Adult Learning Principles Research Articles

Design and Evaluation of an Interprofessional Preceptor Development Mini-Fellowship Program.

Health professions preceptors require skills and knowledge to effectively meet the educational needs of interprofessional students in clinical environments. We implemented a mini-fellowship program to enhance the knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy of preceptors teaching students and applying quality improvement (QI) methods across disciplines and patient care settings. The design, implementation, and evaluation of the program were informed by the faculty development literature, principles of adult learning, and preceptor needs. The 3-day program included workshops on curriculum design, clinical teaching methods, QI, social determinants of health, cultural humility, and interprofessional teamwork. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods were used including preprogram and postprogram knowledge and self-efficacy surveys, along with end-of-session and program evaluations. Five annual cohorts involving 41 preceptors with varied demographics, professions, and clinical practices completed the mini-fellowship program. Participants' percentage of items answered correctly on a QI knowledge test increased from 79.2% (pretest) to 85.5% (post-test), a gain of 6.3% (90% CI: 2.9-9.7%; P < .003). The average QI self-efficacy scores improved from 2.64 to 3.82, a gain of 1.18 points on a five-point scale (P < .001). The average education/teaching self-efficacy increased from 2.79 to 3.80 on a five-point scale (P < .001). Ultimately, 94% would recommend the program to other preceptors. An interprofessional preceptor development program designed to train clinicians to effectively teach in the clinical setting and to conduct QI projects with students was achievable and effective. This program can serve as a model for academic centers charged with training future health care workers and supporting their community-based preceptors' training needs.

A Framework of Environmental, Personal, and Behavioral Factors of Adult Learning in Online Communities of Practice

Adult learning is a complex phenomenon that takes place over an adult’s lifetime and is not limited to a particular age. It includes a set of activities to enhance life through improving skills, knowledge and capabilities. The foundational theories of adult learning, such as andragogy theory, place the individual adult centre stage and differentiate adult learning from formal learning. They also shift the focus from the individuals to the environment in which adult learning takes place. In line with this movement, online communities of practice (OCOPs) have evolved from being considered as online environments for learning to specialised forums that allow practitioners to collaborate around a project of mutual interest. The principles of adult learning are directly applicable to engagement in OCOPs because they include practical methods founded on the belief that adults are self-directed, autonomous learners and that learning is most effective when the environment plays the role of a facilitator, rather than being just a supportive and traditional setting for learning. However, how individual adults engage in OCOPs and benefit from them is not well understood. This paper draws on social cognitive theory to examine: how environmental, personal and behavioural factors shape engagement in OCOPs. To answer this question, twenty-one interviews were conducted with members of GitHub, a large online community of practice for IT professionals. The findings revealed that adults’ engagement in OCOPs involves project-based activities on mutual interests and willingness to help others. The findings also show that engaging in online communities does not only satisfy intrinsic, well-defined, expected outcomes and shape adults’ engagement, but also has an impact on adults’ lifelong learning achievements, such as professional experience and credit recognition. Based on these findings, a revised framework for adults’ engagement in OCOPs is presented and discussed.

Adult didactics – component of andragogy: peculiarities and basic categories

At the stage of rapid development of science and market of educational services for adults, a relatively new direction in education was formed - andragogy (pedagogy of adults).In the present time, andragogy occupies a place in the structure of education sciences as an independent category, possessing at the same time its own scientific apparatus, research methods, scientific approaches and principles. In this article, an attempt was made to substantiate the definition of basic concepts and categories of adult teaching: subject, tasks, functions. Special attention is paid to the principles of adult learning: priority of independent education, reliance on personal experience, individualization of learning, contextuality of learning, reliance on individual needs, considering them as motives and sources of designing the outcomes of education. At the same time, adult learning is considered within the framework of the following characteristics: andragogic self-reflexivity, decentralization of andragogic approach, deconstruction/reconstruction of andragogic theory, contextualization of adult learning and education.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE PRACTICES OF ANDRAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES: A CASE OF TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION SITUATED IN LAHORE

Andragogy as an arts and science of teaching adults, advocates that adults learn differently from child learners and both have different magnitude of learning experiences. Adult students are self-directed and need to know before learning something as compare to child students. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the students’ practices of andragogical principles in a public sector teacher education context. The quantitative survey research design was carried out to collect the data. Population were comprised all male and female students studying in year I and year II of B.Ed. (Hons) program from a public sector teacher education institution. Total 167 (46 male and 121 female) students were the respondents to the questionnaire. A close ended questionnaire was adapted and the reliability of the instrument was ensured by Cronbach alpha which was 0.96. The collected data were analyzed by one-sample t-test and independent sample t-test. Analysis of the results suggested that students did not aware with the Andragogical principles. There was a significance difference exist in the practices of male and female students. Male students perceived andragogical practices slightly higher than the female students. Whereas, no significant difference exist in the andragogical practices of year I and year II students from B.Ed. (hons.). It is recommended that teachers may provide awareness to the students about andragogical adult learning principles and also adapt andragogical approach for teaching adults. It is also recommended that teachers may provide andragogical orientations and learning environment, especially for those students who are newly joined teacher education institutions.

The Practical Strategies for Creating CME/CE Content: Insights from Adult Learning Scholarship

Medical writers play an important role in developing accredited, non-promotional continuing medical education (CME) for physicians and continuing education (CE) for nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals. Written materials that are balanced, valid, and non-biased offer foundation and context for many CME/CE activities. To ensure that CME/CE content meets the learning needs of health professionals, expands knowledge, and builds skills, it is important for medical writers to be knowledgeable about adult learning principles (ALP) and emerging insights from the learning sciences. This article reviews a range of ALP strategies that medical writers can use to write CME/CE materials that optimize learning in CME/CE.

Creating an Escape Room for Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Validation

Creating an Escape Room for Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Validation

LUNGGUH KRAMA NEGGAK ANDRAGOGY APPROACH TO SEMBIRAN VILLAGE COMMUNITY, TEJAKULA DISTRICT, SINGARAJA REGENCY

The Bali Aga social system in Sembiran Village is a local wisdom of the community which is maintained and preserved by the local community. Andragogy can play a role in education based on cultural values for teaching and learning in the context of teaching as cultural activity and the culture of teaching. This study will explore local wisdom, social systems and andragogy in the lungguh krama neggak system in Sembiran Village, three basic theoretical foundations were analyzed which were correlated with other theories, namely (convergence theory, structural functional theory and behavioristic theory. Data was collected by means of observation, interviews, and document studies using a research methodology that has been designed. Data were analyzed and processed systematically). descriptive research through three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions.The results of this study indicate that the lungguh krama neggak system is based on the existence of three qualities in Sembiran Village, namely as a authorities Village, Traditional Village which is formed in accordance with state regulations and ancient Balinese traditional villages with the ulu apad system. Sembiran village has a very unique traditional social organization known as it's called ulu apad. Lungguh krama neggak is a system of social stratification of the indigenous people of Sembiran based on the order of marriage of its citizens. The forms of andragogy in the lungguh krama neggak system are reviewed from the principles of adult learning, adult learning needs, the function of community position in the lungguh krama neggak system.

“This is a T.E.S.T.” (Tabletop Exercise Simulation Tool): Using Gamification to Train Public Health Staff in Community Reception Centers for a Nuclear or Radiological Incident

Introduction:After a nuclear or radiological (nuc/rad) incident, there is a need to screen, potentially decontaminate, and monitor the affected population. A Community Reception Center (CRC) is a site that provides these services, plus more, to those displaced by a large-scale incident. By using CRCs, federal agencies and state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) health departments can monitor the affected population, help prevent hospitals from becoming overburdened with persons not critically injured, compliment shelter operations, and obtain a basis for a long-term registry. However, public health staff often are not fully trained in their CRC role and the decision-making factors.Method:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a unique training board game, “This is a T.E.S.T.” (Tabletop Exercise Simulation Tool), for public health staff about their CRC role and decision-making factors. We play-tested the game with several CDC and STLT staff in 2022 and received informal feedback.Results:Players found the game facilitated discussion and identified gaps in CRC plans, safety hazards, population needs, and staffing requirements. They also said the game improved collaboration and communication. Over 90% of players strongly agreed the game accurately simulated both bottlenecks and resource needs, individual needs and anxiety, and allowed a greater understanding of CRC operations.Conclusion:Games have been used for emergency response using different platforms such as virtual reality and video games. This is a T.E.S.T. facilitates collaboration by tasking players with managing resources, staff fatigue, public anxiety, and hazards. Players provided valuable feedback on its usability while learning more about CRCs. “This is a T.E.S.T” provides a unique, innovative training experience that incorporates components from typical tabletop and full-scale exercises, CRC capacity estimates through CDC’s CRC SimPLER (Simulation Program for Leveraging and Evaluating Resources), and key principles of adult learning.

Honor, Build, and Restructure

School leaders enrolled in CPED-influenced and practitioner focused doctoral programs require specific research-based skills and knowledge that bridge both educational scholarship and practice in order to be relevant for both their dissertation process and school practice. In doing so, these doctorate in education (EdD) programs must critically exam their qualitative research methods courses to honor the professional practice of their adult learners and usher in innovative, collaborative, transformative, and participatory research design courses to meet this demand. As such we present our methodological course sequence built on principles of adult learning and a signature pedagogy, the first course is a reimagination of the qualitative research course and the second is a reconceptualized transformative capstone.

From theory to practice: a novel meditation program at a global corporation

Global levels of stress, worry, sadness, and anger hit new highs in recent years, and employee well-being has been identified as a necessary focus in occupational health. Developed over 6 years in a large multi-national company, the Meditation Without Expectations™ 8-week course evolved from theories to practice. The intervention teaches 8 meditation techniques in a specific order and incorporates health coaching and adult learning principles that drive impact. The wellbeing program was offered using a virtual online platform to employees in more than 30 countries during 2021-22. Its effectiveness was evaluated using established standard questions and cutting-edge consumer research methods. The descriptive study uses quantitative and qualitative analyses from more than a thousand employees. Paired t-tests are used to compare pre- and post-course survey scores. The test subjects who completed the 8-week course had significant improvements (p < 0.0001) across genders, geographies, and durations of employment, and in all measured domains of stress, mindfulness, resiliency, and empathy, whereas the comparison group did not. Advanced topics analysis is used to extract common learning objectives from unstructured text submitted by enrolled employees, which helped focus the intervention on what people need or want to learn. A proprietary artificial intelligence model is used to classify subjects’ comments after completing the course, finding highly positive outcomes with potential for new habit creation due to a mental model change. A framework of characteristics that make the intervention impactful is also shared.

Creation of an asynchronous faculty development curriculum on well-written narrative assessments that avoid bias

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic in parallel with concerns about bias in grading resulted in many medical schools adopting pass/fail clinical grading and relying solely on narrative assessments. However, narratives often contain bias and lack specificity. The purpose of this project was to develop asynchronous faculty development to rapidly educate/re-educate > 2000 clinical faculty spread across geographic sites and clinical disciplines on components of a well-written narrative and methods to minimize bias in the assessment of students.MethodsWe describe creation, implementation, and pilot data outcomes for an asynchronous faculty development curriculum created by a committee of volunteer learners and faculty. After reviewing the literature on the presence and impact of bias in clinical rotations and ways to mitigate bias in written narrative assessments, the committee developed a web-based curriculum using multimedia learning theory and principles of adult learning. Just-in-time supplemental materials accompanied the curriculum. The Dean added completion of the module by 90% of clinical faculty to the department chairperson’s annual education metric.Module completion was tracked in a learning management system, including time spent in the module and the answer to a single text entry question about intended changes in behavior. Thematic analysis of the text entry question with grounded theory and inductive processing was used to define themes of how faculty anticipate future teaching and assessment as a result of this curricula.OutcomesBetween January 1, 2021, and December 1, 2021, 2166 individuals completed the online module; 1820 spent between 5 and 90 min on the module, with a median time of 17 min and an average time of 20.2 min. 15/16 clinical departments achieved completion by 90% or more faculty. Major themes included: changing the wording of future narratives, changing content in future narratives, and focusing on efforts to change how faculty teach and lead teams, including efforts to minimize bias.ConclusionsWe developed a faculty development curriculum on mitigating bias in written narratives with high rates of faculty participation. Inclusion of this module as part of the chair’s education performance metric likely impacted participation. Nevertheless, time spent in the module suggests that faculty engaged with the material. Other institutions could easily adapt this curriculum with provided materials.

Addressing Sexual Harassment and Gender Bias: Mandatory Modules Are Not Enough.

Despite decades of new policy guidelines and mandatory training modules, sexual harassment (SH) and gender bias (GB) continue in academic medicine. The hierarchical structure of medical training makes it challenging to act when one experiences or witnesses SH or GB. Most trainings designed to address SH and GB are driven by external mandates and do not utilize current educational techniques. Our goal was to design training that is in-person, active, and directed toward skills development. Our academic family medicine (FM) department began by surveying our faculty and residents about their lived experiences of SH and GB. We used these data, incorporating principles of adult learning, to deliver voluntary, experiential, interactive workshops throughout 2019. The workshops took place during faculty development meetings and an annual retreat. We used interactive techniques that included case-based and Theater of the Oppressed formats. Eighty percent of faculty and residents participated in at least one of our voluntary training sessions. In April of 2020, we administered a retrospective, pre/postsurvey on confidence in recognizing, responding to, and reporting SH and GB. We found significant improvements in all domains surveyed; many participants reported using the skills in the 6 months prior to completing the surveys. We demonstrated that voluntary, interactive training sessions using the recommendations of the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine Report on the Sexual Harassment of Women improve participants' reported confidence in recognizing, responding to, and reporting SH and GB in one academic FM department. This training intervention is practical and can be disseminated and implemented in many settings.

Interprofessional online course for telehealth delivery of pediatric developmental services

Purpose This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an interprofessional telehealth course developed based on a collaborative needs assessment of professionals working in community-based child-development units. Materials and methods Ninety-six pediatric therapists, including psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, participated in a 10-week, 30-hour online training on best practices in telehealth delivered according to adult learning theory guidelines. Participants reported their telehealth competencies before and after the training using a questionnaire developed for the study. Results Repeated paired t-tests showed significant increases with high effect sizes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, emotions, and willingness to use telehealth in their practices. However, at follow-up, the implementation rates remained low. Conclusions Online learning tailored to learners’ needs can change knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to incorporate telehealth into routine care. Collaboration among regulators, foundations, professional associations, and clients attuned to health care’s changing needs is essential to providing solutions and boosting the quality of rehabilitation services. However, providing knowledge alone is not enough: Sustainable implementation planning is essential for knowledge translation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Telehealth can enhance access to rehabilitation services, but providers require training to promote knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to incorporate telehealth into routine care. Effective training should be based on collaboration among all stakeholders, from needs assessment and content development to implementation and devising a plan to translate sustainable knowledge into rehabilitation. Training courses should combine content on best practices with a delivery approach based on adult learning principles. To translate knowledge into practice, the course must be a part of a sustainable implementation plan at the workplace.

Utilizing the community as a learning resource in the training of undergraduate medical students

The kind and range of attributes that an undergraduate medical student should acquire by the time of completion of their training are extensive. The exposure of undergraduate medical students to the local community during the training period carries immense significance in the learning curve of the students. The exposure to community as a learning resource satisfies multiple principles of adult learning, as medical students can be actively engaged in the learning process, wherein they have to play a specific role and the learning happens across all the learning domains and does not remain restricted to the cognitive domain alone. In conclusion, the use of community as a learning resource for facilitating the training of medical students has been linked with multiple benefits. However, it is quite essential that potential challenges should be identified and accordingly preparation is done by the concerned departments to ensure the attainment of learning objectives and avoid rejection from the community.

Implementation of Adult Education Principles in Dressmaking Training in Non-Formal Education Units

Abstract&#x0D; The purpose of this study is to discover: (1) the implementation of self-concept in fashion training; (2) the implementation of learning experiences in fashion training; (3) the implementation of learning readiness in fashion training; and (4) the implementation of adult learning orientation in clothing design training. This study is a descriptive qualitative study that collected data by monitoring the execution of Clothing Design training activities, conducting interviews regarding learning activities with a number of LCS heads, two instructors, and five training students. Modules, lesson plans, and training implementation reports are all necessary documents. The validity of the data is determined through source triangulation (interviews, documents, and observations), and data analysis techniques are used to acquire data, reduce data, present data, and make conclusions. This study's findings include: (1) Self-concept implementation: trainees are not directly involved in the learning planning process, but they do participate in agreements during the learning process and at the evaluation stage. (2) Learning experience implementation: project-based learning is applied in the Ungaran SKB. (3) Learning readiness implementation: adult learning at SKB Ungaran is relevant to trainees' vocations and lives. (4) Learning orientation implementation: trainees receive adequate encouragement from the teacher when they encounter difficulties in learning. This study concluded that adult learning implementation must apply adult principles by incorporating students in learning, designing learning that emphasizes experimental principles, adapting learning that can be directly applied, and having a learning orientation. The benefit of this research is knowing how to apply learning in accordance with adult learning principles.

Comparing satisfaction and outcomes in on-campus versus virtual education for nurse practitioner students

This article highlights the development and implementation of interactive training experiences for graduate nursing students as part of specialty training in endocrinology. Emphasis was placed on accomplishing the shift from on-campus to virtual training while maintaining fidelity and student satisfaction. A total of 106 graduate nursing students from five cohorts submitted evaluations. Student satisfaction remained high regardless of whether the content was delivered in person or virtually. Most students in the virtual cohorts evaluated the online training positively. Student presentation grades were highest with on-campus delivery. Transitioning in-person training to a virtual environment can be an effective method of delivering nurse practitioner education while promoting student satisfaction. Recommendations for optimizing hybrid learning experiences are offered based on adult learning principles.

Developing a CPD model for Eswatini—a participatory action research study

BackgroundContinuing professional development (CPD) is a key aspect to fulfil a commitment to lifelong learning for professionals registered with the Medical and Dental Council, the intention being to promote the health of patients and develop clinical expertise. The absence of formal CPD requirements for practitioners in Eswatini has resulted in a move to introduce an accredited system.MethodsThe qualitative study followed a participatory action research (PAR) methodology using a cooperative inquiry group of 10 medical practitioners in Eswatini to investigate how the current CPD program could be improved and formalised. PAR entailed four stages; observation, reflection, planning and action, using a semi-structured format to explore the areas of concern.ResultsReflecting on the current situation resulted in three ways to improve CPD being identified: (1) adopt a formal, compulsory CPD model; (2) recognise achievements by practitioners who endeavour to improve their skills/knowledge through Entrustable Professional Activities, and (3) ensure that CPD is relevant to the workplace by using Quality-Improvement CPD (QI-CPD) and reflective diaries. These would be done by involving local practitioners, using adult learning principles and ensuring continuous evaluation and improvement of the CPD model.ConclusionsThere was general agreement on the need for a formalised CPD system to improve skill levels and provide an open platform to enhance patient care in a resource constrained setting. The findings provided information that can be used to plan and action its implementation through engagement with the country’s doctors in various forums and through ongoing research.

Modern instruction in medicine: An overview

Background: Many physicians and other healthcare professionals have jobs at medical colleges and universities, and their job description include instruction and lecturing. In addition, many board-certified physicians are working in university and teaching hospitals have the responsibility of teaching physicians in their residency training. Therefore, not only medical instructors working at medical schools and colleges need to learn about and practice instruction methods. Therefore, there has been an increasing need for physicians to learn about modern instruction methods. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of modern instruction in medicine. Materials and methods: The relevant scientific literatures were reviewed with the aim of providing an overview of modern instruction in medicine. Results: Modern instruction in medicine has become increasingly aiming at facilitating learning and acquiring skills rather than purely giving knowledge. The principles and concepts of modern instruction have been increasingly used by professional institutions during instruction, which is considered by these institutions as “Class training”. The design and organization of modern instruction have been increasingly improved with use of Bloom’s Taxonomy to write learning objectives and to design questions for the exams and assignments. Adopting the ideas of VAK/VARK learner’s preferences model and using a variety of instruction methods have also contributed to a more effective instruction. Malcolm’s concepts and principles of adult learning (Andragogy) have contributed to advancing modern instruction in medicine. Understanding the major learning theories (Behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism) enabled the instructors in medicine to develop multiple perspectives into instruction as these theories served as multiple windows in a house that enables looking into the same room and getting different viewpoints from each window. The use of Donald Kirkpatrick’s methods to evaluate instruction has contributed to improving modern instruction through its methodological evaluation. In addition, many other ideas and theories have also contributed to the evolution and advancement of instruction in medicine including Skinner’s behaviorist model of learning (The operant conditioning), the ideas of John Dewey relevant instruction, constructivist learning theory, Jean Piaget’s cognitive theory, the practical applications of Jean Piaget ideas relevant to instruction, Lev Vygotsky ideas’ practical application ideas relevant to instruction including the zone of proximal development, and the concept of instructional scaffolding suggested by Jerome Seymour Brunerm. Conclusion: The most important concepts and theories that have contributed to the evolution and development of modern instruction in medicine include Bloom’s Taxonomy, VAK/VARK learner’s preferences model, Malcolm’s concepts and principles of adult learning (Andragogy), the major learning theories (Behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism), and Donald Kirkpatrick’s methods of evaluation.

How should online antenatal and parenting education be structured according to parents? Qualitative findings from a mixed-methods retrospective study.

Over the past 50 years, the content and structure of antenatal education classes have varied to reflect social norms of the time, the setting and context in which they have been held and who has facilitated them. In recent times, antenatal and parenting education classes have become a smorgasbord of information, offering a range of diverse content. Where and how parents-to-be may access formal antenatal and parenting education classes are also varied. Even before the lockdown challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, many antenatal and parenting education classes had become available and accessible online. While the flexibility and accessibility of this option are apparent, scant research to date has reported on parents' experiences of undertaking online antenatal education. The objectives of this study were to explore new parents' experiences of engaging in online antenatal education, and to discover how consumers of online antenatal education perceive it should be designed and delivered. A mixed-methods design was used for this study, which was conducted with 294 past enrolees in a range of online antenatal and early parenting education programmes delivered by one private provider in Australia. The past enrolees were invited to participate in the study by email, wherein a link to an online information sheet and survey containing closed- and open-ended questions was provided. The responses to the open-ended questions that are reported in this article were analysed using a thematic approach that involved coding, sub-categorizing and then categorizing the data. A total of 108 participants provided qualitative data about the delivery and design of online antenatal education and information. The data were captured in three themes: video control and content, accessibility and pre-/intra-programme support. The results of this study provide important insights for the development of online antenatal education programmes and courses that will be of interest to antenatal educators, maternity services and maternity care policy developers. Specifically, millennial parents want trustworthy and accurate antenatal education that is delivered in a framework that aligns with and builds on adult-learning principles. The diversity of families and of expectant parents' learning styles is also important to recognize in antenatal education curricula.

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT OF A VOLUNTEER BOARD: DESIGNING A STRATEGIC PLAN USING ZOOM

This article describes an initiative of designing a strategic plan with a volunteer board using the online platform Zoom. The article defines the role of boards of directors in general and addresses the special case of volunteer boards, presenting key performance issues of volunteer boards. Emphasis is placed on the relevance of formulating clear, focused understanding of organizational purpose, role clarity and performance expectations, strategic emphasis fortified by clear agendas, the structuring and enlisting of board member contributions to governance, guidance by board staff, and shared versus individual authority of board members. Board strategic planning represents one of the most valuable deliverables by the governing body and provides an avenue of structured contribution that leads to results. Using Zoom as the vehicle for designing the board strategic plan and implementation plan as described in this article optimized adult learning principles and integrated highly structured and persuasive facilitation to generate a strong, well-connected plan, demonstrating the benefits of economy made possible using an online forum. The final product reflected rigorous critical thinking and design for realistic application.