP) developed by medical council of India, provides the much-needed intellectual support to colleges for smooth transition from existing to the new curriculum. This study was done to assess the effectiveness of CISP program by comparing the pretest and posttest questionnaire.Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 30 medical teachers in a medical college after getting Institutional Ethical committee clearance. During the CISP training program, a structured and validated questionnaire were administered, and it was evaluated and compared before and after the workshop.Results: There was a significant improvement in the knowledge of electives, meaning of curriculum, knowledge on curriculum delivery process, knowledge concepts of Miller’s pyramid, hardens integration ladder, GMER and the concepts of SLO. Though there is a significant improvement, the knowledge gained on foundation course, Miller’s pyramid and GMER are still poor (mean score <0.7).Conclusions: The CISP program serves as an effective program to bridge the inadequacies of the teaching faculty regarding the implementation of the new CBME curriculum. But not just one session will tide over all the antiquities. A repeated longitudinal structured program in between the academic hours for a short duration will be effective in improving the teaching skills of the medical teachers.

Incorporation of research curriculum in specialty training: The need for a paradigm shift

Residents are the backbone of every large medical center that aims to strengthen and nourish the upcoming crop of medical personal. The professional prospect of a resident is largely based on their core subject knowledge, the tenacity to practice these core principles and their ability to add to it by academic activities and didactic thinking. Academic and research activities bear the brunt of spillover from clinical and surgical responsibilities of a residents, and this must be curtailed to maximize the involvement of residents in research activities. A possible con of these activities can be the deduction of these academic hours from the surgical training and eventual compromise. Some would argue that research activities can be a double edged sword, but in order to cultivate progressive thinking amongst the newer generation and to improve the quality of care of our patients, these didactic activities should be made a priority rather than a privilege. Moreover, it should be encouraged and controlled at a national level to ensure the availability of resources and curriculum to strengthen this practice.

The Impact of Complex Intervention on the Dynamics of Children’s Development with ASD

Background:The study of the complex development of a child with ASD is an important and relevant topic for discussion at the present moment. Complex intervention involves the interaction of specialists such as psychologists, speech therapists, speech pathologists, sensory integration and adaptive physical culture (APC) specialists for the rapid dynamics of children with ASD. To track the development of children, we used a comprehensive assessment of the child’s current skills – VB-MAPP.Objective:The objective of this study is to show the effectiveness of complex intervention in the correction of children with ASD.Methods:To track the development of children, we used a comprehensive assessment of the child's current skills – VB-MAPP. This test is the most widely used tool among behavioral analysts.Results:After processing the data, it becomes clear that the first group, which received classes from one specialist for 1 academic hour three times a week, has relatively low indicators of skill development compared to the second group. Children from the second group who received complex intervention from several specialists every day for 4 hours a day demonstrated positive dynamics in all areas of development.Conclusion:The results of the study confirm that the main condition ensuring the positive dynamics of the development of a child with ASD is the comprehensive intervention of specialists specializing in correctional work.

The problem of pre-medical care skills training in higher education

The article focuses on the pre-medical training of applicants for non-medical higher education. The organizational and legal principles of training and first aid are analyzed. The need to involve a wide range of people without medical education in the provision of pre-medical care was emphasized and substantiated. For this purpose, appropriate training should be organized. In particular, authors recommended to resume the studying of the discipline "Fundamentals of pre-medical care" in different educational institutions or to include the pre-medical care skills training to the course «Life safety» with an increase in academic hours. Additionally, it was emphasized that when teaching the course "Fundamentals of pre-medical care", it is necessary today to take into account the peculiarities of its provision in the war zone. The article highlights a list of basic skills of pre-medical care that must be acquired by higher education students, regardless of their profession. Training sessions are an effective form of education for knowledge acquisition and the formation of practical pre-medical care skills.

FORMING GRAMMATICAL COMPETENCE WHILE TEACHING PROFESSIONALLY-ORIENTED FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN NON-LINGUISTIC UNIVERSITIES

The article deals with teaching grammar in Ukrainian education community. Students start learning grammar at secondary, sometimes even at primary schools, and continue acquiring it while studying at institutions of higher education. However, qualitative progress in grammar usage while writing and speaking English is rarely seen. One possible explanation is that there is a widely adopted approach in Ukrainian education system according to which the formation of grammatical competence goes through a number of fixed steps from grammar knowledge to speech practice. It is assumed that detailed and thorough knowledge of rules of English grammar and their difference from grammar rules of the Ukrainian language contributes to better understanding of peculiar features of the English language and further it positively influences the acquisition of all language skills and abilities. Unfortunately, considering the real situation of teaching English at Ukrainian universities under conditions of insufficient class-room academic hours, such an approach does not bring desired results. Communicative approach of teaching foreign languages and competencies that are to be developed demands a different approach to teaching grammar that is a holistic approach.

Do learning style preferences influence the cumulative gross point average and self directed learning hours in dental students: a preliminary study

BackgroundLearning styles influence the outcome of the student performances based on preliminary data available. To evaluate whether the learning styles discriminate the cumulative gross point average (CGPA) scores and self-directed learning hours (SDL) in an integrated curriculum of dental students.MethodsParticipants in this blinded cross-sectional study were dental students enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental & Oral Surgery program at XXXX College of Dentistry. An online survey (Kolb Learning Style Inventory) was used to collect data. It has four sections: Concrete Experience (CE), Conceptualization (AC), Reflective Observation (RO), and Active Experimentation (AE). Questionnaire was distributed electronically to students of Academic level 1 to 5, selected by using non-probability quota sampling technique. In addition to learning style assessment the questionnaire also included measures to obtain data such as gender, academic level, CGPA score, and SDL hours of participants. The CGPA scores were categorized into average (3 to 3.6), good (3.7 to 4.2), excellent (4.3 to 4.7) and outstanding (> 4.7) as well as SDL in to three classes as, < 1 h, > 1 but < 3 h and > 3 h. Discriminant function test was computed to assess the effectiveness of discrimination by the learning styles in GPA and SDL.ResultsThe study's questionnaire was completed by 198 participants (43% females and 57% males). Learning styles were discriminated by excellent category of CGPA scores that presented 72.1% group membership whereas in case of outstanding category presented the least as 17% group membership. Learning styles were discriminated by > 2 but < 3 h category of SDL hours that presented 69.7% group membership.ConclusionLearning styles can be used to discriminate the student academic performances and self-directed learning hours. Among the different category of CGPA participants with outstanding performance represent a good prediction for learning styles preferences. Participants with varying SDL hours also influenced the learning styles.

Programa educativo “Emotions and learning” y Rendimiento académico en Inglés de alumnos de Ciencias matemáticas

The present pre-experimental research work aimed at demonstrating that the educational program "Emotions and learning" based on Goleman's theory of emotional intelligence influences the academic achievement of the English I course in the dimensions of listening comprehension, written comprehension, written and oral expression of the fourth cycle students of the Professional Academic School of Secondary education: Mathematical Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo,2021. Regarding the sample population, it consisted of 20 students. An entrance test was used to diagnose academic performance; The program was applied for 12 weeks, making a total of 48 academic hours, and the results were evaluated by applying the same test. When applying the Student's T statistical test, it was shown that the educational program "Emotions and learning" did significantly improve the academic performance of the students. Regarding communication skills, the educational program showed a significant influence on oral comprehension, written comprehension, oral production, and written production skills, with oral expression being the most influenced skill.