Learning Exercises Research Articles

Kaizen Approach to Quality Improvement and its Financial Implication

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of kaizen practice and how it affects the quality of large manufacturing firms particularly, Kilimanjaro international leather company.
 Design/methodology/approach. In this study, the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle technique was employed to lower the production process's defect rate. The fishbone served as a tool for support. The PDCA cycle and fishbone are two top-notch techniques that aid in reducing the number of defective parts.
 Findings: The defect rate decreased by 2%. Improvement in the production process was achieved.
 Research limitation: One large manufacturing industry is insufficient to generalize the study's primary results. This will be achieved in the future by doing additional investigations in several large manufacturing firms.
 Practical implication: This study will provide consultants and practitioners with a valuable understanding of how Kaizen improves the financial performance of large manufacturing industries in Tanzania.
 Social Implications: The majority of learning exercises carried out during kaizen projects seek to enhance social outcomes in terms of staff members' problem-solving skills and attitudes. Particularly, Kaizen coordinators are concerned with group members' understanding of continuous improvement as well as their communication and problem-solving abilities.
 Originality/Value: Although some studies on kaizen have been conducted, it is currently discovered that there is insufficient literature on the application and impact of the kaizen concept in large manufacturing enterprises. Based on this case study, the framework of kaizen philosophy practices is offering useful insights for leather companies, other manufacturing industries, and organizations, including the Tanzania Kaizen unit, practitioners, and academicians.

"I really liked the chance to talk about it": Students' Reflections on the Process of Completing Paper Puzzles, a Novel Active Learning Activity.

Research shows active learning is an effective teaching method. However, few qualitative studies explore medical student perceptions of the active learning process. The present study explored what students thought about while completing paper puzzles, an active learning tool used at the University of Utah School of Medicine, to understand what and how medical students think while engaged in active learning. To investigate second-year medical students' attitudes toward these active learning exercises, three Zoom-based focused groups were held and recorded throughout the course. Recordings were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Students reported that peer interactions were of high value, and that while some interactions and thought processes were action-oriented, others were more metacognitive. Other benefits of the activity included promotion of learning, provision of structure, and designation of high-yield concepts. Challenges included feelings of confusion, problems with timing or difficulty of the tasks, and low utility without adequate preparation. These findings reflect student-acknowledged pros and cons of active learning described in education literature and add further insight into the thoughts and conversations students have during active learning activities. These include practicing metacognitive skills, triaging information, and learning from peers. These data further elucidate student perceptions of active learning activities in medical education. Though focused on a specific activity, the data can help medical educators understand what students appreciate about active learning and what they think about while engaged in such activities. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01682-y.

A preliminary evaluation of a novel education model for young people with Type 1 diabetes: the Youth Empowerment Skills programme

Background: Adolescence is a challenging time for young people with Type 1 diabetes, associated with worsening glycaemia and disengagement with care. To improve support, we co-designed with young people a novel psychosocially modelled programme of diabetes education (the Youth Empowerment Skills [YES] programme). This study aimed to estimate the clinical impact and feasibility (recruitment, retention and participant experiences) of this programme. Methods: A pilot study using mixed-methods was conducted to assess process and outcomes, involving a pre- and post-exposure assessment of glycaemic control, programme participation data, service utilisation and qualitative semi-structured interviews (analysed using Framework Analysis). Participants were recruited from two hospital diabetes centres in Southeast London. The intervention was conducted in local community centres. Participants were young people with Type 1 diabetes aged 15–21 years. The YES programme involves contact with an outreach youth worker and attending a 3-day psychologically modelled course encompassing social learning, peer facilitation and simulation exercises. The primary outcome was change in HbA1c at 6 and 12-months post-intervention. Secondary outcomes included diabetes-related hospital admissions and incident diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Results: Twenty-six young people participated in the programme, mean age 18 (±1.7) years. Uptake was 34% (n = 26) of those approached, with 96% (n = 25) programme completion. Pre-exposure (12 month mean) HbA1c was 93.5 (±29.7) mmol/mol (10.7%), and at 12 months post-exposure, it was 85.1 (±25.4) mmol/mol (10%) (P = 0.01), with 46% (n = 12) of participants achieving a reduction in their HbA1c ≥5.5 mmol/mol (0.5%). Unplanned hospital admissions and DKA rates reduced by 38 and 30%, respectively. The qualitative data identified positive psychosocial impacts including increased diabetes engagement and activation. Active ingredients were social learning, peer support and experiential learning. Participants emphasised the importance of the youth worker in engaging with the programme. Conclusion: The evaluation indicates that the YES programme helps improve young people’s self-confidence in managing diabetes, enhances diabetes engagement and improves clinical outcomes.

Tailoring and Implementing an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Training Package for Pacific Island Countries and Areas (PICs)

Background/Introduction:Pacific Island Countries and Areas (PICs) represent some of the most remote and logistically challenging locations – with thousands of islands covering vast ocean territory. Since 2017, Pacific Ministries of Health have been developing EMTs, and all have worked to train team members to be deployment-ready.1Objectives:To describe an EMT training package specifically tailored to PIC contexts, including curated content, practical exercises, and “talanoa” discussions to improve EMT readiness, with a focus on logistics in remote and austere PIC contexts.Method/Description:WHO leveraged EMT training materials developed globally and regionally to continuously tailor an in-person EMT training package, emphasizing readiness for the deployment of light, mobile clinical teams for disaster-prone small island/large ocean countries. Emphasis was placed on practical learning exercises focusing on skills and competencies needed to manage complex Pacific deployments, and to care for populations on remote, difficult-to-reach islands with limited resources and referral options.Results/Outcomes:The Pacific EMT training program includes a mix of didactic and practical sessions coupled with a full-scale simulation exercise; it was designed with and for Pacific EMTs. The effectiveness of the training package has been evidenced through many successful national EMT deployments in several PICs, as well as through consistently positive participant feedback.Conclusion:Tailoring training materials to specific country contexts is essential. In the Pacific, core EMT training content with an emphasis on practical activities and simulations and “talanoa” discussions reflecting on previous deployments in remote islands has been viewed by participants as critical to preparing them for real-world deployments.

Contemporary american literature in Online Learning: fostering Reading Motivation and Student Engagement.

Reading is one of the crucial aspects of the learning process. The learning efficiency depends on the motivation and involvement of students. The paper aims to determine whether the developed online course enhances student motivation and engagement in contemporary American literature. For this purpose, questionnaires were used. The sample consisted of 126 students enrolled in Yulin Gaoxin Secondary School, who had English proficiency at a high enough level to read English literature in the original language. Before and after the course, the Reading Motivation Questionnaires test was administered, with its scores validated using Student’s t-test for dependent samples. Significant progress is observed in the internal and social components of motivation (23–25%), as well as in the Engagement category (31%). The course also positively affected learning effectiveness. None of the participants scored less than half of the possible points for the course assignments. Most children obtained high (95–119 points) and very high scores (120–140 points). This finding demonstrates the suitability of the tools used (videoconferencing, learning management systems, discussion forums, and interactive exercises) in online learning when studying modern literature. The research findings are of interest, first of all, to instructors who adopt technological innovations in their lessons or want to motivate students to read. Second, school administrators and education sector officials can draw information from the findings for corrective action. Third, software developers may be inspired by the data and create new technology solutions.

Experiential learning exercise: Designing a pirate community using the cultural web

The purpose of this experiential learning design article is threefold: firstly, to provide an opportunity for icebreaking or community building using a team-based activity, secondly, to apply Johnson and Scholes’ cultural web framework in a performative, open space learning context of the historic pirate culture, and finally, to connect the learning experience to job hunting, specifically helping students assess their fit with potential employers. This group exercise requires participants to use and integrate a variety of concepts from marketing and strategy, and then subsequently reflect on their performance with an after-action review. The exercise is likely to be most appropriate for advanced undergraduate and master’s classes, however, it has also been used successfully for community engagement on a foundation year. It would appear to be particularly useful for professional development, management, leadership, and organisational modules where a lean-in, experiential-oriented pedagogy is deployed.

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

Organizing, summarizing, and critically analyzing research is one of the first steps in the development of a research project. Creating annotated bibliographies is a common practice for students and researchers alike. Although annotated bibliographies are frequently utilized as course assignments, scaffolding exercises for project-based learning, and tasks for research assistants, many students and early researchers are unfamiliar with the process and format of an annotated bibliography. The purpose of this article is to provide undergraduate and graduate students, research assistants, and early career researchers within criminal justice, criminology, and other social sciences an explanation and examples of how to improve their research skills through writing annotated bibliographies.

ДИСТАНЦІЙНЕ ВИКЛАДАННЯ ФІЗИЧНОЇ КУЛЬТУРИ У АМЕРИКАНСЬКІЙ СИСТЕМІ ОСВІТИ

The article examines modern approaches to remote teaching of physical culture in the American education system and the introduction of interactive technologies into the educational process. Advanced pedagogical experience in the organization of physical education of young people is revealed on the example of American educational institutions. Currently, the relevance of electronic education of students of higher education institutions with the use of distance educational technologies is being popularized. The system of distance learning of physical culture in educational institutions of the United States enables applicants to actively combine classroom classes and independent work, to use new technical possibilities (video lectures, audio lectures, virtual work in groups); teachers - to provide educational materials in electronic form; to organize communication on forums or by e-mail, to have a complete picture of the students' activities. The Moodle distance learning platform in US educational institutions offers a structured learning plan, quizzes, glossaries, forums, chat rooms, databases, online surveys, creative tasks, exercises, projects and more. The US Sports Academy offers courses that allow distance learning and obtaining the necessary material for both bachelors and masters of sports sciences, as well as doctors of pedagogical sciences. With the help of distance technologies, the following forms of knowledge transfer are used in the US secondary education system for teaching physical culture: distance course, chat class, web class, web forum, teleconference, online seminar. The experience of using modern distance learning technologies for teaching physical culture in the US education system points to the fact that modern technological trends are radically changing the perception of education. Further research related to the transformation of the positive experience of teaching physical education in the distance education system in the USA in the realities of the education system of Ukraine is promising.

The impact of incidental learning on the acquisition of the sound /p/ by Arabic-speaking EFL learners

Abstract The effect of incidental learning on acquiring the pronunciation of the phoneme /p/ by Arabic-speaking English as foreign language learners was the focus of this study. This phoneme was chosen because it does not exist in the phonemic inventory of Arabic. Eighth graders studying at Al-Ethra’a Secondary School in Alkarak were tested on the pronunciation of words containing /p/ in context (pre-test). For three weeks, they were taught the primary stress of English words containing the target phoneme in their first or second syllable (treatment/incidental learning). The learning exercises consisted of explaining the stress rules and listening to native speakers uttering the words, followed by the participants’ repetition. The students were then re-tested (post-test) to determine whether incidental learning had affected the participants’ pronunciation of /p/. The results reveal that the treatment (incidental learning of /p/) had a positive impact on the participants’ answers on the post-test.

Adaptive performance in the 4IR: the impacts of organizational learning and resilience

This research investigates the impacts of organizational learning and resilience on adaptive performance within the banking industry during the 4IR. This study implemented a cross-sectional survey approach, having its sample (250 employees), purposively obtained from five (5) Lagos State of Nigeria’s banks. These five (5) banks are First City Monument Bank Limited, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, and First Bank of Nigeria Plc. The current researchers encouraged voluntary participation and guaranteed respect for related ethical matters. Two hundred and forty-six (247) surveys were successfully retrieved and suitably utilized. Data recovered was cleaned and analyzed with Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS vs. 28). This paper confirms that organizational learning and resilience independently and significantly increase and sustain positive adaptive performance. This investigation also found that organizational learning and resilience significantly and jointly impact adaptive performance. Hence, management within Nigeria’s banking industry should consider adopting more organizational learning programs and exercises for the varied circumstances and contests from the fourth industrial revolution. Moreover, the management and leaders within Nigeria’s banks should adopt human resource practices that cultivate the mastering of transformative activities, making the most disruptive surprises that potentially impend organization survival in the fourth industrial revolution

Higher-order thinking: An analysis of the prescribed versus tested Curricula in private secondary schools in Pakistan

Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) are incorporated in books to enhance students’ critical thinking. It is essential to know the level of HOTS offered in the prescribed curriculum and the extent to which it is covered in exams. This study analyses the higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) introduced in the prescribed curriculum and tested in the exams. The study used a qualitative content analysis approach to analyze each chapter’s Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and exercises questions of the grade 8th science book to categorize the question statements in view of Bloom’s taxonomy and nine predetermined categories of Socratic questions. The results indicate that the prescribed curriculum has comparatively more emphasis on developing HOTS than the tested curriculum does. The book analysis showed that SLOs support HOTS incorporation, but exercise questions and Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) exams tend towards Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS). Book exercises and exams should be improved and aligned with SLOs to incorporate HOTS in students. Moreover, book and exam criteria need to be revised to enhance higher-order thinking skills in students.

The Future Positive micro-intervention protocol: A program aiming to increase a healthy life-style among employees with a low socio-economic position.

This paper describes the development of a Dutch micro-intervention, Future Positive, that aims to increase health behaviors among employees with a low socio-economic position (SEP), with the ultimate aim to decrease socio-economic health inequalities. Intervention Mapping (IM) was used to adapt previously developed psychological capital interventions into a micro-intervention suitable to be delivered in the work context for employees with a low socio-economic position. The first 4 steps of IM including the results of pre-testing the developed intervention program are described. Step 1 consists of the needs assessment, and investigated (a) the individual determinants of health behavior and health inequalities, and (b) the needs of employees with a low SEP and their employers regarding the implementation of the intervention at the worksite. Matrices-of-change were produced in Step 2, and relevant methods and applications were selected in step 3. Step 4 involved the intervention development, resulting in a brief micro-intervention that will be delivered in small groups, guided by trained facilitators using motivational interviewing techniques. Program materials include informative video-clips and active and cooperative learning exercises. The intervention was pre-tested among three groups of employees. The IM process, as well as the pre-testing, revealed that emphasizing autonomy and using easy to understand and mostly visual materials offered in chunks is essential for a well-tailored intervention that is suitable for people with low SEP. Also, participation should be facilitated by employers: It should be free of costs, offered during working hours, and take place at the job site. Results showed that the Future Positive micro-intervention is substantiated by theory, applicable in a work setting (high reach), and tailored to the needs of employees with a low SEP. We therefore fill the gap in this existing range of interventions aimed to improve life-style behaviors and contribute to theory-based interventions aimed to decrease the SEP-Health gradient.

Implementing a Longitudinal Adolescent Transition of Care Curriculum: Identifying Comfort and Barriers Among Residents.

Amid growing recognition of the importance of transitioning adolescents and young adults (AYA) from pediatric- to adult-oriented health care systems, residency programs are being tasked with educating residents on best transition practices. However, consensus on how to approach training residents in transition of care (TOC) is limited. Our academic residency program therefore created and implemented a TOC of AYA curriculum for pediatric residents in an effort to increase provider knowledge and comfort with this topic. Three classes of post-graduate year one (PGY1) pediatric residents participated in this curriculum from 2017-2019 (n=35) and subsequently completed a problem-based learning (PBL) exercise in a primary care clinic with adolescent patients based on core goals in transitioning AYA. Residents completed pre-PBL and post-PBL surveys quantifying provider comfort in several aspects of the transition process. The majority of residents (94%) identified the PBL exercise as being useful, with no significant difference between classes. Eighty-nine percent (n=31) identified 1) earlier introduction of TOC and/or 2) incorporation of TOC discussions during AYA well visits as intended areas of future practice change. Overall provider comfort in transitioning AYA increased significantly from matched pre-PBL to post-PBL surveys (p=0.004). Paired mean differences also showed a significant increase in provider comfort based on several identifiable skillsets in transitioning AYA. This study suggests that a formal curriculum for pediatric residents significantly increases resident comfort in transitioning AYA and encourages change in future clinical practice. Future directions include evaluating the implementation of a formal longitudinal curriculum across several PGY levels and expansion of the curriculum to include internal medicine residents. Standardized curricula on this topic may improve resident comfort on a national level.

Objectively measuring learning outcomes of information technology-assisted training courses

PurposeThe objective of the presented pilot study was to test the applicability of a metric to specifically measure performance improvement via a hands-on workshop about collaborative robotics.Design/methodology/approachCandidates interested in acquiring basic practical skills in working with a collaborative robot completed a distance learning exercise in preparation for a hands-on training workshop. The candidates executed a test before and after the workshop for recording the parameters compiled in the tested performance index (PI).FindingsThe results reflected the potential of the tested PI for applications in detecting improvement in practical skill acquisition and revealed potential opportunities for integrating additional performance factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe low number of candidates available limited in-depth analyses of the learning outcomes.Practical implicationsThe study outcomes provide the basis for follow-up projects with larger cohorts of candidates and control groups in order to expedite the development of technology-assisted performance measurements.Social implicationsThe study contributes to research on performance improvement and prediction of learning outcomes, which is imperative to this emerging field in learning analytics.Originality/valueThe development of the presented PI addresses a scientific gap in learning analytics, i.e. the objective measurement of performance improvement and prediction along skill-intensive training courses. This paper presents an improved version of the PI, which was published at the 12th Conference on Learning Factories, Singapore, April 2022.

Advising Sleep Deprived Students to Take Online Classes

Surveys indicate that nearly three-fourths of all college students do not get an adequate amount of sleep on most nights and over half report daytime sleepiness. Sleep deficiency impairs cognitive function, diminishes academic performance, and impedes learning. Asynchronous online education, which provides flexibility to participate in learning exercises and complete assignments at a time and pace that better matches a student’s sleep schedule, may offer a solution to this problem. In this study, we examine the impact of reported sleep deprivation on learning outcomes for a group of students who took an asynchronous online class versus a similar group of students who took the same class in a face-to-face (F2F) setting (N = 399). Our results indicate that whereas sleep deprivation, all other factors held constant, significantly negatively affects learning for F2F students, no such influence is observed for online learners. Student counselors and school administrators should therefore consider advising sleep-deprived students to take more online classes to enhance student learning outcomes, which in turn may improve student retention and degree completion.

From Smart Cities to Wise Cities: Studying Abroad in Digital Urban Space

This article analyzes the impact of experiential and inquiry-based learning exercises in a 2019 Toronto study abroad course on smart cities for first-year students. The course treated the city as a text to be read, analyzed, and unpacked. Students engaged with the disciplines of urban studies, critical race and ethnic studies, and surveillance studies in order to assess Toronto's smart city initiative while exploring firsthand how technology and urban planning currently structure the lived experiences of Toronto's inhabitants. Ultimately, students came to understand how data analytics order, pattern, and structure the complexity of urban life in ways that can be inclusionary and exclusionary, democratic and autocratic. They gained an appreciation for why a range of stakeholders with disparate social and economic power perceive smart city initiatives differently, and they theorized what it might mean to live in a wise city that accounts for history, ethics, and power.

The effect of various skill exercises in learning and developing the accuracy of the forehand and backhand for young squash players

By noting the researchers as they specialize in the racket games. Young squash players have an insufficient performance of some essential skills, and the inability to choose the required skill in proportion to different playing situations. Therefore, the researchers determined to study this issue by relying on the use of a variety of skill training. It aims to provide various different responses (in force, speed, direction, and distance) to the forehand and backhand of squash players. The objectives of the research were to prepare a variety of exercises in learning the forehand and backhand for squash players. Identifying the impact of the diversity of exercises on learning and development Forehand and backhand stroke for young squash players. The researchers used the experimental method by designing (the two equal groups with a pre- and post-test) in order to suit the nature of the problem and achieve the objectives of the research. The research sample represented the entire research community, and they are the Iraqi youth squash players for the 2021 season, which number (12) players. The most important conclusions were that the effect of various exercises on learning had a positive impact on the development of the forehand and backhand for squash players.

The effect of teaching by the method of embedding and its overlap with the methods of random and sequential exercise in learning some basic skills, the study foot

The importance of the research is summarized in the selection of effective teaching methods in education. This study aimed at discipline, control accuracy, and an increase in repetition attempts. This Paying attention to individual differences and the participation of the learner in making educational behavioral decisions. Diversity in the contents of education in line with the learners' abilities،ages،and stages of study. The problem of the research lies in that the educational vocabulary was prepared in advance for all learners without exception and without taking into account the different levels of their initial performance efficiency. This means not paying attention to individual differences between learners' performance.

S04-5 Development of the Sports Club for Health (SCforH) online learning tool

BackgroundIn 2019, the European Commission provided funding of nearly 400 thousand Euro for the third round of the Sports Club for Health (SCforH) project. The objective of this project is to increase participation in sport and HEPA in the European Union by encouraging sports clubs and associations to implement SCforH principles in their activities. To achieve the objective of the project, in this study we aimed to develop a SCforH online learning tool.MethodsThrough a comprehensive literature search and consultations with the stakeholders in the area of sport, we created a list of examples of good practice in implementing SCforH initiatives and other related HEPA promotion practices in the sports context. The list was used to inform the development of the SCforH online learning tool. The SCforH online learning tool was developed through a consultation process including 15 experts in the area of sport and health.ResultsThe SCforH online learning tool includes: a participation consent form; a module for setting learning objectives, textual, pictorial, and video learning materials; interactive learning exercises; in-course quizzes and self-assessment modules; a link to the database of SCforH initiatives and other related practices in the European Union; links to other available online materials for those who want to know more; a module for the assessment of acquired knowledge; a participant feedback module; an optional survey including questions relevant for the evaluation of SCforH activities.ConclusionsThe SCforH online learning tool will enable the realisation of other aims of the current SCforH project, in particular, raising the awareness of the SCforH guidelines among: European sports clubs; sport associations; HEPA promoters; policymakers; and students of physical education, sport science, and public health.

The use of simulated crime scenes in teaching undergraduate forensic sciences: Implementing an active learning approach to forensics

Incorporating a simulated crime scene into one’s pedagogy in forensic science undergraduate courses allows students the opportunity to experience a realistic scenario while demonstrating their knowledge and enhancing their critical thinking skills. The purpose of this paper is to examine an active learning approach to using simulated crime scenes to provide an impactful learning experience for students. While potentially challenging for the instructor, constructing a crime scene scenario can provide students with hands-on practical experience while helping to dispel forensic science misconceptions. Through many years of creating crime scenes, best practices for using such high impact activities in forensic science courses are described in detail, including preparatory exercises that culminate in the final crime scene scenario, considerations in preparing and constructing a crime scene activity, and supervising and assessing students once the activity begins. Three major challenges to implementing active learning exercises such as simulated crime scenes in undergraduate forensic science programs include high workload for instructors, limited supplies, and lack of suitable facilities. Workload solutions include instructors and departments considering the cost and benefit of course releases to improve curriculum and student enrollment. Supplies and facilities solutions involve innovation in reuse and repurposing of supplies, and instructor flexibility in using classroom and outdoor spaces.