Potential Curriculum Research Articles

On the Benefit of Optimal Transport for Curriculum Reinforcement Learning.

Curriculum reinforcement learning (CRL) allows solving complex tasks by generating a tailored sequence of learning tasks, starting from easy ones and subsequently increasing their difficulty. Although the potential of curricula in RL has been clearly shown in various works, it is less clear how to generate them for a given learning environment, resulting in various methods aiming to automate this task. In this work, we focus on framing curricula as interpolations between task distributions, which has previously been shown to be a viable approach to CRL. Identifying key issues of existing methods, we frame the generation of a curriculum as a constrained optimal transport problem between task distributions. Benchmarks show that this way of curriculum generation can improve upon existing CRL methods, yielding high performance in various tasks with different characteristics.

Development of Critical Thinking Skills: An Analysis of English Curriculum Grades I-XII (2019)

Introduction: This quantitative study analysed the English Language Curriculum for Grades I-XII (2019) to assess how well it promotes critical thinking among secondary school students. The study aimed to determine the extent to which the curriculum facilitates the development of critical thinking skills. Methodology: The curriculum document was selected through purposeful sampling and analyzed using qualitative content analysis with NVivo 12 software. This method enabled a detailed examination of the curriculum content to identify elements related to critical thinking. Results/Findings: The analysis confirmed that critical thinking is deeply embedded in the curriculum through the integration of critical thinking skills with language skills, particularly reading and writing. Using Bloom's Taxonomy, the curriculum emphasizes activities designed to develop higher-level thinking skills. Additionally, well-structured assessments require students to answer analytical and evaluative questions, aligning with the objectives of fostering critical thinking. Future Direction: For the curriculum's potential to be fully realized, teachers must thoroughly understand its objectives and effectively implement the prescribed strategies. Continuous professional development and support for teachers are crucial to ensure the successful integration of critical thinking skills in teaching practices.

Pedagogical Approaches and Instructional Variations: A Comparative Curriculum Analysis of Master Translation Programs in China, Hong Kong and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The study examines the underlying curriculum for translation training, pedagogies that integrate translation in the curriculum, teaching practice, and universities' approaches from Saudi Arabia, China and Hong Kong. Consideration of these issues in a curricular framework must also acknowledge the ideological potential of curricula themselves to prioritise individual relationships between the learner and society, relationships which arc investigated from the perspective of a socially situated view of the translator. The purpose of the study is to offer deep scientific apprehension of the explication of translation expertise in terms of learning translation methods, concepts and the intricacy of certain aspects of teaching. The results reveal that traditional language methodology with unprofessional trainers and teachers are the fundamental concerns in this regard, and it requires to rethought translation method and practice in the Chinese affairs and ordinary circumstances. The findings of the manifest study disparities all-around three cases somewhat due to regional circumstances and departmental differences, but are mainly because of discrete notions of the implementation of translation method and practice of theoretical concepts. Translation teaching research informs the training of all-around translators and interpreters and contributes to the growth of translation studies as a discipline.

Humanism and professionalism training for pediatric hematology-oncology fellows: Results of a multicenter randomized trial.

Although humanism and professionalism are central tenets to the practice of medicine, few formal curricula exist for medical trainees. Following a national needs assessment among pediatric hematology-oncology (PHO) fellows, we created a novel curriculum entitled "Humanism and Professionalism for Pediatric Hematology-Oncology" (HP-PHO). In this study, we measure outcomes of this curricular intervention. We cluster-randomized 20 PHO fellowship programs to deliver usual training in humanism and professionalism (UT) or the novel curriculum (intervention) during the 2016-2017 academic year. The primary outcome measure was the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Self-Assessment in Humanism (PHOSAH). Secondary measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patient-Provider Orientation Scale, Empowerment at Work Scale, and a 5-point satisfaction scale. Participating fellows completed pre- and posttests at the beginning and end of the academic year, respectively, and we calculated change scores for each study instrument. Cluster randomization yielded 59 intervention and 41 UT fellows. The nine intervention sites administered 33 of 36 modules. Change scores on the PHOSAH were not significantly different between the UT and intervention arms. However, fellows on the intervention arm gave significantly higher ratings on several items within the satisfaction scale related to physician burnout, physician depression, balancing professional duties and personal life, and humanism overall. Exposure to the HP-PHO curriculum did not alter fellows' self-assessed humanism and professionalism skills. However, intervention fellows expressed significantly higher levels of satisfaction in their humanism training, indicating the curriculum's potential for positive impact on the fellows' perceived learning environment.

Defining a Focused Pediatric Emergency Medicine Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents: A Case Study at Michigan Medicine.

Emergency medicine (EM) is dedicated to the treatment of urgent and emergent illness requiring physicians to evaluate, treat, and diagnose patients of all ages. EM residency provides the foundation of knowledge enabling trainees to care for any patient. However, specific pediatric curriculum guidance from governing bodies is limited. The literature includes two potential curricula that are cumbersome to implement. Our primary objective was to identify the components of this curricula that were specific to pediatric emergency medicine (PEM). Secondary objectives were to provide a methods framework and to compare the results with the American Board of Emergency Medicine Model of Clinical Practice (EM Model). With the modified Delphi technique, iterative rounds of expert panels sought to reach consensus on PEM-specific topics. We utilized the published curricula as the foundation and focused this list using a group of local experts. Predetermined consensus was defined as 80% agreement. The literature-derived list of 190 topics was reviewed by the expert panel. Experts identified 92 PEM-specific topics, and the remaining 98 topics were deemed adequately covered by general EM curricula. All topics reached consensus after three rounds. The final list was sorted in accordance with the EM Model categories. Redundant topics were consolidated resulting in 68 PEM topics. Of these 68 topics, we identified 20 topics (five of which are critical) that were incompletely covered by the EM Model. Emergency medicine residency programs should focus their PEM curriculum by deliberately assessing their coverage of key PEM topics. The methods of this study can be replicated to yield locally applicable results in other EM programs. Additionally, the next iteration of the EM Model of Clinical Practice should inform their PEM topics from the available curricula in the literature.

L’enseignement et l’apprentissage de la respiration dans le cycle préparatoire et le cycle secondaire en Tunisie : contribution à une analyse curriculaire

The pursued main objective of this work is to verify if the new curricula take into account or not ends and orientations of the last educational reform; in particular as regards the role of the pupil in his apprenticeships, the integration of the NICT (New information and communication technologies) in the teaching process and the promotion of health education. For that purpose, we proceeded to an analysis of content education of breathing function in prescribed and potential curricula in the preparatory and secondary stages of education. The main results which stand out from this study are: (1) Internal and external incoherencies was lifted in both curricula analyzed in consideration of the orientations of the educational reform: (a) There is an epistemological gap between format of the contents and the socio-constructivism ordered by the reform as a paradigm of cognition. (b) Several paradigms of cognition coexist: behaviorism, cognitivism and socio-constructivism. (2) In the statements of curricula, there is a sliding which consists in the reduction of the concept of skill to specific objectives.

Communication Skills Training for Oncology Professionals

To provide a state-of-the-art review of communication skills training (CST) that will guide the establishment of a universal curriculum for fellows of all cancer specialties undertaking training as oncology professionals today. Extensive literature review including meta-analyses of trials, conceptual models, techniques, and potential curricula provides evidence for the development of an appropriate curriculum and CST approach. Examples from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center CST program are incorporated. A core curriculum embraces CST modules in breaking bad news and discussing unanticipated adverse events, discussing prognosis, reaching a shared treatment decision, responding to difficult emotions, coping with survivorship, running a family meeting, and transitioning to palliative care and end of life. Achievable outcomes are growth in clinician's self-efficacy, uptake of new communication strategies and skills, and transfer of these strategies and skills into the clinic. Outcomes impacting patient satisfaction, improved adaptation, and enhanced quality of life are still lacking. Future communication challenges include genetic risk communication, concepts like watchful waiting, cumulative radiation risk, late effects of treatment, discussing Internet information and unproven therapies, phase I trial enrollment, and working as a multidisciplinary team. Patient benefits, such as increased treatment adherence and enhanced adaptation, need to be demonstrated from CST.

Preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections and reducing HIV-stigmatizing attitudes in high-risk youth: Evaluation of a comprehensive community-based and peer-facilitated curriculum

Comprehensive prevention programs for youth are needed to reduce transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and address HIV-stigmatizing attitudes effectively. We evaluated a behavioral risk-reduction curriculum with high-risk youth in the United States. Participants in the five-session course were recruited through a community-based agency in San Diego, California. Participants completed a demographic survey and pre-/post-test. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests are provided for the 286 youth with complete pre-/post-tests. Participants were 37% Latino, 21% non-Latino white, 17% African American, 25% > one ethnicity/other and mean age 16 years. Pre-/post-self-reports indicated significantly (p≤0.05) increased HIV/STI knowledge; ability to refuse sex without a condom; intention to use a condom with new partner; and decreased stigmatization of HIV-positive people. Significant improvements in knowledge and intention to practice safer sex were noted and HIV-related stigma was significantly decreased, indicating the curriculum's potential with ethnically diverse youth in other regions and global contexts.