Learning Partnerships Research Articles

International learning partnerships to drive change and support developing food policies in LMICs

International learning partnerships to drive change and support developing food policies in LMICs

The Effect of a Learning Partner Model-Based Program on Spreading Cancer Prevention Knowledge Using Community Health Volunteers in Japan.

Objectives:This study examines the implementation and short-term effects of a Learning Partner Model (LPM)-based educational program on cancer prevention and control information for community health volunteers in Japan.Methods:The program was undertaken by 3 local governments in collaboration with a government initiative and offered a 90-min group workshop to community health volunteers. Community health volunteers (primary participants) recruited in turn friend or family members (secondary participants) with whom they were prepared to share the content of the workshop with the help of printed materials received in the workshop. We conducted self-administered paper and pencil questionnaire surveys before, immediately after, and 3 months after the workshop. The t-test, Fisher’s exact test, paired t-test, and McNemar test were used to compare the 2 groups’ demographic characteristics and healthy habits at pretest. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare cancer prevention knowledge between groups and over time.Results:Of 142 participants, 107 pairs of learning partners (primary and corresponding secondary participant) completed all questionnaires. All primary participants and 37.4% of the secondary participants were women, and 57.9% of the learning partners were spouses. The results showed significantly higher correct answers on the cancer-prevention knowledge questions in the post-workshop and follow-up surveys compared to the pre-workshop survey (P < .001). The increase in knowledge was observed in all learning-partner groups in all 3 sites.Conclusion:The study demonstrates a promising strategy that can be adapted to the health needs of the community beyond cancer prevention and control, building on the efforts of local governments and government health initiatives.

Challenging ableism and the ‘disability as problem’ discourse: how initial teacher education can support the inclusion of students with a disability in physical education

ABSTRACT Whilst Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is only one leverage point for teacher professional learning and development, it is of vital importance that ITE supports pre-service teachers (PSTs) in developing knowledge and skills necessary to promote inclusion of students with a disability in their class-spaces. Whilst ‘inclusion’ is a key feature of legislation, education policy and standards internationally, students with disabilities continue to report exclusion from Physical Education 1 (PE) by both teachers and peers. There are thus increasing calls for PE to be more inclusive, and for teachers to enact curricula and pedagogies that dismantle ableism and offer diverse ways for students to learn in, through and about movement. This paper outlines how ITE can have a positive impact on the pedagogical knowledge, competence and ‘readiness’ of PSTs to teach inclusively. We offer a unique contribution to existing scholarship in that we outline how a specific combination of elements can be enacted within one unit/module within a Bachelor of Education (specialising in Health and Physical Education) to promote inclusion of students with a disability in PE. More specifically, the findings suggest that the elements of the unit that best supported PSTs in becoming more inclusive teachers were: (i) pedagogization of theory; (ii) sense of safety; (iii) partnerships for authentic learning; and (iv) student voice and co-design. Combined, these elements served to support PSTs in moving away from fixed, normative and ableist assumptions about their learners. It also provided opportunities for PSTs to explore and enact alternatives to the ‘disability as problem’ discourse, and thus more effectively teach students with a disability.

Families’ engagement in making activities related to aerospace engineering: designing for parents as learning partners in pop-up makerspaces

PurposeThe researchers conducted a collective case study to investigate how families engaged in making activities related to aerospace engineering in six pop-up makerspace programs held in libraries and one museum. The purpose of this paper is to support families’ engagement in design tasks and engineering thinking, three types of discussion prompts were used during each workshop. The orienting design conjecture was that discussion prompts would allow parents to lead productive conversations to support engineering-making activities.Design/methodology/approachWithin a collective case study approach, 20 consented families (22 adults, 25 children) engaged in making practices related to making a lunar rover with a scientific instrument panel. Data included cases of families’ talk and actions, as documented through video (22 h) and photographs of their engineering designs. An interpretivist, qualitative video-based analysis was conducted by creating individual narrative accounts of each family (including transcript excerpts and images).FindingsParents used the question prompts in ways that were integral to supporting youths’ participation in the engineering activities. Children often did not answer the astronomer’s questions directly; instead, the parents revoiced the prompts before the children’s engagement. Family prompts supported reflecting upon prior experiences, defining the design problem and maintaining the activity flow.Originality/valueDesigning discussion prompts, within a broader project-based learning pedagogy, supports family engagement in engineering design practices in out-of-school pop-up makerspace settings. The work suggests that parents play a crucial role in engineering workshops for youths aged 5 to 10 years old by revoicing prompts to keep families’ design work and sensemaking talk (connecting prior and new ideas) flowing throughout a makerspace workshop.

Implementing Age-Friendly University Principles: Institutional Supports, Barriers, and Outcomes

The University of Utah Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program received an Age-Friendly University (AFU) seed grant through GSA’s Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education, funded by AARP, to develop a model for promoting lifelong learning in partnership with university and community stakeholders. We designed and instituted a targeting marketing campaign that supported our goals: 1) to implement AFU principles; 2) to promote awareness of HB60, a legislative bill allowing people 62+ to audit courses at public universities for a minimal cost; 3) to enhance HB 60 enrollment through increased communication of online course options and tuition waiver support; and 4) to improve university and community stakeholder engagement. This presentation describes project benefits, including increased awareness of AFU initiatives, promoting age diversity, safe participation through online coursework, and enhanced community partnerships. The initiative garnered strong departmental support for marketing, communications, and structure for the post-award process. Barriers occurred due to a lack of HB60 infrastructure at the university level, which inadvertently obstructs organizational engagement. This initiative targeted AFU principles while supporting the university’s strategic goal of engaging communities and preparing to pursue membership in the AFU Global Network. Future AFU goals include developing advocacy channels within the university to improve organizational support.

A Step Backward and Forward in an Age-Friendly University Initiative: Adapting a Campus Learning Partnership

The 5-campus UMass system received designation as an Age-Friendly University (AFU) in 2019. AFU Principle 1 highlights the importance of involving older adults in University activities. UMass Lowell’s Center for Gerontology Research and Partnerships collaborated with the Learning in Retirement Association (LIRA) in Spring 2020 to offer aging-related courses around healthy aging. However, due to COVID-19, these were canceled and are re-scheduled for Spring 2021 via Zoom. The paper will describe the process of selecting course offerings with LIRA and the subsequent cancellation/rescheduling process and adaptation needed. A course will focus on AFU initiative and the opportunities and challenges at UMass Lowell. Likewise, the other course will offer a session on technology and aging where age-based digital divide and strategies for reducing it will be discussed. This paper will reflect on how the collaboration with LIRA and course selection process relates to the AFU principles 1, 5 and 9.

Engineering to understand: reflections on a learning and teaching partnership for preservice early grades teachers and preschoolers

ABSTRACT Even with increasing calls for both researchers and educators to attend to the “E” in STEM from within the larger field of STEM education, little is known about the practices that serve to support early educators’ pedagogy and related content knowledge of engineering design. Using multiple methods in a revelatory, embedded, single-case design, this research provides an explanatory account of preservice teachers (PTs) engagement during a structured field experience with preschoolers designed to foster their understanding of design-based engineering though collaborative learning and teaching experiences. Research Findings: Findings reveal that the PTs developed more robust understandings of design-based engineering and stronger self-efficacy beliefs related to their practice following participation in the learning and teaching collaborative project. PTs also voiced concerns over perceived challenges of integrating engineering instruction within the pedagogically and content restrictive environments of contemporary early childhood classrooms. Practice or Policy: Additionally, this research suggests that guided teaching and learning partnerships can support early childhood teacher preparation programs in developing preservice teachers’ understandings of the interrelationships between engineering and other aspects of the curriculum using emergent curricular approaches and interactional, play-based pedagogies.

The impact of COVID-19 on practice learning in nurse education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare education and delivery, including both theory and practice learning. Academic staff responded rapidly to move teaching online during the first lockdown, with many returning to practice to deliver care or upskill practice staff to work in critical care. Many pre-registration students responded by becoming paid NHS employees, contributing to care delivery while remaining on their programme of study. Practice learning partners, despite the challenges of the pandemic, continued to support students to achieve their registration status. This occurred within the context of the Emergency and Recovery Standards, published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council between March 2020 and September 2021. This paper sets out the response of students, practice learning partners and higher education institutions involved in pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes.

Partners in learning: ‘An exploration of multi-cultural faculty and Emirati students' perspectives of university learning experiences’

Numerous articles have been published referring to differences in the way expatriate faculty members at universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and their Emirati students perceive the customs and nature of teaching and learning. Faculty members and students come to class from two varying educational and often cultural backgrounds. As the UAE is a dynamic, young country that is rapidly changing with a diverse residency population, it is necessary to frequently research how Emirati students currently perceive effective classroom practices in order to best support their needs. A possible model to adopt and adapt is culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy. This qualitative study explores perspectives of learning held by local Emirati students and expatriate faculty members at a public university in the UAE. Ten Emirati students and ten faculty members describe their views through interviews. Findings centered around disconnection and misapprehension between faculty members and students in several regards: culture, motivation, concepts of teaching and learning and student needs. Recommendations include developing training on implementing culturally relevant pedagogy by showing faculty how to view teaching and learning through the lens of the student and check their own preconceived notions. It allows for students to have power over their own learning by implementing strategies relevant to their own cultural and background norms. Limitations and suggestions for future studies are also provided.

Delivering evidence-based parenting support in educational settings

Parent-child relationships influence learning throughout a child’s formal schooling and beyond. The quality of parenting children receive has a major influence on their learning and developmental capabilities. Parental influence is important in the early years of life and extends throughout a child’s schooling. Parenting has a pervasive influence on children’s language and communication, executive functions and self-regulation, social and peer relationships, academic attainment, general behaviour and enjoyment of school. Schools can further enhance educational outcomes for students by developing the resources and expertise needed to engage parents as partners in learning. This can be achieved by delivering and facilitating access to a comprehensive system of high-quality, culturally informed, evidence-based parenting support programs. In this article, recent developments in the Triple P system of parenting support are used to illustrate how schools can develop a low-cost, comprehensive, high-quality parenting support strategy that blends universal components with targeted components for more vulnerable children. We identify potential organisational and logistical barriers to implementing parenting support programs and ways to address these.

Comparing Cars With Apples? Identifying the Appropriate Benchmark Countries for Relative Ecological Pollution Rankings and International Learning

One of the most difficult tasks that economies face is how to generate economic growth without causing environmental damage. Research in economic complexity has provided new methods to reveal structural constraints and opportunities for green economic diversification and sophistication, as well as the effects of economic complexity on environmental pollution indicators. However, no research so far has compared the ecological efficiency of countries with similar productive structures and levels of economic complexity, and used this information to identify the best learning partners. This matters, because there are substantial differences in the environmental damage caused by the same product in different countries, and green diversification needs to be complemented by substantial efficiency improvements of existing products. In this article, we use data on 774 different types of exports, CO2 emissions, and the ecological footprint of 99 countries to create first a relative ecological pollution ranking (REPR). Then, we use methods from network science to reveal a benchmark network of the best learning partners based on country pairs with a large extent of export similarity, yet significant differences in pollution values. This is important because it helps to reveal adequate benchmark countries for efficiency improvements and sustainable production, considering that countries may specialize in substantially different types of economic activities. Finally, the article i) illustrates large efficiency improvements within current global output levels, ii) helps to identify countries that can best learn from each other, and iii) improves the information base in international negotiations for the sake of a cleaner global production system.

Teachers as designers of learning in diverse, bilingual classrooms in England: an ADiBE case study

ABSTRACT This ADiBE case study explores an innovative, integrated approach to addressing diversity in secondary classrooms in England, where more than one language is used and learned. We position diversity in multilingual and multicultural communities where schooling seeks to provide meaningful learning experiences for all students and guide learners towards being and becoming global citizens. Within a UK context, underpinning values emphasise social justice and inclusion embodied in classroom practices that actively involve teachers as researchers with their learners – in terms of ‘curriculum-making’ and reinterpreting the impact of diversity on ‘successful’ learning communities. This research analyses contextual and exploratory factors that enable diverse learners with diverse needs to engage in learning partnerships with each other and their teachers. Using a framework to capture collaborative professional learning, synergies are explored between two different approaches to bilingual learning – English as an Additional language (EAL) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The case study identifies potentially rich sites for building pedagogic capital and explores how diversity can enable more young people to feel valued, respected and successful bilingual learners in formal schooling.

The Child Marriage Learning Partners Consortium: Connecting Data and Evidence for Action

Over the past two decades, there has been remarkable growth in the child, early, and forced marriage evidence base, paralleled by increased global awareness of the magnitude and harmful effects of these practices in different contexts. Despite this, researchers, implementers, advocates, and donors [1] have identified substantial remaining gaps in knowledge. New, more nuanced, and context-specific evidence is needed to eliminate child marriage (before age 18) by 2030, the deadline set under the Sustainable Development Goals.

Clinical decision support systems with team-based care on type 2 diabetes improvement for Medicaid patients: A quality improvement project

BackgroundThe prevalence of clinical inertia, the failure of appropriate treatment intensification in diabetes treatment, is a well-documented worldwide phenomenon. This project addresses the problem of clinical inertia through three interrelated activities, clinical decision support (CDSS), team-based care, and patient engagement in diabetes management. ObjectivesThe purpose of this research is to provide analysis under the State-University Partnership Learning Network regarding the impact of an electronic decision support tool combined with team-based care workflow on provider decision-making and patient outcomes for the treatment of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (diabetes) among patients receiving Kentucky Medicaid. The objectives of this study are to 1) assess clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes in the Medicaid population with team-based care using CDSS, 2) evaluate physicians' and pharmacists' experience on CDSS. MethodsThis is a quality improvement project using a mixed-method - longitudinal and control group comparison of outcomes based upon clinical measures and online surveys of providers and pharmacists involved in this project. ResultsPatients treated by providers who changed the treatment regimen to one that either fully or partially followed the recommendation of the CDSS tool had a statistically significant reduction in HbA1c with an average initial HbA1c of 10.1 and the final HbA1c of 8. The online survey of physicians shows that more than 80% of physicians agree the use of CDSS will support improved patient outcomes. The use of a team-based care approach that includes pharmacists in implementing treatment changes was broadly supported by both physicians and pharmacists. ConclusionCDSS combined with team-based care can be effective in reducing HbA1c to targeted therapeutic levels. The use of CDSS provides a way to efficiently assess more than 160 potential frontline drugs and properly accelerate treatment. Consistent with the research literature, the inclusion of pharmacists can play a key role in team-based care to assess treatment alternatives and provide for improvement in outcomes and patient adherence for diabetes. The user surveys show both physicians and pharmacists have a positive attitude toward CDSS.

PLATO: a practice development approach to reconsidering student learning partnerships

Background: This article explores the use of a practice development approach to support nursing students’ engagement in learning partnerships in clinical practice settings. Aim: To reflect, using the model proposed by Rolfe and colleagues (2001), on the development of ‘PLATO’ – an educational tool to help nursing students explore their role in building learning partnerships in clinical settings. Conclusion: A practice development approach to clinical learning partnerships can support an effective learning culture. As a result, nursing students can gain greater empowerment and take increased responsibility for their learning. Implications for practice: • Facilitating learning partnerships with students is important for achieving person-centred care • Partnership working provides opportunities for true collaboration and for learning with and from our students • Developing collaborative spaces can facilitate nursing students to reflect in and on their practice

Agency through partnership in neurodiverse college learning communities

This article examines the work of creating collaborative learning partnerships that fully include students with intellectual disabilities. The article reviews the scholarship of partnership as a starting point in discussing learning environments that support students with significant intellectual disabilities—a group that has only recently been encouraged to enroll in colleges and universities. The authors—a faculty member and two former undergraduate mentors in the University Studies program at Portland State University—offer reflections on their time partnering as facilitators of courses that include students with intellectual disabilities. They then analyze those reflections in relation to the scholarship of partnership and special education. The article presents evidence that the partnership approach to learning is more fully realized through intentional investment in universal design for learning principles and extended support networks invested in collaboration and interpersonal relationship. These approaches effectively bring students with disabilities into the center of educational environments and maintain their agency in shaping their learning communities.

Effectiveness of Work-Integrated Learning Partnerships: Case Study of Cooperative Education in Agricultural Tertiary Education

The growing demand for promoting the role of higher education institutions in sustainability has contributed to creating new partnerships with other actors. In the field of education, the formation of cooperative education (co-op) partnerships was adopted as a strategy for work-integrated learning in cooperation with industry. This study investigated the effectiveness of co-op partnerships and the factors that influence them in the context of tertiary agriculture education in Saudi Arabia. A random sample of 130 co-op students was selected within the Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences delivered by the College of Food and Agriculture Sciences at King Saud University. The satisfaction level of students was explored in terms of four main areas, namely, the quality of the program design, organizational climate, personal and professional qualities, and program learning outcomes. The majority of students (70%) were highly satisfied with the quality of the program design, while they had a moderate level of satisfaction regarding the organizational climate of the co-op program (74.6%). Furthermore, 85.4% of students were highly satisfied regarding the learning outcomes they gained. The results also revealed that there were significant positive relationships between the level of satisfaction of students regarding program learning outcomes and their quality assessments of the program design, personal and professional qualities, and organizational climate. The measurement scale used in this study may assist in assessing the sustainability of co-op partnerships. Moreover, understanding the satisfaction level of students can help to identify areas that should be improved and, in turn, contribute to improving the governance and sustainability of co-op partnerships for all stakeholders.

Museums as Partners in PreK-12 Social-Emotional Learning

ABSTRACT 2020 was a challenging time to navigate mental health and wellness. With a global pandemic, an emotionally charged U.S. presidential election, and a spike in racially motivated violence, students maneuvered trauma associated with these events in unprecedented ways. The cumulative challenges of this year motivated museum educators at the Cleveland Museum of Art to focus on connections between PreK-12 social-emotional learning (SEL) and objects in our museum collection. This article focuses on specific strategies used to support social-emotional wellness when facilitating virtual school programming and teaching with museum objects. It also discusses lingering questions museum educators must examine as we teach in a post-2020 world.

Effective Theory to Practice in Prior Learning Assessment: Self-Authorship and the Learning Partnership Model

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) programs are unique to the institution and the students they serve. While a variety of best practices persist, the need for academically rigorous and credible programs is ever-present as institutions evolve to keep up with the growing needs of adult learners today. This article provides a case study overview of institutional best practices at American Public University System by placing learning and knowledge at the forefront of the PLA program, using Self-Authorship and the Learning Partnership Model (LPM) as a framework to ensure academic integrity and rigor.

431 - Establishing a Canadian National ECHO Educational Program focused on Mental Health of Older Adults

BackgroundProject ECHO is a virtual, case-based capacity-building education program for healthcare providers. It was developed in New Mexico, USA but, due to its effectiveness, the model has now spread to 40 countries around the globe. Baycrest, the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health and the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry collaborated to launch a national ECHO for mental health and aging. This partnership, coordinated by a cross-Canadian Steering Group, allows for broad reach, including registration of learning partners from almost all Canadian provinces and territories. The program was funded by the RBC Foundation.MethodsECHO COE: Mental Health pilot consisted of 2 cycles: 6 weekly sessions focused on broader mental health topics (e.g., delirium, mood disorders)10 weeks with more specific topics (e.g., substance use disorders, sleep disorders)Needs assessments of healthcare providers and older adults informed the program curricula. Evaluation included weekly satisfaction surveys, and pre and post evaluations.ResultsParticipants: 154 healthcare providers participated in the 6-week session39% of registrants were nurses or nurse practitioners, 35% allied health professionals, 14% physicians and 12% others9 out of 10 provinces, 1 territory representedPreliminary findings (based on the first 6 sessions): High overall satisfaction (average of 4.5 out of 5).99% would recommend the program to others67% had already shared information with team members and colleagues.ConclusionA national ECHO program is an effective way to bring together clinicians who work with and are interested in the mental health and wellbeing of older adults for education sessions, collaborative and mutual learning as well as for cross-jurisdictional knowledge transfer. Collaborative, cross-professional learning supports the exchange of best practice in mental health for older adults, supports the development of collegial national professional support and can address health system inequities. An international ECHO through IPA would be an exciting and valuable next step.