Instructional Handouts Research Articles

Prototype Model Of Intercultural Teaching Materials For Drama Subjects To Support The Completeness Of Educator Administration In The Learning Process

Despite their lack of confidence, the professors still need self-help materials to help them learn English as a Foreign Language. They need these materials to understand the cultural gap between English and students. This project aims to develop instructional handouts based on an intercultural learning model applicable to the Drama discipline. The research design used the ADDIE model, which stands for Analysis, Design and Development, in addition to Interviews, Questionnaires and Observations. This method employed R&D methods to create intercultural learning materials like handouts. It also utilized a questionnaire, interview and checklist to gather data. Students and lecturers need to use intercultural learning materials to combine the similarities and differences between English and Malay cultures. This is because these separate cultures make it difficult for students and teachers to perform drama in the classroom. With suitable material, students and teachers can more easily bridge this cultural gap, namely the existence of intercultural teaching materials for drama subjects that are reliable, practical, effective and support the completeness of educator administration in teaching.

Effect of Educational Handouts With Standard Therapy Versus Standard Therapy Alone on Compliance With Oral Iron Supplementation in Antenatal Women With Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background Iron requirements rise dramatically throughout the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Pregnant women are more susceptible to anemia because their needfor iron increases during pregnancy, which is difficult to achieve through diet alone. Methodology A randomized controlled trial (non-blinded and parallel group) was undertaken with the recruitment of 174 women. However, 35 women were lost to follow-up, and the study was ultimately completed with 139 participants distributing 68 women in Group A (intervention group) and 71 women in Group B (non-interventional group). Educational handouts were explained to the participants with iron supplements in Group A and only supplements were given to Group B, and the participants were followed up till three months before the recruitment period. Compliance with iron supplementation and a rise in hemoglobin were noted. Results In this study, maximum women were in the 22-30 years age group and were almost evenly distributed with respect to parity with no statistically significant difference in the groups. All the participants were started with oral iron therapy. No additional parenteral iron therapy was given. Women in Group A showed good compliance for iron supplementation than those in Group B. It was determined that this difference was statistically insignificant (>0.05). In the majority of women, the reason for poor compliance was frustration to follow oral iron therapy daily (52.3% in Group A and 21.7% in Group B). There were other reasons like forgetfulness, heartburn, vomiting, constipation, and nausea as the reason for poor compliance. The hemoglobin levels were compared at the recruitment and a mean rise in hemoglobin levels was noted in groups A and B at the follow-up period after three months. There was a greater mean rise in hemoglobin concentration in Group A (1.28) than in Group B (0.63), which was statistically insignificant (>0.05). Conclusion The current study found that among pregnant women with iron-deficient anemia, instructional handouts did not promote compliance with oral iron treatment. The main reasons for low compliance were frustration with taking the oral drug, followed by forgetfulness, heartburn, vomiting, constipation, and nausea. In pregnant females with anemia brought on by iron deficiency, educational handouts did not enhance hemoglobin status.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Standardized Postoperative Instructions in Hand Surgery.

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a standardized approach to care of the surgical patient. Postoperative patient instructions, an aspect of ERAS protocols, are difficult to standardize in hand surgery because of the diversity of procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of standardized hand surgery postoperative instructions on the number of unscheduled postoperative patient encounters. Methods: The study was an institutional review board-approved prospective cohort in which all hand surgery patients from 6 surgeons at a single, hospital-based academic institution were included. For a 6-month period, both before and after establishing a standardized postoperative instructional handout, data were collected on unscheduled postoperative encounters within 14 days of surgery. Results: There were 330 patients in the control group versus 282 who received standardized postoperative instructions. Trauma comprised 24.6% of cases in comparison to 75.4% elective. Individual surgeons did not significantly influence whether patients had an encounter. Overall, patients who received standardized instructions were just as likely as the control group to have unscheduled encounters (41.5% vs 43.9%, respectively). Notably, elective patients were significantly more likely to have encounters (46%) versus trauma patients (33.1%; P = .007); however, the standardized instructions did not influence the number of encounters for either group. Conclusions: This study did not demonstrate a difference in unscheduled postoperative encounters after initiation of standardized postoperative instructions for hand surgery patients. These findings may help providers save time and resources by tailoring the use of ERAS in this distinct patient population.

Abstract NS3: A Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Website for Public Use

Background: Stroke patients, caregivers, and health and human services are in need of organized, evidence-based resources to improve post-acute care and outcomes. Educational materials vetted by stakeholders are scarce and difficult to develop. The COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Study developed online resources by discipline for clinical providers, patients, caregivers, and health and human services teams. Purpose: This presentation introduces the COMPASS website content available and ready for immediate use to support post-acute stroke care quality improvement. Methods: Materials were developed as a component of the PCORI-funded COMPASS Study designed to implement and evaluate comprehensive transitional care (TC) for stroke survivors. Patients discharged home from 41 NC hospitals after a stroke or TIA received COMPASS TC which incorporated Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recommendations: a follow-up phone call within two days of discharge; a comprehensive follow-up clinic visit; and delivery of a patient care plan. An interdisciplinary team of health care providers, stakeholders, and researchers developed patient and caregiver educational materials tested for sixth grade literacy, a community resource directory, and training materials for implementation of COMPASS TC that are available on the COMPASS website at www.nccompass-study.org/. Results: Educational products, including a directory of resources, training manuals, recorded webinars, instructional handouts, animated videos, and patient/caregiver materials are on the COMPASS website. An electronic application called COMPASS-Care Plan (CP) also developed can be readily integrated into Epic and Cerner electronic health records. COMPASS-CP was developed to streamline the delivery of the TC model. Since the website was made public July 1, 2019, there have been 616 views from 15 countries with the majority reviewing patient/caregiver resources. Conclusions: The COMPASS website provides health and human services teams with organized, evidence-based resources to support delivery and management of post-acute transitional care for patients and caregivers.

Conducting an Oral Food Challenge: An Update to the 2009 Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee Work Group Report

Oral food challenges are an integral part of an allergist's practice and are used to evaluate the presence or absence of allergic reactivity to foods. A work group within the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology was formed to update a previously published oral food challenge report. The intention of this document was to supplement the previous publication with additional focus on safety, treatment of IgE-mediated allergic reactions, guidance for challenges in infants and adults, psychosocial considerations for children and families participating in an oral food challenge, specific guidance for baked milk or baked egg challenges, masking agents and validated blinding recipes for common food allergens, and recommendations for conducting and interpreting challenges in patients with suspected food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Tablesand figures within the report and an extensive online appendix detail age-specific portion sizes, appropriate timing for antihistamine discontinuation, serum and skin test result interpretation, written consents, and instructional handouts that may be used in clinical practice.

Performing the performance assessment

Purpose In this paper, the author extends the current research on standardized performance assessments in preservice education by moving with novice teachers from their student teaching experiences into their first years as fully certified classroom teachers. Here, the author draws on scholarship that conceptualizes literacies as performative (Alexander, 2005; Youdell, 2010) to examine how engaging in a standardized performance assessment process shaped the teaching identities that participants carried into their first years of teaching in the field. Design/methodology/approach Through a qualitative case study, the author investigates the experiences of a group of six novice elementary educators in their first years in the classroom after completing the standardized performance assessment Educative Performance Assessment as a major component of their certification program. Data, which included focus group and individual interviews and artifacts (instructional handouts, teaching videos, lesson plans, written reflective commentaries), were analyzed through a performance lens. Findings Findings highlight how engaging with a standardized performance assessment shaped the meanings that participants made of their teaching practices, including lesson planning and implementation for and with students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Originality/value This paper offers insights that can support teacher educators working toward preparing teachers for work with diverse students in public school classrooms that might produce more equitable policies, practices and transformative reforms, particularly for historically marginalized groups.

In-home salivary melatonin collection: Methodology for children and adolescents.

In-home salivary collection quality and adherence to a prescribed collection methodology for evaluation of dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) is unknown in children. Primary aims of this study were to 1) describe a novel family centered methodology for in-home salivary collection; 2) determine the acceptance and feasibility of this methodology; 3) measure adherence to collection instructions; and 4) identify patterns between participants' age and quality of samples collected. After receiving instructional handouts from the study team, families utilized in-home salivary melatonin collection. Participants (N = 64) included 39 children (21 female, mean age 9.5 ± 1.61 years) and 25 adolescents (11 female, mean age 15.9 ± 2.12 years) with craniopharyngioma. Participants were 90% adherent to collection schedule, and 89% of the samples collected were of sufficient quantity and quality, with no differences found between age (child vs. adolescent) and melatonin sample quantity and quality. In-home saliva collection provides an acceptable and feasible method to collect salivary melatonin and biomarkers in children and adolescents.

Development and face validation of a Virtual Reality Epley Maneuver System (VREMS) for home Epley treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A randomized, controlled trial

PurposeTo develop and validate a smartphone based Virtual Reality Epley Maneuver System (VREMS) for home use. MethodsA smartphone application was designed to produce stereoscopic views of a Virtual Reality (VR) environment, which when viewed after placing a smartphone in a virtual reality headset, allowed the user to be guided step-by-step through the Epley maneuver in a VR environment. Twenty healthy participants were recruited and randomized to undergo either assisted Epleys or self-administered Epleys following reading instructions from an Instructional Handout (IH). All participants were filmed and two expert Otologists reviewed the videos, assigning each participant a score (out of 10) for performance on each step. Participants rated their perceived workload by completing a validated task-load questionnaire (NASA Task Load Index) and averages for both groups were calculated. ResultsTwenty participants were evaluated with average age 26.4±7.12years old in the VREMS group and 26.1±7.72 in the IH group. The VR assisted group achieved an average score of 7.78±0.99 compared to 6.65±1.72 in the IH group. This result was statistically significant with p=0.0001 and side dominance did not appear to play a factor. Analyzing each step of the Epley maneuver demonstrated that assisted Epleys were done more accurately with statically significant results in steps 2–4. Results of the NASA-TLX scores were variable with no significant findings. ConclusionWe have developed and demonstrated face validity for VREMS through our randomized controlled trial. The VREMS platform is promising technology, which may improve the accuracy and effectiveness of home Epley treatments. Level of evidenceN/A.

Does the Visual Appeal of Instructional Media Affect Learners’ Motivation Toward Learning?

While authors like Mayer (2009) suggest that designers should avoid using visuals for the purpose of attracting learners’ interests, some scholars suggest that visuals could influence learners’ emotions. In this study the author investigated whether the perception of the visual appeal of instructional handouts affects learners’ self-reported motivation to learn from the handouts. Two handouts were prepared for this study: a minimalist handout following Mayer’s (2009) Coherence Principle and an appealing handout complying with everyday visual trends. Participants were instructed to look at the handouts in different orders according to groups and were asked about their impressions of the handouts. The appealing handout was perceived as motivating when it was seen after the minimalist handout. However, the group that saw the minimalist handout first did not perceive the appealing handout as motivating. The result implies that not only the design but also the learning context influences learners’ self-reported motivation to engage with the handout.

Success of patient training in improving proficiency of eyedrop administration among various ophthalmic patient populations.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the success and usefulness of patient education in eyedrop self-administration technique via an educational handout and a short instructional video.Patients and methodsWe conducted a prospective study that included 34 patients who were self-administering ophthalmic drops. Of the total patients included, 12% had used drops for <12 months, and 88% had used drops for >12 months. Average age of patients in the study was 67 years, with an age range of 19–91 years. Of the total patients included, 82% had glaucoma, 6% had dry eyes, and 12% did not have a specific diagnosis. Subjects were video recorded and assessed by a trained observer on two occasions: at baseline and after they viewed a demonstrational video and handout. A maximum score of 15 points was awarded based on 15 criteria. A written self-assessment was administered at the end of each study.ResultsPre- and post-teaching assessment scores improved significantly with education. Patients initially scored an average 2.53 points compared to a post-education score of 6.15 out of 15 points, demonstrating a 2.43 (P=0.008) factor of improvement. After education, 94% of patients versus 47% pre-teaching (P=0.0001) pulled down their lower eyelids. A total of 91% pre-teaching versus 59% post-teaching (P=0.0042) patients squeezed one drop into the lower fornix, 74% pre-teaching versus 26% post-teaching (P=0.0002) patients released the eyelid and closed the eye for 1 minute, and 56% pre-teaching versus 3% post-teaching (P=0.0001) patients applied nasal digital pressure on each eye. We found no significant difference in score changes between those who previously received education and those who had not (P=0.37). A total of 91% patients responded in a postassessment survey that they now feel more confident of their ability to self-administer eyedrops as their doctor prescribed and that the educational materials were responsible.ConclusionParticipants demonstrated an immediate and statistically significant improvement in several areas of proper eyedrop self-administration after exposure to a demonstration video and instructional handout.

Found in Translation: Interdisciplinary Arts Integration in Project AIM

This paper will share the arts-integration methodology used in Project AIM and address the question; “How is translation evident in interdisciplinary arts instruction, and how does it affect students?” Methods The staff and researchers from Project AIM, (an arts-integration program of the Center for Community Arts Partnerships at Columbia College Chicago), have collected data through student surveys and interviews and teacher and teaching artist interviews to research arts integration as a process of translation. The evaluation team observed planning sessions and classroom instruction, reviewed unit plans, assessment rubrics, instructional handouts and artifacts of student work. Data collection was focused on six of the thirty-two residencies that took place in Project AIM during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years. Residencies were selected to ensure variability in terms of art and academic disciplines included in the residency, grade level and school.The process of translation--making meaning across languages of learning and mediums of expression--has informed our data collection and analysis. We have borrowed the terms source language and target language from the field of second language instruction. Just as a translator searches for words/phrases in a target language to express words/phrases in a source language, Project AIM students search for words/images/gestures/sounds in a target discipline to express what they know in a source discipline. These translations across mediums of expression serve to deepen understanding across content areas. Key Findings Our research has found:Teachers and teaching artists’ development of three specific translation approaches: scaffolded, multi-representational and interwoven, with each methodology serving different identified needs of instruction.A statistically significant increase in student learning across four variables measuring higher order thinking skills.When I am going to create something, I can make a plan.I can invent a new way of doing a project.I can create something that represents my ideas.I can understand many different points of view about the same subject.

Teaching critically reflective analysis in the context of a social justice course

The authors have designed and taught a course called Advancing Social Justice centered around four central concepts: world view, social constructs, social structures and alternative practices. After briefly describing the course, the authors discuss the foundational methodology of the course: critically reflective analysis. They share four classroom exercises that have proven to be successful in teaching the skills of critically reflective analysis and promoting concomitant transformational learning. Contextual challenges related to implementing this methodology in a university setting are explored. The authors conclude by sharing a specific Instructional Handout they use to teach critically reflective analysis.

Portion control for the treatment of obesity in the primary care setting

BackgroundThe increasing prevalence of obesity is a significant health threat and a major public health challenge. A critical need exists to develop and evaluate practical methods for the treatment of obesity in the clinical setting. One of the factors contributing to the obesity epidemic is food portion sizes. Limited data are available on the efficacy of visual or tactile devices designed to enhance patient understanding and control of portion sizes. A portion control plate is a commercially-available product that can provide visual cues of portion size and potentially contribute to weight loss by enhancing portion size control among obese patients. This tool holds promise as a useful adjunct to dietary counseling. Our objective was to evaluate a portion control intervention including dietary counseling and a portion control plate to facilitate weight loss among obese patients in a primary care practice.FindingsWe randomized 65 obese patients [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 and < 40] to an intervention including counseling by a dietitian incorporating a portion control plate or to usual care. Following initial consultation, patients in the intervention arm were contacted at 1, 3, and 5 months by the dietician for brief follow-up counseling. Usual care subjects received instructional handouts on diet and exercise. Forty-two (65%) subjects returned to have weight assessed at 6 months. Subjects in the portion control intervention had a greater percentage change (± SD) in weight from baseline at 3 months (-2.4% ± 3.7% vs. -0.5% ± 2.2%; p = 0.041) and a non significant trend in weight change from baseline at 6 months (-2.1% ± 3.8% vs. -0.7% ± 3.7%; p = 0.232) compared with usual care. Nearly one-half of patients assigned to the portion control intervention who completed the study reported the overall intervention was helpful and the majority would recommend it to others.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that a portion control intervention incorporating dietary counseling and a portion control plate may be effective for enhancing weight loss among obese subjects. A portion control intervention deserves further evaluation as a weight control strategy in the primary care setting.Trial registrationCurrent controlled trials NCT01451554

'But i don't read text printed in braille font'...

The author works in Coventry University and has been engaged in tutoring a student with disabilities who had enrolled for a degree in Business and IT at Coventry University. To do this, the author drew upon previous experiences in the Further Education (FE) sector at a College in the Midlands, where she taught Information Technology (IT) to diverse groups of students who had varied abilities. The ages of the FE students ranged from pre-16, visiting the College from a local special school to attend "taster" sessions, to adults, some of whom were seniors, attending a day centre for disabled adults that had a special arrangement for College tutors to give classes. The degree student was a white cane user, read Braille and navigated the computer with screen reader software. During her time at University, she took on an ambassadorial role: she gave guided tours to prospective students around the University campus during open days! From time to time she would recount stories that she described as amusing but which clearly showed ignorance on the part of her tutors. The title of this presentation is taken from one of her anecdotes. The Degree course in Business and IT had several workshops in Computing including statistics where spreadsheets and specialist software were used. The author was asked to tutor the student for the IT workshops of a year-long module. This included translating the instructional handouts from mouse-based to keyboard-based, being aware of potential problems with specialist software and the quirks of the online learning system (WebCT) [1] and finding ways of working around them all. This poster shows some of the issues related to the student's stories, the creating and translating of instructions for keyboard use and navigating the keyboard using JAWS.

Is the shortcut the quickest way to go?

The author works in Coventry University and has been engaged in tutoring a student with disabilities who had enrolled for a degree in Business and IT at Coventry University. To do this, the author drew upon previous experiences in the Further Education (FE) sector at a College in the Midlands, where she taught Information Technology (IT) to diverse groups of students who had varied abilities. The ages of the FE students ranged from pre-16, visiting the College from a local special school to attend "taster" sessions, to adults, some of whom were seniors, attending a day centre for disabled adults that had a special arrangement for College tutors to give classes. The degree student was a white cane user, read Braille and navigated the computer with screen reader software. During her time at University, she took on an ambassadorial role: she gave guided tours to prospective students around the University campus during open days! From time to time she would recount stories that she described as amusing but which clearly showed ignorance on the part of her tutors. The Degree course in Business and IT had several workshops in Computing including statistics where spreadsheets and specialist software were used. The author was asked to tutor the student for the IT workshops of a year-long module. This included translating the instructional handouts from mouse-based to keyboard-based, being aware of potential problems with specialist software and the quirks of the online learning system (WebCT) [1] and finding ways of working around them all. This "tips and techniques" session gives an account of some of these issues around the student's stories, creating and translating instructions for keyboard use navigating the keyboard using JAWS, and includes proposed solutions.

'Touching the void'...

The author's previous role within the Further Education sector, at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, was to teach Information Technology (IT) to diverse groups of students who had varied abilities. This role was drawn upon in the author's current role when asked to tutor a student who had enrolled for a Degree in Business and IT at Coventry University. The author was asked to tutor the student for the IT workshops of a year-long module. This included translating the instructional handouts from mouse-based to keyboard-based, being aware of potential problems with specialist software and the quirks of the online learning system (WebCT) and finding ways of working around them all. There were also occasions where it was necessary to create tactile diagrams [1] for the student. One of the diagrams produced was for critical path analysis. It was created to allow interactivity and to reflect a piece of specialist software that was used for helping students learn the topic. The materials used included using Euro cents, Wikki sticks [3] and string!. A technician had been assigned to produce tactile diagrams for other modules. The technician realised that there were problems with some of the requests for tactile diagrams that were being received from some tutors. From discussions, it was clear that tutors were unaware of the issues involved with creating and using tactile diagrams. A void existed between their understanding from a visual context and how a tactile diagram worked. For many instances, creating a tactile diagram would not be appropriate as the complexity would be multiplied. A set of simple guidelines were produced that the technician could use as an aid to explaining issues to the tutors - 'touching the void' [5]. The tactile diagrams produced were using heated "swell paper" [2]. This meant that the diagram could be printed from an image on a computer. The resulting printout would be raised where lines were. However, it was discovered that this method gave some disappointing results. As there were no standards for tactile diagrams but some conventions and guidelines [4], a strategy was produced, from the experiences gained, to give optimum results when translating a diagram from the computer to the "swell paper". This poster displays examples of tactile diagrams, guidelines given to tutors for requesting tactile diagrams and strategies for creating printable tactile diagrams.

Introduction of visually oriented information handouts in an academic pediatric otolaryngology practice

To characterize after-hours postoperative caregiver telephone calls received by on-call otolaryngology residents and to determine the feasibility of using visually oriented handouts to affect postoperative telephone call volume. We conducted a prospective, before-after feasibility study at a tertiary-care children's hospital. Visually oriented handouts describing expected postoperative courses were distributed preoperatively to the parents of all adenotonsillectomy and tympanostomy tube patients. Postoperative caregiver telephone call volume and content were recorded before and after handout introduction. The handouts were well accepted and viewed favorably by caregivers, and they led to some changes in the nature of postoperative telephone call content, but call log compliance was not adequate to fully assess the impact on call volume and content. We demonstrated the feasibility of implementing visually oriented informational handouts and characterized the nature of postoperative caregiver telephone calls received by on-call residents in an academic pediatric otolaryngology practice. Visually oriented instructional handouts may have benefits that deserve further study. Data from this study can help plan a definitive clinical trial.

Self-Efficacy in Mastery Learning to Apply a Therapeutic Psychomotor Skill

This study assessed changes in Self-efficacy scores produced by each of the four steps of instruction used to teach students a therapeutic psychomotor skill used by osteopathic physicians. Volunteering subjects were an entire class of 83 first-year osteopathic medical students (40 men, 43 women, M age = 25.1 yr.). Self-reported Self-efficacy to perform the skill was sampled: (1) after an instructor's demonstration of the skill during a laboratory session, (2) after paired students practiced during the laboratory session, (3) after independent self-paced practice outside class using an instructional handout and videotape, and (4) after receiving individualized feedback on skill performance from an instructor acting as the "patient." The first two steps, representing typical skill instruction, produced mean Self-efficacy scores of 18% and 30%, respectively. On the last two steps, added to implement mastery learning, mean Self-efficacy scores increased to 75% and 85%, respectively. The instructors confirmed that all students mastered performance of the skill. Mastery learning was effective in developing both the therapeutic skill and high Self-efficacy to utilize the skill.

Making library instructional handouts accessible through the World Wide Web

Making library instructional handouts available via the World Wide Web benefits students and researchers in many ways. Unfortunately, some librarians may feel overwhelmed by the perceived resource commitments for a project of this type. This article is based on a successful handout conversion project implemented at Evans Library, Texas A&M University and suggests ways of dealing with time, staffing limitations, HTML skills, and additional software purchases. Additionally, it offers some technical recommendations based on lessons learned throughout the conversion process.

Making library instructional handouts accessible through the world wide web

Making library instructional handouts available via the World Wide Web benefits students and researchers in many ways. Unfortunately, some librarians may feel overwhelmed by the perceived resource commitments for a project of this type. This article is based on a successful handout conversion project implemented at Evans Library, Texas A&M University and suggests ways of dealing with time, staffing limitations, HTML skills, and additional software purchases. Additionally, it offers some technical recommendations based on lessons learned throughout the conversion process.