Foundation Knowledge Research Articles

How baccalaureate nursing students value an interprofessional patient safety course for professional development.

Nursing students need foundation knowledge and skills to keep patients safe in continuously changing health care environments. A gap exists in our knowledge of the value students place on interprofessional patient safety education. The purpose of this exploratory, mixed methods study was to understand nursing students' attitudes about the value of an interprofessional patient safety course to their professional development and its role in health professions curricula. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from formative course performance measures, course evaluations, and interviews with six nursing students. The qualitative themes of awareness, ownership, and action emerged and triangulated with the descriptive quantitative results from student performance and course evaluations. Students placed high value on the course and essential nature of interprofessional patient safety content. These findings provide a first step toward integration of interprofessional patient safety education into nursing curricula and in meeting the Institute of Medicine's goals for the nursing profession.

Advanced multimedia engineering education in energy, process integration and optimisation

In the new education and technology era, there are many challenges for Engineering education in the field of energy especially to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning process via structured multimedia. The universities across Europe are currently adopting the new Bologna three-cycle study system and most of engineering related departments have already developed new study programs accordingly. Several issues have to be addressed in order to provide high-quality education with improved efficiency and minimal cost. These are related to the foundation skills and knowledge for engineers. They should be supplemented by new engineer curricula empowering energy engineers to manage solving their problems in a sustainable way. The current contribution is based on years of practical teaching and involvement in the formation of the policy for engineering education in Europe. It discusses how the application of the Bologna system, appropriate and wise use of multimedia, and innovative introduction of novel communication means into the education can help in achieving the above goals. The discussion includes the development of methods and tools, multimedia internet-based teaching and learning programs, and cyberinfrastrucure-based virtual libraries.

Using an Online Interactive Game to Enhance the Learning Outcomes for First Year Tertiary Students

Academics acknowledge that students are often unable to link and extend first year, first semester foundation material throughout their undergraduate degree. The use of a pedagogically sound interactive digital game-based learning (DGBL) resource to engage first year biological science students in recalling, linking and applying foundation knowledge and increasing their learning outcomes has been explored. According to the current literature there exists no evidence that DGBL resources have previously been used to address this transfer and linking of knowledge and core skills. Results from our study of student perceptions and student learning outcomes suggest that our creatively designed resource has effectively targeted a mixed cohort of students to retain, link and extend foundation knowledge. Our study also indicates that DGBL resources have a valid role in enabling students, many of whom are classed as “digital natives”, to demonstrate positive learning outcomes by successfully recalling and transferring unit content into new learning domains.

It’s A Name Game, Indeed!

This is in reference to the editorial article published by Dr. Sanjiv Nair, hon’ble editor, in J. Maxillofac. Oral Surg. (July–Sept 2011) 10(3):183–184. Although I, on most parts of the article, would agree with the author but still like to keep a few points of my opinion. Firstly, the importance given to the so called ‘degrees with a fancy names’ (albeit truly said) not only by the general public but also by our fellow colleagues/doctors would time and again insist one to think about them and to further achieve them by what so ever means possible be it M.D.S., M.Ch. or anything else. So I would say that at this point of time, it’s a name game. Secondly, the lack of knowledge and orientation towards the complete scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) not only in the general public but also amongst our fellow colleagues/dentists/doctors. This lack of knowledge to a newcomer PG student would actually affect himself or herself who has actually entered (by default) in this field and finds him or her in the middle of deep trouble. I would say so because it is in my opinion as well as I also remember in one of the study questionnaire done among the dental students (BDS) including the interns; most of the students lacked knowledge of the complete scope of OMFS. Now that the pattern of PG entrance exams in India is such that I think mostly student come to a specific specialization by default meaning thereby that they have a priority list and by ruling out the choices depending upon their ranks and their choice of station they enter in a particular field. Now, such a student who enters into OMFS only to find himself confused further and further. A lot of studied as in the syllabus, departmental formalities of seminars, journal clubs, LDs, MDs, post op and emergency postings, a lot of computer work and virtually no previous hands on experience in the maxillofacial region in this era of computers and hi tech gadgets (which would also take away some precious time of the students) would land himself or herself in a situation from he or she would come out a little more unsatisfied and with a sense of doubt on his knowledge and capabilities of actually being ‘Masters’ in Dental Surgery. Senior OMF surgeons who have enough year of experience may not be able to fully understand the psychological status of a fresh PG in OMFS but such a person would definitely have an instinct to further pursue this profession by doing Ph.D. or M.Ch. so as to reach to a point where he/she feels a sense of satisfaction and completeness. Further the present scenario where there is virtually no demand for a new comer or they are paid the salary of a class IV employee, there is an added sense of financial insecurity. This complex may give rise to the thinking of getting an added degree. Thus, further it’s a name game. Now, I would now like to draw the attention to the main problem, as we all know that if we are able to identify and remove the etiology, we would be able to cure the disease. I think that whole curriculum of a BDS student should be redesigned keeping in view the present scope of OMFS as a specialization of dentistry. More awareness should be created regarding OMFS at an UG level and that an undergraduate should be mandatorily posted in the PG clinics of OMFS so that he or she would have foundation knowledge about this field. The theory and practice of OMFS at a postgraduate level in particular should be redesigned, even if it means extending the duration of course to 4–5 years, so that a PG student should not find himself or herself disoriented and unsecured in the end but should actually have achieved the real purpose of perusing MDS in OMFS. More awareness of this field should be created in the general public and fellow medical colleagues. Such changes would also ensure that only people dedicated towards the profession are enrolled in the specialization of OMFS. And then if courses like Ph.D or M.Ch. or fellowships in desired super specialties like orofacial clefts, craniofacial surgeries, or head and neck oncology are taken at the latest stages, they would serve their real purpose. The contents of the above said paragraphs are the personal opinion of the author and the author further seeks an apology if these opinions are contrary to and/or not suited with anybody.

A European Core Curriculum in Cariology: the knowledge base

This paper is part of a series of papers towards a European Core Curriculum in Cariology for undergraduate dental students. The European Core Curriculum in Cariology is the outcome of a joint workshop of the European Organization for Caries Research (ORCA) together with the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), which was held in Berlin from 27 to 30 June 2010. This paper presents a closer look at the knowledge base as presented in the European Core Curriculum in Cariology. It comprises not only traditional basic sciences, such as anatomy and histology, but also emerging sciences such as molecular biology and nanotechnology and also fields such as behavioural sciences and research methodology. The different supporting competences are elaborated and explained. The problems of implementing a curriculum that truly integrates this foundation knowledge into the clinical teaching are discussed.

ADEA Foundation Knowledge and Skills for the New General Dentist: (As approved by the 2011 ADEA House of Delegates)

ADEA Foundation Knowledge and Skills for the New General Dentist: (As approved by the 2011 ADEA House of Delegates)

Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience

Behavioral Neuroscientists study the behavior of animals and humans and the neurobiological and physiological processes that control it. Behavior is the ultimate function of the nervous system, and the study of it is very multidisciplinary. Disorders of behavior in humans touch millions of people's lives significantly, and it is of paramount importance to understand pathological conditions such as addictions, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, autism among others, in order to be able to develop new treatment possibilities. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience is the first and only multi-volume reference to comprehensively cover the foundation knowledge in the field. This three volume work is edited by world renowned behavioral neuroscientists George F. Koob, The Scripps Research Institute, Michel Le Moal, Universit Bordeaux, and Richard F. Thompson, University of Southern California and written by a premier selection of the leading scientists in their respective fields. Each section is edited by a specialist in the relevant area. The important research in all areas of Behavioral Neuroscience is covered in a total of 210 chapters on topics ranging from neuroethology and learning and memory, to behavioral disorders and psychiatric diseases. * The only comprehensive Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience on the market* Addresses all recent advances in the field * Written and edited by an international group of leading researchers, truly representative of the behavioral neuroscience community* Includes many entries on the advances in our knowledge of the neurobiological basis of complex behavioral, psychiatric, and neurological disorders* Richly illustrated in full color* Extensively cross referenced to serve as the go-to reference for students and researchers alike* The online version features full searching, navigation, and linking functionality* An essential resource for libraries serving neuroscientists, psychologists, neuropharmacologists, and psychiatrists

Implementation of herd management systems with wireless sensor networks

The work summarises a study of the data communications requirements for agricultural livestock monitoring applications using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Several design challenges are identified and analysed in depth based on actual global positioning system positioning data gathered from an actual herd of cattle. A wireless system including antennae diversity together with data downloads optimisation schemes utilising data collector and routers are developed and tested in a working farm environment. Two analysis metrics, connection availability and connection duration, are used to quantify the impact of cattle movement on network connectivity. The major contributions of this study stem from a definition of the communication issues in deploying animal monitoring platforms in free-ranging farm environments and the analysis and optimisation of the wireless data download performance using as the foundation knowledge gained from a series of working farm trials. Additionally, the data download protocols are designed particularly to treat animal movement. The results prove the viability of WSN-based solutions for livestock monitoring applications.

A Lucky Answer to a Fair Question

The article discusses acceptance of evolution and its relevance for measuring scientific literacy. The author analyzes the National Science Foundation knowledge quiz in relation to theoretical, methodological, and moral arguments, proposing a distinction between quiet and animated scientific constructs. When a public learns of evolution as an animated construct, its acceptance is a poor indicator in a reflective model of scientific literacy. Acceptance of evolution may constitute a valuable indicator in reflective models of science knowledge for publics that engage with it disinterestedly, as well as in formative models of scientifically shaped worldviews, and it may also be studied in itself.

2011 ADA Member Benefits Update

2011 ADA Member Benefits Update

Does instant access to compiled information undermine clinical cognition?

The new forms of information that medical trainees cite in case-oriented clinical presentations should give us pause. Three to four decades ago, the only way to find relevant publications was to search many volumes of Index Medicus with awkward, stilted terms; house officers and students would cite original observations and clinical studies. Today, despite the immediate accessibility of original data from clinical trials or other original studies, they generally cite compiled electronic sources, practice guidelines, and compiled decision rules, and they rarely seek out and report original sources. As trainees rely more and more on instantly available information that has been extracted, summarised, and reorganised, they are increasingly learning the minimum they need to know when they need it—namely, the least amount of knowledge necessary for a particular task. 1 Gorry GA Technology, knowing and learning. Knowl Manage Res Pract. 2009; 7: 178-180 Crossref Scopus (2) Google Scholar As a consequence, I am concerned that their foundation knowledge of clinical medicine will be superficial and that their clinical reasoning skills will suffer. I posit that the immediate availability of compiled and condensed information (especially in electronic form) is making young physicians unintentionally lazy, as others have noted in undergraduates. 2 Ellis D Response to “Does Google make us stupid?”. Anderson JQ, Ranie L. Pew Internet and American Life Project. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1499/google-does-it-make-us-stupid-experts-stakeholders-mostly-say-noDate: Feb 19, 2010 Google Scholar These recently qualified doctors have little need to remember pathophysiological mechanisms, data origins (the source of the original data or information), study designs, or results and flaws when summaries are instantly available on hospital information systems or hand-held computers. Rapid information retrieval has great value, but we are beginning to see important unintended consequences of relying almost exclusively on such sources. UK health, science, and overseas aid: not what they seemOn Oct 20, the UK's coalition Government released its spending review for the next 4 years with the aim of achieving long-term fiscal stability. The cuts to public spending set out in the review are the deepest in living memory, but the Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that spending on health and overseas aid would be ring-fenced. The coalition Government also shelved previous plans to take an axe to funding for scientific research. Taken at face value, the stay of execution granted to medicine, science, and development aid should be reassuring. Full-Text PDF

2010 ADA Member Benefits Update

2010 ADA Member Benefits Update

Developing primary mathematics teaching: reflecting on practice with the knowledge quartet

This book helps readers to become better, more confident teachers of mathematics by enabling them to focus critically on what they know and what they do in the classroom. Building on their close observation of primary mathematics classrooms, the authors provide those starting out in the teaching profession with a four-stage framework which acts as a tool of support for developing their teaching: -Making sense of foundation knowledge – focusing on what teachers know about mathematics -Transforming knowledge – representing mathematics to learners through examples, analogies, illustrations, and demonstrations -Connection – helping learners to make sense of mathematics through understanding how ideas and concepts are linked to each other -Contingency – what to do when the unexpected happens Each chapter includes practical activities, lesson descriptions, and extracts of classroom transcripts to help teachers reflect on effective practice. Video versions of these lessons are also available on a companion website.

An Ontology For Mobile Situation Aware Systems

This paper introduces a novel design artefact, namely a generic situation management ontology based on situation theory. This ontology contributes to the foundation knowledge base of mobile service delivery systems for future research and systems design. It demonstrates the applicability, and feasibility of using situation theory in the design of reactive information systems. The support within the ontology for context based filtering for situation detection also contributes to the efficiency of implementation and operation of situation driven reactive information systems. Highly mobile people (HMPs) require flexible, reactive service delivery due to their regularly changing location and activities and the lack of a wired network connection. A mobile service delivery system should be able to detect relevant events that occur such as change of location, availability of new last-minute specials, sales opportunities and safety issues and then reactively take action in response to these events. This paper describes a generic situation management ontology that was developed in OWL using the ontology development tool, Protege. The ontology is combined with domain specific classes in the travel domain to create a travel situation management ontology that can be used as the basis for a ubiquitous mobile travel service application. Using a typical independent traveller scenario, the travel situation management ontology is instantiated to demonstrate its effectiveness.

Knowledge Management Revisited

A number of social, economic, technological, and scientific trends have led to the emergence of communities of practice centered on the notion of the knowledge-based organization. However, the scientific foundation (knowledge elicitation methodology) and the commercial growth of knowledge management (KM) have largely developed in parallel. So, the creation of human-centered systems faces lingering challenges. In the KM process, company management establishes a program whereby experts who possess valuable knowledge collaborate with a knowledge engineer. Working together, they elicit the expert's wisdom for inclusion in the organization's knowledge base.

Teaching Recording and Documentation to BSW Students: An Exploratory Study of Field Instructors' Views

This exploratory study examined field instructors' perspectives on teaching recording skills to BSW students. The author used structured interviews with open-ended questions to gather data from 16 experienced social work field instructors. The study sought to explore (1) field instructors' methods of teaching about recording and the content of that instruction, and (2) the foundation knowledge and skills that would be helpful before students enter field. The findings suggest some avenues for developing content on recording within the BSW curriculum as well as for opening a dialogue between social work educators and field instructors on how to coordinate instruction on this critical topic.

Buckling of Carbon Nanotubes: A Literature Survey

This survey paper comprises 5 sections. In Section 1, the reader is introduced to the world of carbon nanotubes where their structural form and properties are highlighted. Section 2 presents the various buckling behaviors exhibited by carbon nanotubes that are discovered by carbon nanotube researchers. The main factors, such as dimensions, boundary conditions, temperature, strain rate and chirality, influencing the buckling behaviors are discussed in Section 3. Section 4 presents the continuum models, atomistic simulations and experimental techniques in studying the buckling phenomena of carbon nanotubes. A summary as well as recommendations for future research are given in Section 5. Finally a large body of papers, over 200, is given in the reference section. It is hoped that this survey paper will provide the foundation knowledge on carbon nanotube buckling and inspire researchers to advance the modeling, simulation and design of carbon nanotubes for practical applications.

Summary and Conclusions From the Academy's Eighth State-of-the-Science Conference, on the Biomechanics of Ambulation After Partial Foot Amputation

Summary and Conclusions From the Academy's Eighth State-of-the-Science Conference, on the Biomechanics of Ambulation After Partial Foot Amputation

A Training Programme for Clinical Photographers – The Cardiff Experience

The formal training and education of trainee clinical photographers started in Cardiff in 1969. Between 1974 and 1995 the trainees' foundation knowledge and skills were taught in purpose built accommodation, but since then has been in the main department, the Media Resources Centre, at the University Hospital of Wales. Prior to 1990 the trainee intake undertook the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) Qualifying Examination in Medical Photography, and between 1990 and 2001 they undertook this together with the Master of Science (MSc) in Medical Illustration. In preparation for state registration the Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Medical Illustration was developed with content that was appropriate to new entrants into the profession, and trainees were registered for this rather than the MSc in Medical Illustration. Since 2003 the on‐job training scheme has been developed to follow a more formal structure closely integrated with the PGC. The authors describe the rationale for and implementation of these changes.

Creating Aging-Enriched Social Work Education

Summary The CSWE Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education Project, funded by the John A. Hartford foundation, aimed to change curricula and organizational structure in 67 GeroRich projects so that all students would graduate with foundation knowledge and skills to work effectively with older adults and their families. The emphasis was on change processes to infuse and sustain gerontological competencies and curricular resources in foundation courses. This article presents lessons learned and strategies for engaging faculty, practitioners and students in the curriculum and organizational change process.