Collective Competence Research Articles

Enhancing Emergency Response: The Role of Collective Competence in Epidemiological Teams for Effective Laboratory Data Collection and Analysis

Background: Health systems globally face ncreasing challenges from health crises and epidemic threats, necessitating the pivotal role of epidemiological teams in emergency response. This study investigates the significance of collective competence within these teams, focusing on their ability to collect, analyze, and manage laboratory data effectively. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used to survey epidemiological teams in Saudi Arabia. A structured questionnaire was developed based on existing literature and distributed electronically to participants. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), using descriptive and inferential statistics to summarize participant characteristics and explore associations between variables. Results: A total of 208 epidemiological teams member completed the questionnaire, yielding insights into their The Role of Collective Competence in Epidemiological Teams. The findings reveal high levels of agreement regarding the effectiveness of management approaches, knowledge sharing, and team collaboration, with the average score exceeding 4.0 on a 5-point scale. Notably, team efficacy was found to significantly enhance the efficiency of laboratory data collection and analysis, accounting for approximately 25.9% of the variance in efficacy. Discussion: These findings underscore the need to invest in developing team competencies within epidemiological teams to improve emergency response capabilities. The study provides practical insights into enhancing team collaboration and coordination, ultimately contributing to more effective public health interventions in future health crises.

Life After News? How an Online Community of Journalists Discuss Stress and Provide Social Support

ABSTRACT Journalists have been leaving the industry in droves due to stress and burnout. This study examines an online community of journalists discussing their “Plan B” to understand what they identify as job stressors, as well as how they, as a community, discuss the health impact of these stressors. Guided by concepts of social support, we attempt to understand the strategies they employ to deal with the stressors. We found that the journalists collectively articulate their hopes and convictions on the functions and future of journalism. Next, they empower one another by providing emotional, informational, instrumental and appraisal support. Lastly, the journalists build their collective competence by discussing the skills and values needed for new beginnings. This study provides insight into how journalists provide community support, as well as how the field can reform the profession and retain journalists at a time where they are needed now, more than ever.

Assessing the impact of jigsaw technique for cooperative learning in undergraduate medical education: merits, challenges, and forward prospects

BackgroundJigsaw method is a structured cooperative-learning technique that lays the groundwork towards achieving collective competence, which forms the core of effective clinical practice. It promotes deep learning and effectively enhances team-work among students, hence creating a more inclusive environment.ObjectivePresent study was designed to introduce jigsaw model of cooperative learning to early-year undergraduate medical students, measure its effectiveness on their academic performance, and evaluate the perspectives of both students and faculty members regarding the same.MethodsIt was a mixed method research, involving eighty second-year undergraduate medical students. The jigsaw cooperative learning approach was introduced in two themes within neurosciences module. Students were divided into two equal groups, with one group experiencing typical small-group discussions (SGDs) in first theme and other group exposed to jigsaw approach. The groups were then reversed for second theme. Following the activity, an assessment comprising multiple-choice-questions was conducted to evaluate the impact of jigsaw technique on students’ academic performance, with scores from both groups compared. Student perspectives were gathered through self-designed and validated questionnaire, while faculty perceptions were obtained through focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v22, while thematic analysis was performed for qualitative data.ResultsThe students of jigsaw group displayed significantly higher median assessment score percentage compared to control group (p = 0.003). Moreover, a significantly greater number of students achieved scores ≥ 60% in jigsaw group compared to control group (p = 0.006). The questionnaire responses indicated a favorable perception of this technique among students, in terms of acceptance, positive interdependence, improvement of interpersonal skills, and comparison with typical SGDs. This technique was also well-perceived within the educational context by faculty members.ConclusionThe jigsaw method is associated with higher levels of academic performance among students when compared to typical small-group discussion. The students and faculty perceived this technique to be an effective cooperative learning strategy in terms of enhanced student engagement, active participation, and a sense of inclusivity.

Assessment in community settings: Is there any role for individual competency-based assessment?

Oral forms of assessment remain a common part of competency-based assessment systems, yet their feasibility is being challenged. The focus on individual competence is problematic given the need to prepare health professionals for teamwork. The present study aimed to investigate how the assessment of collective competence compares to individual assessment, and to explore whether there is a need for individual assessment at all in community or population-based practice. A behavioural-based interview assessment was developed and trialled and correlated to performance as a team on placement. Correlation between student performance on individual behavioural-based interview and teamwork artefacts was assessed using Spearman rho. Differences between performance on individual oral assessment and team performance on artefacts at the cohort level was determined using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Bland-Altman analysis was completed to analyse agreement between performance on the individual oral assessment and team performance at the student level. Students were final year nutrition and dietetics students from 2020, 2021 and 2022 years (total sample = 216) from one Australian university. There was a difference in performance between assessment types in each year and as a total cohort (p < 0.001) with students performing better in teamwork. There was no correlation between individual oral interview and team performance across all years. The results of the Bland-Altman analysis showed little agreement between the two assessment tasks. Assessment of teamwork performance as part of a program of assessment is essential. More valid and reliable tools are needed to assess collective competence.

The effect of a collective competence intervention on collective efficacy, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing: a quasi-experimental study of a sample of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

The health crisis associated with COVID-19 led to a period of increased demand on the operational and social organization of healthcare centers, which often had a negative impact on the psychological and social wellbeing of healthcare workers. In order to tackle this issue, an intervention plan was designed to develop collective competences through various participatory strategies. This study sought to determine the effect of this intervention on the variables collective efficacy, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing in healthcare workers by performing a pretest and posttest comparison with a control group. The variables were evaluated using a non-probability, purposive sample of 80 healthcare workers from three Family Healthcare Centers (CESFAM) located in the Coquimbo Region, Chile, within health crisis context. The intervention group was composed of voluntary participants, while the control group only completed the evaluations. The intervention consisted in 6 training workshops focused on improving collective management, group synergy, collaborative problem-solving, communicative strategies, and overall team care. The analysis shows that the collective competence intervention had a positive effect on the collective efficacy, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing of the participating healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis. Only specific factors of these variables did not undergo a significant impact. The results of this study suggest that interventions aimed at improving collective organizational competences, apart from increasing collective efficacy, can have a positive impact on healthcare workers' psychological and social wellbeing in a context of occupational adversity.

Collective sustainability competences of universities as a nested institutional space

AbstractSustainability action at universities is complex and requires engaging multiple competences that reside on different levels outside and inside the organisation. In addition to individual competences, social communities also possess collective resources and characteristics that do not translate into a sum of individual abilities. Based on a qualitative small‐n comparative study of four universities in Spain, Portugal, Finland and Romania, this paper explores the concept of collective sustainability competences as enablers and constraints of sustainability action at universities. Drawing from institutional theory and nestedness in organisations, the article poses the following research question: How can the collective sustainability competences of universities be conceptualised? The article develops a conceptual understanding of regulative, normative and cultural‐cognitive elements of collective sustainability competences as a nested institutional space. In so doing, the article contributes to the discussion on the capacity of universities to act as key organisations in sustainability transitions.

Knowledge and Perceptions of the End of Life among Tunisian Medical and Paramedical Staff.

End-of-life (EOL) care is a vulnerable period in an individual's life. Healthcare professionals (HPs) strive to balance the preservation of human life with respect for the patient's wishes. The aims of our study were to assess HPs' knowledge and perceptions of EOL care and to propose areas of improvement to improve the quality of care. We conducted a single-center, cross-sectional study involving HPs from a university hospital who encountered EOL care situations. We used a questionnaire divided into four sections knowledge, practice, perception, and training. We calculated the rate of correct answers and the collective competence index. Eighty-six questionnaires were analyzed, with 82.5% (71/86) completed by medical respondents and 17.5% (15/86) by paramedical respondents. Most of the respondents, 71.8% (51/71), were interns and residents. The study focused on palliative care, medical assistance in dying, aggressive medical treatment, and euthanasia, finding adequate knowledge in the first three areas. Respondents assigned to the intensive care unit and those with more than 8 years of experience had significantly higher correct answer rates than their counterparts. Seventy-five percent of respondents (65/86) reported feeling that they had little or no mastery of EOL care, primarily attributing this to insufficient training and the unavailability of trainers. Based on the findings of our study, which we believe to be the first of its kind in Tunisia, we can conclude that HPs possess an acceptable level of knowledge regarding EOL care. However, they require more exposure and training to develop expertise in this area.

Articulation Between Collective Skills Development and Social Innovation: An Analysis in Non-Profit Civil Society Organizations in the Jequitinhonha nd Mucuri Valleys, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Objective: This study aims to analyze the relationship between the development of collective skills and social innovation in Non-Profit Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) located in the Middle and Lower Jequitinhonha and the Mucuri Valley, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Theoretical Benchmark: Theoretical approaches to CSOs, social innovation and collective skills were carried out. Method: To do so, the application of online survey and in-depth case studies in OSC of the said field was carried out. The data from the first stage were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression, and those from the qualitative stage were analyzed via content analysis. Results and Conclusion: The results indicated that some of the CSOs studied carry out actions considered as socially innovative and that the collective competences related to cooperation are those that have a significant influence on social innovation. In addition, it was observed that the CSOs studied, by engaging in socially innovative actions, created spaces and conditions conducive to the development of collective skills, enabling social interactions, which are fundamental for cooperation, knowledge sharing and social learning of those involved. Thus, there is a dialectical relationship between the collective skills constructs and social innovation, the development of some of them may reflect in a virtuous cycle in which the practice impacts on collective capacity development and this development in the improvement of new practices, or vice versa. Research Implications: The findings emphasize the need for university extension practices and interventions that facilitate cooperation practices, as well as the sharing of knowledge and commitment in the context of CSOs, which can contribute more effectively in the search for the development of socially innovative actions. Originality/value: This study presents an original and valuable approach when analyzing the relationships between collective skills development and social innovations in CSOs, revealing significant insights on good practices in this field.

The interdependence of social deliberation and judgment aggregation

Imagine that the judgments of some individuals on some issues are aggregated into collective judgments. Social deliberation about the issues prior to aggregation can lead to improved judgments, at both the individual and the collective level. In this paper I argue that the epistemic justification for a social deliberation design depends on the chosen judgment aggregation rule, and vice versa. This claim consists of two parts. First, the epistemic superiority of one deliberation design over another or over the absence of any deliberation depends on which procedure is subsequently used to aggregate individual judgments. Second, the epistemic superiority of one aggregation procedure over another depends on how the preceding social deliberation was designed. In short, the choice of deliberation design and of aggregation rule are intertwined. This claim is substantiated by two models. Both models display a tragic rise in competence: social deliberation raises individual competence while reducing collective competence. Here, individual and social epistemology come interestingly apart.

Le performing/patterning, moteur d’évolution des compétences collectives ? Le cas de la gestion forestière en contexte de grands défis

Key element of competences management, the collective competence concept is the subject of a substantial literature. Yet, the question of its evolving process remains opened. This research proposes to explore this question by mobilizing the notions of performing and patterning from the theory of routine dynamics. The research is based on the study of a reshuffling collective of actors to adapt the local forest management of a public forest facing grand challenges. As outcomes; we show that performing can be interpreted as a process through which the attributes of collective competence emerge and are transformed, and that the constitution of these attributes forms a new guide for collective action, a process akin to patterning.

A guess by an expert or a joint accumulation of experience? A study of the admission process in Swedish sport schools: perspectives from school sport teachers

ABSTRACT In this article we use the concept of Communities of Practice (CoP) to understand how Swedish school sport teachers enact the admission process, the identification and selection of student athletes, to Swedish national upper secondary elite sport schools (SNESS). Data were gathered by conducting six focus group interviews involving 18 school sports teachers representing six different sports. The findings indicate that the admission process is influenced by and enacted through sport-specific CoPs and include a strategic identification of athletes, a set of tools – physical aptitude tests, sport-specific training, interviews, social activities – and documents (matrices, forms, interview-guides). While the process constitutes individual subjective assessments of athletes, the findings also imply that the teachers’ common engagement is the central enterprise of their collective actions. The admission is a cooperative process where the teachers expend their collective competence, joint cumulative experience, to identify, assess, and select student athletes.

Autocratic Power and Older Citizens: The Political Subjectification of Retirees in Belarus

This article contributes to research on everyday resistance as a means of citizens’ political subjectification in autocracies and advances the literature on the manipulation of news. Through analysis of state-controlled media and individual interviews, it traces how older people in Belarus engage in anti-authoritarian protests by relying on pre-existing patterns of interactions with the state. My analysis demonstrates that to promote its legitimacy, the paternalist regime cultivates dependence in older citizens and represents itself as the primary solution to problems associated with old-age vulnerability. In response to their systemic marginalisation in the job market, urban development and public health policies, older people claim their equal rights by resisting old-age vulnerability or performing it to challenge the system. The article argues that by practising low-key acts of insubordination, older Belarusians acquire the collective self-awareness and cultural competence that allowed them to engage in the 2020 protests as a distinct political subject.

Moving the Theory of Parental Cooperation and Innovation into Practice

Although many schools and teachers are aware the important factors for effective parental cooperation, they seem to lack an understanding of how to transform this theoretical knowledge into practice. One reason for this difficulty appears to be that teachers have traditionally focused more on what is needed to practice good cooperation with parents and less on how they can implement this knowledge in practice. The aim of this paper is to reveal how research-based knowledge within parental cooperation (what) and implementation (how) can contribute to developing teachers’ individual competence into schools’ collective competence within “challenging conversations with parents”. Taking a systems approach, we see that what is happening within the two separate systems—family and school—affects cooperation between the two parties. Thus, there is a need for a holistic view on cooperation. We draw upon recent research, qualitative and quantitative, on parent collaboration, revealing the important factors behind successful cooperation between parents and teachers. Our research suggests that teachers and schools need more individual and collective competence when working with parents. More specifically, teachers need additional competence and strategies when engaging in challenging conversations with parents. Transforming research-based knowledge about parental cooperation into practice is not a mechanical operation. We need different types of knowledge and approaches to implement strategies for teachers to handle challenging conversations with parents. This paper presents some strategies to help teachers accomplish this.

Teacher Competencies and Parental Cooperation

The aim of this paper is to begin to shed light on the competencies teachers need when cooperating with parents. Toward this end, we conducted a small-scale study, interviewing teachers and parents about their perceptions of teachers’ competence regarding cooperation with parents. Sixteen pairs of cooperating parents and teachers at a primary school, agreed to participate in separate interviews. The interviews were based on semi-structured interview guides. The NVIVO program was used to assist data analyses. Building on research regarding parental disillusionment with school and the small-scale study, the paper reveals a need for competence-building activities at various levels in schools. First, the principal plays an important role in this process by building collective competence at the school level, such as routines and school standards for cooperation with parents. Second, colleagues’ collective competence in cooperating with parents is important. Finally, each teacher’s individual competence in cooperating with parents is an important factor regarding parental cooperation. We identify three separate individual competencies.

Collective Leadership Competencies among Agricultural Researchers in Selected Agricultural Institutes in Oyo State, Nigeria

The study assessed the collective leadership competencies of agricultural researchers in selected agricultural institutes in Oyo state, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 177 agricultural researchers for the study. Data were analyzed using, percentages, weighted mean scores, and logit regression analysis. Results showed that 28.4% of the employee daily create and maintain clarity in their professional vision. Also, the result on the compass dimension of employees’ engagement showed that 47.7% invested their time in relationship building. In addition, for the compass dimension on innovation, 63.6% of the employees stated that they nurture creativity and stay open to new ideas. For collective intelligence, 38.0% of the employees revealed daily established structured dialogues that harvest different perspectives. There was a significant relationship between future possibilities (r=0.03*), innovation (r=0.001*), and collective leadership competencies. The agricultural researchers’ collective leadership competencies are very low. Sensitization workshops on collective leadership be organized by relevant institutions for agricultural researchers.

Early stages of learning in interprofessional education: stepping towards collective competence for healthcare teams

BackgroundInterprofessional education (IPE) is a core element of many health professional education curricula. To date the focus of much research has been on student perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the learning experience. Little is known about the impact of early IPE experience on how students understand and learn about effective interprofessional teamwork.MethodsThis qualitative study involved first year university students enrolled in health professions degrees and investigated their descriptions of interprofessional teamwork through graphic elicitation and interviews. Participants were enrolled in a large-scale interprofessional unit (subject) in the university.ResultsThe data were analysed through the lens of a tool that classifies dimensions of interprofessional activity. The findings indicated the majority of students had what was classified as a Stage 1 (or ‘nascent’) understanding of integration between work practices and a Stage 2 (or ‘emerging’) understanding of the dimensions of interprofessional teamwork which were commitment, identity, goals, roles and responsibilities, and interdependence.ConclusionsBased on the findings, the stages for a learning trajectory for interprofessional education are proposed and each stage is mapped to dimensions of interprofessional activity. A number of pedagogical strategies are suggested in order to move students through this two-stage model of learning and ensure their readiness for interprofessional teamwork as health professionals.

FRAMING “THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SELF” IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS IN RUSSIA AND SWEDEN

The aim of this study is to understand the ‘photographic selves’ – the collective competences and skills required for making, interpreting, and communicating through photographs — that are articulated in the educational framework for future photographers in Russia and Sweden. These are two countries with very different histories in relation to photographic practices. Theories on photography from recent decades have emphasized that digital photography is a different medium from analogue photography. This study seeks to understand whether and how this is addressed in two different cultural contexts, based on interviews with teachers and department heads, combined with written descriptions of courses and educational programs. The material makes visible different ideal photographic practices. One, the most common in both countries, is firmly embedded in the international documentary tradition. Other ways, represented by teachers at a Russian art school for photography, stress a more critical perspective toward established conventions. However, absent at the studied schools are more freer understandings of photography in the wake of digitization. Photography is still framed by the historically anchored indexical relation to the surrounding world and as a fixed object.

Better together: Building an engaged conservation paleobiology science for the future

Abstract Making decisions about natural resource conservation is often difficult because of a lack of longer‐term data, which are needed to provide a frame of reference for identifying and choosing appropriate responses to threats impacting species, ecosystems, and the benefits they provide to people. Despite the promise the field of conservation paleobiology holds for using geohistorical data and insights to provide this longer‐term perspective, examples of successful implementation are uncommon. Over the past decade, many conservation biology researchers and practitioners have turned to knowledge co‐production to overcome this same challenge. Co‐production prioritizes collaboration between academic and non‐academic partners to produce actionable knowledge that better aligns with conservation practitioners' needs and concerns. We argue that the conservation paleobiology community must similarly build collective competence to engage more effectively in shared “learning spaces” where actionable knowledge is co‐produced. We draw from our experiences with the Historical Oyster Body Size project and lessons learned from other fields to identify key attributes of actionable geohistorical knowledge and the meaningful co‐production processes that produced it. Familiarity with these concepts will benefit conservation paleobiologists and all researchers who aspire to help develop longer‐lasting, defensible and more equitable solutions to complex conservation problems presented by a changing world.

Collective Competencies and their Constitutive Elements: a case study in a Brazilian Fashion Group

Collective Competencies and their Constitutive Elements: a case study in a Brazilian Fashion Group

Comment on: The AI and I: A Collaboration on Competence.

We are writing to bring attention to the limitations of using artificial intelligence (AI) in surgery. While AI has shown great potential in various fields, including medical imaging and diagnostics, its use in surgical procedures is still in its infancy and has significant limitations. First, AI algorithms require large amounts of data to be trained and tested, which is often not available in the surgical setting. This means that AI systems may not be able to adapt to the unique and complex situations that arise during surgery. Second, the accuracy and reliability of AI systems in surgery is still uncertain. Despite advances in technology, AI systems are still prone to errors and can miss important details that may have significant consequences during surgery. Finally, AI systems are not able to replace the critical thinking and decision making skills of trained surgeons. Surgeons need to be able to analyze a wide range of factors and make split-second decisions that AI systems may not be able to replicate. Overall, while AI has the potential to assist surgeons, its limitations should be carefully considered before implementing it in the surgical setting. Further research and development is needed to improve the accuracy and reliability of AI systems in surgery. Sincerely, Martin G. Tolsgaard and Lawrence Grierson P.S. We did not write any of this. An AI did and this was (close to) a Turing test. We typed the following into the OpenAI GTP-3 chatbot, which has recently been published:1write a letter about the limitations of AI in surgery in 200 words for a surgical journal from 2 scientists. Would you have noticed? Large language models such as GPT-3 can write manuscripts eloquently as seen above and even perform reasonably well on USMLE exams.2 Examples of super-human performance in medical imaging diagnosis have already been published for several years.3 However, now these models are beginning to carve further into human domains of expertise by imitating clinical reasoning, surgical expertise, and academic writing—something that we consider core to what makes us different from AI. This leads us to question the nature and understanding of competence. How will our understanding of what it means to write well academically or be an expert surgeon change when an AI sometimes surpasses our own performance? Narrowly focusing on limitations or benefits of AI may not advance our understanding of what surgeons should be able to do in the future and how. Instead, we should consider exploring when and under what circumstances human-AI collaboration works, for whom and why. We need to turn the scientific discourse away from focusing on how AI can replace clinicians and instead explore how best to support their learning and performances through collective competence. Yet, this requires us to take the science of learning and clinical reasoning into account, which is rarely considered in existing AI research.4