Different Levels Of Skill Research Articles

Empowering lifelong learning

Postgraduate students have lot of workload, which makes them to search for information in electronic resource databases. However, they require digital literacy skills to ensure they can access educational resources online effectively, supporting lifelong learning and research. Existing literature indicates that many users in Kenyan university libraries do not fully utilize electronic resources due to an inadequacy of digital literacy skills. Although electronic resources in libraries are globally acknowledged for aiding research, challenges persist due to technological advancements, necessitating digital literacy skills for effective searching, retrieval and utilization. The objective of the study was to investigate the level and application of digital literacy skills of postgraduate students in facilitating adequate usage of electronic resources. A mixed-method approach was adopted taking on survey design and utilizing concurrent parallel design when interpreting and deriving conclusions. Quantitative data was collected from postgraduate students and qualitative data from library staff. The sample consisted of 118 postgraduate students randomly sampled from 150 postgraduate students and 5 librarians out of 7 were purposively sampled. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis while quantitative data was analysed using frequency distribution and cross tabulation methods. Tables, charts, graphs and thematic discussions were used to present the data. The key findings of the study revealed that postgraduate students possess different levels of digital literacy skills, majority of postgraduates and librarian’s digital literacy skills were inadequate; majority of the respondents stated that ICT facilities were inadequate. The study concludes that the digital literacy skills of postgraduate students and librarians are inadequate and this limits the utilization of electronic resources. The study recommends librarians to offer regular digital literacy and electronic resources training to improve the level of digital literacy skills of postgraduate students, increase and improve on ICT facilities at Moi University Library.

The Transformative Teaching Practice of Teachers and Cultivation of 21st Century Skills of College Students in Selected Sports Universities in China

This study aims to explore the impact of teachers' transformative teaching practices on college students' mastery of 21st-century skills, with a focus on the teaching dimensions of "Personalized Considerations" and "Inspiring People," as well as the students' mastery of "Professional Skills" and "Life Skills." By analyzing students' assessments of their proficiency in 21st-century skills, the research demonstrates a significant positive correlation between transformative teaching behaviors and students' skill mastery. Specifically, the ability of teachers to motivate and provide personalized support significantly enhances students’ performance in learning, life, literacy, and professional domains. The data analysis revealed that students generally rated their mastery of 21st-century skills, including learning, life, literacy, and professional skills, as "agree," indicating a moderate level of manifestation. Additionally, differences in students' skill levels across gender, age, and grade level were found to be insignificant. However, the impact of transformative teaching practices on students' skill development was notably significant, particularly in the areas of "Charm Influence" and "Intellectual Stimulation." Regression analysis further highlighted that "Personalized Considerations" and "Inspiring People" teaching styles are strongly associated with students' mastery of 21st-century skills, especially in enhancing "Life Skills" and "Professional Skills." The proposed intervention program, developed from this study, aims to strengthen teachers' transformative teaching abilities to improve students' mastery of professional and life skills. Through personalized support and motivational guidance, college students will be better equipped to face future challenges in both their personal and professional lives. This study provides practical recommendations for educators to enhance teaching strategies to more effectively cultivate students' core 21st-century skills.

Աշխատուժի պահանջարկի կանխատեսման միջազգային փորձը / International experience in forecasting labor demand

In many countries, there is a persistent gap between the skills needed in the labor market and the skills offered by the labor force. Forecasting the demand for labor with different levels of education, qualifications, and skills is a strategic and systematic process carried out by labor market actors in order to avoid possible gaps between the demand and supply of skilled labor. It allows young students, policymakers, employers, and workers to make better choices in education and training, and through institutional mechanisms and information resources leads to more efficient use of skills and human capital. Developed countries have accumulated extensive experience in planning and forecasting the possibilities of using labor with different qualifications, based on such characteristics as the level of education, qualifications, age and gender composition of the population, occupational structure, economic activity, etc. In this context, the article discusses the best practices and tools for forecasting labor demand.

Sociodigital Determinants of eHealth Literacy and Related Impact on Health Outcomes and eHealth Use in Korean Older Adults: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

eHealth literacy is an essential skill for pursuing electronic health information, particularly for older people whose health needs increase with age. South Korea is now at the intersection of a rapidly digitalizing society and an increasingly aged population. eHealth literacy enables older people to maximize the effective use of emerging digital technology for their health and quality of life. Understanding the eHealth literacy of Korean older adults is critical to eliminating the gray digital divide and inequity in health information access. This study aims to investigate factors influencing eHealth literacy in older Korean adults and its impact on health outcomes and eHealth use. This was a cross-sectional survey. Community-dwelling older adults 65 years and older in 2 urban cities in South Korea were included. eHealth literacy was measured by the eHealth Literacy Scale. Ordinal logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with eHealth literacy and multivariate ANOVA for the impact of eHealth literacy on health outcomes and eHealth use. In total, 434 participants were analyzed. A total of 22.3% (97/434) of participants had high eHealth literacy skills. Increasing age, higher monthly income, and time spent on the internet were significantly associated with eHealth literacy (P<.001), and social media users were 3.97 times (adjusted odds ratio 3.97, 95% CI 1.02-15.43; P=.04) more likely to have higher skill. Higher eHealth literacy was associated with better self-perceived health and frequent use of digital technologies for accessing health and care services (P<.001). Disparity in socioeconomic status and engagement on the internet and social media can result in different levels of eHealth literacy skills, which can have consequential impacts on health outcomes and eHealth use. Tailored eHealth interventions, grounded on the social and digital determinants of eHealth literacy, could facilitate eHealth information access among older adults and foster a digitally inclusive healthy aging community.

Structural Contrast in William Blake’s “The Tyger” and “The Lamb”

Structuralism is a theory focusing on analyzing the structure of a text and the relationship between the elements in order to get the meaning of literary works. Binary opposition is an important concept of structuralism, it is a concept or idea that can gain meaning through its relationship with its opposite. William Blake’s “The Tyger” and the “The Lamb” are two poems contain a lot of meaning that opposites each other. This study address several aspects related to the binary opposition of structuralism in the poems “The Tyger” and “The Lamb” by William Blake: (1) The structural elements in the poems “The Tyger” and “The Lamb” by William Blake. (2) The way “The Tyger” and “The Lamb” by William Blake employ binary oppositions in their structure to convey contrasting themes. (3) The influence of binary opposition on the overall meaning and interpretation of “The Tyger” and “The Lamb” by William Blake. (4) The benefits of using structuralism in poetry for language teaching, and how these can be addressed in teacher training programs. This study applied a qualitative method and context-oriented approach. This study shows that by utilizing structural elements, thematic explorations, tone, language style, and binary oppositions, Blake develops two mutually enhancing yet opposing perspectives on creation and divine existence. The strong and frightening Tyger is in stark contrast with the meek and pure Lamb, representing the intricate nature of life and the various facets of spirituality. This resistance goes beyond just the use of animal imagery, affecting the themes, tone, and language in every poem. Blake prompts readers to confront the contradictions of existence by juxtaposing light with darkness, innocence with experience, and nature with divinity. Studying poetry can be difficult because of different levels of literary skill, teaching methods, and tools, but it provides many academic benefits. Poetry nurtures a greater love for literature, improves creative skills and critical thinking, and aids.

CALMER Conflict: A Novel Curriculum for Graduating Medical Students to Manage and Defuse Patient-Provider Conflict.

Workplace violence disproportionately affects healthcare workers and verbal aggression from patients frequently occurs. While verbal de-escalation is the first-line approach to defusing anger, there is a lack of consistent curricula or robust evaluation in undergraduate medical education. To develop a medical school curriculum focused on de-escalation skills for adult patients and evaluate effectiveness with surveys and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). We implemented this curriculum in the "Get Ready for Residency Bootcamp" of a single large academic institution in 2023. Forty-four fourth-year medical students PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The curriculum consisted of an interactive didactic focused on our novel CALMER framework that prioritized six evidence-based de-escalation skills and a separate standardized patient practice session. The post-curriculum survey (82% response rate) found a significant increase from 2.79 to 4.11 out of 5 (p ≤ 0.001) in confidence using verbal de-escalation. Preparedness improved with every skill and curriculum satisfaction averaged 4.79 out of 5. The OSCE found no differences in skill level between students who received the curriculum and those who did not. This evidence-based and replicable de-escalation skill curriculum improves medical student confidence and preparedness in managing agitated patients.

Large-Scale Assessments for Learning: A Human-Centred AI Approach to Contextualizing Test Performance

Large-scale assessments play a key role in education: educators and stakeholders need to know what students know and can do, so that they can be prepared for education policies and interventions in teaching and learning. However, a score from the assessment may not be enough—educators need to know why students got low scores, how students engaged with the tasks and the assessment, and how students with different levels of skills worked through the assessment. Process data, combined with response data, reflect students’ test-taking processes and can provide educators such rich information, but manually labelling the complex data is hard to scale for large-scale assessments. From scratch, we leveraged machine learning techniques (including supervised, unsupervised, and active learning) and experimented with a general human-centred AI approach to help subject matter experts efficiently and effectively make sense of big data (including students’ interaction sequences with the digital assessment platform, such as response, timing, and tool use sequences) to provide process profiles, that is, a holistic view of students’ entire test-taking processes on the assessment, so that performance can be viewed in context. Process profiles may help identify different sources for low performance and help generate rich feedback to educators and policy makers. The released National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Grade 8 mathematics data were used to illustrate our proposed approach.

Navigating Sustainability and Inclusivity: Women-Led Community-Based Businesses in Post-Disaster Recovery

Community-based businesses have emerged as a means of addressing socio-economic challenges in the aftermath of disasters. This study investigates the contribution of women-led community-based businesses to recovery and their long-term sustainability. It draws upon case studies in the Tohoku region of Japan and Banda Aceh, Indonesia, areas impacted by major earthquakes and tsunamis over a decade ago. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the community-based businesses surveyed had evolved from mere “reconstruction goods” by maintaining sustained commitment and developing products. Enhancing organizational credibility through quality improvement efforts was crucial for securing long-term contracts with private companies, a key factor for business continuity. However, prioritizing sustainability often came at the cost of diminished community inclusivity, as differences in skill levels and misaligned values among participants led to departures. This study highlights the challenges in balancing business longevity with maintaining businesses’ role as spaces for social interaction and community rebuilding.

Nudging digitalisation: innovative methods to stimulate digital adult education

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the didactic landscape of adult education. To meet clients’ ongoing demand for support, adult educators had to expand their didactic toolkit and enhance digital literacy. Relying on data gathered during a training series on digital adult education, this paper will examine the following questions: (1) How did adult educators manage to adopt digital methods despite pressing issues and hurdles in regards to the change? (2) Which conditions support efficient training of adult educators, aiming at ‘nudging’ digitalisation in adult education for families? To gain insight into this didactic transformation, we systematically analyse both quantitative and qualitative data collected during a training series fostering digital literacy such as technology handling, online counselling and the usage of social media. These events attracted 1,250 participants that specialise in parenting programmes, family counselling and institutionalised family welfare. Findings include how practitioners with different backgrounds and levels of digital skills assess different methods and didactic choices. Further, we will examine how providing accessible and applicable information can act as a nudge to spark intrinsic motivation for further learning and as a starting point for new ideas.

Assessment of the level of technological literacy among non-teaching staff in selected universities in Edo State, Nigeria

The purpose of the study was to assess the level of technological literacy among non-teaching staff (NTS) in selected public universities in Edo State, Nigeria. Two research questions were raised to guide the study and two corresponding hypotheses were formulated and were also tested at 0.05 level of significance. A survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 1520 NTS obtained from both public and private universities in Edo State used for this study. A forty-item questionnaire structured on a five-point rating scale was the instrument used for data collection. The content and face validity of the instrument were carried out by experts in measurement and evaluation and a science educator A reliability coefficient of 0.80 was obtained. A reliability test of the instrument was also conducted and analysed using mean, standard deviation, and Z-test statistics. Findings show that non-teaching staff in Edo State selected universities possess moderate level knowledge of: (1) technological literacy, and (2) nature of technology. The study also revealed that there were high differences in technological skill levels between public and privately owned universities. Implication of the study was highlighted as being of great benefit to science and technology education planners and administrators, technical instructors and students. Based on the findings of the study, appropriate recommendations were made and if adopted it will enhance the level of technological literacy among non-teaching staff in universities in Edo State, Nigeria.

Online collaborative problem-solving as a tangible outcome of digital skills in technical and vocational higher education

In today's world, specific skills are essential for success in work and life. Educators, governments, and industry leaders recognize collaborative problem-solving (CPS) and digital skills as necessary for the 21st century. However, our current understanding of these skills' interconnection and development within technical and vocational higher education remains limited. This study aims to achieve two main objectives. First, we want to examine the level of digital skills among technical and vocational higher education students in Chile and how it relates to their socioeconomic background. Second, we aim to investigate how students' different levels of digital skills influence their satisfaction with online collaboration and their assessment of group processes after completing an online CPS task. The study identified three distinct groups of students based on their digital skills: high-skilled, medium-skilled, and low-skilled. The low-skilled group faced more socioeconomic disadvantages compared to the other two groups. Moreover, students with low digital skills reported lower satisfaction with online group work and a poorer self-evaluation of the group processes involved in the collaborative online task. Insights for technical and vocational higher education institutions to foster targeted support of digital skills development for their student body are discussed.

Factors Classifying School Adjustment of Children With and Without Special Needs in Inclusive Preschools

Abstract This study investigated the factors predicting the school adjustment of Turkish preschool children with and without special needs by assessing the school adjustment, social skills, developmental functions, problem behaviors, and cognitive skills of 122 children from 53 preschool classes in 13 public preschools, as well as teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze data to identify the main predictors of school adjustment. The children’s classification structure was then modeled using a Chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis, considering both their important predictors and school adjustment levels. The findings revealed that the children’s social skills were the most critical predictor of school adjustment. The decision tree created based on the results of the CHAID analysis classified the levels of school adjustment of children with different levels of social skills in terms of parent-teacher relations, developmental functions, and problem behaviors.

The Differences in 21st-Century 4C Skills Among Diverse University Choirs in China

Choir singing originated from the choir of Christian churches in medieval Europe and first appeared in the 1st century. However, the focus of choir education had long been on musical knowledge, neglecting the cultivation of practical skills, resulting in variations in skill performance. In the 21st century, choir singing flourished, particularly in Chinese universities. Aligned with modern educational trends, choir singing aimed to foster students' 4C skills: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Music educators gradually emphasized skill development, recognizing it as essential for students' future lives and careers. Nevertheless, the cultivation of these 4C skills remained at a preliminary stage, with varying understandings of skills across different universities leading to differing skill levels among choir ensemble students. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the disparities in the development of 4C skills among choir ensemble students from diverse Chinese universities. Three universities of different types were selected for the study, and a quantitative approach was employed through a case study to examine the differences in students' 4C skill development in the 21st century. Because most of the research was qualitative. Researchers distributed an online survey to all students in the music school's choir ensembles of the three universities, collecting a total of 220 valid responses. The analysis revealed that students in universities with a stronger musical emphasis exhibited a positive attitude towards skill cultivation and development. These findings provided valuable insights for the future of diverse forms of choir music education in terms of skill development.

Simulation and industry partnership in vascular surgery education

ObjectiveSimulation training improves resident open and endovascular technique and increases efficiency in the operating room, meeting costs and allocating time to curriculum development are obstacles for the leadership of surgical residencies. In this paper, we provide a narrative review of the types of simulation and the role industry has in simulation. We also explain how our institution utilized medical device sponsorship in a cost-efficient, non-biased way. MethodsVascular surgery trainees and surgeons were invited to two local, in-person simulation events, focusing on the management of aortic aneurysms and peripheral vascular disease. Pre- and post-surveys were sent to participants, and the results were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Survey score means were compared via paired t-test with significance set at P < .05. ResultsBenchtop anastomotic models, animal/cadaveric models, and virtual reality have been adopted in many surgical programs and can each provide practice to different levels of skill. Although industry is supportive of simulation curriculums, little is published regarding the role it plays and ways to reduce conflict of interest. At our local simulation events, trainees showed significant improvement in confidence ratings. ConclusionsIndustry sponsorship has been able to support many educational endeavors. In our experience, we attempted to reduce conflict of interest by focusing on device company participation and nonpartisan, physician-lead didactics. There is a great need for future research in surgical education and industry partnership.

The impact of ability‐, motivation‐ and opportunity‐enhancing HR sub‐bundles on employee wellbeing: An examination of nonlinearities and occupational differences in skill levels

AbstractExisting research examines the impact of human resource (HR) practices on employee wellbeing by considering each practice in isolation or multiple practices as a bundle, focusing on linear associations. Drawing on the too‐much‐of‐a‐good‐thing (TMGT) meta‐theory, we examine possible nonlinear effects of Ability‐Motivation‐Opportunity (AMO) sub‐bundles on job satisfaction and job stress. We, also, examine boundary conditions on whether and how the nature of the identified curvilinear associations varies across employees in high‐, medium‐, and low‐skilled occupations. Using data from the Workplace Employment Relations Study (WERS2011), we uncover an inverse U‐shaped association between motivation‐enhancing (ME) practices and job satisfaction and a U‐shaped association between opportunity‐enhancing (OE) practices and job stress. No evidence of a curvilinear ability‐enhancing (AE) practices‐wellbeing association emerges. Additionally, occupational differences in skills levels moderate the curvilinear ME practices‐stress association. Likewise, occupational skills differences moderate the associations between OE practices and job satisfaction, and work stress. There is no suggestion that occupational differences moderate the AE practices‐wellbeing association. These findings underline the contingent nature of the TMGT effect and call for a more nuanced investigation of the HR‐wellbeing association.

Assessing Accuracy and Precision of Hemoglobin Determination in Venous, Capillary Pool, and Single-Drop Capillary Blood Specimens Using three Different HemoCue® Hb Models: The Multicountry Hemoglobin Measurement (HEME) Study

BackgroundAnemia prevalence estimates reported in population surveys can vary based on the blood specimen source (capillary or venous) and analytic device (hematology autoanalyzers or portable hemoglobinometers) used for hemoglobin (Hb) determination. ObjectivesThis study aimed to compare accuracy and precision of Hb measurement in three blood specimen types on three models of hemoglobinometers against the results from venous blood from the same individuals measured on automated analyzers (AAs). MethodsThis multisite (Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Tanzania) study assessed Hb measurements in paired venous and capillary blood specimens from apparently healthy women (aged 15–49 y) and children (aged 12–59 mo) using three HemoCue® Hb models (201+, 301, and 801). Measurements were compared against reference values: venous blood in hematology AA and adjusted via regression calibration or mean difference in HemoCue® Hb. Venous, capillary pool, and single-drop capillary blood specimens were assessed for accuracy and precision. ResultsVenous blood measured using HemoCue® Hb 301 exhibited a positive mean error, whereas responses in HemoCue® Hb 201+ and 801 were nondirectional compared with the reference. Adjustment with the reference harmonized mean errors for all devices across study sites to <1.0 g/L using venous blood. Precision was highest for venous blood (±5–16 g/L) in all sites, lowest for single-drop capillary (±9–37 g/L), and intermediate (±9–28 g/L) for capillary pool blood specimen. Imprecision differed across sites, especially with both capillary blood specimens, suggesting different levels of personnel skills. ConclusionsFindings suggest that venous blood is needed for accurate and precise Hb determination. Single-drop capillary blood use should be discouraged owing to high measurement variability. Further research should evaluate the viability and reliability of capillary pool blood for this purpose. Accuracy of HemoCue® Hb devices can be improved via standardization against results from venous blood assessed using AA.

The cognitive foundations of different hierarchical levels of mathematical skills in primary school children: extending the mathematics pathways model

The cognitive foundations of different hierarchical levels of mathematical skills in primary school children: extending the mathematics pathways model

Development of preservice elementary teachers scientific reasoning skills through scientific inquiry

ABSTRACT Background Scientific reasoning is one of the higher-order thinking skills and has a very important place in science education. However, the research shows that the scientific reasoning levels of students and preservice teachers are low. Purpose This research aimed to examine the development of the scientific reasoning skills of preservice teachers through scientific inquiries conducted in a science laboratory course. Sample Thirty-nine preservice teachers studying in the elementary teaching program of a university participated in the research. Design and methods The research was conducted with a mixed design as qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were used together. The data were obtained using the Lawson Test for Scientific Reasoning, which was administered in pre and post-tests, and from scientific inquiry reports prepared by the preservice teachers. Participants were categorized within three levels according to the pre-test results of Lawson Test for Scientific Reasoning (Level 0, Low Level I, and High Level). Quantitative data were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed rank test, and qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis. Results The results revealed significant differences between the pre- and post LTSR scores of the preservice teachers whom are at scientific reasoning Level 0, Low Level I, High Level, and all preservice teachers. According to the findings obtained from the scientific inquiry reports, preservice teachers with different levels of scientific reasoning skills improved their skills in a short period of three weeks. Conclusion In conclusion scientific inquiries had a significant effect in improving the preservice teachers’ scientific reasoning skills.

Assessing Individual Competency Differences Between Third- and Fourth-Year Medical Students Using the National Clinical Assessment Tool for Medical Students in the Emergency Department.

Medical students rotating through emergency departments as part of their clinical education are typically evaluated using an on-shift evaluation tool.The National Clinical Assessment Tool for Medical Students in the Emergency Department (NCAT-EM) is the current standard of evaluation for medical students in the emergency department, regardless of level of training. This study aims to evaluate whether the NCAT-EM can detect differences in skill levels between third-year medical students (MS3s) and fourth-year medical students (MS4s) rotating at a level 1 trauma center and teaching institution. These authors hypothesized that MS4s should outperform MS3s across all assessment domains given their additional training.A total of 930 performance evaluations were gathered for MS3 and MS4rotating between May 2022 and June 2023. There were 321 evaluations of MS3s and 609 evaluations of MS4s.Across the six assessment domains, MS4s had statistically significant higher performances in two domains - namely emergency recognition and management (fully entrustable: 37.4% vs. 23.8% (p = 0.03)) and communication (fully entrustable: 46.2% vs. 33.6% (p = 0.03)).These findings indicate that the use of the NCAT-EM at this institution reliably differentiated between MS3s and MS4sin these two assessment domains. There were trends suggesting MS4s outperform MS3s in the other four domains, which did not rise to the level of statistical significance, but are consistent with prior validation studies of the NCAT.

Computer and ICT Skills Level of Small-Scale Business Organization Employees: Basis for Company Intervention Program

An increasing number of businesses now rely on computer technology to complete tasks. For this reason, possessing computer skills has become increasingly crucial This study aimed to assess the computer and ICT skills of employees in small-scale business organizations. The researcher administered a survey questionnaire to a purposive sample of 28 employees from small-scale business organizations, and the quantitative data gathered was organized and processed using SPSS version 17.0. The explanatory design employed unstructured interviews with non-probability sampled respondents to collect qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used to establish themes arising from the qualitative responses. Findings revealed that employees in these organizations have a low level of competence in performing office tasks, such as basic computer operations, file management, word processing, database use, and network use. There are no significant differences in computer and ICT skill levels among employees in small-scale business organizations when grouped by educational attainment, length of service, and gender. Based on the interviewees' responses, common themes emerged, such as poor internet connectivity, an unreliable power supply, a lack of funds to purchase gadgets that can access the internet, a lack of knowledge and interest in learning, and a lack of time to attend a short program related to computers and ICT are the reasons for low levels of computer and ICT skills. Tutorials and self-study are common strategies employees use to accomplish assigned tasks in the office.