Critical Incident Questionnaire Research Articles

A close look into students’ perception of teamwork in a humanities course: integrating Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire and a revised Tuckman’s small group development model

ABSTRACT This case study combines Stephen Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) and Tuckman’s phases of small group development to study students’ perception of teamwork within a humanities course. As the semester progressed and students’ experiences within the team cycle evolved, their reliance towards direct teaching decreased and their degree of satisfaction with group dynamics and productivity increased. An exit survey, more specifically focused on skills learned through teamwork, revealed that adjourning and transforming are two distinct phases in succession. These findings diverge from existing literature, which often refers to adjourning and transforming either as the same phase, or as alternative directions. Tuckman’s model was slightly modified to take these discoveries into account.

Strategies employed for information transfer and relation building in intercultural communication – A cross-cultural study

The aim of the study is to examine strategies used in intercultural encounters by Polish and Turkish students of Foreign Languages (n1=50, n2=50, respectively) who have experienced intercultural communication. Intercultural encounters are viewed as ‘language-in-action’ situations because they provide a rich source of information about linguistic devices used during intercultural exchanges, sources of misunderstanding and miscommunication, and strategies implemented to transfer information or maintain conversational involvement of the interlocutors. This study offers some insights into the frequency and variety of the strategies used in intercultural encounters. It was conducted as a small-scale project, with the Critical Incident Technique and questionnaires administered to collect data. The research participants (C1/C2 levels of proficiency) were supposed to produce written narratives describing the most memorable intercultural encounters and report on intercultural communication strategies. Their narratives were later analysed to identify strategies applied to manage intercultural communication and achieve communicative goals (e.g. maintaining contact and/or conveying necessary information). Research findings show that Proactively seeking clarification and Building intercultural connection or relationship were the most frequent strategies used by these two groups. However, research results also suggest that the choice of strategies depends on such factors as the participants’ level of language proficiency, their cultural background or the quality and quantity of intercultural contacts. Cross-cultural analysis indicates that Turkish students are more socially- and culturally oriented, whereas Polish students display a tendency to focus more on cognitive and linguistic aspects of intercultural encounters. Findings from the study can be of help for educators and trainers involved in researching intercultural communication, strategic involvement and training.

Procedure for the Determination of the Student Workload and the Learning Environment Created in the Power Electronics Course Taught Through Project-Based Learning

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> In the research presented in this article, a procedure for determining student workload has been designed, tested, and validated. This procedure also makes it possible to analyze how different teaching variables are affected by workload and to visualize the learning environment generated in the course. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> When the project-based learning (PBL) methodology is used in a course, if the students’ workload is not properly planned and controlled, important variables in the educational environment, such as the teaching organization and the students’ approach to learning, can be affected. The PBL methodology may even become unfeasible as it affects the other courses with which it shares year and semester. This justifies the need to know the student workload of a subject. The previous research has presented procedures for establishing student workload. However, they use questionnaires with a high number of questions. A questionnaire with many questions affects the reliability of students’ answers. The questionnaire presented in this article reduces the number of questions without affecting the results obtained and it is easily applicable to other courses. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Questions:</i> The questions to be answered in this research are: 1) is the workload of the students, when using the PBL methodology in a course, in line with the one established in the syllabus? and 2) is the learning environment created in the course as expected? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology:</i> The methodology used to obtain the necessary data is based on students completing weekly surveys, two critical incident questionnaires (CIQs), and a final survey. The aim was always to minimize the number of questions to be answered, ensuring that the data collected provided a true picture of the workload and the educational environment. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> The analysis of the data obtained by applying the procedure provides mechanisms to control the workload, ensure involvement and motivation, improve students’ academic results and show the learning environment created in the course. The implementation of this method, during three academic years, has allowed to test its effectiveness, validate some of the initial hypotheses, and confirm the conclusions of some previous studies.

Designing narrative for professional development: A programme for improving international health care practitioners’ cultural competence

To maintain and improve skills for practice, health care professionals across all disciplines need to engage in ongoing professional development. However, helping clinicians learn and apply new knowledge in practice can be challenging. This article reports on a purpose-designed professional development programme targeting experienced practitioners of a particular music therapy, focusing on their cultural competency. The author conceptualised a workshop format with a relevant clinical scenario at its centre. She describes how she developed the programme, which she subsequently delivered to an international community of 57 practitioners attending professional development conferences. To capture participants’ reactions and evidence of their new thinking applied to an everyday clinical practice, she used Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Her analysis of the data, which provided feedback on the training scenario and structured group discussion materials, found that this continuing professional development training workshop was effective in challenging clinicians to think differently, and to plan the application of their newly acquired knowledge to their everyday practice. This paradigmatic case study contributes new knowledge towards the current reform of health systems, where achieving person-centred health care depends on the ongoing professional development of established health practitioners. Replacing traditional health care, where the patient receiving treatment is accorded a passive role, person-centred health care engages patients’ active participation in their therapy. Practitioners who have graduated a while ago therefore need to change some of their ingrained practices and approaches in treating their clients and patients, which will then lead to improved health outcomes.

An educational intervention to facilitate appropriate subspecialty referrals: a study assessing resident communication skills

BackgroundOur goal was to improve pediatric residents' advanced communication skills in the setting of referral to address the entrustable professional activity of subspecialty referral identified by the American Board of Pediatrics. To accomplish this aim, we created a referral and consultation curriculum to teach and assess core communication skills in subspecialty referral involving an adolescent with syncope, an anxiety-provoking symptom that is rarely associated with serious pathology.MethodsWe utilized blended multimodal educational interventions to improve resident communication skills in referral of patients. Trainees participated in 1) an interactive online module on syncope focusing on “red-flag” symptoms that would warrant a subspecialty cardiology referral and 2) a 4-h intervention with Standardized Parents (SPs), focusing on the case-based application of communication skills. Communication skills were assessed by two pre- and post- Objective Structured Clinical Examination encounters of patients with syncope, with an SP evaluation using a 20-item checklist. Analysis was performed with Sign test and McNemar’s test. Trainees provided feedback on a Critical Incident Questionnaire, which was analyzed qualitatively.ResultsSixty-four residents participated. There was an overall improvement in communication skills based on SP scores (82.7 ± 10.9% to 91.7 ± 5.0%, p < 0.001), and 13/20 items demonstrated significant improvement post-intervention. Residents’ improved performance enabled them to address patient/family emotions, explain referral logistics, and clarify concerns to agree on a plan.ConclusionsBy participating in this curriculum, residents’ communication skills improved immediately post-intervention. Further research is needed to assess if this intervention improves patient care by providing residents with enduring skills to judiciously manage the referral process.

Using the Critical Incident Questionnaire as a Formative Evaluation Tool to Inform Online Course Design: A Qualitative Study

The online instructor plays a prominent role in influencing how students respond to an online course, from designing the course structure, course activities, and assignments to encouraging interaction. Therefore, to develop effective online courses, instructors need robust feedback on their design strategies. Student evaluation of teaching (SET) functions as a summative evaluation of the course design and delivery. Yet, the feedback from SETs can only be integrated into the next iteration of the course, thereby failing to benefit the students who provide the feedback. One suggestion is to use midsemester formative evaluation to inform course design in real time. A qualitative research study was conducted to explore whether the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) could be an effective formative evaluative tool to inform real-time online course design and delivery. Thematic analysis was conducted on the midcourse evaluations obtained from 70 students in six fully online master’s level courses. There are three key findings from this study. First, CIQ use can provide opportunities for real-time adjustments to online course design and inform future redesign of online courses. Second, responses received via the CIQ prioritize the student voice and experience by focusing on factors that are critical to them. Finally, this deep-dive analysis reinforces the enduring factors that contribute to effective online course design and delivery. A recommendation for practice is to use the CIQ as an effective tool to gather formative feedback from students. This feedback can then be used to adjust course design as needed.

Making and learning: Envisioning a third place for Lakota artists

ABSTRACT This case study discusses a course where 125 South Dakota State University School of Design (SoD) students collaborated with faculty, staff, and 30 artists at Sitting Bull College (SBC), Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, North Dakota, US. Students received authentic instruction through SBC artist workshops, conversations, and storytelling, then joined visioning exercises to design festival grounds, workshop spaces, kitchen and dining facilities, and guest camping. Students demonstrated that they understood the function of a “third place” by asking informed questions, reflecting on unique cultural requirements, and looking to the future to supply sustainable site and building recommendations. All interactions were held online. Students’ reflections were gathered using Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire. Tara Page’s embodied and material pedagogies are useful when making, designing, and learning about sites, local culture, and people. Future work will examine how knowledge, understanding, learning, and belonging strengthen the placemaking process to better prepare students for professional practice.

By Their Pupils They’ll Be Taught: Using Critical Incident Questionnaire as Feedback

Can students teach their professors? The purpose of this study was to determine if students provided more immediate feedback to the professor on what engaged them and what distanced them in their learning and if the professor made changes to course delivery based on that feedback, would students become more engaged in their learning. In this action research study, a cohort of thirteen teacher education students responded bi-weekly using Critical Incident Questionnaires identifying what engaged them and what distanced them in the course. The sooner, rather than later, feedback to their professor allowed the professor to make changes to course delivery throughout the semester and thus helped students become more engaged in their own learning. The study found that the use of Critical Incident Questionnaires helped the professor assess her own teaching, make adjustments to class delivery based on student feedback to engender greater student engagement, and encourage future teachers to engage in the process of self-reflection.

Navigating Student Challenges: From the Lens of First-Year Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Introduction. Anxiety, depression, and burnout are being discussed across health professions. Despite rising concern, studies investigating stress in students enrolled in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs remain limited. Only recently have studies exploring stress in DPT students surfaced with any consistency. In this study, our aim was to elucidate the self-identified challenges first-year DPT students faced, how they reacted, and what they did to manage them. Review of the Literature. Evidence suggests that DPT students, like other health professional students, report high levels of anxiety. Despite rising concern, studies investigating the impact of stress on DPT students remain limited. This concern also raises the question of the role of health professions educators in helping students develop the coping strategies needed to manage stress. Programs across the health professions have been proffered to address student stress; however, limited data exist to effectively guide educators. From the insights gained, we offer recommendations linked to the emic or student perspective that may help educators facilitate adaptive coping skills in their learners. Subjects. Participants included first-year DPT students from 3 private universities. Methods. A critical incident questionnaire was used to capture the student experience. Narratives were submitted electronically. Responses were deidentified, and researchers were blinded to participation. An inductive interpretivist approach was used to analyze the data. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness included prolonged engagement, triangulation of investigators, and peer review. Results. Eighty-two first-year DPT students responded; 70 complete responses were analyzed. Three major themes were identified: 1) first-year DPT students faced academic, personal, and mixed challenges; 2) challenges evoked a range of negatively charged emotions; and 3) students relied on adaptive and some potentially maladaptive personal characteristics, behaviors, and strategies to manage their challenges. Discussion and Conclusion. First-year DPT students face many of the same challenges as other health professional students. Most successfully navigated their challenges, however, not without some degree of emotion. As educators, we must prepare students to develop the coping strategies needed to manage not only current academic stressors but ultimately the stressors inherent in clinical practice. Toward that end, we offer recommendations, linked to the emic perspective obtained, that may help educators facilitate adaptive coping skills in their learners.

Experiences of School Counselor Trainees in Group Supervision During Practicum: A Phenomenological Study

In this phenomenological study, we explored experience of students (N=6) in group supervision within a practicum field experience course. Using a narrative-focused approach for data analysis and interpretation of journal entries, were created a thematic structure of the participants’ lived experiences using the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Discussion and implications of this journal writing activity are offered to help reveal and understand the instructional effectiveness of a field practicum counseling course.

Experiences of School Counselor Trainees in Group Supervision During Practicum: A Phenomenological Study

In this phenomenological study, we explored experience of students (N=6) in group supervision within a practicum field experience course. Using a narrative-focused approach for data analysis and interpretation of journal entries, were created a thematic structure of the participants’ lived experiences using the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Discussion and implications of this journal writing activity are offered to help reveal and understand the instructional effectiveness of a field practicum counseling course.

Exploring ELT Students’ Professional Identity Formation through the Perspectives of Critical Incidents

This study aims at exploring the professional identities of six ELT students through the lens of critical incidents. For the sake of this aim, six ELT students took part in this research at an Anatolian High School in 2018-2019 spring semester. The teaching practicum process was conducted from April to mid of May 2019, once a week over six-week practicum. The main data collection of this study was the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Additionally, two questions were asked to the participants to evaluate their actual and designated professional identities. The first question was answered before the practicum and the second one was answered at the end of the practicum process. The results showed that some internal and external factors influenced their professional identity. Additionally, it was found that critical incidents could be used to spot the changes in the participants’ professional identity formation processes. Results of the study indicated that not only negative but also some positive critical incidents contributed to the participants’ professional identity formation. As a result of the encountered incidents that influenced their formation of identities, it was observed that the actual identities of four students changed from positive to negative at the end of the process. Correspondingly, the findings of this study put forward that how the participants explored their identity formation process through the critical incidents.

Exploring ELT Students’ Professional Identity Formation through the Perspectives of Critical Incidents

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;This study aims at exploring the professional identities of six ELT students through the lens of critical incidents. For the sake of this aim, six ELT students took part in this research at an Anatolian High School in 2018-2019 spring semester. The teaching practicum process was conducted from April to mid of May 2019, once a week over six-week practicum. The main data collection of this study was the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Additionally, two questions were asked to the participants to evaluate their actual and designated professional identities. The first question was answered before the practicum and the second one was answered at the end of the practicum process. The results showed that some internal and external factors influenced their professional identity. Additionally, it was found that critical incidents could be used to spot the changes in the participants’ professional identity formation processes. Results of the study indicated that not only negative but also some positive critical incidents contributed to the participants’ professional identity formation. As a result of the encountered incidents that influenced their formation of identities, it was observed that the actual identities of four students changed from positive to negative at the end of the process. Correspondingly, the findings of this study put forward that how the participants explored their identity formation process through the critical incidents.&lt;/p&gt;

Using Critical Incident Assessments to Understand Nursing Students' Perceptions That Impact Learning.

Nurse faculty have a responsibility to examine nursing incidents that have a negative effect on students and identify methods for improvement. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' perceptions of weekly incidents that impact learning in order to alert faculty to problems early in the program of study. A qualitative descriptive design was used to identify common themes of first-semester BSN students' perceptions using Brookfield's Critical Incident Questionnaire. Four themes were identified. Critical reflection, analysis, and active learning are vital components in nursing education.

Online Discussions as an Intervention for Strengthening Students’ Engagement in General Education

Research suggests that students are skeptical about the values of General Education courses. This revelation calls for different strategies to improve students’ engagement in the classes, including the use of online learning platforms. This study documents students’ experiences of the online discussion forum as a tool for strengthening their engagement in the Social Sciences context of General Education. Data collection and analyses were conducted using quantitative and qualitative strategies involving learning analytics and critical incident questionnaire. The findings revealed that the forum aided students’ engagement and learning in the courses, especially when reading and responding to colleagues’ posts and relating topics to their personal experiences. Despite this, the findings showed that students’ engagement was hampered while interfacing with each other on the platform when colleagues repeated ideas, and discussions were inconsistent with their personal experiences. The results suggested that constructive feedback, clear guidelines, and reflective questions can strengthen students’ engagement and learning in online discussions. Based on the findings, implications for practice and stakeholders are discussed.

A Workshop to Reflect on Personal Resilience in Emergency Medicine Residents: Applying the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Visual Explorer, and the Critical Incident Questionnaire to Support Introspection.

Burnout among emergency medicine (EM) residents is gaining increasing attention. The authors designed a workshop to assess EM residents’ resilience using a validated scale to prompt personal reflection. The workshop then shifted to peer-to-peer conversations and sharing using images from Visual Explorer (VE) to further reflect on resilience. Overall, resident resilience scores were below those of the US general population, with post-graduate year (PGY)-2 year residents having the lowest scores. The workshop was well received by residents; data from the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) suggested that residents felt engaged during discussion of the images. Further study is needed to assess the correlation between resilience scores and burnout.

How MOOCs Can Develop Teacher Cognition: The Case of in-Service English Language Teachers

Abstract Research reveals a rapid expansion of Open Educational Resources (OER) supporting global access to higher education for continued professional development (CPD) for in-service teachers. This offers interactive opportunities for participation and reflection to support the development of teacher cognition through a globally-oriented online community. This paper will indicate whether the OER MOOCs designed for CPD of in-service English language teachers (ELT) have a role in developing teacher cognition. It also examines the in-service teacher experience of MOOC participants and proposes that teacher cognition and evaluation of cognitive change remain central to understanding teachers’ experience of learning on MOOCs. Brookfield’s (1995) critical incident questionnaire (CIQ) captured the weekly experience of six in-service ELTs undertaking a CPD MOOC over four weeks. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were applied to CIQ data to examine changes in participant cognition. Teachers reflected on how MOOC developed their own knowledge, their learners’ knowledge, and to a lesser extent, their colleagues’ knowledge. The findings cast new light on the influence of MOOC which primarily shows that in terms of their own knowledge, teachers have a strong tendency to view MOOC participation as a pathway to their own development.

Does medical training in Thailand prepare doctors for work in community hospitals? An analysis of critical incidents

BackgroundCompulsory 3-year public service was implemented in 1967 as a measure to tackle the maldistribution of doctors in Thailand. Currently, therefore, most medical graduates work in rural community hospitals for their first jobs. This research explored doctors’ perceptions of preparedness for practice using a critical incident technique.MethodsA self-administered critical incident questionnaire was developed. Convenient samples were used, i.e. Family Medicine residents at Ramathibodi Hospital who had worked in a community hospital after graduation before returning to residency training. Participants were asked to write about two incidents that had occurred while working in a community hospital, one in which they felt the knowledge and skills obtained in medical school had prepared them for managing the situation effectively and the other in which they felt ill-prepared. Data were thematically analysed.ResultsFifty-six critical incidents were reported from 28 participants. There were representatives from both normal and rural tracks of undergraduate training and community hospitals of all sizes and all regions. Doctors felt well-prepared to provide care for patients in emergency situations and as in-patients, but under-prepared for obstetric and paediatric emergencies, out-patient care, and palliative care. Moreover, they felt poorly prepared to deal with difficult patients, hospital administration and quality assurance.ConclusionsLong-term solutions are needed to solve the rural doctor shortage. Medical graduates from both normal and rural tracks felt poorly prepared for working effectively in community hospitals. Medical training should prepare doctors for rural work, and they should be supported while in post.KeywordsPreparedness for practice, Community hospital, Critical incident, Rural doctor, Rural practice, Undergraduate medical training

From Cubicles to Community: Reducing Library Anxiety Through Critically Reimagined Social Spaces

Researchers in the Graduate and Undergraduate Services (GUS) department at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah designed and created a collaborative service interaction space to alleviate symptoms of library anxiety. This plan led to several iterations of purchase and renovation proposals. After a lengthy design period, the space underwent a dramatic change, including new paint, decor, furniture, technology, and stated purpose. The researchers adapted Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis. The researchers discovered that their embedded roles elicited a higher student response rate to the survey. Results of the questionnaire were highly encouraging, and GUS librarians are actively reaching out to bring students into a redesigned space that enhances and nurtures the research process. The researchers found that the notion of library-as-place is most effective when supplemented by analysis of space in conjunction with services, spaces, and the communities we serve.

Finding the 'QR' to Patient Safety: Applying Gamification to Incorporate Patient Safety Priorities Through a Simulated 'Escape Room' Experience.

Medical errors are the eighth leading cause of mortality in the United States and contribute to over one million preventable injuries. In an effort to prevent medical errors, reporting systems serve as invaluable tools to detect patient safety events and quality problems longitudinally. Historically, trainees (i.e., students and residents) rarely submit incident reports for encountered patient safety threats. The authors propose an immersive learning experience utilizing gamification theory and leveraging the increasingly popular ‘escape room’ to help resident trainees identify reportable patient safety priorities.All 130 incoming intern physicians at the Thomas Jefferson University (Jefferson) were enrolled in the Patient Safety Escape Room study as part of their residency orientation (June 2018). The residents were randomly divided into 16 teams. Each team was immersed in a simulated escape room, tasked with identifying a predetermined set of serious patient safety hazards, and successfully manually entering them into the Jefferson Event Reporting System within the time allotted to successfully ‘win the game’ by ‘escaping the room’. Quick response (QR) codes were planted throughout the activity to provide in-game instructions; clues to solve the puzzle; and key information about patient safety priorities at Jefferson. All participants underwent a formal debriefing using the feedback capture grid method and completed a voluntary post-study survey, adapted from Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). The study was IRB exempt.Thematic analysis of the post-activity CIQ survey (n = 102) revealed that interns were engaged during the immersive learning experience (n = 42) and were specifically engaged by having to independently identify patient safety threats (n = 30). Participants identified team role assignment (n = 52) and effective communication (n = 26) as the two most helpful actions needed to successfully complete the activity. Participants were overall surprised by the success of the education innovation (n = 45) and reported that it changed how they viewed patient safety threats. Areas for improvement include clearer game instructions and using a more streamlined event reporting process.The escape room patient-safety activity allowed interns to actively engage in an innovative orientation activity that highlighted the importance of patient safety hazards, as well as providing them with the opportunity to document event reports in real-time. Next steps will include longitudinally tracking the quantity of error reports entered by this cohort to determine the effectiveness of this educational intervention.