International Course Research Articles

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Writing Intensive Course in Business

Many business people and academics feel that students’ ability to communicate in writing has deteriorated over the past few decades. In response to this decline, colleges and universities addressed the problem by introducing more writing intensive (WI) courses with an emphasis on writing in the disciplines. In this article, we analyze the students’ rubric scores on their assigned cases as they progress through a WI international financial management course which is fully online. During the current Covid-19 pandemic more and more colleges and universities are conducting online courses. To assess learning, increases in the rubric scores during the semester are tested for statistical significance. Significant overall improvement in student writing occurred, but students’ grammar and spelling remain weak.

A mixed-methods analysis of a collaborative online international pharmacy course

Background: Participation in international experiences can promote personal and professional growth, but students in schools of pharmacy may face barriers in pursuing overseas experiences. Objectives: The objectives of this report are to describe the design, implementation, and student perceptions of an online course co-taught by two schools of pharmacy in different countries for students at both institutions. Methods: The course was established through an ongoing partnership between the universities and was focused on diabetes based on mutual interest and expertise. The course was offered in a three-hour period weekly using short lectures, small group discussions and projects. Results: Cross-cultural learning was emphasised by forming student groups with representation from both universities. In a post-course survey and reflection, students reported gaining new knowledge, perspectives, and transferable skills as a result of the international nature of the course. Conclusion: The online international course broadened students’ views of pharmacists’ roles and strengthened the partnership between the two universities.

Write a Scientific Paper course - Utility or otherwise?

Publish or perish is a cliched mantra but publishing requires the acquisition of a wide set of disparate skills that are typically learned in a completely ad-hoc manner in an early period of one's career. The Write a Scientific Paper (WASP) course is delivered online by an experienced, international faculty of academics, including several medical journal editors. This study retrospectively analyzed the attendees' perceptions of the usefulness and the utility of WASP. An email questionnaire of 11 questions was sent to all previous WASP attendees, 370 subjects, in May 2022. The questions included the geographical locations of the subjects as well as the number of published articles before and since WASP course. Besides a couple of questions on rating and recommending the WASP course, some other related questions were also asked. There were 68 responses (18%) with high agreement (Cronbach α = 0.92). The WASP course fared well across the different research-oriented dimensions and expectations and is mostly welcomed by young career professionals. Following WASP, a 9% increase in scientific writing and published articles engagement was reported. WASP is an international and unique course that emphasises presentation skills using newspaper media theory. It highlights to the delegates the importance of understanding the conflicting tripod of forces that govern publishing. Authors wish to publish more; readers are inundated, wishing to read less, whereas journal editors' primary aims are to elevate their journals' impact factors. WASP endorsements and the testimonials are invariably positive. The transition to online barely affected satisfaction rates with WASP while permitting the enrolment of a more international faculty that includes even more journal editors. WASP's ultimate objective is to impart the faculty's collective experience to the delegates in this crucial, early aspect of career progress.

Interobserver and Intra-Observer Reliability of a New Prognostic Classification for Foot and Ankle Diabetic Charcot Arthropathy

Category: Diabetes; Ankle; Hindfoot; Midfoot/Forefoot; Other Introduction/Purpose: Diabetic Charcot arthropathy of foot and ankle is a devastating, progressive destruction of bone and joint integrity affecting one or more joints. Although several classification systems exist for Charcot arthropathy of foot and ankle depending on developmental stages or anatomic regions affected, the majority of these classifications are mainly descriptive, and none of these classifications specified the management or the outcome with relation to the classification stage. Recently, a new prognostic classification (Mansoura Classification) was published, however the reliability of such classification is still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate both interobserver and intra-observer reliability of Mansoura classification for foot and ankle Charcot arthropathy. Methods: Mansoura classification for foot and ankle Charcot arthropathy was presented to participants at an international foot and ankle course, then participants were given colored printed copy of the classification table (table 1) and diagrams. Thereafter, twenty cases of foot and ankle Charcot were presented to participants and they were asked to rate each case according to the classification. The level of experience of all the participants was collected and classified as less than 5 years, 5-10 years, 10-15 years, 15-20 years and more than 20 years. Furthermore, six raters who were specialized in foot and ankle surgery were asked to repeat the classification of the cases after three weeks from the initial evaluation. Kappa statistics was used to evaluate both interobserver and intra-observer reliability using STATA 14.2 program, and results were interpreted as 0.00-0.20 Slight, 0.21-0.40 Fair, 0.41-0.60 Moderate, 0.61-0.80 Substantial; and 0.81-1.00 Excellent. Results: Sixty-one participants with different level of experience completed the evaluation of the twenty cases of foot and ankle Charcot. The interobserver reliability for all participants was moderate (Kappa=0.5). Further analysis according to the level of experience based on the years of practice of orthopedic surgery showed similar moderate reliability (Kappa range 0.4 to 0.57). Intra-observer reliability was excellent for all six participants, Kappa range 0.81 to 0.93. Further analysis of the interobserver reliability of the former six raters who were specialized in foot and ankle surgery showed substantial reliability; Kappa=0.67. Conclusion: Mansoura classification for Charcot arthropathy of foot and ankle has an excellent intra-observer reliability. Although the overall interobserver reliability among orthopedic surgeons was moderate and comparable to other classifications, the interobserver reliability for orthopedic surgeons who were specialized in foot and ankle surgery was substantial. Therefore, Mansoura classification for foot and ankle Charcot has an acceptable reliability and could be promising in the evaluation and guiding the management of such cases.

Implementasi model case method dalam meningkatkan inovasi pembelajaran mahasiswa dan kemampuan berpikir kritis pada mata kuliah teknik perdagangan Internasional

This study analyzes how the case method improves learning innovation among students by improving critical thinking skills in International trade technique. This is motivated by the large number of students with various problems related to the ability to be critical and active in each lecture. Therefore, towards students' critical thinking skills in international trade engineering courses through the application of a discussion-based participatory learning model to solve cases or problems or case-based methods. The design used in this study is a One-Shot Case Study experimental design. Where in the implementation of the International trade technique course, students of the Development Economics Study Program use learning using the case method. After observing the results in the form of students' critical thinking skills in class, it can be seen that there is a student's desire to help sharpen, think critically, conduct discussions, communicate with friends and lecturers in solving problems that are appointed as case studies. The results of this study indicate that through the application of the case method learning model or case study it is able to encourage students' creative and critical thinking skills in solving cases from various different points of view so as to bring up the best solution.

A method for detailed determination of hospital surge capacity: a prerequisite for optimal preparedness for mass-casualty incidents

BackgroundDefined goals for hospitals’ ability to handle mass-casualty incidents (MCI) are a prerequisite for optimal planning as well as training, and also as base for quality assurance and improvement. This requires methods to test individual hospitals in sufficient detail to numerically determine surge capacity for different components of the hospitals. Few such methods have so far been available. The aim of the present study was with the use of a simulation model well proven and validated for training to determine capacity-limiting factors in a number of hospitals, identify how these factors were related to each other and also possible measures for improvement of capacity.Materials and methodsAs simulation tool was used the MACSIM® system, since many years used for training in the international MRMI courses and also successfully used in a pilot study of surge capacity in a major hospital. This study included 6 tests in three different hospitals, in some before and after re-organisation, and in some both during office- and non-office hours.ResultsThe primary capacity-limiting factor in all hospitals was the capacity to handle severely injured patients (major trauma) in the emergency department. The load of such patients followed in all the tests a characteristic pattern with “peaks” corresponding to ambulances return after re-loading. Already the first peak exceeded the hospitals capacity for major trauma, and the following peaks caused waiting times for such patients leading to preventable mortality according to the patient—data provided by the system. This emphasises the need of an immediate and efficient coordination of the distribution of casualties between hospitals. The load on surgery came in all tests later, permitting either clearing of occupied theatres (office hours) or mobilising staff (non-office hours) sufficient for all casualties requiring immediate surgery. The final capacity-limiting factors in all tests was the access to intensive care, which also limited the capacity for surgery. On a scale 1–10, participating staff evaluated the accuracy of the methodology for test of surge capacity to MD 8 (IQR 2), for improvement of disaster plans to MD 9 (IQR 2) and for simultaneous training to MD 9 (IQR 3).ConclusionsWith a simulation system including patient data with a sufficient degree of detail, it was possible to identify and also numerically determine the critical capacity-limiting factors in the different phases of the hospital response to MCI, to serve as a base for planning, training, quality control and also necessary improvement to rise surge capacity of the individual hospital.

Hands on wet lab and live surgery training in PCNL: Any impact to surgical skills of attending surgeons?

The clinical value and efficiency of hands-on training courses in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) remains undocumented. During the last 9 years, a two-day international intensive hands-on training course in fluoroscopic guided prone PCNL is taking place in our department on a monthly basis. Course includes wet lab training in the porcine model and live surgery training. In this work we report the outcomes of a survey send to course participants questioning the impact of the course to their clinical practice. A survey consisting of 26 questions was distributed online to a total of 91 trainees that had completed the course. Comparison of pre and post course surgical practices was performed using the "N-1" Chi-squared test. A total of 64 trainees responded to our online survey with 55.6% and 41.3% reporting a modest or major impact to their practice accordingly. Notable changes in puncture and dilation technique were evidenced while a uniform reduction in puncture and operative times was documented. 79.4% responded that the course increased the safety of their procedure, 73% that it reduced operating times, 39.7% that increased their stone free rates, 23.8% that reduced their complications and 23.8% that induced to change their instrumentation with respect of that they were using in the past. Subgroup analysis including only well experienced surgeons revealed a similar impact to their practice. In the proper setting, an intensive hands-on PCNL course can have a significant impact on attending physicians. Participation to such events even for experienced surgeons should be encouraged.

Teaching Research Methods to Young Neurologists: The Erice International Courses.

Teaching Research Methods to Young Neurologists: The Erice International Courses.

Localizing the International Relations Classroom: Evaluation of Academic Partnerships with City Government

Abstract As the world becomes increasingly “smaller,” global governance too shifts beyond states and formal agreements to include norms and actors at all levels of government and society. Cities, in particular, are emergent actors in global affairs. This paper examines a new type of experiential learning model for this burgeoning local–global governance: academic partnerships with city governments for undergraduate international relations courses. Occidental College and Pomona College have partnered with the Los Angeles Mayor's Office to localize and adopt the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study focuses on two Spring 2021 Task Force courses, where students worked in consultation with the Mayor's Office to conduct policy research on local implementation of SDG 5 on gender equality. It analyzes the pedagogical value of the Task Force courses with a focus on student learning outcomes and challenges. Through qualitative content analysis of student reflection papers, we find that the courses generate substantial student learning, particularly in higher forms of learning, including development of research and professional skills and metacognitive reflection on “doing theory,” or praxis, within the international relations discipline. Further, these partnerships also benefit the city, as they generate valuable data that inform policymaking.

Applying Deep Learning and Computer Vision Techniques for an e-Sport and Smart Coaching System Using a Multiview Dataset: Case of Shotokan Karate

Smart coaching and e-sport platforms have shown a great interest in the recent research studies. Through this study, we aim to globalize the practice of sport, especially Shotokan Karate, by connecting participants and coaches on an international scale through the integration of Artificial Intelligence techniques such as computer vision and deep learning, to give the possibility of carrying out national and international virtual training courses without logistical constraints. The proposed work aims to apply the latest action detection, action recognition, and action classification methods for different Karate movements using the LSTM and the ST-GCN algorithms and proposes these movements in 3D using Video Inference for Human Body Pose and Shape Estimation (VIBE). Our proper Multiview Dataset contains pose estimations of a set of basic movements captured by a karate Shotokan expert (6th DAN Black Belt) from three views (Front view, Left view, and Right view) using OpenPose and FastPose for human body keypoint detection. The current study sets out to detect, recognize, classify and score different participants' movements. We achieved greater than 96% recognition accuracy of this dataset using the LSTM algorithm, and 91.01% using the ST-GCN algorithm.

The Effectiveness of the Intensive English Course on EFL Learners

The English skills of students who newly-graduated from secondary schools are not always sufficient for studying a major in English. For this reason, most universities, particularly those in Saudi Arabia, enrol new students, who want to study a BA in English, on an intensive English course. The present study examines quantitatively through questionnaires and proficiency tests, a commonly adopted solution: an intensive English course taken immediately prior to embarking on the English BA. The main findings indicate that both male and female learners’ attitudes to the IEC are positive and their English level improves after attending the course. However, compared to international courses in other countries, learners achieve insufficient progress towards a suitable proficiency level. A key reason for this is that the course syllabus itself does not reach such a level, despite being based on international comparisons, as the number of teaching hours being sufficient for that to happen. Furthermore, students do not prioritize their need to learn academic English for their major. Implications are drawn which may resonate much more widely around the world than just in the context studied.

Das Konzept der funktionalen Mehrsprachigkeit im Kontext der Internationalisierung deutscher Hochschulen

Internationalisation is a key word for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Germany. It also encompasses mobility policies in order to increase the numbers of incoming international students from all over the world as well as the numbers of outgoing national students. For this reason, English as lingua franca/lingua academica is becoming the language of teaching and communication in German international university courses more and more. The authors argue that this attitude often labelled as English only neither mirrors nor exploits the vast multilingual repertoires of today’s societies in general and European HEIs in particular. Nevertheless, building truly inclusive (scientific) communities deeply committed to democratic and pluralistic principles allowing participation for all citoyennes and citoyens needs to encompass our multilingual and multicultural realities. Anchoring the concept of functional multilingualism in the institution’s internationalisation and languages strategies, the Technical University Darmstadt serves as an example of a German HEI following multilingual paths beyond German and English.

Bibliometric Analysis on the Influencing Factors of International Courses’ Effectiveness from the Perspective of Sustainable Development Education

Sustainable development education is a dynamic and developing process. In recent years, the rapid development of international courses has made great contributions to sustainable development education. The effectiveness of international courses is influenced by many factors. To promote the sustainable development of education and to improve the effectiveness of international courses, this paper studied the influencing factors on international courses by using literature analysis, system dynamics analysis, questionnaire survey, and correlation analysis methods. First, based on the literature analysis, 27 factors affecting course effectiveness were initially obtained. Second, using system dynamics to study the relationship between each factor, five additional factors were added, namely, learning motivation, social focus, lesson planning, class time, and class location. A total of 32 factors influencing course effectiveness were obtained and classified into three categories, namely, students, teachers, and external factors, and a relationship model of the 32 factors influencing course effectiveness was constructed. Finally, a questionnaire survey was conducted to quantify the 32 influencing factors, and a correlation analysis was performed on all undergraduates majoring in safety engineering enrolled in 2018 and 2019 in a university in 2019 and 2020. The results show that among the 32 influencing factors in the three categories of students, teachers, and external factors proposed, there were 7 strong correlations, 22 moderate correlations, and 3 weak correlations. All of the strong correlations belonged to the student dimension, thereby indicating that the effectiveness of international online courses is mainly influenced by student factors. In addition, these influencing factors can not only impact course effectiveness directly, but also indirectly through the interaction between factors. The relationship model of the influencing factors can provide a reference for improving the effectiveness of international programs and realizing the sustainable development research for international courses.

ИНОВАТИВНИ МЕТОДИ И ПОДХОДИ ЗА ОБУЧЕНИЕ – КВАЛИФИКАЦИОНЕН КУРС ПО ПРОЕКТ ПО ПРОГРАМА ЕРАЗЪМ

In the modern educational system it is important for teachers to increase their professional competence. The teacher must constantly participate in various activities and trainings according to his professional needs. There are different forms of qualifications in which teachers can participate. One of the successful and effective forms is the participation in international mobile qualification courses offered by the Erasmus + program for school partnership. We present innovative methods, approaches and activities from the participation of teachers in such a project. Meeting colleagues from different nationalities within the EU, participating in intercultural experiences is a great opportunity to improve skills, exchange ideas and build a network for future international cooperation.

PDSI Reconstruction from Tree Rings in Central Siberia (Russia)

This report describes an international summer course, “Tree Rings, Climate, Natural Resources, and Human Interaction”, held in Cheriomushki, Russia, in the summer of 2018. The course was attended by 12 participants from six countries (Belgium, India, Lebanon, Poland, Russia, and South Africa) and instructors from the USA and included basic training in dendrochronology skills and dendroclimatology and dendroecology projects. This report focuses on a nested May–July Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) reconstruction from annual rings of Pinus sylvestris trees growing in the region and also explores false-ring (FR) occurrence in samples collected during the course. Four chronologies, one developed during the course from Maina District, Khakassia, Russia, are used in the reconstruction, which was based on principal component (PC) regression. The nested reconstruction demonstrated a strong statistical relationship between PDSI and tree-ring growth and allowed for an assessment of climate variability on both interannual and interdecadal time scales. FR occurrence in tree cores collected along an elevational transect from a site along the Yenisei River north of Cheriomushki was found to differ depending on the position of trees on the slope. The frequency of FRs and the location of the FR within the annual ring also appear to be related to seasonal precipitation anomalies.

Fostering globally competent dental students through virtual team-working, problem-solving and person-centred multi-disciplinary care planning

Background/purpose: Development and acquisition of communication, logical thinking, team-building, critical appraisal, critical thinking and person-centred multi-disciplinary care planning must be considered as skill sets and global core competencies for a dental professional. Therefore, an international online study course to foster undergraduate dental students’ skill sets in these areas was established and this study aimed to report the perceptions of participants. Materials and methodsAn international online course consisting of three levels pertaining to the school year was delivered to dental undergraduates of Japan and Thailand from September to December in 2021. An online questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain feedback from the participants and assess the implementation of the course. ResultsIn total, 64 responses were obtained from students who participated in all the assigned online sessions and completed the questionnaire (a response rate of 88%). More than 95% of students from each level felt that the programme increased their motivation to study clinical dentistry, and was beneficial for their future and made them appreciate the importance of participating in international exchange. The ratio of favourable respondents was more than 90% with a 95% confidence interval. ConclusionFostering globally competent dental students is important and the acquisition of necessary skill sets could be enhanced through international virtual team-working, problem-solving and person-centred multi-disciplinary care planning activities. These are beneficial for undergraduate dental student training so that they graduate with a broader global perspective and an appreciation of the importance of delivering person-centred culturally sensitive dental care.

An Examination of Student Preferences and Learning Outcomes in Flipped Classroom with Online Videos

Flipping classrooms is a popular teaching method in universities to increase active learning and retention as the popularity of traditional lectures decline. Although many studies discuss the process for flipping courses and the student reaction to such courses, much fewer studies examine the effect on student performance. This study conducts a within-case and between-case analysis of student perceptions and performance in an international relations theory course treating students in one course with a flipped classroom style versus the same course taught using traditional lecture style. A survey measures the student perceptions and reactions to the flipped class style compared to the traditional classroom, and a statistical analysis examines the effects of different teaching methods on student exam performance. The results show that students have high favorability ratings for the technique of flipped classrooms, while the statistical analysis shows no positive correlation to student performance indicators.

Assessment of Human Factors After Advanced Life Support Courses Comparing Simulated Team and Real Team Assessment: A Randomized Controlled Cohort Trial.

AimHuman factors are essential for high-quality resuscitation team collaboration and are, therefore, taught in international advanced life support courses, but their assessment differs widely. In Europe, the summative life support course assessment tests mainly adhere to guidelines but few human factors. This randomized controlled simulation trial investigated instructors’ and course participants’ perceptions of human factors assessment after two different summative assessments.MethodsAll 5th/6th-year medical students who attended 19 advanced life support courses according to the 2015 European Resuscitation Council guidelines during one study year were invited to participate. Each course was randomized to either: (1) Simulated team assessment (one instructor simulates a team, and the assessed person leads this “team” through a cardiac-arrest scenario test); (2) Real team assessment (4 students form a team, one of them is assessed as the team leader; team members are not assessed and act only on team leader’s commands). After the summative assessments, instructors, and students rated the tests’ ability to assess human factors using a visual analog scale (VAS, 0 = no agreement, 10 = total agreement).ResultsA total of 227 students participated in the 1-day Immediate Life Support courses, 196 students in the 2-day Advanced Life Support courses, additionally 54 instructors were included. Instructors judged all human factors significantly better in real team assessments; students rated leadership and situational awareness comparable between both assessments. Assessment pass rates were comparable between groups.ConclusionSummative assessment in real teams was perceived significantly better to assess human factors. These results might influence current summative assessment practices in advanced life support courses.

Intensive hands-on microsurgery course provides a solid foundation for performing clinical microvascular surgery.

Microvascular surgery requires highly specialized and individualized training; most surgical residency training programs are not equipped with microsurgery teaching expertise and/or facilities. The aim of this manuscript was to describe the methodology and clinical effectiveness of an international microsurgery course, currently taught year-round in eight countries. In the 5-day microsurgery course trainees perform arterial and venous end-to-end, end-to-side, one-way-up, and continuous suture anastomoses and vein graft techniques in live animals, supported by video demonstrations and hands-on guidance by a full-time instructor. To assess and monitor each trainee's progress, the course's effectiveness is evaluated using "in-course" evaluations, and participant satisfaction and clinical relevance are assessed using a "post-course" survey. Between 2007 and 2017, more than 600 trainees participated in the microsurgery course. "In-course" evaluations of patency rates revealed 80.3% (arterial) and 39% (venous) performed in end-to-end, 82.7% in end-to-side, 72.6% in continuous suture, and 89.5% (arterial) and 62.5% (venous) one-way-up anastomoses, and 58.1% in vein graft technique. "Post-course" survey results indicated that participants considered the most important components of the microcourse to be "practicing on live animals", followed by "the presence of a full-time instructor". In addition, almost all respondents indicated that they were more confident performing clinical microsurgery cases after completing the course. Microvascular surgery requires highly specialized and individualized training to achieve the competences required to perform and master the delicate fine motor skills necessary to successfully handle and anastomose very small and delicate microvascular structures. The ever-expanding clinical applications of microvascular procedures has led to an increased demand for training opportunities. By teaching time-tested basic motor skills that form the foundation of microsurgical technique this international microsurgery-teaching course is helping to meet this demand.

A Pedagogical Framework for Advanced Learners during COVID-19 for Engineering Students

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised unprecedented challenges for the progressive education community universally. One crucial challenge is the engagement of advanced learners in pandemic times. Their academic interest is retained, their performance does not decline, and they get access to appropriate resources in time. This article will elaborate on the identification mechanism and the categorization of the students grounded on their comforts and performance. The pedagogical framework is developed for advanced learners by focused interventions such as providing exposure to industry-oriented problems, international virtual events, online courses and software, career counseling by industry leaders, and preparation for higher education. In this article, we are discussing obligatory interventions and their outcomes. Adopting blended learning is becoming a boon to learners by effectively using online resources. Working with these advanced learners, the teacher can directly converse the precise space where the scholar needs the support. In this research, student-centric methods are used. A pedagogical framework is proposed for aerospace engineering students. Advanced learners are categorized into specializations based on real-time data analysis such as aerodynamics, propulsion, space technology, and avionics. Analysis suggests that the categorization and targeted pedagogical intervention yields better student performance outcomes. Based on this study, we started offering specialization-based courses at the undergraduate level in coming batches.