Long-lasting Learning Research Articles

Wargaming Preferences: How Participating in Educational Wargames Changes Student Preferences on Learning

Educational wargaming has shown its clear value in the classroom, leading to deeper and more long-lasting learning. Yet, it is unclear how students respond to the use of games in the classroom and whether they perceive them to have educational value above and beyond “having fun.” This study of the War at Sea wargame at the U.S. Naval War College provides evidence that students see wargaming as a valuable learning activity, that they consider it appropriate for the PME environment, and that participating in a wargame makes them more likely to want to learn via wargames in the future. These findings provide evidence in support of the ongoing effort to increase wargaming in professional military education (PME) curriculum, and suggest that early exposure to wargames creates buy-in among students that can be harnessed throughout their careers.

Why do Eurasian otters eat so few invasive blue crabs?

Invasive species can become key trophic resources for native predators, and thus understanding predator-invasive prey interactions is relevant to assess invasion impacts. The Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) has recently invaded coasts and lower stretches of rivers across the Western Palearctic, often establishing very abundant populations. The blue crab is an important prey for a large number of predators within its native range, but predation upon invasive populations is still virtually unknown. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a flexible predator, known to incorporate invasive prey into its diet when they become available. We studied otter diet in a small estuary of southern Spain hosting a very abundant blue crab population. The role of the blue crab as otter prey was only anecdotal since, out of 223 spraints (otter faeces) collected between 2021 and 2023, its remains were found in a single one. The avoidance of the blue crab by otters, and also by other predators, seems to be a generalised phenomenon in the invaded range of this crustacean. Predation on invasive blue crabs may require a long-lasting learning process to overcome the crab’s anti-predatory structures and behaviours. Trophic interactions between invasive blue crabs and native predators deserves attention for three main aspects: (i) its implications for the functioning and structure of invaded food webs, (ii) its potential role in limiting the invasion, and (iii) the interest in the generation of new predatory traits among animal populations.

Impact of Flipped Classroom Approach on Academic Achievement of Postgraduate Students

This study examined to ascertain the effect of the flipped classroom model on the academic achievement of postgraduate students at Rajiv Gandhi University. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the Flipped Classroom Group and the Conventional Classroom Group using pre-test and post-test measures. Students in the FCG covered instructional materials outside the class and involved themselves in active learning within the class, while those in the CCG attended traditional lecture-based instruction. The results revealed that the FCG was way ahead, with a post-test mean score of 78.45 as against 72.35 in the CCG. Besides, from the pre-test to the post-test scores, the FCG group improved more, and even after 15 days, their memory retention was better. The results showed that the flipped classroom approach not only improves immediate academic outcomes but substantiates long-term retention of information. It showcases the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model toward deeper learning and calls for its increased adoption in graduate education to rise a more engaging and long-lasting learning experience.

No Simple Solutions to Complex Problems: Cognitive Science Principles Can Guide but Not Prescribe Educational Decisions.

Cognitive science of learning points to solutions for making use of existing study and instruction time more effectively and efficiently. However, solutions are not and cannot be one-size-fits-all. This paper outlines the danger of overreliance on specific strategies as one-size-fits-all recommendations and highlights instead the cognitive learning processes that facilitate meaningful and long-lasting learning. Three of the most commonly recommended strategies from cognitive science provide a starting point; understanding the underlying processes allows us to tailor these recommendations to implement at the right time, in the right way, for the right content, and for the right students. Recommendations regard teacher training, the funding and incentivizing of educational interventions, guidelines for the development of educational technologies, and policies that focus on using existing instructional time more wisely.

Determining the frequency of burn wound dressing for clinically competent nursing students: establishing standards based on learning curves

BackgroundThe primary objective of clinical practice in nursing education is to achieve mastery of clinical skills through repetitive practice. Therefore, there exists a correlation between the frequency of skill demonstration and clinical competency. This study aimed to address the following question: How many times should a nursing student perform burn wound dressing to attain clinical competency?MethodsThis time series study was conducted on 41 junior nursing students who were selected through a census sampling method at Neyshabur School of Nursing from spring 2015 to summer 2021. The data collection tool was a researcher-made competency evaluation checklist (CEV). The competency score of each student for each skill demonstraion episode was evaluated using the Competency Evaluation Checklist (CEV) and recorded on the learning curve until a plateau was reached. SPSS16 and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used.ResultsThe mean competency score of burn wound dressing was 67.5 ± 11.0 (out of 100) during the first attempt, which increased to 95.9 ± 4.3 by the ninth attempt. The learning curve for the burn wound dressing skill reached a plateau after five attempts. Additionally, by the fifth attempt of dressing the burn wound, all students could accurately identify the depth, extent, and severity of the wound.ConclusionsEstablishing a standardized frequency for clinical skill performance and ensuring ample practice opportunities can have significant benefits in nursing education systems. These benefits include long-lasting learning, reduced costs, and improved effectiveness. As a result, nurse managers and lecturers should consider the resources available in their educational systems and strive to provide students with adequate opportunities and a supportive environment to practice their skills.

The Performance of Internal Quality Assurance of Community Learning Center during Covid-19 Outbreak

Whilst the Covid-19 outbreak has deleteriously influenced the functioning of most organizations, Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) of Community Learning Centres (CLC) has an essential role in achieving stakeholder satisfaction. CLC shall carry out quality assurance independently in terms of establishing, fulfilling, evaluating, and developing educational standards that can guarantee the function of implementing educational programs and managing the institutions to run effectively, efficiently, and sustainably. This study employed an explanatory sequential design conducted on CLCs in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Data was collected and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The results show that during the Covid-19 epidemic, the IQA's performance is in the high category for all assessed indicators, namely input, output, outcome, and impact. However, IQA administrators should develop the performance of IQA management that is restricted to learning aspects, predominately involves external parties, and is constrained by facilities to improve their quality. As a result, the performance should be determined by the internal demands and capabilities of CLC, giving emphasis to work-based, all-encompassing, and long-lasting learning.

Listening, reading, writing - which method leads to the best learning outcome?

Innovative teaching strategies such as case-based learning and hands-on training are more and more integrated into undergraduate veterinary teaching. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that lectures still play an important role in many vet schools. Nowadays, however, lectures are questioned to be motivating and engaging enough for a long-lasting learning retention. In this context, we compared acceptance and learning outcome of the teaching methods reading, writing, and listening to a presentation. In structured settings based on a cross-over design, 151 students in their fifth year attending a 2-weeks clinical rotation at the Clinic for Animal Reproduction were asked to read papers, listen to a presentation by a lecturer, and to write a summary in group work. Each task dealt with 1 of 3 topics from the field of animal reproduction. A week later, the students were asked to complete a multiple-choice test and an evaluation form. The test contained questions about each of the covered topics as well as a fourth topic, which was not taught in context of this project to assess the students' prior knowledge. The results revealed that writing a summary in group work led to the best learning outcome, but it cannot be ruled out that learning success may have depended to a large extent on group work. Furthermore, the results did not differ significantly from the second-best teaching method listening to a presentation. The teaching method students preferred most was the lecture, followed by reading papers and writing a summary. We conclude that presentations by lecturers are still an important teaching method but can be complemented by writing tasks, which may be used in specific settings as a possible way to improve learning outcome in veterinary education. Our project supports the assumption that more active, student-centered learning approaches such as writing summaries can lead to more engagement and a better learning retention. In addition, training writing skills is important because clinical reports and other written communication are relevant parts of daily veterinary routine.

A Comparative Study of Constructivist and Traditional Methods of Teaching Science to Grade V, Primary Level Public School of District Korangi, Karachi

Constructivist teaching approach is beneficial for effective and long-lasting learning of students especially in young children. The current study was conducted to identify the effect of constructivist teaching approach on fifth-grade students’ science achievement. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 30 fifth grade students at a public primary school in district Korangi, Karachi. Data was collected with a self made test. SPSS software was used to analyze the data collected from respondents. Experimental pre-test post-test design was used to check the effectiveness of constructivist teaching approach on students’ achievement in science subject. The results illustrated that constructivist teaching approach improved students’ achievement in science. In order to have effective learning for students there is a need to transform the old style of teaching into an innovative and constructive one. Therefore, the researcher utilized activity-based learning approach to foster the students’ learning. Two-way communication between a teacher and the students provides a baseline for activity-based learning. The findings of the current study highlighted the importance of innovating teaching methodology like activity-based learning that significantly proves beneficial in improving the students’ science achievements. It also reflected that the activity-based teaching methodology helped the students perform better than the students who taught with traditional methods.

Multimodal intervention in 8- to 13-year-old French dyslexic readers: Study protocol for a randomized multicenter controlled crossover trial

BackgroundDevelopmental dyslexia, a specific and long-lasting learning disorder that prevents children from becoming efficient and fluent readers, has a severe impact on academic learning and behavior and may compromise professional and social development. Most remediation studies are based on the explicit or implicit assumption that dyslexia results from a single cause related to either impaired phonological or visual-attentional processing or impaired cross-modal integration. Yet, recent studies show that dyslexia is multifactorial and that many dyslexics have underlying deficits in several domains. The originality of the current study is to test a remediation approach that trains skills in all three domains using different training methods that are tailored to an individual’s cognitive profile as part of a longitudinal intervention study.MethodsThis multicenter randomized crossover study will be conducted in three phases and will involve 120 dyslexic children between the ages of 8 and 13 years. The first phase serves as within-subject baseline period that lasts for 2 months. In this phase, all children undergo weekly speech-language therapy sessions without additional training at home (business-as-usual). During the second phase, all dyslexics receive three types of intensive interventions that last 2 month each: Phonological, visual-attentional, and cross-modal. The order of the first two interventions (phonological and visual-attentional) is swapped in two randomly assigned groups of 60 dyslexics each. This allows one to test the efficacy and additivity of each intervention (against baseline) and find out whether the order of delivery matters. During the third phase, the follow-up period, the intensive interventions are stopped, and all dyslexics will be tested after 2 months. Implementation fidelity will be assessed from the user data of the computerized intervention program and an “intention-to-treat” analysis will be performed on the children who quit the trial before the end.DiscussionThe main objective of this study is to assess whether the three types of intensive intervention (phase 2) improve reading skills compared to baseline (i.e., non-intensive intervention, phase 1). The secondary objectives are to evaluate the effectiveness of each intervention and to test the effects of order of delivery on reading intervention outcomes. Reading comprehension, spelling performance and reading disorder impact of dyslexic readers are assessed immediately before and after the multimodal intervention and 2 months post-intervention.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04028310. Registered on July 18, 2019.

Neuro-pedagogy Course - Breaching the Borders Between Neuroscience and Education

Exposing teachers to the basic concepts of neuro-pedagogy could lead to a deeper understanding of the teaching-learning processes. This study examines 24 preservice teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards neuro-pedagogy. The study was qualitative in design. The participants were interviewed prior to and following a neuro-pedagogy course with respect to their perceptions and attitudes towards using neuroscientific insights in the classroom. Findings illustrate that the neuro-pedagogy course fostered long-lasting learning, by allowing students to connect neuroscientific theory to educational practice.

Development and Validation of a Language Screening for Implementation in Pre-School Settings.

BackgroundTo prevent or mitigate long-lasting learning problems and emotional, behavioral, and social-adaption difficulties associated with language disorders, age-appropriate German language competence at school entry level is essential. Therefore, universal screening of children in their penultimate year of pre-school has been established in Upper Austria. So far, the screenings administered by speech and language pathologists to identify risk of language disorder (LD) were not based on standardized materials.ObjectiveTo develop a screening instrument to identify increased risk of LD and to evaluate its validity and feasibility within the constraints of regular universal pre-school language screening.DesignA two-component screening instrument including direct assessment of expressive and receptive grammar was used in a sample of 374 children with German as their dominant language attending a public pre-school in their penultimate year (age 4-5 ½ years) in the state of Upper Austria. Assessment by use of standardized German language tests including a variety of linguistic domains was considered reference standard for diagnosing LD. Feasibility was assessed by a self-developed questionnaire completed by the administrators of the screening.ResultsThe combination of the expressive and receptive grammar scales demonstrated excellent accuracy (area under the curve score 0.928). A cut-off of 18 resulted in a failing rate of 21.8% and showed good sensitivity (84.2%) and specificity (85.3%). Acceptance by children and testers, time-economy and sustainability of the screening were mostly rated as high.

Peer feedback versus teacher educators feedback in peer teaching: Zimbabwean teacher educators and pre-service teachers’ views

The study focuses on peer and teacher educators’ assessments in teacher education and the level of agreement between pre-service teachers’ and teacher educators’ assessments. The study employed a mixed-method approach using a lesson observation and assessment instrument and interviews to gather data. Seven conveniently sampled pre-service teachers and two teacher educators participated in this study. The findings showed statistically significant differences between pre-service teachers’ and teacher educators’ scores on ten items, and their scores were not statistically significant on five of the items. The pre-service teachers scored higher marks than the teacher educators. Their reasons for scoring higher marks were to maintain relationships and lack of content and pedagogical knowledge. Pre-service teachers need to know that peer teaching and assessment are meant for long-lasting learning instead of simply scoring marks.

THE IMPACT OF ICT IN ADULT AND NON FORMAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: A REVIEW

This article is attempting to comprehend the effects of Information and Communication Technology in the exercises of Adult and Non-Formal and Education. It diagrams various techniques to confer training by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) apparatuses, developments, and arising patterns. Simultaneously, this text features the benefits accumulated by the utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning processes. The effect of Information and Communication Technology on all schooling areas raises difficulties for legislatures, educators and learners. There is a more noteworthy interest for and reception of innovation in training in adult and non-formal education. The realization of the potential of ICTs to improve educational practices is a series of pedagogical and practical challenges. This article considers the issues starting with the basic motivation behind instruction and closes by raising a progression of difficulties that instructive foundations should confront in case they are to effectively coordinate ICT into educating and learning rehearses. The inescapable utilization of ICTs for long-lasting learning just as local area strengthening is a huge pattern in realizing in the current century.

Chronic Social Defeat During Adolescence Induces Short- and Long-Term Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Effects in Male Swiss-Webster Mice.

Chronic stress exposure during adolescence is a significant risk factor for the development of depression. Chronic social defeat (CSD) in rodents is an animal model of depression with excellent ethological, predictive, discriminative, and face validity. Because the CSD model has not been thoroughly examined as a model of stress-induced depression within the adolescence stage, the present study analyzed the short- and long-term behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of CSD during early adolescence. Therefore, adolescent male Swiss-Webster (SW) mice were exposed to the CSD model from postnatal day (PND) 28 to PND37. Twenty-four hours (mid-adolescence) or 4 weeks (early adulthood) later, mice were tested in two models of depression; the social interaction test (SIT) and forced swimming test (FST); cognitive deficits were evaluated in the Barnes maze (BM). Finally, corticosterone and testosterone content was measured before, during, and after CSD exposure, and serotonin transporter (SERT) autoradiography was studied after CSD in adolescent and adult mice. CSD during early adolescence induced enduring depression-like behaviors as inferred from increased social avoidance and immobility behavior in the SIT and FST, respectively, which correlated in an age-dependent manner with SERT binding in the hippocampus; CSD during early adolescence also induced long-lasting learning and memory impairments in the Barnes maze (BM). Finally, CSD during early adolescence increased serum corticosterone levels in mid-adolescence and early adulthood and delayed the expected increase in serum testosterone levels observed at this age. In conclusion: (1) CSD during early adolescence induced long-lasting depression-like behaviors, (2) sensitivity of SERT density during normal brain development was revealed, (3) CSD during early adolescence induced enduring cognitive deficits, and (4) results highlight the vulnerability of the adolescent brain to social stressors on the adrenal and gonadal axes, which emphasizes the importance of an adequate interaction between both axes during adolescence for normal development of brain and behavior.

Neuronal growth and synaptogenesis are inhibited by prenatal methamphetamine exposure leading to memory impairment in adolescent and adult mice

Synaptogenesis plays critical roles in learning and memory processes and is susceptible to substance abuse toxicity. The present study aimed to elucidate the long-lasting effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on synaptogenesis and learning and memory. The involvement of BDNF-TrkB signaling was also investigated. Pregnant mice (C57BL/6 JNc) were administered methamphetamine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) on gestation days 8−15. Primary hippocampal cultures were prepared from fetuses at gestational day 16.5 to study neuronal morphology and synaptogenesis. The expression of synaptic proteins, BDNF and TrkB receptor was determined in postnatal day 14 (PND14), adolescent and adult mice; memory tests were also conducted. MA exposure decreased axon length and diameter, and synaptic areas in the primary cultures. Presynaptic protein was decreased in the hippocampus of PND14 mice prenatally exposed to MA, while increases in postsynaptic protein (PSD-95) were found in MA-exposed adolescent and adult mice. BDNF expression was enhanced in the prefrontal cortex and striatum of MA-exposed PND14 mice. Memory impairment was observed in MA-exposed adolescent and adult mice compared to control mice. Prenatal MA exposure disrupted neuronal growth and synapse formation in the developing brain with only short-term interference of the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway, resulting in the adaptation of postsynaptic neurons. Alterations in the developing brain and synaptogenesis lead to long-lasting learning and memory impairment.

Model-based Instruction as an Activity in Teaching a Pharmaceutics Course

Abstract: Objectives: Pharmaceutics is the core component of pharmacy education; the course helps pharmacy students to understand the influence of drugs' physicochemical characteristics and manufacturing parameters on therapeutic performance. Although they are important, pharmaceutics concepts can be "dry," especially since many pharmacy schools teach pharmaceutics using the traditional lecture-only format. Therefore, activities through which students can perceive the relevance of the subject to clinical applications and that keep learners engaged in their classes are very much in demand. Methods: In this study, the incorporation of model-based instruction (MBI) in teaching a pharmaceutics course was explored, and the reasons for integrating this type of model were discussed. We presented a case study involving students transferring scientific knowledge to tactile models. The students' perception of the usefulness of this activity was evaluated. Results: The open-ended questions in the survey showed that the models helped learners to understand the content and enjoy the class. Conclusion: The study provided examples of interactive, simple, easy, and inexpensive MBI, where students could demonstrate their content understanding and their skills. The process of creating and evaluating models transforms the student class experience from static to dynamic and may help students achieve profound and long-lasting learning. Key words: Simulation and education, Modelling and education, Physical models and teaching, Small-group activities, PharmD, Pharmacy education.

Foremost Need of Value Driven Water Education in Sri Lankan School Curriculum: Science

The school education from kindergarten to grade 11 for value based water education has been slow to take up the challenge of water crisis scenario and only a very small number of research publications are in Sri Lanka which actually focus on school education for water even though school life is a strong remarkable time period for long-lasting learning.

Enhancing Motor Learning by Increasing Stability of Newly Formed Dendritic Spines in Motor Cortex

Dendritic spine dynamics of Layer 5 Pyramidal neurons (L5PNs) are thought to be physical substrates for motor learning and memory of motor skills and altered spine dynamics are frequently correlated with poor motor performance. Here we describe an exception to this rule by studying mice lacking Paired immunoglobulin receptor B (PirB-/-). Using chronic two-photon imaging of primary motor cortex (M1) of PirB-/-;Thy1-YFP-H mice, we found a significant increase in the survival of spines on apical dendritic tufts of L5PNs, as well as increased spine formation rates and spine density. Surprisingly and contrary to expectations, adult PirB-/- mice learn a skilled reaching task more rapidly compared to wild type (WT) littermate controls. Conditional excision of PirB from forebrain pyramidal neurons in adult mice replicated these results. Furthermore, chronic imaging of L5PN dendrites throughout the learning period revealed that the stabilization of learning-induced newly formed spines is significantly elevated in PirB-/- mice. The degree of survival of newly formed spines in M1 yielded the strongest correlation with task performance, suggesting that this increased spine stability is advantageous and can translate into enhanced acquisition and maintenance of motor skills. Notably, inhibiting PirB function acutely in M1 of adult WT mice throughout training increases the survival of spines formed during early training and enhances motor learning. These results suggest that increasing the stability of newly formed spines is sufficient to improve long-lasting learning and motor performance and demonstrate that there are limits on motor learning that can be lifted by manipulating PirB, even in adulthood.

Pedagogical techniques of keeping the attention of internal affairs officers during theoretical lectures on firearms training

The article considers the main pedagogical techniques helping to keep the attention and interest of internal affairs officers at theoretical lectures during the period of professional training in educational institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The author studies the peculiarities of the structure of a theoretical lecture on firearms training based on the proposed pedagogical techniques. The article focuses on the main reasons of internal affairs officers’ performance decrease during theoretical lectures on firearms training and the ways to improve it using motivating and other factors. The author uses the theoretical methods of cognition (analysis, analogy, the system approach, etc.) and develops the main pedagogical techniques aimed at keeping the attention and improving the performance of students during lectures. The author formulates the following conclusions:  It is possible to get positive and productive results at theoretical lectures on firearms training if they are structured and have a strong methodological basis Due to particular psychological peculiarities and some physiological reasons, during long-lasting learning activity, attention and concentration of internal affairs officers at theoretical lectures on firearms training can be decreased. Therefore, the author suggests using some pedagogical techniques which help to keep attention during all the lessons. To show the particular examples of integration of these techniques with theoretical lectures on firearms training, the author considers educational issues in their connection with the life experience involving the use of firearms by officers during their service. Besides, the author shows how to develop the interest of students via strong motivation. 

Exploring Experiential Learning Models and developing an EL based ERE cycle in teaching at higher education in Pakistan

Experiential Learning (EL) is a process where a learner learns in various phases by doing, reflecting, and experimenting (Kolb, 1984). To determine the best practices in EL, one needs to explore it by doing in-depth readings of primitive and contemporary researches and theories of EL. The current study is aimed at exploring and analyzing existing EL theories and cycles to address the needs of the local students of Pakistan. After a thorough and careful discussion, an EL-based ERE model is proposed to use EL strategies in teaching at higher education in Pakistan considering the local requirements and settings. After doing a content analysis of the relevant literature, an ERE cycle was developed that includes three phases with the basic components derived from existing prevailing EL cycles. The whole process was termed as 'ERE' cycle, where 'E' referred to 'experience', 'R' referred to 'reflection' and 'E' referred to 'experiment'.This study will enable the researchers and EL practitioners to follow the strategies and activities and experiment ERE cycle in teaching different courses. The study will permit the students and teachers to experience EL strategies and have productive, meaningful, and long-lasting learning.