Learning Objectives Research Articles

Customer satisfaction index in Indonesian student micro credentials program

The Indonesian Student Micro-Credentials Program implemented by Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) carries 5 courses, all of which are carried out online, in a relatively short time within 2 months. The learning objectives, which are intended to create practical skills, require students to master the courses they follow, thus causing many problems, which have an impact on the satisfaction of the participants of this program. This study aims to measure the customer satisfaction index (CSI) of participants in this program. Of the 514 participants who were used as respondents, 279 respondents filled out the google formula, and the response rate was 54%. The results showed that the CSI value of the program was 0.85, which means that the participants were very satisfied with the implementation of this program at UMSU. Based on the assessment of it is quality, the dimension assessment is carried out in order of the highest average value, namely this program (4.48), interaction and flexibility (4.33), managers (4.24), lecturers (4.23), students (4.20), assessment (4.16), process (4.14), content design (4.15), partners (4.11), and technology (4.05). Based on the assessment of the level of importance or expectation of this program, the dimension assessment is carried out in order of the highest average value, namely this program (4.47), interaction and flexibility (4.38), managers (4.23), lecturers (4.22), process (4.17), content design (4.17), students (4.13), peer (4.13), assessment (4.11) and technology (4.04).

Pediatric critical care nursing empowerment through distance education and simulation in Accra, Ghana

BackgroundThe study assessed a distance simulation and education intervention designed to improve nursing empowerment in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana. MethodsThis was a single center, mixed methods, longitudinal simulation-based pilot study. A distance pediatric critical care nursing curriculum that combined interactive learning via Zoom and distance simulation using the Virtual Resus Room was designed and delivered from the United States to KBTH PICU nursing staff. ResultsThe Clinical Teamwork Scale, used to assess team performance after each simulation, demonstrated an upward trend over time in all categories. The modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool was utilized to evaluate the learners' perceptions of the effectiveness of the simulation in meeting their learning objectives. Qualitative content analysis of this free-text feedback highlighted the course's educational content, organizational aspects, learning experience, simulation case scenarios and relevance to pediatric critical care in Ghana. ConclusionsA distance pediatric critical care nursing curriculum, relevant to local practice and resources, was implemented through an international partnership and contributed to nursing empowerment through improved learning and confidence.

“I feel more in control of my learning experience:” ungrading as an empowering approach to competency-based gerontological teaching and learning

ABSTRACT Ungrading is a constellation of pedagogical practices that seek to recenter the educational experience of learners as individuals by using detailed feedback rather than grades to assess the achievement of learning competencies. Ungrading practices have been employed in multiple disciplines in response to various concerns about traditional grading, including the tendency of grades to signal the end of learning, the ineffectiveness of grades in assessing competencies, and equity concerns. While the use of ungrading in gerontological teaching and learning appears to be largely unknown, it may offer a potentially powerful and innovative way to support students in attaining and demonstrating AGHE’s gerontological competencies. This should be a key concern of all gerontology educators as the main goal is to develop a qualified workforce who can be employed across the aging services sector. A form of ungrading known as grade anarchy was piloted in three master’s level gerontology courses and student and instructor feedback was gathered to assess reactions to the pilots. Students were mostly supportive, reporting that they felt less stressed and more motivated to learn, while some preferred traditional grading as they perceived its structure was clearer. The instructor experienced a steep learning curve followed by the observation that ungrading was freeing for the instructor as well, allowing a more individualized approach to student learning that resulted in greater clarity with regard to learners’ mastery of the selected AGHE competencies and the course learning objectives.

Flipping the Voice Pedagogy Frame: Background, Foundation, and Framework

Abstract: Most music degrees focus on developing successful performers in lieu of developing proficient voice teachers. While they may take one voice pedagogy course as part of their curriculum, most singers do not receive focused training in educational principles. This article presents (1) a foundation for designing learning objectives using Bloom’s revised taxonomy, (2) a rationale for using a flipped pedagogy model, and (3) case study examples for using these models within a voice pedagogy curriculum. This framework develops and refines both marketable voice teaching abilities and so-called “soft skills” for musicians enrolled in voice pedagogy courses.

Differences in community health nursing learning outcomes based on simulation modality

BackgroundVarious modalities of community health nursing simulation have been useful in improving confidence, communication, and meeting learning objectives. Research focusing on comparing community health nursing learning outcomes in simulation with standardized patients versus mannequins is limited. This study aimed to explore differences in clinical reasoning, clinical learning, knowledge, communication, self-confidence, and learner satisfaction among community health students participating in standardized patient simulation compared to mannequins. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 66 prelicensure students in community health nursing. Students completed a pre- and post-knowledge quiz, Satisfaction with Simulation Experience scale, and a simulation evaluation survey. ResultsCompared to simulation with mannequins, clinical reasoning, clinical learning, knowledge, communication, realism, and learner satisfaction scores were significantly higher with standardized patient simulation. ConclusionsSimulation with standardized patients can be useful for increasing community health nursing knowledge while enhancing clinical reasoning and realism. Future research including larger samples and more comprehensive community health topics is needed.

Large Margin Weighted k-Nearest Neighbors Label Distribution Learning for Classification.

Label distribution learning (LDL) helps solve label ambiguity and has found wide applications. However, it may suffer from the challenge of objective inconsistency when adopted to classification problems because the learning objective of LDL is inconsistent with that of classification. Some LDL algorithms have been proposed to solve this issue, but they presume that label distribution can be represented by the maximum entropy model, which may not hold in many real-world problems. In this article, we design two novel LDL methods based on the k -nearest neighbors ( k NNs) approach without assuming any form of label distribution. First, we propose the large margin weighted k NN LDL (LW- k NNLDL). It learns a weight vector for the k NN algorithm to learn label distribution and implement a large margin to address the objective inconsistency. Second, we put forward the large margin distance-weighted k NN LDL (LD k NN-LDL) that learns distance-dependent weight vectors to consider the difference in the neighborhoods of different instances. Theoretical results show that our methods can learn any general-form label distribution. Moreover, extensive experimental studies validate that our methods significantly outperform state-of-the-art LDL approaches.

Not Another PDF, please: Using ThingLink scenarios and Camtasia to build engaging virtual learning objects

In this resource showcase, I presented ‘Refine Your Writing: Better Proofreading,’ a multimedia digital learning sequence I created as a Writing Skills Officer in the Academic Skills Service of the University of Southampton. This learning object sprang from my (and colleagues’) dissatisfaction with existing resources about proofreading: these largely elevate the ‘what’ over the ‘how,’ comprising little more than checklists of potential errors to look out for. I set out to create a resource that went beyond cataloguing to instead equip students with active strategies to interact with and enhance their texts. In developing this resource, I followed best practices conveyed via the Learning Object Review Instrument (LORI), as well as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles (Leacock and Nesbit, 2007; CAST, 2018). My presentation outlined how the ThingLink ‘Scenarios’ feature can be used to build inclusive virtual objects through which learners advance at their own pace. Incorporating original videos edited in Camtasia, the result was a resource that was not only accessible, but more likely than a text-based webpage or narrated PowerPoint webinar to sustain learners’ interest. Indeed, I argued that aesthetics and delivery energy must be prioritised in the creation of digital objects whose use is suggested to, but not required of, university learners (i.e., resources maintained by academic skills services, writing centres, and so on). Although the primary focus was on inclusive virtual objects, my presentation was of interest to conference attendees looking to expand their knowledge of the IT skills, software, and platforms underpinning their resource designs. To support this, I shared my ‘lessons learned’ after diving into ThingLink and Camtasis with this project.

Professional development in teacher education: (Vocational) teacher students’ descriptions

This article focuses on a learning objective, as part of a teacher education course at a Swedish university, where student teachers should be able to discuss their own professional development and identify further development needs. Since both research and policy documents highlight professional development as an important part of teacher education, it is important to study professional development from the perspective of student teachers. The theoretical starting point is Communities of Practice (CoP), and the study focuses on knowledge and learning within a social community. Ten subject teacher students and six vocational teacher students are interviewed about their descriptions of what the professional development for teachers in teacher education means for them, which results in six prominent themes: 1) the developmentof identity formation, 2) the development of subject specific and vocational knowledge, 3) the development of leadership, 4) the development of relationship-building, 5) the development of knowledge about policy documents, laws, rules and regulations, 6) the development in relation to changes in the society. Despite common denominators in the students’ descriptions of professional development, there are also nuanced differences that can be understood by positioning actors about the (vocational) teacher education community. The vocational teacher students frequently connect their professional knowledge to industry and working life, whereas the subject teacher students often connect their subject knowledge to university courses and research. Both the vocational teacher students and the subject teacher students in the study describe that they need to stay up-to-date and continue developing their competence in pedagogy. However, the vocational teacher students specifically highlight the need for pedagogical knowledge within the school environment, rather than in the context of working life and workshop settings. This may be because some vocational teacher students are accustomed to training and teaching interns in these environments as part of their professional practice.

Feasibility of e-encyclopedia plantae results of postnatal plant inventory of the malay tribe

Learning media can help clarify the meaning of the message to be conveyed so that learning objectives can be achieved. Learning media can be presented in non-print or electronic form and can be developed from the results of research such as an inventory of medicinal plants. This research aims to determine the feasibility of e-encyclopedia media as a result of postnatal medicinal plant inventory of the Malay tribe of Bentunai Village. This research uses the R&D (Reseach & Development) research method, but it is only carried out until the design revision stage. The media feasibility test was carried out by validation by five validators and analyzed using Aiken V validity and ICC (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient) reliability. The aspects assessed are content, writing, convenience and appearance. The results of the e-encyclopedia validator analysis showed that the Aiken validity value in the content aspect in the very high category, the writing aspect in the very high category, the convenience aspect in the very high category and the appearance aspect was in the very high category. The average validity of these four aspects is in the very high category. The results of the ICC reliability analysis show a reliability and agreement between validators is at a good criteria index. So, it can be concluded that the e-encyclopedia developed as a result of the inventory of postnatal medicinal plants from the Malay tribe of Bentunai Village is suitable for use as a learning medium.

Analisis Kesiapan Guru dalam Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka di SMP Negeri 2 Panti

This research is motivated by the fact that teachers are not yet fully prepared to implement the Merdeka Curriculum in schools, as they do not fully understand the curriculum structure, Learning Outcomes (LO), Learning Objectives (LO), Learning Objective Flow (LOF), and the understanding of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (PSPSP), which has not been fully comprehended by each teacher. Supporting facilities and infrastructure are available but are not yet complete. This study aims to analyze the readiness of teachers in implementing the Merdeka Curriculum at SMP Negeri 2 Panti, Panti District, Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra Province. This research is descriptive with a qualitative approach. This method was chosen according to the needs of this research, namely to analyze the readiness of teachers at SMP Negeri 2 Panti in implementing the Merdeka Curriculum. Data analysis was conducted using a Likert scale. Based on validity tests by teachers, the understanding of the curriculum structure is categorized as very ready with an average of 92.33%. The readiness of lesson planning has an average of 95.33% with a very ready criterion. The readiness of the learning process has an average of 89% with a very ready criterion. The readiness of teaching modules has an average of 90% with a very ready criterion. The readiness of facilities and infrastructure has an average of 92% with a very ready criterion, and the readiness of assessment has an average of 94% with a very ready criterion. Teachers' readiness in implementing the Merdeka Curriculum at SMP Negeri 2 Panti is very ready to execute the Merdeka Curriculum.

Formative feedback through digital MCQs: Students´ perceived learning in a bachelor-level physiology course

Feedback is defined as a process in which students can benefit from information about their own performance to improve the quality of their work and learning strategies. This case study examines how students in a bachelor-level physiology course experienced their learning when receiving formative feedback through digital multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in the web-based learning platform Canvas. The poorly attended colloquia in the course were replaced by a compulsory assignment comprising eight modules of MCQs. The MCQs could be repeated multiple times by the students providing ample low threshold, low risk opportunities to test knowledge and understanding and to receive feedback on whether they had achieved the learning objectives of the course (“feedback loops”). A student survey at the end of the course underlined the potential of using MCQs for automated feedback and learning. Thematic analysis of semi-structured one-on-one interviews with eight random students from the course identified two main themes related to student learning: the importance of the MCQs format and how student characteristics can affect MCQ-aided learning. Challenges were related to the formulations of the MCQs, and the feedback received, and to procrastination of the students’ work with the MCQs reducing the learning outcome of the work. We discuss the potential of further developing and integrating online formative feedback loops through MCQs as a systematic approach to enhance learning and emphasize the importance of student and teacher feedback literacy when working with assessments tasks such as MCQs.

BREAK FREE and Fly: A CBT School Counseling Group Curriculum for Anxiety

A junior/senior high school counselor used an innovative psychoeducational group counseling curriculum based on cognitive behavioral therapy to meet the social/emotional needs of identified students. This article provides a summary and evaluation of the small group plan conducted via practitioner research. Results indicated that, although participants’ overall feelings of anxiety did not significantly improve, the curriculum enabled study participants to meet defined learning objectives. We discuss implications for school counselors.

Improving accessibility, engagement and usefulness of online information literacy tutorials based on student feedback

PurposeIn order to evaluate a new series of online information literacy tutorials, students in a first-year experience program were invited to take a perception survey. The survey asked respondents if they perceived the tutorials to be accessible, engaging and useful. The feedback informed changes to tutorial learning objects in order to improve student learning of information literacy concepts.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a survey instrument comprised of quantitative and qualitative questions about online tutorial accessibility, engagement and usefulness. All students enrolled in first-year experience courses at the end of the Fall 2022 semester were invited to take the survey.FindingsThe results suggest that the majority of respondents perceive the tutorials as useful for completing college-level assignments (62.5%) and easy to access and navigate (85%). Ratings for engagement are mixed; less than half of respondents perceive the tutorials to be engaging (44%). Analysis of qualitative questions may point to a connection between the perceived usefulness of a tutorial and a user’s engagement with the material.Originality/valueThis paper discusses the evaluation of tutorials comprised of vendor-produced content mixed with institutionally created content. It includes the survey instrument designed to collect student perceptions of these tutorials.

Elective placements for medical students in a regional Public Health Department in Ireland

Abstract Exposure to different specialties during medical school influences the subsequent career choice of students. We describe the development of elective student placements in Public Health in a regional Public Health Department (PHD) in Ireland which serves a population of just over one million. In September 2023, a collaboration to oversee the electives was established between our PHD (HSE Dublin and Midlands) and an academic institution (Trinity College Dublin (TCD)). An Elective Working Group (WG) was formed which developed learning objectives and an elective plan. The electives were scheduled for October and November 2023. The key learning objectives were for students to: • Develop an understanding of the role of Public Health across all domains, in our regional PHD and in Ireland; • Develop an understanding of the career pathway in Public Health Medicine in Ireland; • Contribute to a public health project within the PHD. The elective plan included approximately 15 1:1 tutorials across the public health domains, attendance at PHD meetings and a literature review-based project. Between October and November 2023, two students (one per month) were attached to the PHD. At the end of each elective, students presented project findings to the WG for discussion. Debrief sessions gathered feedback from the students, the WG and the TCD partner. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Feedback suggested taking pairs of students at the same time may increase efficiency and capacity for future electives in our PHD. A collaborative approach to planning and coordinating the electives was crucial to its success. We are building on this experience to expand the electives with an increased number of students being facilitated by our PHD in 2024, providing students with greater opportunity to gain exposure to Public Health Medicine during medical training. Application and evaluation materials were refined which can be shared. Key messages • The success of the Public Health electives in our regional Public Health Department was underpinned by a collaborative academic partnership and a structured, coordinated approach. • Availability of Public Health electives during medical school training can support students to gain exposure to this specialty in a time when they are considering future career choices.

Pola Pendidikan Inkulusif Studi Bagi Anak yang Mengalami Gangguan Komunikasi

Children with disabilities are children who have physical or mental deficiencies and have difficulty communicating in social environments, one of which is in the school environment. This research aims to find out what forms occur between teachers and students with special needs in inclusive schools. In communicating, teachers need to consider the characteristics of students with special needs to be able to determine the appropriate form of communication so that learning objectives can be achieved. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. Research was conducted in elementary schools. The research results show that there are several factors that influence the form of teacher communication towards students with special needs. This research focuses on the communication patterns used by teachers in the teaching and learning process of children with disabilities. The diversity of developmental characteristics and obstacles they experience will lead to different communication models that we can present to them in helping them to carry out social interactions. The effectiveness of the communication that occurs with them really depends on the instruments they use to help them communicate with all their limitations.

Enhancing digital health competencies: insights from european human resources for health

Abstract Background Mixed-skills for digital health transformation are critical for human resources for health (HRH). This study aimed to inform the design of new training programmes that address soft, hard and digital health skills. Methods Using a mixed-methods design science approach, focus groups were conducted by invitation and with informed consent, online or in-person. A script was prepared with key questions for orientation and facilitation, addressing the topics of current situation, desired situation, desired skills, practical and organisational needs to implement continuous training in healthcare. The collected data were analysed using Nvivo. Results Focus groups (14) had 87 participants (Norway, Latvia, Belgium, Italy and Portugal): 26 healthcare professionals (nurses, midwives, nutritionists, pharmacists, assistants and doctors); 27 managers or directors of hospitals and care centres; 34 experts (digital health specialists, researchers, technical officers, members of professional societies and national authorities). Real needs were identified, with 2 direct sub-themes that were best related to each other (Pearson coefficient, p > 0.40 - cluster analysis): 1. ‘Current situation’: Cybersecurity (eg. privacy, law and ethics); Time (work time versus private time, p = 0.69); Type (informal versus formal training, p = 0.32); Programmes (graduation, continuing education and post-graduation levels). 2. ‘Desired situation: Desired skills (eg. digital - basic ICT, data analysis, soft - communication, emotional intelligence, and hard skills - medication administration, catheters, ECG, vital signs, telehealth - digital stethoscope); Learning design and objectives (eg. collective learning, simulations, location - peer-to-peer and hybrid); Emergency care and the link between primary and secondary levels of care were considered important. Conclusions These findings of convergence among HRH inform Program design process to support the training programs and course syllabus design. Key messages • The identified needs and priorities inform Program design further to support Digital Health Transformation training programs and course syllabus design. • Real needs points to Current and Desired situation, where HRH give important insights that need to be considered to engage people to perform training courses.

Design of Contextual-Collaborative Assure-Based Learning Program Development in Improving Reading Skills and Bilingual Communication Skills of Early Childhood Children

This article aims to describe the design for developing and evaluating the media for learning with a collaborative-contextual model in improving the reading skills and bilingual abilities of early childhood in the Sukorambi Islamic Kindergarten (TK), Jember Regency. This research uses a qualitative type with a descriptive exploratory approach—data collection techniques using in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation studies. The data were then analyzed using the stages of domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, componential analysis, and cultural theme analysis with the validity of the data, the credibility of the triangulation method and sources, and confirmability. Based on the research findings, it was concluded that the six stages in the design of contextual-collaborative assured-based learning program development in improving reading skills and bilingual communication skills are as follows: Analysis of early-age learners and as digital natives; determining learning objectives; choosing methods, media, and materials (including the use of the student center method, compiling the Outline of the Contents of the Podcast Media, Podcast Media Scripts, and Bilingual Learning Implementation Plans), Utilization of media, and teaching materials (including reviewing materials, preparing materials, learning environments, and learners and ensuring learner learning experiences), Learner involvement, and Evaluatievaluationision.

Equipping prospective teachers for culturally and religiously sensitive sexuality education: curriculum reviews at Islamic universities in Indonesia

ABSTRACT Sexuality education is essential for equipping children to prevent sexual abuse and fostering understanding of their bodies, relationships, and boundaries. Early childhood education programs in Indonesia were recommended to integrate sexuality education courses tailored to child development and sensitive to religious and cultural contexts. This research employed qualitative methods to investigate the integration of sexuality education courses at eight Islamic universities in Indonesia. Data were collected through interviews with eight course instructors and documentation of their Semester Learning Plans, using content and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that while two universities offered dedicated sexuality education courses, six integrated them into child development and parenting psychology courses. Dedicated sexuality education courses had more comprehensive learning objectives compared to integrated approaches. Teaching methods predominantly included lectures, paper presentations, with some incorporating field studies and project-based learning. Challenges included credit allocation impacting study durations, which hindered the integration of specialized courses like sexuality education. Enhancing pedagogy and ensuring effective delivery of sexuality education were identified as crucial tasks requiring the refinement of curricula in early childhood education. This approach would enable prospective educators to impart knowledge sensitively, taking into account children’s developmental stages and cultural-religious norms.

The Impact of OER’s Continuous Improvement Cycles on Students’ Performance: A Longitudinal Analysis of the RISE Framework

Open educational resources (OER) have been praised for revolutionizing education. However, practitioners and instructors battle keeping OER updated and measuring their impact on students’ performance. Few studies have analyzed the improvement of OER over time in relation to achievement. This longitudinal study uses learning analytics through the open-source Resource Inspection, Selection, and Enhancement (RISE) analysis framework to assess the impact of continuous improvement cycles on students’ outcomes. Panel data (i.e., performance and use) from 190 learning objectives of OER of an introductory sociology course were analyzed using a hierarchical linear model. Results show that more visits to an OER do not improve student achievement, but continuous improvement cycles of targeted OER do. Iterative implementation of the RISE analysis for resource improvement in combination with practitioners’ expertise is key for students’ learning. Given that the RISE classification accounted for 65% of the growth of students’ performance, suggesting a moderate to large effect, we speculate that the RISE analysis could be generalized to other contexts and result in greater student gain. Institutions and practitioners can improve the OER’s impact by introducing learning analytics as a decision-making tool for instructional designers. Yet, user-friendly implementation of learning analytics in a “click-and-go” application is necessary for generalizability and escalation of continuous improvement cycles of OER and tangible improvement of learning outcomes. Finally, in this article, we identify the need for efficient applications of learning analytics that focus more on “learning” and less on analytics.

Data literacy in healthcare: A systematic collection and evaluation of OERs on data acquisition

Abstract Background Data literacy is crucial in healthcare, as it allows healthcare professionals to recognize, collect, and use data for research efficiently. Teachers can use open educational resources (OERs) to increase data literacy among healthcare staff, covering the entire research process. This study focuses on examining existing OERs with a focus on data acquisition to identify the limitations of existing OERs and to develop new OERs for data collection based on these limitations. Methods The platforms ‘Twillo.de’, ‘Orca.nrw’, ‘Merlot.org’, ‘OER Commons’, ‘Serlo’, ‘VIMEO’, ‘Dailymotion’, ‘SlideShare’ and ‘YouTube’ were systematically searched for OERs focusing on quantitative and qualitative data acquisition. Only OERs published under a Creative Commons license were considered. A team of researchers then analyzed existing OERs with respect to production and content quality and sorted them into four competence levels of a learning objective matrix developed by Schüller (2020). Results Out of 4,383 search results, we identified 111 suitable OERs for qualitative data acquisition. Only 9 of these were related to health. For quantitative data acquisition, out of 4,415 search results, 145 suitable OERs were identified, 36 of which were health-related. Conclusions This study highlights the scarcity of suitable OERs for healthcare professionals to improve their health data literacy. This is for various reasons. Only a few OERs are specifically designed for healthcare professionals and, therefore, do not correspond to the lifeworld of learners in the explanatory examples. Additionally, the existing OERs are not sufficiently detailed in essential areas for learners and are customized to the competence level of the target group of healthcare professionals. Therefore, existing OERs must be adapted for healthcare professionals’ data literacy training. Key messages • The search for OERs on qualitative and quantitative data acquisition yields many results, but less than three percent of the results are suitable for training healthcare personnel. • Few Open Educational Resources (OERs) for healthcare professionals provide sufficient detail and alignment with their competency levels, which necessitates adaptations for data literacy training.