Experiential Learning Sessions Research Articles

Body expression skills training in a communication course for dental students.

In the health professions, competency in communication skills is necessary for the development of a satisfactory physician-patient interaction. Body expression is an important domain of the communication process, often not adequately addressed. The aim of this study was to describe the methodology and content of a pilot introductory training session in body expression for dental students before the beginning of their clinical training. The educational methods were based on experiential learning and embodied training, where the session's content focused on five themes representing different phases of the dental treatment session. A questionnaire was distributed before and after the session to assess any changes in students' self-perceptions in communication skills. There were statistically significant improvements in the total values of the students self-perceptions of their communication skills obtained before and after the training and in specific elements such as small group situations, performing an interview, understanding the feelings of others and expressing one's own feelings. The dental students in the present study felt that this preclinical experiential learning session improved their communication skills. The feedback from this training experience will enable further development of an effective communication course for clinical dentistry.

Scoliosis Short-Term Rehabilitation (SSTR) – A Pilot Investigation

There is evidence that physiotherapy is an effective treatment module used in the management of patients with scoliosis. There is a RCT from China as well as a prospective controlled study from Germany supporting physiotherapy. The latter study was on scoliosis in-patient rehabilitation with patient samples treated intensively for 6 weeks. Today in-patient rehabilitation programs have changed and the length of the program has been reduced. Therefore, there is doubt that the results of the study are reproducible today. This is why new concepts of scoliosis rehabilitation have been developed on the basis of the latest methodological studies in this field. Material and Methods: In June 2010 the new 5-day scoliosis short-term rehabilitation was introduced based on experiential learning and the methods of treatment described in literature. 10 patients from New Zealand, US, Canada, Belarus, Rumania and Russia took part. Nine had a scoliosis, one was treated for kyphosis. The concept consisted of two guided 90 min. sessions and one experiential learning session of another 90 min on a daily basis. Finally, 9 patients with the diagnosis of AIS (Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis), two males and seven females with an average Cobb angle of 46° (29 – 64°) and with an average age of 14 (11 – 18) years were included. ATR (Angle of Trunk Rotation = Scoliometer) measurements were taken before and after the treatment. Additionally, the ability to correct themselves was measured after four days of treatment. A questionnaire to measure patient satisfaction was also used.Results: The ATR was reduced significantly from 10.3° to 8.2° (p < 0,001) after treatment in the nine patients with scoliosis. The ability to correct themselves as measured with the help of the Scoliometer (ATR 8.2° / ATR auto-corrected (without additional help by the therapist ) 5.7) was 1,45 and the difference between ATR 8.2° / ATR auto-corrected 5.7 was significant as well (p = 0,0035). Patient satisfaction was over average and the patient examination at the end clearly showed that all goals set were achieved for all patients.Conclusions: This new concept of rehabilitation is less time consuming and seems as effective as in-patient rehabilitation of 3-4 weeks. Therefore, in-patient rehabilitation lasting several weeks today seems necessary no more for children and adolescents with scoliosis. Studies with increasing patient samples are needed to substantiate these conclusions. Only the group of patients with scolisois is needed to be included. More explanation is needed. BACKGROUND There is evidence that physiotherapy is an effective treatment module used in the management of patients with scoliosis. In their systematic review Negrini and Coworkers (2008) reported on a RCT from China. There is also a prospective controlled study from Germany supporting physiotherapy in the in-patient mode (Weiss, Weiss and Petermann 2003). The latter study was on scoliosis in-patient rehabilitation with patient samples from 1989 to 1991 treated intensively for 6 weeks. Today, the in-patient rehabilitation program has changed widely and the length of the program has also been shortened. Therefore, there is doubt that the results of the prospective study (Weiss, Weiss and Petermann 2003) are reproducible today. The latest in-patient programs have not been investigated so far, no evidence has been achieved for their use (Yilmaz and Kozikoglu 2010) and this is why new concepts of scoliosis rehabilitation have been developed on the basis of the latest methodological studies in this field. As early as 2006, it has been shown that the outcome of scoliosis in-patient rehabilitation can be improved by adding on the physio-logic® program (Weiss and Klein 2006). Moreover, it has also been shown, that rehabilitation times can be reduced drastically (Weiss, Hollaender and Klein 2006) by adding on treatment methods based on the Scoliosis Short-Term Rehabilitation (SSTR) – A Pilot Investigation 2 of 8 activities of daily living (ADL, see also figure 1 and 2.).

The family role in different phases of psychosis

The use of physical restraint to curtail dangerous or extremely disruptive behaviours in patients has been an established practice to help ensuring safety in healthcare providers' work environment. However, many have deemed it unnecessary and overused with reported negligence on patients' basic needs during its implementation. Studies have shown that having empathy and non-judgmental attitudes are vital in reducing and eliminating the use of restraint.To explore whether experiential learning will improve empathy and confidence, among nursing and medical students when managing dangerous, aggressive, and violent patients.A pre- and post-test, same group quasi-experimental design was used to explore the effectiveness of using the Empathetic CAre and REsponse (ECARE), an experiential learning session to equip nursing and medical students on managing dangerous, aggressive, and violent patients. Outcome measures include students' confidence when using verbal de-escalation, physical and chemical restraint techniques. Empathy scores were also compared.A University offering both medical and nursing program from undergraduate to postgraduate level.249 nursing and 50 medical students undergoing the mental health nursing module in Year 2 of their nursing program and psychiatry rotation in Year 3 of their medical education.Results showed that, for both student populations, the empathy and confidence scores significantly improved after attending ECARE. ANCOVA conducted on the post-intervention Jefferson empathy score between the populations with an adjusted baseline score revealed a statistically significant adjusted mean difference between them.This study demonstrated that experiential learning could improve the learners' empathy through the integration of hands-on learning. This in turn could enhance future healthcare professionals' care quality. Experiential learning opportunities should be incorporated into existing pedagogies as this helps to improve students' confidence in managing dangerous, aggressive and violent patients, reducing the use of physical restraint, thereby enhancing the quality of patient care.

… But Does It Stick? Evaluating the Durability of Improved Knowledge Following an Undergraduate Experiential Geriatrics Learning Session

Canada's aging population, fewer medical students training in geriatric medicine, and inadequate geriatric curricula require that medical schools immediately address how future physicians will be able to care for older people effectively. The medical literature suggests that experiential learning strategies improve undergraduate medical students' knowledge of and interest in less-popular subjects, but the durability of improvements resulting from these resource-intensive learning approaches remains unclear. In October 2001, a convenience sample of all University of Western Ontario medical students attending the geriatric component of their first year was randomized to attend one 3-hour didactic lecture or 3-hour experiential learning session. Approximately 1 year later, students completed a follow-up knowledge and attitudes survey that was matched to their first-year surveys using date-of-birth data. Of 100 completed follow-up surveys, 42 were used in formal analysis. Although initially the experiential group demonstrated a better knowledge score, at 1-year follow-up, there was no significant difference in knowledge, attitudes toward older people, or interest in geriatric medicine between the didactic (n=17) and experiential (n=25) groups. Nevertheless, these students (n=42) demonstrated better attitude scores than those (n=22) who had not attended either educational intervention. This study challenges the belief that an experiential approach is a superior training method to a didactic approach. One year after an educational intervention, there was no difference in geriatric knowledge, attitude scores, or interest in geriatric medicine between students who underwent a didactic lecture or a participatory, experiential learning session.

Teaching medical students about the impact of radical treatments on patients' sexuality

This three-hour teaching aims to raise students' awareness of patients' sexuality problems after radical treatments, particularly the importance of respect for an individual patient's perception of self, the depression that can result from disturbed body image, and the incidence of problems of sexuality following surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In 1997, this half-day experiential learning session was introduced to the under-graduate curriculum. Evaluation by questionnaire 5 months after the 1998 teaching session showed a significant attitudinal impact of the teaching on attendees - 98% of respondents stated positive learning outcomes: 72% volunteered that they had an increased awareness of the holistic needs of patients and 27% had reflected on the session afterwards.

Foreign Language and Cross-Cultural Education in the Promotion of International Trade: PEEP, a Case Study

Much has been said and written in the past few years regarding the inability of United States businessmen and others to communicate effectively with foreign nationals. Not only is there a language barrier, but a cultural one as well. This problem has become more acute as greater emphasis is placed on increasing export trade from the United States by both national and state governments. In considering these new national goals, we at Central Virginia Community College decided to agarrar al toro por los cuernos and do something about it. As early as 1977 we had identified the need in our service area to involve more traditional and non-traditional students in the study of foreign languages and cultures in order to attain better communication with foreign nationals involved in trade. Specifically, during 1978-80 Central Virginia Community College was awarded two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The first was a Consultancy Grant for $5,000 to study and determine the diverse foreign language and cross-cultural instruction needs of the Central Virginia region, and the second and more significant one, a Pilot Grant for approximately $37,000 to develop and implement the previously studied project. As a result, by the end of 1981, the Cross-Cultural and Foreign Language Resource Center became operational. This project has been regionally and nationally acclaimed, as attested by the Council on Learning report in its Handbook of Exemplary International Programs. More recently, for the fiscal year 1983-84, under the Funds for Excellence Program administered by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia, CVCC was awarded another grant to plan and develop the Piedmont Export Expansion Program (PEEP). This project was successfully implemented with the active support of the Piedmont Foreign Trade Council of Central Virginia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promote international commerce in the U.S. and in Central Virginia in particular. The main thrust of PEEP was aimed at establishing a meaningful cooperative program between businesses engaged in foreign commerce and regional institutions of higher education to further develop, through a series of seminars, workshops and regular academic instruction, trade for the entire Piedmont area of Virginia. The acceptance by the community was outstanding and all objectives of the project were met. Three colleges became active participants in the program: Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg College, and Randolph-Macon Women's College. CVCC became the administrative institution and this writer was appointed as the overall program coordinator. The program was designed to provide the participants with the educational opportunity to experience both academic and experiential learning sessions. This was accomplished by the use of both academicians and exporttrade business experts in a cooperative, instructional setting. The once-a-week core classes: International Marketing, Cultural Differences, Export Documentation, Balance of Payments, etc. were held during evening hours at Lynchburg College. Latin America was designated as the initial area of study with Spanish and Portuguese as the target languages. These were offered through the Cultural Resource Center at CVCC. The language course was offered as Spanish for Businessmen and Travelers. Interestingly enough, though there were only 12 students enrolled in the core courses, 31 persons signed up for the one year language component of the program; these included two business executives and their wives, businessmen and investors, and senior citizens contemplating travel to Latin America. Two native speakers with ample academic credentials both in linguistics