Acquisition Of Competence Research Articles

Comparison of Global Competencies in General and Vocational Education

The article deals with global competencies, understood in academic and policy discussions as a set of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values crucial for successful personal and professional life in a globalized world. It examines the PISA 2018 results, which show that students in Slovenia self-assessed their global competencies below the OECD average. It addresses the scientifically relevant questions of whether, how and why students in Slovenia in general and vocational upper-secondary programmes (do not) report the same level of global competencies. The results show that students in vocational education programmes in comparison to students in general education programmes report significantly lower global competencies but significantly higher learning opportunities on global issues at school. The results, which show that in Slovenia students with lower socioeconomic status are mainly involved in vocational education programmes and that opportunities for acquiring global competencies in school are not significantly related to the self-reported global competencies (awareness of global issues), question the compensating role of school in the acquisition of global competencies by students.

PBL Impact on Learning Outcomes in Computer Engineering: A 12-Year Analysis

This article describes an evaluation of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology implemented in the STEAM School of Universidad Europea in the Computer Engineering degree. The study raises research questions related to the perception of technical and soft skills acquired by students who used or considered PBL as their primary learning methodology compared to those who did not. Students’ motivation and adaptability to work after graduation have also been examined. The sample of students includes graduates from the last 20 years and therefore analyzes both the period in which the methodology was already implemented (from 2012) and some previous years. The study concludes that students who have identified or experienced PBL as their main learning methodology perceive a better acquisition of technical competencies and some soft skills, as well as better motivation and adaptability to the work environment.

Redesigning Continuous Professional Development: Aligning Learning Needs With Clinical Practice.

Continuous professional development (CPD) in health care refers to the process of lifelong learning including the acquisition of new competencies, knowledge, and professional growth throughout the career of a health care professional. Since implementation, there has seen little change or innovation in CPD. This perspective will review the current state of CPD, including the challenges in traditional CPD models, foundations and strategies for redesign to meet the needs of current and future physicians, and suggestions for changes to modernize CPD. Precision education and the use of technology, including artificial intelligence, and their application to CPD will be discussed.

Every Lesson Needs a Gandalf: How Interactive Storytelling can Enhance the Collaborative Learning Experience!

Every teacher aspires to create the ideal lesson! You want to convey the knowledge and skills in the best possible way while also keeping learners motivated. In our design case, we focus on the complex skill of collaborative problem-solving (CPS). In today’s complex world, the acquisition of CPS competencies is considered an important learning goal in education. However, there is limited knowledge on how to teach and assess CPS competencies. In addition to tackling these challenges, we search for new ways of interactive storytelling to implement in the learning materials. Our main design challenge was how to design a learning experience that encourages CPS. To address these challenges, we started in 2020 the project titled Supporting TEamwork in AMbient learning Spaces (STEAMS). In this project, we designed the EDUbox Teamwork, a four-hour learning activity for children between the ages of 10 to 14. In this paper, we describe the iterative process of designing the materials to learn about CPS (i.e., CPS as a learning goal) by doing CPS (i.e., CPS as a method), enhanced by interactive storytelling, for which the design-based research approach was used. The design team consisted of a diverse group of educational researchers, computer scientists, instructional graphical designers, digital storytellers, and teachers. Given the strong collaboration between a research group specialized in computer-supported collaborative learning and specialists in digital storytelling, our design case incorporated insights from both parties. The learning activity was piloted both in in-vivo and in-vitro contexts in collaboration with at least 400 students.

Motivation, Competence, and Challenges of Grade 12 Students in Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship

Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship (CSC) is a specialized subject that encourages the students to participate and contribute to the community, build relationships with diverse backgrounds, and assume civic social responsibilities. Proficiency assessments in this discipline are necessary to check the learner’s acquisition of competencies. Hence, this study assessed the students’ motivation and competence in CSC. Likewise, it identified the challenges encountered in learning the subject. Using a quantitative design, a validated and reliability tested questionnaires and checklist were administered to a total enumeration of 31 students. In data analysis, frequency count, percentage, rank, mean, and standard deviation were employed. Generally, the students showed a very high motivation and a proficient level of competence in CSC. Meanwhile, they were challenged in terms of teacher’s instruction that is out of their specialization, inadequate feedbacks for students’ learning, poor management in accomplishing the tasks, limited funding and facilities, little allocation of time per topic, and limited number of linkages for community engagement activities. With the identified results and challenges, it serve as basis in the formulation of CSC Primer for the future implementation and improvements of the transformative learning education through community engagement activities.

Holograms or Hemorrhoids? Student Teachers’ Imaginings of the Digital Futures of Education

This study reports preservice teachers’ perceptions of desirable and undesirable digital futures for education. Empathy-based stories were collected from 74 student teachers in Finnish professional teacher education. The findings were arranged into three positive and three negative future scenarios. In the positive scenarios, digital tools support human interaction and are subject to the teacher’s agency. Teaching and learning remain essentially human activities, whereas technology has a supportive role. In the negative scenarios, learning is reduced to the acquisition of mechanical competences managed by technology and teachers becoming machine operators. These results could guide the development of teacher education, decision-making, and education policy toward meaningful digital futures.

The mediating role of organizational learning culture in the nexus of human resource development practices and employee competencies

PurposeA learning-focused culture promotes creativity, innovativeness and the acquisition of novel insights and competencies. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practice and employee competencies using organizational learning culture as a mediating variable.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 828 employees of 37 health care institutions comprising 24 (internationally-owned) and 13 (indigenously-owned). Construct reliability and validity was established through a confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling.FindingsData supported the hypothesized relationships. The results show that training and development and employee competencies were significantly related. Career development and employee competencies were significantly related. Organizational learning culture mediates the relationship between training and development and employee competencies. However, organizational learning culture did not mediate the relationship between career development and employee competencies.Research limitations/implicationsThe generalizability of the findings will be constrained due to the research’s health care focus and cross-sectional data.Practical implicationsThe study’s findings will serve as valuable pointers to policy makers and stakeholders of health care institutions in developing system-level capacities that promote continuous learning and adaptive learning cultures to ensure sustainability and competitive advantage.Originality/valueBy evidencing empirically that organizational learning culture mediates the relationship between HRD practices and employee competencies the study extends the literature.

CRITICAL THINKING AS A FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SKILLS

In this article we consider the problems of "critical thinking"as a cause of insufficient development of soft skills in high school students. In the course of theoretical analysis the concept and characteristics of critical thinking as a soft skill are established and different approaches to the development of critical thinking skills in high school students are outlined. Since critical thinking allows to guide and control the whole process of learning in school, including the independent development of students regarding the acquisition of not only knowledge, but also soft skills. The special connection between logic and creative thinking is noted. The main ways of developing critical thinking as a factor in the development of soft skills according to the Delphi model (Peter Facione) are outlined. The results of practical research based on the key cognitive skills have shown that the level of development of soft critical thinking skills is a necessary condition for the development of high school students, as soft critical thinking skills were developed in them during the experiment, albeit slightly (due to the use of modern techniques and methods of technology in the process of teaching and education), which determines the effectiveness of their further development. It is recommended to use in school education, in high schools, interactive techniques and methods of developing soft skills, while taking into account the age of students and their need to form critical thinking both for self-development and for the acquisition of other competencies.

Digital competences of university students after face-to-face and remote teaching: Video-animations digital create content

In today's digitally advanced society, there is a need to focus on collaborative educational approaches of a socio-community nature that incorporate technology. From this perspective, the FEJYLEN and FEJYLENVAL programs were conceived and implemented for both remote (online) and face-to-face teaching. These programs are based on an E-Learning-Service methodology, enabling the training of university students in digital skills, and facilitating the transfer of their interactive educational video-animations to early childhood education centers. The study sample consisted of 221 students enrolled in Early Childhood Education and Speech Therapy Degrees. The study had two objectives: first, to compare digital competences before and after participating in the mentioned programs; and second, to evaluate the impact of the type of teaching and university training on the acquisition of digital competences. The findings indicate that students receiving face-to-face teaching demonstrated significant improvement across all digital competences' factors with a medium-high effect size. Conversely, for students receiving remote instruction, improvements were limited to only certain skill factors. Our study reveals that face-to-face teaching is associated with higher scores in digital competencies and more efficient digital content creation. In conclusion, this research highlights the advantages of face-to-face teaching in comparison to remote instruction. This has facilitated a closer connection between the university and the realities faced by educational centers, fostering the exchange of knowledge between learning communities.

Einflussfaktoren auf die eigene Anwendung der Sepsis-Kompetenz und ihre Förderung bei Patientinnen und Patienten: Ergebnisse einer Mixed-Methods-Studie mit Gesundheitsfachpersonen

BackgroundSepsis is a life-threatening and relatively common emergency which is often recognized too late or not at all. Therefore, the “SepsisWissen” (SepsisKnowledge) project aimed to bring about changes in health care professionals’ behavior in the area of sepsis prevention and early detection. It addressed the health care professionals themselves (e. g., their own vaccination, hygiene and early detection behavior) and their patient counseling behavior. To promote this behavior, the SepsisWissen campaign included offers such as trainings or print products. The subsequent core question is: From the health professionals’ perspective, which barriers and facilitators affect their own application of sepsis competence and their promotion of their patients’ sepsis competence? MethodsThis paper was based on a cross-sectional mixed-methods study part of “SepsisWissen” witha)semi-structured interviews with 17 providers andb)a quantitative survey among 135 providers.Part a) was analyzed using qualitative oriented content analysis based on Mayring, part b) was analyzed descriptively.The interviewees included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, assistants to physicians and pharmacists and, additionally, one paramedic in the quantitative sample. Some of them had attended “SepsisWissen” trainings. ResultsThe qualitative data analysis identified 41 conducive and hindering factors, which can be assigned to the following eight major topics: 1) syndrome sepsis; 2) predisposing factors for health professionals' own acquisition and application of sepsis competence; 3) enabling factors for health professionals themselves; 4) behavior and lifestyle of patients; 5) reinforcing factors for patients; 6) public health education; 7) political, administrative, and organizational context; 8) environmental factors. In the qualitative and quantitative surveys, the suggestion to improve the sepsis competence of the population and to reduce misinformation, respectively, through public education (e.g., via schools or the media). DiscussionSepsis training for health professionals was considered as a facilitating factor for taking potential sepsis symptoms and patients’ respective statements more seriously. Future training formats should convey more explicitly how health professionals can better communicate their own sepsis knowledge to their patients. They request instruments to support their communication, such as checklists for lay persons. According to the interviews, health workers themselves need recurring external reminders for the topic of sepsis. Organizational and political conditions should be improved. From the health professionals’ point of view, it is essential to offer better reimbursement for prevention and counseling services and to allocate adequate time resources for both. ConclusionHealth professionals could increase their potential to apply and promote sepsis competence if general conditions were optimized. From their perspective, it is most important to relieve them of some of their patient counselling burden by initiating more public education.

OWIED System to Facilitate the Entrustment Decision in EPA Implementation.

Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are gaining attention as an approach for adequate implementation of a competency-based evaluation framework in nursing education. This study sought to develop an Online Web-assessment Interface for Entrustment Decision (OWIED) to facilitate the entrustment decision in EPA implementation. A participatory qualitative action research design consisting of two phases was used for this study. The exploration phase was conducted in close collaboration with stakeholders. Following the exploration phase, the primary researcher and a team of subject-matter experts in academic and information technology developed the OWIED system according to the exploration phase results. The necessary features that met the expectations of the stakeholders were identified and assisted in developing the OWIED system. OWIED may provide a valid tool to track and validate nursing student acquisition of core competencies and assist in making entrustment decisions as students fulfill their training requirements in their academic program. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(6):356-365.].

НАУЧНО-ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКАЯ РАБОТА ИНОСТРАННЫХ СТУДЕНТОВ КАК ВАЖНЫЙ КОМПОНЕНТ ОСВОЕНИЯ РКИ В ВУЗЕ

The article describes the experience of organizing research work of students studying Russian as a foreign language at a medical university. The example of creating a scientific article shows the prospects of this type of student activity and its interdisciplinary nature. The combination of linguistics and medicine, as well as the involvement of the intermediary language (English), the native language (Hindi, Arabic and others) and Russian as a studied language open up wide opportunities for studying socio-cultural characteristics, help to comprehend the picture of the world through language. Thus, it is proposed to look at a person of a different culture, going beyond national stereotypes and established assessments. This approach contributes to better mutual understanding in communication between «student - student», «student - teacher», interaction between speakers of different languages and cultures. The authors propose a step-by-step plan for preparing students for research activities: choosing a topic, collecting language material, describing the general and specific features of the collected facts, explaining them. When choosing a topic, an important point contributing to greater motivation of students for scientific work is the lack of restrictions on the use of language, professional, ordinary, literary. One of the main didactic values of research is the formation and acquisition of universal competencies among students, including such basic cognitive skills as the ability to analyze, synthesize, categorize, conceptualize.

Digital Competencies of Students Towards the Development of Intergenerational Family Business

Abstract The development of entrepreneurial education programs in universities have a positive impact on the intentions of students to run their own businesses. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that the generation's digital competencies could play an essential role in the development of intergenerational family businesses. The third-generation family members have grown up with technology and possess a unique set of skills and knowledge that can be leveraged to modernize and improve their family business. Research was carried out in 2023 at the University of Ruse with 434 learners. The study shows that students' intention to become entrepreneurs is significantly altered as a result of the acquisition of basic digital skills and competencies.

Perceived benefits and limitations of game-based simulation education by osteopathy students in early clinical training: A preliminary mixed methods study

BackgroundGame-based simulation education is becoming an integral component in healthcare programs. It is defined as any educational activity implying simulation procedures to recreate clinical scenarios. Previous studies have shown that simulation can improve patient safety by enhancing healthcare providers' competencies. However, few studies have investigated students' perceptions of simulation within osteopathic programs. AimThis study aimed to measure and compare Year three osteopathy students’ perceptions of a game-based simulation versus traditional clinical training. MethodsYear three students at the end of their 12 weeks clinical training were invited to participate in this research project. This included filling out a Likert-based survey and semi-structured interviews. Three clinical training modalities were implemented and evaluated: a demonstration clinic, a video-streamed demonstration clinic, and a game-based simulation, the clinical battle. ResultsSixty-seven Year three osteopathy students completed the surveys, and eight students were interviewed. The clinical battle was significantly felt as the most engaging, most useful to gain feedback, and least stressful of the three training modalities proposed (p < 0.05). The clinical battle was also perceived as similar to a demonstration clinic in formulating a diagnosis and for reflective practice (p > 0.05). The semi-structured interviews offered deep structured explanatory narratives drawn from thematic analyses. Five themes were identified: engagement, clinical reasoning improvement, stress, ideas for improving clinical training, and reflective practice and self-assessment. ConclusionThe simulation-based training implemented in this study was positively perceived by students for their clinical education. Future research could focus on the effectiveness of game-based simulation versus traditional training on clinical competencies acquisition.

Library Professionology in Masters of Library and Information Science Training: Methodological Approaches to the Development of the Thematic Structure

The article deals with current issues of theory and methodology of library and information education. Its purpose is to substantiate the expediency of forming the thematic structure of the course “Library Professionology”, based on generalization of scientific ideas about the subject of library professionology as the library science discipline. The publication analyzes the methodological approaches of specialists from the leading universities of culture (Moscow State Institute of Culture, Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, East-Siberian State Institute of Culture) to the construction of the content of one of the special academic disciplines – “Library Professionology”, – which is included in the curriculum for training Masters of Library and Information Activity.The author proposes one of the variants of the structural and logical model of the course “Library Professionology” – the complex theoretical and applied discipline that covers a wide range of problems related to the place and role of the library profession in the society. Mastering the essence and content of the library professionology by the Master students necessitates the acquisition of various professional competencies, with the general pedagogical competencies being the most significant among them. For this reason, the central place in the course should belong to the study of issues related to professional education – from history to current problems of organizing the library professionals training, content, methods and forms of training at the present stage.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CASE OF PROFESSORS

Objective: The paper aims to analyse the stages and problems involved in the creation of a technology-based university spin-off by providing a real case study. Theoretical Framework: The main concepts supporting the research are discussed, as well as the theoretical framework of reference. It addresses the stages of the process of setting up a university technology-based company, as well as the specific problems that it involves. All issues are presented in a real context. Method: The methodology adopted for this research is based on a case study for teaching application. To this end, information is gathered through observation, direct interviews with the company under study, public documentation, and theoretical review through scientific databases of impact. Results and Discussion: The results were reflected in the development of a university teaching activity with guidelines for the teachers coordinating its implementation, in terms of objectives and reference bibliographic material to be used. It was contextualised in the light of the theoretical framework, highlighting the implications, basically at the level of reinforcement and acquisition of competences. Research Implications: The paper has essentially practical implications, providing information that reinforces the existing scientific literature on how the decision-making process that leads to the setting up of a technology-based university spin-off takes place and the problems associated with it. This allows a vision that enables a more effective and efficient execution of the entrepreneurial decision. Originality/Value: This is a real case of application in the university classroom, which allows students to assimilate the issues related to the process of entrepreneurship and, specifically, to the setting up of a technology-based university spin-off, dealing with its specific problems. Students' skills are strengthened with a view to their incorporation into the world of professional life.

Influences of cultural capital and internationalization on global competence in higher education: a systematic literature review

IntroductionIn an increasingly global economy, the global competence of students in higher education is a critical area of importance. The purpose of the study was to explore the research on factors that influence an individual’s global competence in both international and Chinese contexts.MethodsUnder the umbrella of cultural capital theory and Internationalization, a systematic literature review analyzed and synthesized the empirical studies of global competence from 2013 to 2022.ResultsThis research revealed that students with higher cultural capital backgrounds obtain more educational opportunities and further exhibit better global competence achievement. Internationalization abroad is a direct and practical pedagogy for global competence acquisition, reflected in student and faculty mobility. Internationalization opportunities in an individual’s home country catalyze global competence.ConclusionThese results highlight that students who have a lower capital background or few opportunities for mobility can reap the potential benefits of global competence attainment through involvement in domestic educational activities.

The impact of lifelong learning and investments in employee development on employee productivity and performance

This abstract highlights the significant positive influence of lifelong learning on both individual employee performance and broader organizational effectiveness. In today's dynamic and ever-evolving work environment, the concept of lifelong learning stands as a cornerstone for individual and organizational growth. This study investigates the profound impact of lifelong learning initiatives on employee performance within various professional settings. The findings underscore the pivotal role of lifelong learning in fostering a culture of adaptability, skill enrichment, and heightened problem-solving capabilities among employees. As employees engage in continuous education, upskilling, and professional development, a direct and positive effect on individual performance is observed. The acquisition of new competencies and knowledge positively influences productivity, innovation, and overall job proficiency. Moreover, the study revealed that a commitment to lifelong learning not only contributes to improved individual performance but also impacts organizational outcomes. Organizations that encourage a culture of continuous learning see higher levels of employee engagement, lower turnover rates, and greater levels of innovation and flexibility. A learning-centric workplace such as this leads to improved organizational performance and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The abstract closes by arguing for the incorporation of lifelong learning initiatives into organizational strategy, emphasizing their role in improving employee performance and cultivating a resilient and adaptive workforce capable of managing the changing needs of the modern workplace.

Flexible endoscopic intubation in emergency medicine: A mixed-methods needs assessment.

This needs assessment aimed to improve understanding of flexible endoscopic intubation training and practice in emergency medicine (EM), providing insights to educators and practice leaders seeking to improve education and practices. We conducted a multicenter, mixed-methods needs assessment of emergency physicians (EPs) incorporating focus groups and a survey. Focus groups comprised community EPs, academic EPs, and resident EPs. We analyzed focus group transcripts using grounded theory, qualitatively describing EM endoscopic intubation. The qualitative analysis shaped our survey instrument, which we deployed in cross-sectional fashion. We report survey data with descriptive statistics. Focus groups with 13 EPs identified three themes: indications for use of endoscopic intubation, factors impacting a physician's decision to endoscopically intubate, and attaining and maintaining endoscopic intubation competency. Of 257 surveyed EPs (33% response rate), 79% had received endoscopic intubation training during residency, though 82% had performed this procedure 10 or fewer times in their career. Despite 97% acknowledging the necessity of competency, only 23% felt highly confident in their ability to perform endoscopic intubation. Participants (93%) reported scarce opportunities to perform the procedure and identified factors believed to facilitate competency acquisition and maintenance, including opportunities to perform endoscopic intubation in practice (98%), local champions (93%), and performing nasopharyngoscopy (87%). While most EPs acknowledged the importance of competency in endoscopic intubation, they reported scarce procedural opportunities and commonly expressed low confidence. Further research is needed on this topic, and we propose avenues to enhance education and practices related to endoscopic intubation. These include development of robust procedural curricula, support of local champions, and incorporating nasopharyngoscopy into EM practice.

Inter-professional simulator training for reliable ship-helicopter interactions

This work-in-progress paper presents the preliminary results of an exploratory study on the effectiveness of a simulator training for ad hoc collaboration between sea- and airborne professionals in the field of maritime search and rescue. To enable this training, two different types of simulators were coupled. This coupled simulation environment provided the 49 (preliminary) study participants—seafaring and helicopter professionals—with authentic simulator training conditions. Our training was developed and tested using a two-phase approach. In the first phase, we used qualitative methods to identify requirements and design a training using insights from domain experts. In the second phase—the preliminary results of which are presented here—we tested the impact of the training on the acquisition and transfer of competencies as rated by the participants. To uncover contingencies of these training effects, we explore demographic predictors. We show which set of participants perceived that they benefited most from the training.