Didactic Teaching Research Articles

An interactive augmented reality software for facial reconstructive surgeries

Background and ObjectiveSurgical trainees need a lot of training and practice before being able to operate independently. The current approach of surgical education mainly involves didactic teaching and psychomotor training through physical models or real tissue. Due to the unavailability of physical resources and lack of objective ways of evaluation, there is a demand for developing alternative training methods for surgeons. In this paper, we present an application that provides additional training opportunities to surgical trainees in the field of facial reconstructive surgeries. MethodsWe built a mobile augmented reality application that helps the user to visualize important concepts and experiment with different surgical plans for facial reconstructive surgeries. The application can overlay relaxed skin tension lines on a live video input or a patient's photo, which serve as bases for aligning a skin flap. A surgical trainee can interactively compare different skin flap design choices with estimated final scars on a photo of a patient. Data collection capability is also added to the application, and we performed a Monte Carlo experiment with simulated users (five classes of 100 users each) as an example of objectively measuring user performance. ResultsThe application can overlay relaxed skin tension lines on a patient's face in real time on a modern mobile device. Accurate overlays were achieved in over 91% as well as 84% and 88% out of 263 generated face images, depending on the method. Visual comparisons of the three overlay methods are presented on sample faces from different population groups. From the Monte Carlo experiment, we see that user actions in each class follow a normal distribution with a distinct set of parameters. ConclusionsThis application can serve as a basis for teaching surgical trainees the fundamentals of different facial reconstructive procedures, especially concepts related to relaxed skin tension lines and skin flaps. It can objectively evaluate the performance of surgical trainees in a course. This setup focuses on illustrating the relationship between the orientation of skin flaps and relaxed skin tension lines, which is a prerequisite of minimizing scarring in patients in addition to good surgical techniques.

Athletic Trainers' Perceptions of and Experiences With Professional Development Approaches for Enhancing Clinical Documentation.

Little is known about how athletic trainers (ATs) learn clinical documentation, but previous studies have identified that ATs have a need for more educational resources specific to documentation. To obtain ATs' perspectives on learning clinical documentation. Qualitative study. Web-based audio interviews. Twenty-nine ATs who completed 2 different continuing education (CE) clinical documentation modules. Participants averaged 36.2 ± 9.0 years of age and included 16 women and 13 men representing 21 US states and 8 clinical practice settings. Participants were recruited from a group of ATs who completed 1 of 2 web-based CE clinical documentation modules. Within 3 weeks of completing the educational modules, participants were interviewed regarding their perceptions of how they learn clinical documentation, including their experiences completing the modules. Using the Consensual Qualitative Research approach, 3 researchers and 1 internal auditor inductively analyzed the data during 5 rounds of consensus coding. Trustworthiness measures included multianalyst triangulation, data source triangulation, and peer review. Two themes emerged from the data, including (1) mechanisms of learning documentation and (2) benefits of the educational modules. Athletic trainers primarily learn documentation through professional education and workforce training, but training appears to be inconsistent. Participants perceived that both educational modules were effective at increasing their knowledge and confidence related to learning documentation. The CE modules incited a growth mindset and intention to change behavior. Athletic trainers are satisfied with web-based CE learning experiences specific to clinical documentation and may benefit from more CE offered in these formats. Educators are encouraged to integrate clinical documentation principles throughout the curriculum during both didactic and clinical education. Workforce training is also valuable for improving knowledge and skills related to clinical documentation, and employers should onboard and support ATs as they start new positions.

INCONSISTENT REALITIES OF ONLINE-EDUCATION

The article discusses some issues related to the transformation of the education system, which is largely due to the penetration of digital tools into the educational environment. The demand for IT technologies is emphasized, on the one hand, by the requirements of digitalization of the economy, which needs highly qualifi ed information specialists, and on the other hand, by methodological and didactic teaching practices, which are largely based on the use of electronic resources. The analysis of the contradictory nature of online education is given, the positive and negative consequences of its use in the educational process are investigated, its role in the processes of adaptation to the rapidly changing social and educational context is considered, its importance as the most important factor of socialization is emphasized. It is emphasized that distance learning is not only qualitatively new, but also a suffi ciently productive and fl exible form of learning that can be applied in various educational settings, and this is its universality. Attention is drawn to the fact that the success and relevance of distance education depend on the degree of use of traditional forms of education, the use of educational methods and practices that have become classical. The role of digitalization in strengthening the processes associated with the individualization of learning is emphasized, which is dictated by the requirements of industry 4.0. Digitalization creates conditions for self-realization, the formation of a space of competencies and skills that are in demand in post-industrial times. At the same time, negative psycho-emotional consequences of excessive fascination with IT tools are revealed, which often become mechanisms of manipulation of individual and collective consciousness. These problems taken together determine the objectives of the study – to draw attention to the ambiguous nature of online education, to show its relevance to the realities of socio-economic and educational time, to demonstrate the benefi ts and advantages that are provided by real-time learning, but based on the use of electronic resources. Being essentially an innovative pedagogical practice, distance learning meets the requirements of a transforming education system in which increased attention is paid to the issues of individualization of learning. Personalization as one of the leading trends allows us to expand the range of additional knowledge, as well as digital competencies demanded by modern modernization processes, which are somehow caused by the digitalization of the economy. The results of the study allow us to identify objective factors contributing to the disclosure of the contradictory nature of online education, the defi nition of the main trends in its development, the need to use it as an educational technology. The scientifi c novelty consists in identifying and analyzing those factors that ensure the effectiveness of digitalization of education, taking into account its possible consequences.

General practice trainees' understanding of post-sexual assault care: the impact of a specialist educational intervention.

Sexual assault (SA) is a highly prevalent issue, with significant adverse health sequelae. Given that general practitioners (GPs) may serve as the first point of contact for many SA victims, their awareness of post-SA care and appropriate understanding of referral pathways to a sexual assault treatment unit (SATU) are critically important. This study evaluated GP trainees' knowledge of and comfort with post-SA care. Educational intervention study using a didactic teaching session was delivered by a specialist forensic examiner on post-SA care. A pre and post-study questionnaire was implemented to assess participants' knowledge and comfort levels with subject material. Significance was set at p-value below 0.05. Seventy-five GP-trainees attended the teaching session. Fifty-three completed the pre-teaching questionnaire and 50 completed the post-teaching questionnaire. Only a minority of trainees had received prior teaching in post-SA care as a medical student (13.2% n = 7) or as a postgraduate (28.3% n = 15). After the teaching session, there was a significant improvement trainees' comfort levels in explaining a forensic examination (p < 0.0001), referral pathways to a SATU (p < 0.0001) and offering advice in relation to emergency contraception (p < 0.0001). There was also a significant improvement in understanding HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) (p < 0.001) and forensic examination (FE) time-lines (p < 0.001). This study reveals that GP-trainees have had limited exposure to teaching on post-SA care. Additionally, significant improvements were observed following a 1-h didactic teaching session on post-SA care. Trainees demonstrated increased understanding of SATU referral pathways, understanding of immediate medical care after SA, including PEP and FE timelines.

Practical Research on Project-Based Learning (PBL) in Film and Television Production in Xiamen Vocational Education

The film and television industry plays a crucial role in the development of the global cultural sector. In recent years, vocational education in the field of film and television has experienced rapid growth in China. However, the current talent training model for this profession fails to meet the demands of the fast-paced industry development and lacks effective support for its advancement. Project-based learning is a student-centered teaching approach that employs authentic projects as the primary medium for learning. This study presents an empirical investigation conducted in a vocational college in Xiamen, where project-based learning was incorporated into the film and television production courses to assess its effectiveness. The findings of this research demonstrate that the implementation of project-based learning in the context of film and television production is viable. In comparison to traditional didactic instruction, project-based learning significantly enhances students' motivation to learn, practical skills, critical thinking abilities, and teamwork abilities. Consequently, it holds significant value in cultivating applied talents.

Optimizing surgical training in paediatric ophthalmology: perspectives from a major tertiary metropolitan teaching centre in Australia

Aim A core competency in ophthalmology training programs is paediatric strabismus surgery. Surgical teaching in this area has not yet been evaluated. To quantitatively evaluate paediatric strabismus teaching over a 5-year period. Materials and methods A consecutive, retrospective review of strabismus surgery performed by all surgeons at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, from Jan 2018 to Dec 2022. Results Five aspects relevant to surgical teaching: i). the pandemic adversely affected training ii). operating time for a trainee was: 57.8mins +/- 16mins per case iii). Surgical alignment outcomes were excellent in 34.1 to 43.4% cases and poor in 4 to 6% of cases. iv). Significantly higher incidence of adverse events among junior trainees compared to Fellows (71.4% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.003) v). Most adverse events were minor Discussion Surgical operating time is impacted by case selection and reinforces the need for supervisors to be mindful of the trainee’s competency level when preparing surgical lists. The majority of cases performed by trainees had an adequate outcome. The high incidence of adverse events among junior trainees highlights the need to focus our teaching on common pitfall areas using didactic teaching methods including technology-based teaching such as virtual simulators.

University learning style model: Bibliometrics and systematic literature review

The university learning style worldwide was analyzed to obtain a model adapted to Peru, that was complemented in the initial part with the study of the biliometric analysis. In the first steps that were developed, the information search was done in a general way with Scopus. Then specifically adding the Dimensions database, obtaining 59 items from the selection. The Prism statement was used, which allowed it to be developed in the methodology sequentially until the selected articles were obtained. The objective was to carry out a study of the systematic review of the literature (RSL) that allowed analysis by categories such as academic performance, teaching strategy and competencies related to the learning style. Where the data obtained was with the use of VOSviewer and Rstudio. The result obtained was an innovative model that relates the categories with the most relevant models that studied the learning style. As a conclusion, the different learning styles can be adapted to the different study programs and their different courses to plan it from the macrocurricular to the microcurricular, taking into account the strategy and the didactics of teaching, the contribution for the university sector.

A Cross-sectional Study of Self-confidence Differences in Removable Prosthodontic Treatment among Undergraduate Students of a Saudi Dental School

Background: Removable denture treatments remain an option for the edentulous population in terms of oral rehabilitation. In dentistry schools, improving students' self-confidence in performing prosthodontic procedures should be paramount. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine students' self-confidence perceptions in performing removable partial dentures (RPDs) and complete dentures (CDs) treatments and to draw attention to the steps in which they felt most and least prepared to do so without close supervision. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at one dental school in Saudi Arabia at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year. A total of (n=96) undergraduate students in their clinical years, 5th and 6th cohorts, were included in this study. These students were requested to participate in a closed questionnaire consisting of 38 items that focused on self-reported confidence and the perceived quality of their education. A non-parametric test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, was used to compare between groups. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (V.28.0). Results: A response rate of 95.8% was achieved. Over the course of their studies, students' sense of confidence grew. Also, males were more confident than females in performing all clinical procedures. Overall, students were satisfied with their prosthodontic education, except for pre-clinical sessions and learning materials. Increasing their clinical experience would be most advantageous for boosting their confidence levels. Conclusion: The study revealed where students were most and least confident in carrying out removable prosthodontics. Students require supervision during their internship year because they reported average confidence in removable prosthodontic procedures. The results also point to the need for more research into the confidence gaps between males and females. The pre-clinical curriculum necessitates updating and more didactic teaching.

A social-competence group intervention featuring didactic teaching and practice in play contexts for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders

BackgroundRelatively few intervention programs of social competence have been specifically designed for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated the effectiveness of the social-competence group intervention (SCGI), which features a combination of didactic teaching and practice in play contexts for preschool children with ASD. MethodsA single-blind design was used with 34 preschool children with ASD, who were randomly allocated to either the SCGI group (n = 17) or the control group (n = 16). The SCGI group received 16 weekly group-based sessions with specific social topics, while the control group participated in their regular occupational therapy. Outcomes included measures of children’s social competence, children’s adaptive behaviors, and caregivers’ parental stress. ResultsA total of 25 children (12 in the SCGI and 13 in the control groups) completed the intervention and the pre- and post-intervention assessments. Compared with the control group, children in the SCGI group showed significantly greater enhancement of social competence (all p < .05, effect size η2 = 0.26–0.41). Additionally, caregivers’ parental stress decreased in the SCGI group but not in the control group (p < .05, effect size η2 = 0.25) after the intervention. However, the two groups did not show significant differences in adaptive behaviors (p = .06–.94). ConclusionsThe SCGI was effective in improving children’s social competence and reducing caregivers’ parental stress in preschool children with ASD. This RCT provides evidence of the effectiveness of the SCGI and guidance for clinicians to improve the social competence of preschool children with ASD.

Primary care nurse's role and educational preparedness in skin cancer screening and early detection: A scoping review.

To identify the available evidence regarding nursing roles in skin cancer screening and early detection and the reported education and training undertaken to do so. Scoping review, reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. A database search of Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, Emcare and JBI was conducted in November 2021. A grey literature search was conducted in February 2022. Searches were updated in August 2023. The data were extracted and synthesized into themes related to nursing roles and education. Of the 2285 identified studies, 54 were included in the review. Nursing roles included screening and early detection, prevention and patient education or counselling. Except for specialized nurse practitioners, nurses working in primary clinical care mostly engage in skin cancer supportive/administrative roles rather than leading collaborators in screening and early detection. The education and training for nurses were identified around themes of didactic education, clinical experience, training in dermoscopy, performance and knowledge assessment and self-efficacy. The roles and responsibilities of nurses working in skin cancer screening and early detection are highly variable, as are the reported training and education programmes. Little research has been conducted to explore this nursing role or the educational requirements needed for proficiency. With appropriate best practice education, it is within most primary care nurses' scope of practice to obtain competence in delivering opportunistic skin cancer screening. While most nurse specialists in dermatology will be proficient in dermoscopy and skin cancer screening, nurses who work in general practice are often underutilized due to a lack of opportunity and a clear pathway to becoming proficient in dermoscopic skin cancer screening. Most nurses involved in skin cancer screening are employed in advanced roles, and only a few studies investigating educational interventions utilized dermoscopy among advanced nurses. With specific training, nurses can work within their full scope of practice and increase access to skin cancer screening and early detection. Adhered to JBI Guidance for Conducting Systematic Scoping Reviews. Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/XUNE6 PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: N/A; a literature review.

Impact of Didactic Instruction on the Utilization of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Family Medicine Residents.

Background and Objectives In 2014, the Council of Academic Family Medicine released recommendations for the education of family medicine residents in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curricula for Family Medicine Residency programs. One barrier to resident education in POCUSis the lack of access to equipment. This pilot study evaluates whether introducing didactic education on POCUSwithin a Family Medicine Residency program, with limited access to equipment, correlated with increased utilization of ultrasound by residents. Methods Sixteen family medicine residents participated in the intervention, consisting of a four-hour didactic ultrasound session. Resident confidence in POCUS was evaluated utilizing a Likert scale. Resident utilization of POCUS in a clinical setting was also evaluated by review and analysis of resident procedure logs in the New Innovations database. Results The resident confidence in all skills increased immediately after the completion of the didactic teaching session. Residents demonstrated improved confidence in needle guidance immediately and six weeks after the session (p < 0.001). A review of resident activity two years after the intervention revealed a 9.6% increase in the proportion of resident ultrasounds performed compared to the academic year before the intervention. Conclusions Access to equipment is an ongoing barrier to Family Medicine Residency programs in providing education on POCUS. The results of this study indicate that introducing the basics of POCUS via a didactic teaching session not only increased resident confidence in basic ultrasound but also correlated with increased utilization of POCUS. This increased utilization occurred despite residents not having access to ultrasound in their home clinics.

The Construction of Definitions Through Padovan’s Combinatorial Model: An Investigation With Didactic Engineering in an Initial Education Course for Mathematics Teachers

Background: Given the oversight of specific topics in the history of mathematics books, this research was motivated by the extensive coverage of the Fibonacci sequence. In addition, the existence of the Padovan sequence, which is considered a Fibonacci cousin, stands out. Objectives: Investigating the Padovan sequence, building its definition through a combinatorial model using manipulative materials based on the theory of didactical situations in the initial mathematics teacher education course context. Design: The research methodological design follows didactic engineering, and a didactic teaching situation is created to investigate the Padovan sequence. Thus, manipulative material was developed to facilitate the teaching process and the construction of the sequence definition. Settings and participants: The interventions were done in the mathematics degree course of a higher education institution in Fortaleza. Five students enrolled in the component of History of Mathematics participated in the study. Data collection and analysis: Data were collected during classes, recorded through photos and audio recordings, based on didactic engineering and the theory of didactical situations. Results: The most relevant result of this study is constructing the definition of the Padovan sequence through the manipulative material. Conclusions: We concluded that the research allowed an investigation of the Padovan sequence, enabling the visualisation of its terms and their integration with other mathematical contents, contributing to teaching these numbers.

Developing a digital anatomy lab for rural medical students

This paper follows the genesis and development of a digital anatomy lab for geographically isolated students in a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine programme in rural New South Wales and represents a work in progress. Students studying their degree at the rural clinical school do so without an in-situ cadaver-centred anatomy laboratory. This represents a pivotal shift away from the fundamental learning pedagogies implicit in academic Medicine, and therefore a challenge for situating the digital anatomy lab; its contents and explicit pedagogical needs, inside an already saturated curriculum. The Digital Anatomy space under development represents an intersection of scholarship on whether nascent digital tools (VR/AR) can develop fast enough to provide haptic and spatial feedback, how such digital spaces sit pedagogically amidst the accepted didactic teaching frameworks of Medicine, and whether creating virtual spaces improves student learning of Anatomy. This work-in-progress reflects the conference themes of people, partnerships and pedagogies.

3D Printed Cardiac Models as an Adjunct to Traditional Teaching of Anatomy in Congenital Heart Disease—A Randomised Controlled Study

Three-dimensional (3D) printed cardiac models are increasingly being used for medical education, simulation and training, communication, surgical planning and research. Given the complexities of congenital cardiac anatomy, 3D printing is well suited as an adjunct to traditional teaching methods. This study aims to explore the influence of 3D printed cardiac models as a teaching aid for nurses and paediatric trainees. We hypothesise that using 3D models as an adjunct to didactic teaching methods improves knowledge and confidence levels of participants, regardless of their cardiology experience. A prospective randomised study was performed recruiting paediatric nurses and doctors at a tertiary paediatric hospital. All participants undertook traditional congenital cardiac teaching describing normal cardiac anatomy and seven congenital lesions of increasing complexity (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, vascular ring, partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, and double outlet right ventricle). The intervention group received an additional recorded demonstration while handling 3D printed models of a normal heart and the same lesions. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were completed using a subjective Likert-scale questionnaire and objective multiple-choice examination. A total of 73 health practitioners (30 cardiac nurses and 43 paediatric trainees) were included. Subjective knowledge and confidence levels substantially improved in the intervention group (both p<0.001), with no differences observed in the control group. Greater improvement in both subjective and objective post-test scores was observed in the intervention group. A pronounced difference between pre- and post-teaching objective examination scores was found in both groups (p=0.002), with larger improvements observed in the intervention group. The mean score in the intervention group after teaching increased by 4.27 (21.4% improvement), as opposed to 2.28 (11.4% improvement) in the control group. There was no difference in pre-test score or post-test improvement based on previous cardiology experience. Three-dimensional (3D) printed cardiac models, when used as an adjunct to traditional teaching methods, substantially improve knowledge and confidence levels of health professionals on a range of congenital cardiac lesions. These models enhance the learners' educational experience and understanding of cardiac anatomy by overcoming the limitation of two-dimensional representations of 3D structures.

Understanding the perspective of community co-educators on community-based service learning: a qualitative analysis.

Community-based service learning (CBSL) is a core component of the Canadian medical education system. However, the unique role of community partner organizations (CPOs) in supporting CBSL remains unclear. This qualitative study evaluates the perspective of CPOs as co-educators in the undergraduate medical curriculum. We conducted eight semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with CPOs at a medical school in Toronto, Ontario between 2020-2021. Interviews were conducted following a pre-determined interview guide and then recorded, de-identified, and transcribed. Three reviewers independently performed an inductive thematic analysis of codes followed by a group review of discrepancies. Five main findings were identified: 1) CPOs share a common interest in serving as co-educators; 2) considerable heterogeneity in the understanding of co-education exists; 3) there is an opportunity for increased partnerships between CPOs and faculty; 4) the role of co-educators is limited by curriculum structure; and 5) co-educators facilitate unique teachings of social determinants of health otherwise not available through traditional didactic teaching. There is an emerging, unique role for community co-educators in the undergraduate medical curriculum, supported by interest from CPOs. Its emphasis may contribute to future cohorts of medical students capable of understanding and addressing the needs of the populations they serve.

"Learning with each other, about each other": Interdisciplinary learning among genetic counseling students and clinical health psychology residents.

Interprofessional collaborative healthcare is known to improve provider satisfaction and retention, as well as patient safety and quality of care. The specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to work in these environments are best taught interprofessionally. Despite having considerable overlap in training, orientation, and populations served, it is rare for trainees from genetic counseling and clinical health psychology to interact and learn together. In 2017, we developed an innovative week-long clinical health psychology rotation for students in the University of Manitoba MSc in Genetic Counselling Program, which aims to enrich psychotherapeutic/counseling knowledge and skills, as well as gain familiarity with the work of clinical psychologists. This rotation incorporates didactic teaching, observation, and structured reflection. Didactic teaching includes topics such as psychological assessment, adaptation to life-altering news, skills for managing intense emotional responses, and counseling for change. Observations of clinical health psychologists and clinical health psychology residents occur in a range of health settings. Structured reflection is practiced in both oral and written formats. Finally, both groups of trainees participate in an interprofessional case seminar series. Feedback from this experience has been very promising, and it was identified as a strength in the program's accreditation review. Adaptations over time include refining the clinical exposures to increase breadth and relevance, increasing the contact between the trainees from the two professions and enhancing the case seminar series to be more learner-driven and to focus on explicit interprofessional skills and themes. In addition to expected results, this rotation has led to some unanticipated findings, including an emergent emphasis on the social determinants of health and the need to work collaboratively for systemic change. Further, psychology residents have identified that it benefits them to learn more about genetic counseling and expressed interest in potential reciprocal learning opportunities in genetics clinics.

Effects of applying a multivariate training program on physical fitness and tactical performance in a team sport taught during physical education classes.

A multivariate training program could be a pedagogical choice to improve physical and tactical performance in a team sport taught during physical education classes at different levels of education. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the effects of applying a multivariate training program on physical fitness and tactical performance during the teaching of a basketball didactic unit in basic and secondary education. Seventy-five students from a Portuguese school, with an average age of 15.02 ± 1.31 years, included forty-two students from basic school and thirty-three students from secondary school. The FITescola® test battery was used to assess physical fitness (i.e., sit-ups, push-ups, horizontal impulse, shuttle test, 40 m sprint, agility 4 × 10 m). The Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) was used to assess students' tactical performance for each player's game performance during a 20-minute 3 vs. 3 match. The GPAI variables were decision making index (DMI), skill execution index (SEI), support actions index (SI), and adaptability index (AI). During a basketball didactic unit teaching, the students were randomly divided into two groups, a control group that will not carry out the training program and an experimental group that will carry out a strength training program, high intensity explosive exercises and activities based on small-sided games (SSG) for 6 weeks. The two groups were evaluated in two moments: before the application of the training program and after the application of the training program regarding changes in physical fitness and tactical performance. The independent samples t-test (samples from two groups) and paired sample Test (for the same group) were applied for pre and post-assessment comparisons. All indexes present significant differences between basic and secondary students in the pre- and post-assessment tests with small effects (t = -6.54 to -4.82, Δ = -27.57 to -0.16, p<0.05-p< 0.001, d = 0.78-1.05). The results allow to conclude that in a school environment, a well-structured multivariate training program can effectively improve students' tactical skills, increasing their physical conditioning levels.

Continuing professional development (CPD) at a distance: Teachers' reflections on enhancing distance education (DE) provision

In Ghana, continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives for teachers are fragmented, with limited participation opportunities for all subject teachers, resulting in a high reliance on distance education (DE) programs. This qualitative study investigates teachers' experiences with DE upgrading programs and their thoughts on improving. Data was gathered from 32 participants in the Ekumfi district of Ghana. The findings show that, despite the constraints, teachers in Ghana are taking an agentic stance in using DE for their professional development. However, while DE programs provide reliable paths to updating professional knowledge, they are insufficient as a CPD tool to assist teachers' learning for improvements in classroom practice. Teachers' DE experiences reveal a rigid program structure with content that is unreflective of current educational concerns and the utilization of didactic teaching and learning approaches. These are detrimental to active learning and unlikely to result in effective teacher improvement. To strengthen DE as an effective CPD tool in Ghana, the study recommends regularizing other CPD avenues, revising DE upgrading programs for teachers, and systematising mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating teachers' competencies before and afterDE participation.

Use of Study Techniques from an Intellectual Intervention Program

The research relates the work skills through study habits, which accounts for the role of analyzing how they relate and communicate space from the study techniques in ninth grade students of a rural educational institution, in order to establish a process of improvement in the didactics of teaching, focused on educational quality parameters, this was done through a study with quantitative approach, with descriptive and correlational scope, non-experimental design of transectional or cross-sectional type, the sample consisted of 36 students between 13 and 16 years of age. Two instruments were applied, the first was the Primary Mental Aptitudes Questionnaire "PMA" (Thurstone &amp; Thurstone, 2007) and the second was the Habits and Study Techniques Questionnaire "CHTE" (Álvarez &amp; Fernández, 2015), in addition to the information of school academic performance of the first period of the 2019 school cycle, the values delivered strengthen the role of reasoning with the factors of verbal comprehension, spatial conception and numerical calculation, as well as the relationship between academic performance and spatial conception, and the relationships between different aspects of study habits.

Application of an Interactive, Hands-On Nutritional Curriculum for Pediatric Residents.

Currently, there exists a scarcity of suitable nutrition training resources for the primary care physician (PCP) and a paucity of educational materials for pediatric residency programs. Barriers to nutritional education include: a lack of well-defined competencies, a dearth of centralized resources for nutritional education, and a reliance on didactic teaching methodology. Because PCPs often cite a lack of confidence as a primary reason for not providing nutritional counseling, we created an interactive 3-pronged nutritional curriculum for pediatric residents with the aim of increasing their confidence to provide nutritional counseling to patients. This curriculum included an in-person visit to a local supermarket, an online, interactive case during the resident's continuity clinic, and an interactive lecture. There was a statistically significant change in pediatric residents' confidence to manage issues of outpatient nutrition management. We find this particularly relevant as increasing physician confidence is key to increasing nutritional counseling in a clinical setting.