Feedback Sessions Research Articles

Efficacy of Psychological Intervention on Emotional Intelligence among Adolescents in Selected Schools at Erode, India

Context: Adolescence is a period of heightened emotionality. Boys are found to be more aware of their weakness than girls. Methods: Prior to the collection of data, permission was obtained from the concerned authority in selected schools at Erode. The research design used for the present study was true experimental design. Simple random sampling technique was used to recruit the study subjects. Study subjects was assigned randomly to either experimental group (n=75) or control group (n=75). Pretest was conducted by using demographic variables and Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test. Experimental group received psychological intervention for 30-45 minutes, twice a week for the period of 1 month. Psychological intervention comprises of VI sessions viz Introduction, SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, Recognize emotions, Controlling mood and self-expression, Positive interpersonal relationships, Adaptability and decision Making and Feedback sessions. Control group received standard methods of care. Posttest was conducted at the end of 1st month, by using the same assessment techniques in experimental and control group. Results: Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test showed statistical significance in augmenting emotional intelligence in experimental group comparatively to the control group among adolescents.

Observational feedback literacy: designing post observation feedback for learning

ABSTRACT The aim of teaching observations and post observation feedback in higher education is to support teachers to reflect on and improve their teaching. Yet, our understanding of tutors’ (observers’) and teachers’ (observees’) capacities for capitalising on these feedback opportunities is limited and there is little empirically derived advice for either the observer or the observee on the post observation feedback processes. We argue for the need to conceptualise and operationalise observational feedback literacy as a particular type of feedback literacy which is played out in both the design of the post observation feedback session, and in the moment-by-moment feedback talk. Drawing on the concept of student and teacher feedback literacies, this paper offers a framework of observational feedback literacy which identifies how observers and observees act in feedback literate ways. The framework foregrounds observer feedback literacy and recognises the importance of providing opportunities for observees to enact feedback.

Expectation and Satisfaction Level of Students with Impact of Formative Assessment on the Scores of Summative Assessments in the Subject of Dental Materials -A Study from Private Dental College Karachi Pakistan

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the improvement in the scores of summative assessment after formative assessment practices as well as expectation and satisfaction level of students with formative assessment in subject of the science of Dental Materials. METHODOLOGY: It was a longitudinal study with pre-post design that was conducted on second-year BDS students over a year. Students were selected by non-probability, convenience sampling technique from a private dental college. Summative assessments conducted at the end of semester III were considered pre-intervention tests. Semester IV was planned with formative assessment and feedback sessions after every topic and summative assessments conducted at the end of semester IV were considered Post-intervention tests. The summative assessment was done by Multiple Choice questions and a structured practical exam. A structured close-ended questionnaire was administered to record Students' level of expectation and satisfaction. The analysis was performed by using SPSS version 20. Quantitative analysis was reported by means and standard deviation. Furthermore, paired sample t-test was performed to analyze students' scores before and after formative assessment. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for the number of responses to each item in the questionnaire. RESULTS: Performances of students in semester III (before formative assessment) with semester IV (after formative assessment) were compared with paired-sample t-test results showed a significant increase in the scores of students before (M=62.74, SD±14.72) to after (M=67.16, SD ±14.53). KEYWORDS: Expectation, satisfaction, formative assessment, Summative Assessment, Science of dental materials.

Can a novel constructivist theory-informed feedback intervention reduce prescribing errors ? A pre-post study

ContextMedical interns (interns) find prescribing challenging and many report lacking readiness when commencing work. Errors in prescribing puts patients’ safety at risk. Yet error rates remain high, despite education, supervision and pharmacists’ contributions. Feedback on prescribing may improve performance. Yet, work-based prescribing feedback practices focus on rectifying errors. We aimed to explore if prescribing can be improved using a theory-informed feedback intervention.MethodsIn this pre-post study, we designed and implemented a constructivist-theory informed prescribing feedback intervention, informed by Feedback-Mark 2 Theory. Interns commencing internal medicine terms in two Australian teaching hospitals were invited to engage in the feedback intervention. Their prescribing was evaluated by comparing errors per medication order of at least 30 orders per intern. Pre/baseline (weeks 1–3) were compared with post intervention (weeks 8–9). Interns’ baseline prescribing audit findings were analysed and discussed at individualised feedback sessions. These sessions were with a clinical pharmacologist (Site 1) and a pharmacist educator (Site 2).ResultsEighty eight intern’s prescribing over five 10-week terms was analysed from two hospitals. The frequency of prescribing errors significantly reduced at both sites after the intervention, across all five terms (p < 0.001).There were initially 1598 errors in 2750 orders (median [IQR] 0.48 [0.35–0.67] errors per order) and after the intervention 1113 errors in 2694 orders (median [IQR] 0.30 [0.17–0.50] errors per order).ConclusionOur findings suggest interns’ prescribing practices may improve as a result of constructivist -theory learner centred, informed feedback with an agreed plan. This novel intervention, contributed, to a reduction in interns’ prescribing errors. This study suggests new strategies for improving prescribing safety should include the design and implementation of theory-informed feedback interventions.

A Smartphone Intervention to Promote a Sustainable Healthy Diet: Protocol for a Pilot Study.

Changing current dietary patterns into sustainable healthy diets (ie, healthy diets with low environmental impact and socioeconomic fairness) is urgent. So far, few eating behavior change interventions have addressed all the dimensions of sustainable healthy diets at once and used cutting-edge methods from the field of digital health behavior change. The primary objectives of this pilot study were to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of an individual behavior change intervention toward the adoption of a more environmentally sustainable healthy diet as a whole and changes in specific relevant food groups, food waste, and obtaining food from fair sources. The secondary objectives included the identification of mechanisms of action that potentially mediate the effect of the intervention on behaviors, identification of potential spillover effects and covariations among different food outcomes, and identification of the role of socioeconomic status in behavior changes. We will run a series of ABA n-of-1 trials over a year, with the first A phase corresponding to a 2-week baseline evaluation, the B phase to a 22-week intervention, and the second A phase to a 24-week postintervention follow-up. We plan to enroll 21 participants from low, middle, and high socioeconomic statuses, with 7 from each socioeconomic group. The intervention will involve sending text messages and providing brief individualized web-based feedback sessions based on regular app-based assessments of eating behavior. The text messages will contain brief educational messages on human health and the environmental and socioeconomic effects of dietary choices; motivational messages to encourage the adoption of sustainable healthy diets by participants, providing tips to achieve their own behavioral goals; or links to recipes. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected. Quantitative data (eg, on eating behaviors and motivation) will be collected through self-reported questionnaires on several weekly bursts spread through the study. Qualitative data will be collected through 3 individual semistructured interviews before the intervention period, at the end of the intervention period, and at the end of the study. Analyses will be performed at both the individual and group levels depending on the outcome and objective. The first participants were recruited in October 2022. The final results are expected by October 2023. The results of this pilot study will be useful for designing future larger interventions on individual behavior change for sustainable healthy diets. PRR1-10.2196/41443.

Abstract P6-05-17: Recruitment challenges in a UK surgical de-escalation study: preliminary qualitative research findings from the SMALL trial

Abstract Background SMALL (ISRCTN 12240119) is a novel UK phase III multicentre randomised trial comparing vacuum-assisted excision (VAE) to surgery for small screen-detected breast cancers with biologically favourable characteristics. Acceptance by the clinical community and recruitment to SMALL was anticipated to be challenging as it involves randomisation, surgical de-escalation and minimally-invasive percutaneous treatment (VAE). A QuinteT Recruitment Intervention (QRI) has therefore been integrated throughout SMALL’s recruitment period, with the aim of optimising recruitment and informed consent. Methods The QRI in SMALL has involved the analysis of: a) screening log data b) written views from recruiters on the two treatments and their advantages/disadvantages c) in-depth semi-structured interviews with members of the Trial Management Group (TMG) and clinician-recruiters and d) audio-recordings of recruitment discussions with potentially eligible patients. Recruitment challenges were identified and addressed through the provision of written recruitment tips documents, and group and individual feedback sessions with recruiters. Results There was widespread support for the concept of the SMALL trial within the clinical community. Recruiters recognised the pioneering role of SMALL as the only current surgical de-escalation randomised trial in screen-detected breast cancer. Key recruitment challenges revolved around i) healthcare professionals (HCPs) who met patients early in the pathway providing information indicating that they were being referred for surgery (without mentioning SMALL or VAE), ii) concerns around the balance of de-escalation/escalation of different treatment modalities (e.g. some clinicians may prefer to de-escalate radiotherapy in preference to surgery in low-risk patients), iii) challenges in articulating equipoise in a surgical de-escalation trial, iv) patient preferences (primarily for surgery) and recruiter discomfort in exploring/addressing such preferences and v) fewer eligible patients than anticipated. QRI actions to overcome these issues included developing a tips document for HCPs meeting patients early in the pathway, highlighting the need to refrain from making treatment recommendations. A more generic tips document was also developed emphasising the importance of the early introduction of the study, provision of balanced information about both treatments, encouraging recruiters to engage with patients’ concerns and preferences, and adequate explanation of randomisation. Group and individual feedback sessions focussed on two key areas – articulating equipoise through balanced information provision, and considering optimal ways to explore patient preferences where they are expressed. Despite the many set-up and recruitment challenges that arose from opening at the start of the pandemic, SMALL has recruited 142 patients to date from 23 sites, with an approached to randomised patient ratio of ~50%. Conclusion SMALL is a novel surgical de-escalation study in breast cancer, which will provide critical evidence to support reductions in treatment of good prognosis disease. Using a range of qualitative methodology, the QRI has identified both broad support for the study within the clinical community, but has also identified barriers to recruitment at both clinician and patient level. These challenges have been addressed employing a range of methods, and the recruitment level and approach/randomised ratio shows the overall acceptability of this study to patients. Further work will involve interviews with patients, with a focus on their views on de-escalation, and further recruiter feedback sessions. Taken together, theis data will help inform the development and design of future de-escalation and treatment optimisation studies in breast cancer. SMALL is funded by the UK NIHR HTA programme, award 17/42/32 Citation Format: Stuart A. McIntosh, Charlotte E. Coles, David Dodwell, Kenneth Elder, Jessica Foster, Claire Gaunt, Amanda Kirkham, Iain Lyburn, Jenna Morgan, Sarah E. Pinder, Sarah Pirrie, Shelley Potter, Tracy Roberts, Nisha Sharma, Hilary Stobart, Elizabeth Southgate, Sian Taylor-Phillips, Matthew Wallis, Daniel Rea, Sangeetha Paramasivan. Recruitment challenges in a UK surgical de-escalation study: preliminary qualitative research findings from the SMALL trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-17.

Improving the Engagement of Underrepresented People in Health Research Through Equity-Centered Design Thinking: Qualitative Study and Process Evaluation for the Development of the Grounding Health Research in Design Toolkit.

Health inequalities are rooted in historically unjust differences in economic opportunities, environment, access to health care services, and other social determinants. Owing to these health inequalities, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected underserved populations, notably people of color, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, and those unable to physically distance themselves from others. However, people most strongly impacted by health disparities, and the pandemic, are not frequently engaged in research, either as researchers or as participants, resulting in slow progress toward improving health equity. Establishing ways to foster the engagement of historically excluded people is crucial to improving health equity through patient-centered health research. This study aimed to assess the use of equity-centered design thinking (EDT) for engaging community members in research prioritization related to COVID-19. The co-design methods and subsequent production of a toolkit that can be used for engagement were assessed through process evaluation and qualitative methods. Process evaluation and qualitative inquiry, using reflexive thematic analysis, were undertaken to examine the use of EDT. Patient community members and stakeholders remotely partnered with design and health researchers in a year-long digital process to cocreate capacity-building tools for setting agenda for research regarding the impact of COVID-19 on health outcomes. Through a series of 3 workshops, 5 community partners engaged in EDT activities to identify critical challenges for the health and well-being of their communities. The subsequent tools were tested with 10 health researchers who provided critical input over the course of 2 workshops. Interviews with co-designers, project materials, and feedback sessions were used in the process evaluation and finalization of an equity-centered toolkit for community engagement in research. Data from the co-design process, meetings, workshops, and interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify salient themes. Process evaluation illustrated how the EDT co-design process offered an approach to engage patient partners and community stakeholders in health-related research around COVID-19. The participants expressed satisfaction with design thinking approaches, including creative activities and iterative co-design, as a means of working together. Thematic analysis identified 3 key themes: the value of authentic partnerships, building trust and empathy through design, and fostering candid dialogue around health and social issues impacting historically underrepresented and underinvested communities. The project addressed the need to test EDT strategies for fostering inclusive community engagement in health research agenda setting and provided an alternative to traditional top-down models. Despite the increasing use of human-centered design in health, few projects explicitly include equity in design thinking approaches. The use of methods and tools to intentionally engage underrepresented stakeholders in the process of research agenda setting and equitably sharing power between researchers and community members may improve health research, ultimately improving health equity.

Enhancing Conversational Recommendation Systems with Representation Fusion

Conversational Recommendation Systems (CRSs) aim to improve recommendation performance by utilizing information from a conversation session. A CRS first constructs questions and then asks users for their feedback in each conversation session to refine better recommendation lists to users. The key design of CRS is to construct proper questions and obtain users’ feedback in response to these questions so as to effectively capture user preferences. Many CRS works have been proposed; however, they suffer from defects when constructing questions for users to answer: (1) employing a dialogue policy agent for constructing questions is one of the most common choices in CRS, but it needs to be trained with a huge corpus, and (2) it is not appropriate that constructing questions from a single policy (e.g., a CRS only selects attributes that the user has interacted with) for all users with different preferences. To address these defects, we propose a novel CRS model, namely a Representation Fusion–based Conversational Recommendation model, where the whole conversation session is divided into two subsessions (i.e., Local Question Search subsession and Global Question Search subsession) and two different question search methods are proposed to construct questions in the corresponding subsessions without employing policy agents. In particular, in the Local Question Search subsession we adopt a novel graph mining method to find questions, where the paths in the graph between users and attributes can eliminate irrelevant attributes; in the Global Question Search subsession we propose to initialize user preference on items with the user and all item historical rating records and construct questions based on user’s preference. Then, we update the embeddings independently over the two subsessions according to user’s feedback and fuse the final embeddings from the two subsessions for the recommendation. Experiments on three real-world recommendation datasets demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms five state-of-the-art baselines.

Development and Feasibility Testing of a Multilevel Intervention to Increase Hepatitis C Virus Screening Among Baby Boomers in Primary Care

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) results in an increased risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Only 15% of baby boomers (born 1945–1965) have ever been screened. We aimed to develop a multilevel intervention to increase HCV screening for baby boomers in a primary care setting. This study included two phases: intervention development (phase 1) and feasibility testing (phase 2). In phase 1, we partnered with a Community Advisory Board and a Provider Advisory Board to develop a multilevel intervention to increase HCV screening to be delivered to both providers and patients in primary care. Phase 2 assessed intervention feasibility, acceptability, and usability by conducting Concurrent Think Aloud (CTA) interviews and surveys using previously validated scales with patients (n = 8) and providers (n = 7). Phase 1 results: The patient-level intervention included a mailed reminder letter and CDC pamphlet and a 7-min in-clinic educational video. The provider-level intervention included a 30-min educational session and monthly performance feedback e-mails. Phase 2 results: Qualitatively, both the patient and provider-level intervention were feasible, acceptable, and usable by the target audiences. Quantitatively, on a 1–4 scale, the range of patient-level scores was 3.00–4.00 and provider level was 3.50–4.00 for feasibility, acceptability, and usability. This intervention could improve HCV screening among a high-risk population and therefore reduce HCV-related morbidity and mortality. This project developed a feasible, acceptable, and usable multilevel intervention aimed at increasing HCV screening in primary care.

VR as an Innovative Learning Tool in Sports Education

Testing and application of suitable learning tools and methods can facilitate learning environments conducive to skill acquisition for the target group. This also applies to sports education at school level, including extracurricular activities. On the one hand, traditional learning methods are still effective in sports education; on the other hand, keeping up with societal and technological developments, new learning strategies are continuously being researched to complement existing pedagogical tools. An innovative tool that has been increasingly used in various fields of application in recent years is Virtual Reality (VR) as part of the Extended Reality (XR) domain. It enables learning in immersive and specifically designed learning environments and is particularly suitable for learning in (sports-)motor contexts due to its flexible use. In our study, we test a VR-based rotation task in an extracurricular dance class with the objective of supporting the crucial didactic, collaborative, and perceptual components of dance training in educational contexts. We conducted feedback sessions with the students and used direct observation to examine their behavioural actions. Based on the qualitative content analysis of the written feedback and the overview from the observations, we can identify integrative potentials of this innovative tool in sports education, especially extracurricular dance classes.

Promoting multidisciplinary care for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): Findings from a quality improvement initiative across two community cancer centers.

528 Background: Evolving treatment paradigms in HCC are increasing the need for multidisciplinary coordination and a focus on patient-centered care. Identifying real-world challenges HCC care teams face in implementing these critical practices is necessary to inform educational interventions and optimize patient outcomes. Methods: In March–April 2021, 22 health care professionals (HCPs) who treat HCC at 2 US community oncology clinics completed surveys assessing practice patterns, challenges, and confidence related to multidisciplinary and patient-centered care in HCC and participated in interdisciplinary audit and feedback sessions. Patient charts evaluated pre- and post-intervention assessed changes in clinical practice. Inclusion criteria included confirmed HCC diagnosis, age ≥ 18 years, and ≥ 2 visits in the one-year chart abstraction period. Results: Participants represented the interprofessional HCC care team: medical oncologists (38%), gastroenterologists (8%), hepatologists (4%), internal medicine (17%), advanced practice professionals (4%), and nurses (29%). Baseline and follow-up patient charts included 50% and 47% Stage II-III HCC patients and 50% and 53% Stage IV HCC patients, respectively. Top reported barriers to multidisciplinary tumor board use were ineffective interdepartmental coordination/collaboration (43%) and low volume of referrals (38%). HCPs aimed to resolve these gaps through improved collaboration between multidisciplinary teams (33%) and earlier referrals to a medical oncologist (29%). Providing patient-centered supportive care was identified by 33% of HCPs as the top challenge in HCC patient care. Of HCPs surveyed, 77% estimated that ≤ 25% of patients are evaluated for/referred to distress/behavioral health services. Chart audits after educational intervention and action plan implementation showed improvements in supportive care utilization (see table). A critical component of patient-centered care, shared decision-making (SDM) was reported by 24% of HCPs. HCPs reported patient resistance to SDM (33%) and low patient health literacy (29%) as top barriers to SDM. Chart documentation of HCP participation in SDM increased post intervention (see table). Conclusions: In current real-world practice, HCC care teams report challenges in interdisciplinary collaboration and referrals, providing supportive care, and involving patients in SDM. These identified gaps represent key opportunities for future interventions to improve HCC care. [Table: see text]

Translation and validation of the revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) for evaluating the effectiveness of acute pain services in the Indian population.

Translation and validation of the revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) for evaluating the effectiveness of acute pain services in the Indian population.

Effects of a Structured Reflective Interview on Parental Reflective Functioning: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

The Parental Reflective Interview Procedure was developed as part of an initial assessment interview for an attachment-based intervention for child mental health conditions. This study was a pilot randomised controlled trial that utilised a parallel, single-blind trial design to evaluate the differences in the effects of the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure compared to a diagnostic interview on parental reflective functioning. The control group was administered a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents—Parent Version) and matched for time with clinician. The study sample were 25 parents of clinic-referred children who scored above the clinical cut-off score on the Child Behaviour Checklist. Parental reflective functioning was measured with the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire at baseline and repeated post-intervention, and then again at a two-week follow up. Results showed that the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure produced moderate improvements in parents’ understanding of their children’s mental states and maintenance in their reflections on intergenerational parent-child relationship patterns. The diagnostic interview showed decreases in both these dimensions. The findings suggest that the Parental Reflective Interview Procedure is a promising format for initial assessment when referral indicates difficulty in the parent-child relationship. The interview acts as a good orientation for parents to an intervention focused on parent-child relationship dynamics. Further work refining this interview, its coding and integration into a tailored feedback session is required.

Students’ Perceptions Regarding Culturally Sensitive Classrooms: A Case Study of Delhi Schools

&lt;p class="abstrak"&gt;India is known for its motto of unity in diversity. Delhi classrooms are mirrors of this diversity. The researchers, being in the capacity of teachers and educators, received regular feedback from trainee teachers regarding the classroom environment of secondary schools in Delhi. During those feedback sessions and in submitted reports on reflections, there were frequent entries on cultural alienation and cultural clashes. These entries forced the researchers to study the status of cultural sensitivity in secondary classrooms in Delhi. The study discusses the perceptions of students regarding their own cultural identity, their peers’ cultural identity, and shared experiences of cultural alienation, bullying, or conflicts in their classrooms. The study also discusses students’ expectations of their teachers in creating culturally sensitive classrooms. This is a descriptive study. Ex post-facto survey design was chosen for the study of culturally sensitive classrooms. The sample consists of 445 students in 12 schools in Delhi (five public and seven private). The self-prepared questionnaire for students called the Cultural Sensitivity Questionnaire for Students (CSQS) with CVR 0.68 was used as the tool. The study concluded that cultural alienation, bullying, and conflicts occur because of mutual ignorance of each other’s culture.&lt;/p&gt;

The use of post-exam feedback in oral radiology: A survey study of dental and dental hygienist schools in Europe.

A combination of summative assessments and post-exam feedback can create a formative environment to support student learning. It remains unknown to what extent feedback sessions are conducted after exams in oral radiology courses for dental and dental hygienist students in Europe. This survey study aimed to explore whether post-exam feedback sessions were conducted, and if so, in what format. A questionnaire was distributed to 76 dental schools in 26 countries and 34 dental hygienist schools in 14 countries in Europe. The questions addressed whether feedback was provided after exams in oral radiology, the feedback format, and whether feedback sessions were formalised or performed for other reasons. Questionnaire responses were received from 33 dental schools in 18 countries, and 20 dental hygienist schools in 11 countries. Information about grades was provided in 23-30% of the schools. Post-exam feedback sessions including opportunities for discussion was provided at 39% of the schools, all with guidelines stating that these sessions should be carried out. The remaining schools provided feedback either on request by individual students or as written examples of correct answers. Almost one third of the dental schools announced grades without providing any post-exam feedback that could support learning. Two fifth utilised feedback sessions to assist students in gaining knowledge and sorting out misconceptions, all according to guidelines. Given the possible learning potential in post-exam feedback with opportunity to discuss, further studies of this format would be valuable, including the role and use of feedback guidelines.

Hosting collectivity: ‘We’ as a person reference in interactional reflective practice in peer observation sessions

Personal pronouns are a common linguistic element in the construction of teachers’ identities. Teachers often articulate their reflections through a collective personal reference, as it is in the use of the personal pronoun ‘we’, which emerges in the construction of the arguments that are used as the basis for reflective practice. The study presented here examines the use of ‘we’ as a personal pronoun to construct teacher identities in interactional reflective practice in post-observation feedback sessions. More specifically, aim to understand how teachers express their identity as a group through the use of the personal pronoun ‘we’. Findings demonstrate that teachers actively identify with the group to which they belong. The reference to collectivity is established along a continuum that stretches from teachers in general to teachers of the school in question to individual practitioners as teachers of a class group. The article contributes to a better understanding of how teachers’ identity is constructed in peer observation feedback interactions.

The Effect of a Short Course on a Group of Italian Primary School Teachers’ Rates of Praise and Their Pupils’ On-Task Behaviour

Teachers who continually experience behaviour problems in their classrooms may believe they are ineffective at working with children. Indeed, student misbehaviour is often identified as the main cause of teacher stress. Strategies designed to increase teacher rates of approval in their class have been shown to be effective in decreasing students’ inappropriate behaviours. In this investigation, a group of Italian primary school teachers took part in a brief 2-h training programme aimed at increasing praise for appropriate behaviour. The programme included a feedback session about the pre-test data and a PowerPoint presentation. Data on pupils’ time on-task were collected. Furthermore, teachers’ job-satisfaction, self-efficacy, and their perceived use of a series of classroom management praxis were investigated through a questionnaire. Social validity data show the teachers within the experimental group to have been highly satisfied with the programme. From observations carried out before and after training, it was seen that changes in teachers’ use of feedback were accompanied by increased pupil on-task behaviour. The training did not produce any change in teachers’ job-satisfaction scores. Teachers’ self-efficacy scores and the frequency of praxis were significantly increased following the training. Implications for practice, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Designing for patient decision-making: Design challenges generated by patients with atrial fibrillation during evaluation of a decision aid prototype.

Shared decision-making (SDM) empowers patients and care teams to determine the best treatment plan in alignment with the patient's preferences and goals. Decision aids are proven tools to support high quality SDM. Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, struggle to identify optimal rhythm and symptom management strategies and could benefit from a decision aid. In this Brief Research Report, we describe the development and preliminary evaluation of an interactive decision-making aid for patients with AF. We employed an iterative, user-centered design method to develop prototypes of the decision aid. Here, we describe multiple iterations of the decision aid, informed by the literature, expert feedback, and mixed-methods design sessions with AF patients. Results highlight unique design requirements for this population, but overall indicate that an interactive decision aid with visualizations has the potential to assist patients in making AF treatment decisions. Future work can build upon these design requirements to create and evaluate a decision aid for AF rhythm and symptom management.

Real-life scenario blended teaching approach for nurturing inquisitive learning of central nervous system in medical students.

Among the various systems taught in the preclinical phases, the nervous system is more challenging to learn than other systems. In this report, a novel teaching methodology, 'real-life scenario (RLS) blended teaching' is described and its effectiveness in facilitating inquisitive learning in undergraduate medical students was evaluated. This mixed-method study was conducted among three groups (Group-1; n=83, Group-2; n=85, and Group-3; n=79) of undergraduate medical students (18-20 years) in the neurology and behavioral sciences module. RLS was presented to students in the form of demonstrations, role-plays, videos, and group activities. Group-1 students underwent traditional teaching-learning sessions. Group-2 students underwent RLS blended sessions and were provided with multiple mini-assignments in a vignette format. Group-3 students received RLS blended sessions, multiple mini-assignments, peer discussions, multiple formative assessments, and facilitator feedback sessions. The student performances on different exams were compared in terms of their Group, and their perceptions of RLS were documented. Students exposed to RLS sessions blended with multiple assignments, peer discussions, multiple formative assignments, and facilitator feedback sessions performed well in the final summative assessments (67.87%) compared to those exposed to RLS sessions and assignments (50.21%) or exposed to traditional teaching alone (50.34%). RLS sessions increased students' curiosity and motivated them to learn the subject well. RLS sessions stimulated student interest and facilitated their learning. RLS along with effective use of multiple assignments, formative assessments and/or feedback sessions significantly improved student learning. This demonstrates the effectiveness of this active method in teaching various subjects with appropriate modifications.

THE EFFECT OF CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK VIA A COMPUTERIZED COURSE ON OMANI EFL LEARNERS` WRITING PERFORMANCE

The present research investigates the efficiency of interactional corrective feedback on Omani EFL learners` writing performance through electronic platforms. To this end, 94 Omani English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were selected based on the college placement criteria. The participants were randomly assigned into one experimental group and one control group, each including 47 students. Before starting the treatment, both groups were pretested by a writing test to collect the required data. The experimental group then received the treatment using interactional corrective feedback and additional comments, whereas the control group received only corrective input on forms and structures of the final draft. In addition, to elicit the students’ attitude towards interactional corrective feedback, a survey was distributed among the experimental group’s participants. The Mann-Whitney U test for comparing the control and experimental groups showed a significant difference between the mean scores of the two groups. It means that interactional corrective feedback had a statistically significant effect on EFL learners’ writing performance. Besides, the survey findings showed that participants emphasized the importance of receiving interactional corrective feedback from their teachers. The current study results can have some implications for teachers to implement more feedback sessions, not only on students’ writing tasks but also on the other skills equally.