Courses In Curriculum Research Articles

Long-Term Effectiveness and Sustainability of Integrating Peer-Assisted Ultrasound Courses into Medical School-A Prospective Study.

Ultrasound diagnostics is an important examination method in everyday clinical practice, but student education is often inadequate for acquiring sufficient basic skills. Individual universities have therefore started integrating (extra)curricular training concepts into medical education. This study aimed to evaluate sustainable skills development through participation in peer-assisted ultrasound courses. From 2017, students in the clinical part of medical school could opt for extracurricular peer-assisted ultrasound courses. Depending on the format (10-week course/2-day compact course) these comprised 20 teaching units focusing on abdominal and emergency ultrasonography. Students attending compulsory workshops at the start of their practical year were enrolled in this study, allowing for a comparison between the study group (attended ultrasound course) and the control group (did not attend ultrasound course). Competency from two out of four practical exams (subjects: "aorta", "gallbladder", "kidney" and "lung") was measured, and a theory test on the same subject areas ("pathology recognition") was administered. Additional questions concerned biographical data, subjective competency assessment (7-point Likert scale), and "attitude to ultrasound training in the curriculum". Analysis included 302 participants in total. Ultrasound courses had been attended on average 2.5 years earlier (10-week course) and 12 months earlier (2-day compact course), respectively. The study group (n = 141) achieved significantly better results than the control group (n = 161) in the long-term follow-up. This applies both to practical exams (p < 0.01) and theory tests (p < 0.01). After course attendance, participants reported a significantly higher subjective assessment of theoretical (p < 0.01) and practical (p < 0.01) ultrasound skills. Peer-assisted ultrasound courses can sustainably increase both theoretical and practical competency of medical students. This highlights the potential and need for standardised implementation of ultrasound courses in the medical education curriculum.

The usefulness of mathematical modelling for economic and environmental sustainability in the scope of university teacher education

Purpose The purpose of this study is to present a general review that provides an overview of the concept of sustainability and the effectiveness of mathematics curricula in courses where deeper work on economic and environmental sustainability has become central. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology consisting of a review based on a pre-defined systematic method was used to exhaustively search and identify the most relevant answers to the research question: What is the role of mathematics to sustainability? To facilitate answering such a broad question, several concrete questions were formulated. Answers from published and unpublished documents were analysed. The quality of the extracted data was assessed, and the results were synthesized. Findings It was concluded that, on the one hand, the discipline of mathematics has much to contribute to solving the problems of sustainability; on the other hand, new mathematics is appearing stimulated by new challenges. Social implications This work presents social implications in an innovative way. It allows for an increase in educational sustainability by bringing the academic community closer to the business world and the challenges of society and, furthermore, by having a major impact on the motivation of teachers and students to develop cooperative work within university institutions. Originality/value The originality is based on an a priori analysis for the construction and implementation of didactic tools for university teacher training in the area of mathematics within the framework of sustainable development, both economically and environmentally.

2022 개정 미용과 교육과정에 대한 고찰

As a review of the 2022 revised beauty curriculum, this study attempted to examine how to run 2025 beauty curriculum. For this, the followings were performed. First, connections between the general guidelines of the 2022 revised curriculum and the 2022 revised beauty curriculum were analyzed. Second, the 2015 revised beauty curriculum and 2022 revised curriculum courses were comparatively analyzed, and their relevance with national cosmetologist (general), cosmetologist (skin), cosmetologist (makeup) and cosmetologist (nail) was investigated. Third, how to run the 2022 revision beauty curriculum and vocational high school credit system was discussed. The above results found that compared to the 2015 revised beauty curriculum, the 2022 revised beauty curriculum is more connected with the core competencies of the general guidelines. When courses were compared, however, the level of such core competencies was close to the characteristics and goal of courses. In addition, some demerits were found in core ides, core concept and development of course competencies, putting an emphasis on ‘digital competency’. In the 2022 revised beauty curriculum, the new parts of the national competency standards (NCS) were applied, and curriculum-national technical license connections were improved. Furthermore, how to run the vocational high school credit system was reviewed through analysis of previous studies, and a necessity of establishing a new identity for beauty curriculum was mentioned. It appears that there should be continued efforts in diverse aspects for the smooth settlement and operation of the 2022 revised beauty curriculum and credit system.

Accuracy of full-guided vs. pilot-guided implant insertion - A prospective laboratory study in fifth-year dental students.

Education of undergraduates in implant dentistry has been extended. In order to assess the correct implant position, the accuracy of implant insertion using templates for pilot-drill guided and full-guided implant insertion was examined in a laboratory set-up in a cohort of undergraduates. After three-dimensional planning of the implant position in partially edentulous mandibular models, individual templates for the pilot-drill guided or full-guided implant insertion in the region of the first premolar were produced. A total of 108 dental implants were inserted. The results of the radiographic evaluation of the three-dimensional accuracy were statistically analyzed. Furthermore, the participants completed a questionnaire. The deviation of the three-dimensional angle of the implants inserted fully guided was 2.74±1.49 degrees compared to 4.59±2.70 degrees for pilot-drill guided. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). The returned questionnaires revealed a high interest in oral implantology and a positive evaluation of the hands-on course. In this study, the undergraduates benefited from applying full-guided implant insertion considering the accuracy in this laboratory examination. However, the clinical effects are not clear as the differences are within a small range. Based on the returned questionnaires, the implementation of practical courses in the undergraduate curriculum should be encouraged.

Reviewing Teachers’ Competency for Distance Learning during COVID-19: Inferences for Policy and Practice

Following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020, distance learning has gained more attention from national and international education policies. This timely paper aimed to review the literature about digital competencies that K-12 and pre-service teachers require in order to succeed in supporting online learners during and post COVID-19. A critical question in this review pertained to how contemporary teacher education programs and teacher professional development can respond to the evolving needs of online learners. The findings showed that currently practicing K-12 teachers need more support around the technical, pedagogical, and content development associated with distance learning. In contrast, teacher education programs are urged to ensure that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) knowledge is well integrated into their curricular courses. Further, teacher educators must have the necessary ICT skills and experience to prepare competent K-12 teachers for distance learning. Conclusion and recommendations for teacher education policy and practice for distance learning are offered.

Analysis of the Computational Physics Course in Secondary Preservice Teacher Training Curriculum in Korea

Analysis of the Computational Physics Course in Secondary Preservice Teacher Training Curriculum in Korea

Building awareness and capacity of bioinformatics and open science skills in Kenya: a sensitize, train, hack, and collaborate model.

We have applied the sensitize-train-hack-community model to build awareness of and capacity in bioinformatics in Kenya. Open science is the practice of science openly and collaboratively, with tools, techniques, and data freely shared to facilitate reuse and collaboration. Open science is not a mandatory curriculum course in schools, whereas bioinformatics is relatively new in some African regions. Open science tools can significantly enhance bioinformatics, leading to increased reproducibility. However, open science and bioinformatics skills, especially blended, are still lacking among students and researchers in resource-constrained regions. We note the need to be aware of the power of open science among the bioinformatics community and a clear strategy to learn bioinformatics and open science skills for use in research. Using the OpenScienceKE framework-Sensitize, Train, Hack, Collaborate/Community-the BOSS (Bioinformatics and Open Science Skills) virtual events built awareness and empowered researchers with the skills and tools in open science and bioinformatics. Sensitization was achieved through a symposium, training through a workshop and train-the-trainer program, hack through mini-projects, community through conferences, and continuous meet-ups. In this paper, we discuss how we applied the framework during the BOSS events and highlight lessons learnt in planning and executing the events and their impact on the outcome of each phase. We evaluate the impact of the events through anonymous surveys. We show that sensitizing and empowering researchers with the skills works best when the participants apply the skills to real-world problems: project-based learning. Furthermore, we have demonstrated how to implement virtual events in resource-constrained settings by providing Internet and equipment support to participants, thus improving accessibility and diversity.

Theorizing as a pedagogical project: how to teach theorizing in social work doctoral education

ABSTRACT Social work doctoral education is charged with developing stewards of the discipline who can contribute to conserving professional values and generating knowledge to serve marginalized populations and society at large. However, recent studies on doctoral education found that there have been (1) unbalanced curricula between research courses and other courses, such as critical theories and ethics; and (2) a significant gap between research and social justice in doctoral education. Inspired by Swedberg’s work on ‘a process of theorizing’ as a pedagogical project, I have incorporated his ideas into the teaching of a critical theory course in a social work doctoral program. This article aims to articulate how I taught theorizing: I provide an overview of the course, demonstrate how I explain theorizing to students, and outline dialectics of teaching between theories and theorizing to be considered when developing a critical theory course in a doctoral curriculum. I discuss a pedagogical stance and the role of the teacher in theorizing, and suggest practical exercises (such as a ‘theory note’) to assist students in developing their skills in theorizing. Finally, I reflect on lessons learned from teaching this critical theory course, including how I have negotiated with student resistance to theorizing.

American Superiority, Democratic Idealism, and the Truman Commission: A Critical Discourse Historical Analysis of Higher Education for American Democracy

ABSTRACT In this critical historical analysis, Higher Education for American Democracy is considered a historical artifact, and its veneration as a landmark quest for equal opportunity in higher education is challenged. I argue that this report and the institutional expansion that resulted positioned the federal government to have a direct role in higher education, allowing presidential agendas and dominant ideologies to influence the course of college and university curriculum, access, and purpose. Through a discourse historical approach and a critical realist lens, the Truman Commission Report and President Truman’s public statements are analyzed to reevaluate ther report and its implications for the democratic purpose of higher education in America after World War II.

Technical specialization in Nuclear Medicine: an analysis of courses in Brazil and a proposal for a basic curriculum

Nuclear Medicine (NM) is a medical specialty that, through non-invasive methods, uses radioactive materials for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. According to Standard NN 3.05 of the Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), a Nuclear Medicine System (NMS) must be composed of, at least, a Holder, a Nuclear Physician, a Radiation Protection Supervisor and higher and mid-level professionals, duly qualified for the performance of their duties, which may be exercised, in this case, by a radiology technician. Thus, in 2009, the National Council of Radiology Technicians (CONTER) granted a period of 5 (five) years for radiology technicians who work in the NM and Radiotherapy specialties to specialize in their areas of expertise, a period that was extended for another 5 (five) years. In this sense, this paper aims to carry out a survey of the Technical Specialization courses in NM offered in Brazil, considering that almost 10 years have passed since the CONTER Resolution No. 17, of 2014, verifying aspects such as structure and workload, based on the requirements of the Ministry of Education (MEC), in order to suggest a core curriculum for courses in NM. It was found that, with the legal requirement of this training, these courses began to be offered, but in a reduced number and only in some regions of Brazil, despite the existence of courses in the distance modality. It is understood, therefore, that an expansion of courses in the area is necessary, in view of the relevance of the service for NM.

Preparing Pharmacists for The Era of AI-driven Pharmacological Sciences: An Opinion Article

Due to its rapid development, artificial intelligence (AI) has gained a lot of popularity in many sectors, including pharmacological sciences. In pharmacological sciences, AI has been applied in various areas, from AI-driven drug discovery and genomic sequencing to the development of personalized medicine. Subsequently, the need for pharmacists with adequate AI-related skills and knowledge increases. However, the current traditional curriculum of pharmacy education does not cover AI courses. To elaborate on the current developments in AI-driven pharmacology and present the discussion of the possibility of whether AI-related courses should be included in the current curriculum. We have gathered 32 references on AI-driven pharmacological applications, pharmacy curricula, and the future trends of pharmacological sciences. The literature is obtained from online databases such as Scopus, PubMed, IEEE, and Google Scholar. Based on the literature reviews, we presented the discussion and scientific-based opinion on the need for AI-related courses in the school of pharmacy. We believe that AI will be the basis of future pharmacological development. Hence, we consider that it is the right time to include AI-related courses in the student's curriculum to prepare future-proof pharmacists.

Effect of Artificial Intelligence Course in Nursing on Students' Medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness: A Comparative Quasi-Experimental Study.

It is predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) will transform nursing across all domains of nursing practice, including administration, clinical care, education, policy, and research. This study examined the impact of an AI course in the nursing curriculum on students' medical AI readiness. This comparative quasi-experimental study was conducted with a total of 300 3rd-year nursing students, 129 in the control group and 171 in the experimental group. Students in the experimental group received 28 hours of AI training. The students in the control group were not given any training. Data were collected by a socio-demographic form and the Medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness Scale. An AI course should be included in the nursing curriculum, according to 67.8% of students in the experimental group and 57.4% of students in the control group. The mean score of the experimental group on medical AI readiness was higher ( P < .05) and the effect size of the course on readiness was -0.29. An AI nursing course positively affects students' readiness for medical AI.

Mathematical Modeling Instruction Based on ISM In Middle and High Schools to Encourage Path-Obstruction Detection

The mathematical modeling course is one of the courses in the mathematics curriculum that has the most cross-cutting content with other courses, and achieving cross-curricular outreach is an important part of integrated practice implementation. This study uses the ISM method to find 18 factors from 5 dimensions that prevent the promotion of mathematical modeling courses, explains how the components are interconnected, and arranges the link using hierarchies, concludes that social support has the most significant impact on the promotion of mathematical modeling courses, and that their development cannot be achieved without the collaborative efforts of society, schools, teachers, and students. This study makes recommendations for reforming the system for integrating and developing mathematical modeling courses with basic courses, as well as for increasing awareness of and recognition for these courses with the cooperation of multiple parties.

Ways to form students' creative abilities in the school mathematics course

The article discusses the theoretical foundations and pedagogical features of the organization of students' creative abilities during the development of «creative abilities of students». The factors and conditions that contribute to the skills of students' creative abilities are revealed, didactic units and functions worthy of organizing students' research activities are considered in the mathematical learning process, the structure of which is indicated. In teaching mathematics, the definition of «creativity» is clarified. A pedagogical analysis of textbooks of the natural and mathematical direction is carried out and the advantages in textbooks are indicated. The concept of «creative abilities of students» is considered and problems are given. Scientific research was carried out in the general secondary school «Shokai No. 24». When conducting research work, methods of analysis of pedagogical and psychological literature, pedagogical analysis of creative abilities, observation, survey, pedagogical experiment are used. As a result of the research, search and research, creative tasks aimed at the development of search and research, creative activities of students were compiled. Students were interviewed anonymously. The study involved 57 students, 25 percent of whom were able to complete the tasks in full. Discussing the results of the survey; students who work with additional literature, who are interested in independent search, creative work, were able to complete the tasks. The result of scientific research can be used as an auxiliary tool for specialists in the field of mathematics, who teach algebra courses in the school curriculum, search and Research tasks for the development of search and research activities of students.

A new curriculum evaluation model for gastronomy education in Turkey

This paper presents a model to evaluate the curriculum of a gastronomy undergraduate program in Turkey. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and fuzzy logic are applied to determine the educational performances of the curriculum courses. The evaluation was made by considering the perspectives reflecting the educational vision of the gastronomy department. The results reveal that each course contributes differently to various perspectives of gastronomy education, a number of courses may be removed from the curriculum, and the status of certain courses should be changed. The model is also effective in comparing the different curricula that provide the same education.

Increasing student engagement with course content in graduate public health education: A pilot randomized trial of behavioral nudges.

Digital advances in the learning space have changed the contours of student engagement as well as how it is measured. Learning management systems and other learning technologies now provide information about student behaviors with course materials in the form of learning analytics. In the context of a large, integrated and interdisciplinary Core curriculum course in a graduate school of public health, this study undertook a pilot randomized controlled trial testing the effect of providing a "behavioral nudge" in the form of digital images containing specific information derived from learning analytics about past student behaviors and performance. The study found that student engagement varied significantly from week to week, but nudges linking coursework completion to assessment grade performance did not significantly change student engagement. While the a priori hypotheses of this pilot trial were not upheld, this study yielded significant findings that can guide future efforts to increase student engagement. Future work should include a robust qualitative assessment of student motivations, testing of nudges that tap into these motivations and a richer examination of student learning behaviors over time using stochastic analyses of data from the learning management system.

Discussion of “Is designed data collection still relevant in the big data era?”

Discussion of “Is designed data collection still relevant in the big data era?”

Preservice teachers’ science learning and self-efficacy to teach with robotics-based activities: Investigating a scaffolded and a self-guided approach

IntroductionRobotics is viewed as a viable pedagogical strategy for STEM learning because it is characterized by many practices common to the STEM disciplines such as engineering design. With many national curricular calling for STEM integration in K-12 formal educational settings, there is a need for empirical evidence about the effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches to teach with robotics-based activities to promote curriculum learning outcomes and teaching practice. This exploratory study investigated the effectiveness of a scaffolded robotics intervention and a self-guided robotics intervention on pre-service teacher knowledge (PST) of science concepts related to gears and on PST self-efficacy to teach with the robotics-based activities.MethodsA quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention study was implemented with two non-equivalent groups of elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) in a Bachelor of Education program. PSTs in the self-guided group (n = 11) worked with robotics kits in the library at their own pace. PSTs in the scaffolded intervention group (n = 16) were guided through the activity by the author with instructional scaffolds. IBM SPSS Statistics 27 was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe relationship between intervention type and gains in science knowledge was not statistically significant for the self-guided group but was statistically significant for the scaffolded group suggesting that scaffolding supported PST’s learning of the science concepts. With respect to PST self-efficacy to teach with the robotics-based activity, both intervention types revealed statistically significant gains from pre to post tests, however effect sizes indicated that the scaffolded intervention resulted in greater gains in PST self-efficacy to teach with the robotics-based activities.DiscussionThe results provide exploratory evidence that the scaffolded robotics approach, modelled for and experienced by the pre-service teachers in this study, was effective for their learning of science curricular concepts related to gears and for developing their self-efficacy for teaching the robotics-based activities. It should be noted that findings may not be generalizable due to the small sample sizes, especially of the self-guided group. Nevertheless, the findings do provide insights for teacher educators incorporating robotics-based activities into curricular courses such as science methods as it provides specific examples of scaffolds that were effective for science learning and for developing PST self-efficacy. The study also contributes to the literature on instructional strategies that promote robotics adoption in K-12 schools to support development of STEM knowledge and skills.

Incorporating “Religion and National Values” (RNV) into the Nigerian University Curriculum for Peace and Development

This article examines the opportunities for “religion and national values” (RNV) in the national context of shaping Nigerian students through university curriculum. University students are often radicalized by religious fundamentalists and are usually used in the destruction of lives and property. This makes the inclusion of RNV as a course in university curriculum a necessary endeavor for sustaining peace and development in Nigeria, looking at its impact on secondary education. The curriculum of Nigeria’s secondary schools includes the subject “Religion and National Values” which has resulted in widespread religious tolerance, peace, and development. Scholars are yet to look at how these results were achieved and the need for RNV to be included in university curriculum. In this study, the literature was extended to look at how the curriculum can promote national unity, peace, and development at the secondary school level, as well as the need for RNV in the university curriculum. This study utilized documentary analysis, with data gotten from secondary sources. In this study, it was discovered that the Nigerian university curriculum is designed to cater to university students’ economic and political needs at the neglect of religion, which has taken more lives and property in Nigeria. Also, the contents of Nigeria’s educational curriculum increase the dichotomy between Christians and Muslims because of the neglect of a course that touches on religion and national values (RNV). In conclusion, the inclusion of RNV as a course in university curriculum increases unity among students and also reduces the chances of youth being radicalized by terrorist groups. Recommendations are discussed.

Examining the effectiveness of the primary education curriculum in terms of leisure education: an overview of learning outcomes in the Turkish public education system

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to examine the compulsory and elective course learning outcomes that indicate the goals of the primary education curriculums in terms of leisure education. The data were collected using a structured content form based on qualitative research methodology and were analysed using content analysis, which is a quantitative method. A total of 3013 learning outcomes in the primary curriculum in the 2017–2018 academic year were separately examined and coded by three researchers. Of the 2160 compulsory courses, 326 (15%) included direct leisure education outcomes, and 456 (21.1%) included indirect leisure education outcomes. Of the 853 elective courses, 90 (10.5%) included direct leisure education outcomes, and 182 (21.3%) included indirect leisure education outcomes. The highest learning outcomes of leisure education in the compulsory courses were in Physical Education and Sports and Games and Physical Activities courses, while the highest learning outcomes of leisure education in the elective courses were in Visual Arts and Intelligence Games courses. In conclusion, approximately 25%of the primary education curriculum courses provide learning outcomes in terms of leisure education, but the learning outcomes are focused on awareness and leisure skills, and there is no balanced distribution of leisure education dimensions.