Electronic Discussion Boards Research Articles

Practicing With Uncertainty: Kidney Transplantation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic required transplant nephrologists, surgeons, and care teams to make decisions about the full spectrum of transplant program operations and clinical practices in the absence of experience or data. Initially, across the country, there was a reduction in kidney transplant procedures and a striking pause in the conduct of living donation and living-donor transplant surgeries. Aspects of candidate evaluation and follow-up rapidly converted to telehealth. Months into the pandemic, much has been learned from experiences worldwide, yet many questions remain. In this Perspective, we reflect on some of the practice decisions made by the transplant community in the initial response to the pandemic and consider lessons learned, including those related to the risks, benefits, and logistical considerations of proceeding with versus delaying deceased-donor transplantation, living donation, and living-donor transplantation during the pandemic. We review the evolution of therapeutic strategies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and their use in transplant recipients, current consensus related to immunosuppression management in infected transplant recipients, and emerging information on vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. We share our thoughts on research priorities, discuss the areas in which we are still practicing with uncertainty, and look ahead to the next phase of the pandemic response.

Applying the technology acceptance model to understand hospitality management students’ intentions to use electronic discussion boards as a learning tool

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study is to understand hospitality management students’ perceptions and motivations around using electronic discussion boards as part of their hospitality course delivery. The technology acceptance model was chosen as the key theoretical framework. Thirty-two undergraduates enrolled in a hospitality degree program were interviewed. Results of exploratory research revealed that seven aspects of perceived usefulness, four aspects of perceived ease of use, and five attitudinal features influenced students’ engagement with the electronic discussion board platform. Ease of posting and reflections on course material were the two most common motivational items. These findings have important implications for higher education institutions regarding the use of electronic discussion boards in hospitality and tourism–related coursework.

THE IMPACT OF PODCASTS DESIGNED THROUGH AUDACITY ON IMPROVING GRAMMAR SKILLS

The situation with the pandemic in the world showed that education in Ukraine will never be the same. Isolation turned out to be a big challenge for both teachers and students. This is explained primarily by a lack of theoretical knowledge and practical experience in providing distance learning. According to the EU recommendations, the education institution will work effectively if it provides the best use of digital technology for teaching and learning and develops teachers' and students' digital competences and skills. Educational technology tools include content management systems, language learning apps, podcasts, and electronic discussion boards. The features of free, open-source, cross-platform audio software Audacity are described in the study. The paper analyzes how a university teacher can record, edit and export in MP3 format the language learning podcast through Audacity. To answer this question, we created 5 bilingual grammar podcasts based on the audio platform. The designed podcasts can be used as learning activities outside the class with the university students. The obtained results showed that even a beginner in the sphere of ICT can design a good-quality foreign language podcast. The difference between the scores in pre and post-test results suggest that self-designed podcasts can be used in teaching EFL to improve grammar skills. This study emphasizes the need for implementing ICT tools in the educational process to improve the quality of teaching and learning and to share the gained experience with the colleagues. Further research could determine the role of self-designed podcasts in an online language course for the students of technical universities.

Involvement of Acute Care Physical Therapists in Care Transitions for Older Adults Following Acute Hospitalization: A Cross-sectional National Survey.

Recent evidence has suggested physical therapist involvement in care transitions after hospitalization is associated with reduced rates of hospital readmissions. However, little is known about how physical therapists participate in care transitions for older adults, the content of care communications, and the facilitators and barriers of implementing evidence-based care transition strategies into practice. Thus, the purpose of this article is to evaluate participation in care transition activities known to influence readmission risk among older adults, and understand perceptions of and barriers to participation in these activities. We developed a survey questionnaire to quantify hospital-based physical therapist participation in care transitions and validated it using cognitive interviewing. It was introduced to a cross-sectional national sample of physical therapists who participate in the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy electronic discussion board using a SurveyMonkey tool. More than 90% of respondents agreed they routinely recommended a discharge location and provided recommendations for durable medical equipment for patients at the time of hospital discharge. Respondents did not routinely initiate communication with therapists in other care settings, or follow up with patients to determine whether recommendations were followed. A majority of respondents agreed their facilities would not consider many key care transition activities to count as productive time.This survey provides a novel insight into how hospital-based physical therapists participate in care transitions. Communications between rehabilitation providers across care settings are infrequent, even though those communications are recommended to help reduce readmissions. However, administrative barriers were elucidated in this study that may help explain lack of therapist involvement. Physical therapists' communications across health care setting about older adults discharging from acute care hospitalization are infrequent, but may represent a meaningful intervention target for future studies. Future research is needed to evaluate best practices for hospital-based physical therapists during care transitions.

Linking the Divergent and Convergent Processes of Collaborative Creativity: The Impact of Expertise Levels and Elaboration Processes.

We examined the impact of task-relevant expertise level in groups on the idea sharing and elaboration process and on idea development. Participants were assigned to low, heterogeneous, and high expertise groups and were asked to generate ideas for the development of a new sport. Following two asynchronous divergent ideation phases using an electronic discussion board for ideational exchanges, groups completed a synchronous convergent discussion phase in which they selected and refined their ideas for a new sport. The number of ideas and their novelty during the divergent phase did not influence the outcome of the convergent phase. However, consistent with our theoretical model final product novelty was influenced by the number and novelty of the replies in the divergent phase. Although group expertise level was associated with various performance outcomes in the divergent ideation phase, it did not impact the novelty of the final product. Low expertise groups demonstrated the most novelty in the divergent phase. Final product novelty was also associated with sports words used in discussions during the convergent phase.

ELECTRONIC SPACES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM DISCUSSION AND WRITING IN SECONDARY ENGLISH CLASSROOMS

In most secondary school classrooms, teachers are still authoritative, central-figures. They talk and teach while students listen and passively receive what the teacher says. Regarding writing, the situation is similar. Students write only to the teacher, the person who grades their papers. In this environment, classroom dynamics are monologic and learning is limited to individuals. To establish a more constructivist learning environment, this study explored electronic spaces as alternatives to classroom dialogue and writing. This paper observed two 10th grade English classrooms (51 students) whoparticipated in an exploration of Lord of the Flies using an electronic discussion board through which they collaboratively constructed knowledge. In short, the discussion board facilitated both student-centered dialogues and an authentic writing environment, which promoted a dynamic learning community and healthy writer’s identity for the students. Three salient features of the discussion board activity will be explored to support this claim: a) the students’ use of questions and hypothetical/conditional sentences, b) the students’ interaction patterns, and c) the dialogic/progressive patterns of co-construction of knowledge on the discussion board.

THE EFFECT OF COMPUTER MEDIATED CONFERENCING AND COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION ON STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The trend toward increased technology in traditional higher education classrooms has been met with both optimism and criticism. One of the major criticisms of technology in the college classroom is that it does little, if anything, to improve student learning. Taking this view of technology into account, this study examined how the use of technology contributed to student learning outcomes after controlling for key student demographic variables. More specifically, this study investigated the use of computer mediated conferencing (CMC) tools (i.e., email and electronic discussion boards) and computer aided instructional (CAI) resources (i.e., the computer and Internet) to determine whether they contribute to student learning.The sample utilized in this study consisted of 2000 college students, randomly drawn from the 2003 College Student Experience Questionnaire database. The survey included 53 Likert scale items with reliability ranges from .78 to .88 on each of the composite scales. The analysis of data consisted of four multiple regressions conducted on specific student learning outcomes. The student learning outcomes included four composite scales, measuring student 1) personal and social development, 2) general education gains, 3) intellectual development, 4) science and technology gains, and 3) vocationalpreparation.After controlling for student's background variables, the findings of this study revealed that the use of technology in the college classroom does contribute to student learning. The model, including technology variables, explained 4% to 7% of the gains in student learning, while student background variables contributed an additional .03% to 2% of the gains. These findings, though modest, suggest that incorporating technologies in the college classroom can aid students in the learning process.

Divergent and Convergent Group Creativity in an Asynchronous Online Environment

AbstractThis study examined the influence of various group diversity dimensions on collaborative creativity related to the healthcare system. Research findings on the association between diversity and brainstorming performance has been mixed. Diversity that increases cognitive stimulation or promotes elaboration has been shown to increase group performance. Participants exchanged ideas, replied, and elaborated using an electronic discussion board in an asynchronous fashion in groups of five over a period of 4 weeks. The groups varied in diversity of ethnicity, gender, age, and political orientation, but participants were not made aware of this diversity. Age and gender diversity were related to lower levels of replying to ideas and lower idea novelty but political diversity was related to increased replies and novelty. If a topic engages people with different perspectives to actively respond to others’ ideas, this can increase the creative potential of idea sharing in groups. Political or value‐based diversity has the potential for creative solutions if the other participants’ political or value‐based identities are not made salient.

Non-standard capitalisation and vocal spelling in intercultural computer-mediated communication

This study reports on a corpus analysis of samples of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) on an electronic discussion board among a group of British and Taiwanese adolescents, paying specific attention to the most distinctive cues of CMC: non-standard capitalisation and vocal spelling. I evaluate a newly developed corpus of online discussion, the British and Taiwanese Teenage Intercultural Communication Corpus (BATTICC). I used Python programming to calculate all the instances of non-standard capitalisation (specifically, all upper-case words and the use of lower case instead of upper case) and vocal spelling from the corpus, and I also applied Wmatrix to identify the semantic and part-of-speech fields of all these instances. Moreover, initial quantitative analysis was employed to inform further qualitative analysis to identify the pragmatic functions of cues in this intercultural context. It was evident that the CMC cues perform important interpersonal functions, and the analysis demonstrates different preferences by the participants for different purposes.

Safe Patient Handling Perceptions and Practices: A Survey of Acute Care Physical Therapists

Acute care physical therapists are at risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to manual patient handling. Safe patient handling (SPH) reduces WMSDs caused by manual handling. The purpose of this study was to describe the patient handling practices of acute care physical therapists and their perceptions regarding SPH. Additionally, this study determined whether an SPH program influences the patient handling practices and perceptions regarding SPH of acute care physical therapists. Subscribers to the electronic discussion board of American Physical Therapy Association's Acute Care Section were invited to complete a survey questionnaire. The majority of respondents used SPH equipment and practices (91.1%), were confident using SPH equipment and practices (93.8%), agreed that evidence supports the use of SPH equipment and practices (87.0%), and reported the use of SPH equipment and practices is feasible (92.2%). Respondents at a facility with an SPH program were more likely to use SPH equipment and practices, have received training in the use of SPH equipment and practices, agree that the use of SPH equipment and practices is feasible, and feel confident using SPH equipment and practices. The study might not reflect the perceptions and practices of the population of acute care physical therapists. Acute care physical therapists are trained to use SPH equipment and practices, use SPH equipment and practices, and have positive perceptions regarding SPH. Acute care physical therapists in a facility with an SPH program are more likely to use SPH equipment and practices, receive training in SPH equipment and practices, and have positive perceptions regarding SPH. Quasi-regulatory organizations should incorporate SPH programs into their evaluative standards.

The effects on health behavior and health outcomes of Internet-based asynchronous communication between health providers and patients with a chronic condition: a systematic review.

BackgroundIn support of professional practice, asynchronous communication between the patient and the provider is implemented separately or in combination with Internet-based self-management interventions. This interaction occurs primarily through electronic messaging or discussion boards. There is little evidence as to whether it is a useful tool for chronically ill patients to support their self-management and increase the effectiveness of interventions.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to review the use and usability of patient-provider asynchronous communication for chronically ill patients and the effects of such communication on health behavior, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction.MethodsA literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase. The quality of the articles was appraised according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) criteria. The use and usability of the asynchronous communication was analyzed by examining the frequency of use and the number of users of the interventions with asynchronous communication, as well as of separate electronic messaging. The effectiveness of asynchronous communication was analyzed by examining effects on health behavior, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction.ResultsPatients’ knowledge concerning their chronic condition increased and they seemed to appreciate being able to communicate asynchronously with their providers. They not only had specific questions but also wanted to communicate about feeling ill. A decrease in visits to the physician was shown in two studies (P=.07, P=.07). Increases in self-management/self-efficacy for patients with back pain, dyspnea, and heart failure were found. Positive health outcomes were shown in 12 studies, where the clinical outcomes for diabetic patients (HbA1c level) and for asthmatic patients (forced expiratory volume [FEV]) improved. Physical symptoms improved in five studies. Five studies generated a variety of positive psychosocial outcomes.ConclusionsThe effect of asynchronous communication is not shown unequivocally in these studies. Patients seem to be interested in using email. Patients are willing to participate and are taking the initiative to discuss health issues with their providers. Additional testing of the effects of asynchronous communication on self-management in chronically ill patients is needed.

A Qualitative Exploration of Researcher Trauma and Researchers’ Responses to Investigating Sexual Violence

Vicarious trauma can be a problem for those who work and research in areas where clients or participants are survivors of sexual violence. The aim of this study was to explore the trauma experiences of sexual violence researchers from different countries, identifying the issues that traumatized them and the protective strategies they found effective. This article reports on a moderated electronic discussion board run for 4 weeks from September to October 2009 and four purposeful interviews. A total of 15 researchers participated, 4 males and 11 females. Institutions and organizations researching in this area should consider researcher safety in project design.

Delving into the meaning of productive reflection: A study of future teachers' reflections on representations of teaching

This study incorporated multiple methods of analysis to explore the productivity of future teachers' reflections after viewing animations as representations of algebra instruction. Two groups of future teachers posted their reflections on an asynchronous, electronic discussion board with no instructor scaffolding. The productivity of the reflections varied depending on whether their content, connectedness, or complexity was considered. This highlights the need to consider reflection as a multidimensional construct. The role of teacher educators and the benefits of using animations to facilitate productive reflection by future teachers are considered. In addition, the studying and reporting of reflection data are also discussed.

Best Practices in Population Modeling Should Always Be Evolving

CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e52; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.37; published online 3 July 2013

Status, Quality, and Attention: What's in a (Missing) Name?

How much are we influenced by an author's identity when evaluating his or her work? This paper exploits a natural experiment to measure the impact of status signals in the context of open standards development. For a period of time, e-mails announcing new submissions to the Internet Engineering Task Force would replace individual author names with “et al.” if submission volumes were unusually high. We measure the impact of status signals by comparing the effect of obscuring high- versus low-status author names. Our results show that name-based signals can explain up to three-quarters of the difference in publication rates between high- and low-status authors. The signaling effect disappears for a set of prescreened proposals that receive more scrutiny than a typical submission, suggesting that status signals are more important when attention is scarce (or search costs high). We also show that submissions from high-status authors receive more attention on electronic discussion boards, which may help high-status authors to develop their ideas and bring them forward to publication. This paper was accepted by Jesper Sørensen, organizations.

Using an online service for breastfeeding support: what mothers want to discuss

There is little research on how the establishment and maintenance of breastfeeding and other early parenting skills is assisted by the use of electronic peer support groups. In what ways do parents use a popular peer-moderated online resource and what topics do they choose to discuss? The objective of this study was to identify and quantify the main uses of an electronic discussion board hosted by a prominent Australian lay breastfeeding advocacy organisation. Three consecutive days of conversations on the discussion board were followed. Using content analysis, the messages were coded and analysed statistically for the ways the board was used and which topics were and were not present. The discussion board almost universally gave emotional support to the participants and most users expressed their emotions in their messages. The giving of factual advice or opinions was a much less frequent use of the discussion board as was the clear seeking of emotional support and general facts or advice. The range of topics discussed was dominated by general parenting followed by various breastfeeding topics as well as much discussion related to general social support. The lay-moderated discussion board can be a worthwhile resource for parents in need of reassurance, information or general social support. It may also be useful to expand the amount of breastfeeding and parenting information available on the organisation's main website.

Internet Use and Self-Injurious Behaviors Among Adolescents and Young Adults: An Interdisciplinary Literature Review and Implications for Health Professionals

The ease and accessibility of the Internet has created an environment where individuals can both remain anonymous and interact with others who share their interests. Electronic discussion boards and social-networking sites allow individuals to communicate with others, via public postings, regarding specific topics of interest. These interactions have taken a therapeutic form for adolescents and young adults seeking practical and emotional support on the Internet. Support sites exist for many issues and illnesses, but sites focusing on self-injurious behaviors (SIB) have garnered recent attention because of their potential to either aid in recovery or exacerbate symptoms. SIB are those behaviors in which an individual purposely inflicts harm to his or her body. Based on an interdisciplinary literature review, self-injurious Web sites have been shown to provide anonymous support for individuals experiencing SIB from others who have experienced similar emotions. However, the literature also reveals that some peers who are providing the support are accepting of SIB and guilty of glossing over potentially serious posts. The emotional support received on these sites differs from services those individuals would receive from professionals, such as coping strategies to deal with stressors and a more detailed examination of ominous signs. The use of these Web sites as a help or a hindrance to an individual's recovery from SIB remains highly contested; health professionals should be aware of the pros and cons associated with this phenomenon and should be able to identify safe means of communication for clients suffering from SIB.

Staying Connected: Online Education Engagement and Retention using Educational Technology Tools

The objective of this article is to inform educators about the use of currently available educational technology tools to promote student retention, engagement and interaction in online courses. Educational technology tools include content management systems, podcasts, video lecture capture technology and electronic discussion boards. Successful use of educational technology tools requires planning, organization and use of effective learning strategies.

Teaching Business Cases Online Through Discussion Boards: Strategies and Best Practices

What are the most effective and efficient ways to teach business cases online, specifically in asynchronous electronic discussion boards? This article describes several design strategies and approaches used by instructors at Babson College to structure and facilitate online case discussions in our blended Fast Track MBA program.

Using online discussion boards with large and small groups to enhance learning of assistive technology

There is a need for further research to understand the potential uses of asynchronous electronic discussions in higher education courses. Electronic discussion boards were conducted with two different graduate speech-language pathology student cohorts to supplement in-class instruction regarding assistive technology. One year’s discussions were done as a single large group while the second year’s were done in multiple-small groups. These discussion boards were analyzed for emerging themes. Students’ opinions of the discussion board, along with their suggestions for improvement, were also requested and analyzed. Results indicated that the discussion boards were a successful tool in maximizing the potential for knowledge acquisition outside the classroom and that several enhancements could be added to improve the overall experience. In particular, instructor involvement was more easily incorporated into large groups and small groups had fewer students reporting about redundancy of posts. Practical applications and future research directions are discussed.