Maximize Learning Opportunities Research Articles

Inclusive teaching of palaeontology for people with and without disabilities through didactic workshops

ABSTRACT This work describes the didactic preparation and the result of carrying out palaeontological workshops designed for all students, based on strategies with a didactic approach proposed by the Universal Design for Learning in the methodologies used by teachers that allow students with and without disabilities to access knowledge regardless of their deficiency, removing context barriers and maximising learning opportunities. In this work, didactic workshops based not only on elements related to geosciences but also on interactivity with palaeontologists themselves are proposed, with which an exchange of ideas and information is established.

Creating effective teaching and learning environments: Building a positive behavioural support (PBS) model for UK special schools

AbstractThe importance of reducing restraint and restrictive interventions in special schools has been recognised across the four nations of the UK. Government guidance for England and Wales, and recommendations produced by Restraint Reduction Scotland, both reference Positive behavioural support (PBS) as an evidence‐based approach that can be used to proactively support pupils with, or at risk of, behaviours that challenge. The Department of Education of Northern Ireland recommends the development of behaviour support plans to support children with special education needs and disabilities. Special schools, however, also have a responsibility to set high expectations for every pupil, to provide access to the respective national curricula and to meet individual needs. School‐wide positive behavioural support (SW‐PBS), originated in the USA in the 1990s in response to a body of evidence that showed improved social and academic outcomes when behavioural interventions were implemented across whole school settings. It is increasingly being adopted in the UK. Drawing upon examples from schools in England and Wales with which the authors are familiar, this paper outlines the rationale for a special schools' model of SW‐PBS and illustrates the ways in which this can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of each setting. Key Points Reducing restraint and restrictive interventions in schools is a high priority across all four nations of the UK. Special schools also have a responsibility to provide children with special education needs and disabilities positive learning environments that maximise learning opportunities and meet individual needs. School‐wide positive behaviour support (SW‐PBS) provides a useful framework to help special schools meet these expectations.

Assistive Technology to Maximize Learning Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Assistive Technology to Maximize Learning Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Modifying physical activities for maximizing learning opportunities: perspectives of Finnish physical educators and special educators on inclusive teaching strategies

ABSTRACT Background Recent curricular reforms have aimed to make the Finnish education system more inclusive which requires the implementation of differentiated and individualized teaching practices within schools. In Finland, as it is internationally, efforts have been made to increase adaptive teaching strategies and collaborative practices between different professionals in the physical education (PE) context. So far, current research has revealed significant findings on how pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can be successfully included in integrated/mainstream PE settings, focusing mainly on the perspectives of PE teachers. In comparison, little attention has been paid to the instructional strategies of different pedagogues involved in the PE classroom. Besides, little is known about how inclusive learning environments with an all-embracing approach that goes beyond the inclusion of pupils with SEND can be created in practice. Paying greater attention to these issues holds strong potential to enrich the existing knowledge regarding instructional strategies in PE and could help other teachers justify their educational choices. Methodology Drawing on the data from a multiple case study in a Finnish context, we explore how four PE teachers and four special education teachers attempted to work inclusively within PE. Document analysis of the current Finnish national curriculum and semi-structured interviews with special and physical education teachers were used to extend the current understanding of pedagogical practices for dealing with diversity in PE. The interviews have been content-analysed adopting deductive-inductive approach utilizing the TREE model and the Inclusion Spectrum. Findings The results of the present study illuminate how PE and special educators often showed willingness to modify the physical activities to meet the individual needs of all learners in PE which included the rules, equipment, and environmental modifications. The findings highlight the variety of instructional strategies used among participants in the PE context. Both teacher professions take individual responsibility for the teaching activities, but their traditional role as independent and autonomous professionals may also be an obstacle for collaboration. This research also identified the important role of collaborative structures and cultures which requires critical reflections of the individual aims and a shared vision of inclusive teaching. Conclusion Overall, this paper contributes to a growing body of pedagogical research portraying the perspectives of PE and special educators involved in the PE classroom. Future research should further examine the perspectives of different professionals as it may contribute to a more comprehensive perspective on diversity and inclusive teaching strategies.

An Output-oriented Approach to the Impact of Online Written Languaging on Form-Focused Writing Tasks

Background. Despite the growing interest of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers in the languaging process, a few studies have been done on its dynamic attributes in various writing tasks.
 Purpose. This study investigated how online written languaging (WL) might impact English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners’ performance on form-focused writing tasks with production-based and comprehension-based output orientation in Google Docs, and how the output orientation of form-focused writing tasks could determine the WL attributes of quantity and focus.
 Methods. To do so, 112 Iranian EFL university students were selected and assigned to four parallel groups. In an eight-week experiment, two groups worked on gap-filling tasks (production-based) and two groups on error-identification tasks (comprehension-based) in parallel ±WL conditions.
 Results. Statistical analysis indicated a significant interaction between task output orientation and WL production. So, on both production-based and comprehension-based tasks, the +WL groups outperformed the ˗WL groups. Moreover, in the +WL condition, the task output orientation determined the quantity of WL episodes, but not their focus on grammar (G-WL) and lexis (L-WL) in production-based and comprehension-based tasks. As such, the +WL group who completed the production-based tasks produced much more WL episodes than the +WL group who completed the comprehension-based tasks. Yet, both groups equally produced more L-WL episodes than G-WL episodes.
 Сonclusion. The study had several implications for language teachers to maximize learning opportunities by teaching how to language in various writing tasks on online platforms. The L2 teachers are also recommended to adopt an alternative approach to translation as a form-focused writing task.

“I loved it, absolutely loved it” a qualitative study exploring what student podiatrists learn volunteering as part of an interprofessional medical team at a marathon

BackgroundFinal year podiatry students volunteer annually as part of the wider interprofessional medical team at both the Brighton and London Marathon race events, supervised by qualified podiatrists, allied health professionals and physicians. Volunteering has been reported to be a positive experience for all participants and a way of developing a range of professional, transferable, and where appropriate, clinical skills. We sought to explore the lived experience of 25 students who volunteered at one of these events and aimed to: i) examine the experiential learning reported by students while volunteering in a dynamic and demanding clinical field environment; ii) determine whether there were elements of learning that could be translated to the traditional teaching environment in a pre-registration podiatry course.MethodsA qualitative design framework informed by the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis, was adopted to explore this topic. We used IPA principles to enable analysis of four focus groups over a two-year period to generate findings. Focus group conversations were led by an external researcher, recorded, independently transcribed verbatim and anonymised prior to analysis by two different researchers. To enhance credibility, data analysis was followed by independent verification of themes, in addition to respondent validation.ResultsIn total, five themes were identified: i) a new inter-professional working environment, ii) identification of unexpected psychosocial challenges, iii) the rigors of a non-clinical environment, iv) clinical skill development, and v) learning in an interprofessional team.SummaryThroughout the focus group conversations, a range of positive and negative experiences were reported by the students. This volunteering opportunity fills a gap in learning as perceived by students, particularly around developing clinical skills and interprofessional working. However, the sometimes-frantic nature of a Marathon race event can both facilitate and impede learning. To maximize learning opportunities, particularly in the interprofessional environment, preparing students for new or different clinical settings remains a considerable challenge.

DEVELOPMENT OF ORTHOPEDIC SIMULATOR TO PRACTICE CLOSED REDUCTION OF PEDIATRIC FRACTURES OF THE MIDDLE THIRD OF FOREARM.

To develop a low-cost orthopedic simulator for practicing pediatric forearm reduction skills in the preclinical setting. A model of an arm and forearm with a fracture in the middle third was developed. Orthopedists, residents, and medical students evaluated the simulator's ability to reproduce fracture reduction. The simulator had a significantly lower cost than the others in the literature. The participants agreed that the model had a good performance, and that the manipulation was consistent with the reality of reducing closed pediatric forearm fracture. The results suggest that this model can be used to teach orthopedic residents and medical students the skill of closed reduction of fractures in the middle third of the forearm. Level of Evidence III, Case Control Study.

Innovation of Teaching Methodology Based on Maximizing Learning Opportunities--A Case Study of a Private College in Guangzhou

Basic English, which aims to train the basic English abilities in a comprehensive way, is one of the main courses for English majors. In teaching this course, conventional methods like the grammar translation method and the lecture method are widely employed, which have caused problems like repressed student agency, low learning efficiency, and imbalanced development of students’ English abilities. In the case of the College of FF, these problems are also prominent. To solve these problems, a teacher in the English department carried out his teaching reform when he was teaching Basic English. His reform was very much like the flipped classroom, and received varied acceptance. To make further reforms in teaching Basic English and other courses which share similar features, a new teaching model is proposed. This model is based on a subjective evaluation of the reform carried out by this teacher and a thorough examination of the context of the College of FF, especially that of the English department. The fundamental rule of this model is maximizing learning opportunities in class. It is hoped that by applying this model, the efficiency and effect in English teaching can be improved.

Innovation of Teaching Methodology Based on Maximizing Learning Opportunities--A Case Study of a Private College in Guangzhou

Basic English, which aims to train the basic English abilities in a comprehensive way, is one of the main courses for English majors. In teaching this course, conventional methods like the grammar translation method and the lecture method are widely employed, which have caused problems like repressed student agency, low learning efficiency, and imbalanced development of students’ English abilities. In the case of the College of FF, these problems are also prominent. To solve these problems, a teacher in the English department carried out his teaching reform when he was teaching Basic English. His reform was very much like the flipped classroom, and received varied acceptance. To make further reforms in teaching Basic English and other courses which share similar features, a new teaching model is proposed. This model is based on a subjective evaluation of the reform carried out by this teacher and a thorough examination of the context of the College of FF, especially that of the English department. The fundamental rule of this model is maximizing learning opportunities in class. It is hoped that by applying this model, the efficiency and effect in English teaching can be improved.

Translated article] Has 2020 been a lost year in orthopaedic surgery and trauma training? Residents’ perceptions

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected specialised healthcare training at all levels. Surgical learning has been severely affected, and the impact on orthopaedic surgery residency training has so far not been assessed. Material and methodsAn online survey of 17 questions was sent via web link to orthopaedic surgery residents throughout Spain between February 10, 2021 and February 28, 2021. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care and training activities of residents were analysed. ResultsA total of 307 orthopaedic surgery residents from all over Spain responded to the online survey. A total of 77.2% of the respondents had to suspend their rotations. Of these, 67.5% would like to resume the rotations they missed during the pandemic. A total of 69.7% of scheduled surgeries were suspended. Surgical activity was completely stopped for an average of 8 weeks. 66.8% of the residents consider that their surgical training has been affected and this will have repercussions on their future work. 49.5% considered the online training offered to be insufficient. Of the total number of respondents, 52.1% considered that the impact of the pandemic situation on their training situation was bad or very bad. ConclusionsThe data collection shows a negative impact on both theoretical and clinical training. This study highlights the need to continue offering quality training by maximising learning opportunities.

Palliative and end of life care in undergraduate medical education: a survey of New Zealand medical schools

BackgroundIn New Zealand, 34% of deaths occur in the hospital setting where junior doctors are at the frontline of patient care. The death rate in New Zealand is expected to double by 2068 due to the aging population, but many studies report that graduates feel unprepared to care for people near the end of life and find this to be one of the most stressful parts of their work. International guidelines recommend that palliative and end of life care should be a mandatory component of undergraduate medical education, yet teaching varies widely and remains optional in many countries. Little is known about how medical students in New Zealand learn about this important area of clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the organisation, structure and provision of formal teaching, assessment and clinical learning opportunities in palliative and end of life care for undergraduate medical students in New Zealand.MethodsQuantitative descriptive, cross-sectional survey of module conveners in New Zealand medical schools.ResultsPalliative and end of life care is included in undergraduate teaching in all medical schools. However, there are gaps in content, minimal formal assessment and limited contact with specialist palliative care services. Lack of teaching staff and pressure on curriculum time are the main barriers to further curriculum development.ConclusionsThis article reports the findings of the first national survey of formal teaching, assessment and clinical learning opportunities in palliative and end of life care in undergraduate medical education in New Zealand. There has been significant progress towards integrating this content into the curriculum, although further development is needed to address barriers and maximise learning opportunities to ensure graduates are as well prepared as possible.

Maximizing Learning Opportunities with Young Refugee Multilingual Learners in Urban Schools: An Asset-Based Participatory Action Research

This paper reports an asset-based participatory research study with 18 pre-service teachers and 85 refugee multilingual learners in an after-school program housed in an urban public elementary school. The research illuminates how the refugee multilingual learners (RMLs)’ backgrounds, assets, and challenges can be understood and transformed to maximize their learning opportunities. The findings provide a renewed perspective on RML students and alternative pedagogical approaches with the hope of improving their learning experiences and outcomes. The findings also call for continuous teachers’ professional training concerning RMLs’ diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences. This paper concludes with a promising concept, cultural humility, in urban education research.

The role of debriefing in enhancing learning and development in professional boxing

ABSTRACT The use of debriefing by 6 elite coaches (9–16 years’ experience coaching professional boxers) and 6 professional boxers (minimum 3 professional bouts) was explored via interviews (25–40 minutes). Boxers represented the featherweight, welterweight, and heavyweight divisions. Interview questions were framed around, 1) the use of video and data analysis, 2) coach-athlete interaction, and 3) learning and development. The importance of data, video, and the effective integration of performance analysis to facilitate comprehensive feedback to maximise learning opportunities was identified. The coach-athlete relationship, and engagement of the athlete within the debriefing process emerged as an aspect needing continual micro-management to ensure ongoing effectiveness. The development of an “open and honest” relationship and a “safe space” to air thoughts and opinions was greatly encouraged. The length of debriefing session did not appear to impact overall engagement. The use of video debriefing to facilitate a coach’s ability to develop the athletes mentally, in addition to their physical boxing capabilities, was a key and standout aspect that should be appropriately considered. The findings add to the limited investigation within boxing, providing insight into the debriefing processes within professional boxing by those on both sides, i.e. the coach and the athlete.

Teaching Medical Students on Surgical Placement during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lessons Learned so Far

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the teaching and progression of medical students. With no imminent end to the pandemic, it remains vital that medical students remain integrated into clinical environments to benefit from the teaching opportunities in the hospital setting. Aim: To offer advice on the teaching of medical students undertaking hospital placements within General Surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We reflected on our experience as clinical medical educators working through the COVID-19 pandemic, supported by feedback from medical students and relevant contemporary educational guidelines and literature. Results: A review on how to optimise teaching medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing the need for safety and limiting viral transmission, while maximising clinical experience and learning. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced widespread changes to the way in which medical students receive teaching. We suggest ways to maximise learning opportunities, on hospital placements, during the pandemic. Maintaining quality medical education during the pandemic is key to producing the best doctors of tomorrow.

Bridging the Gap Between Educator and Learner: The Role of Psychological Safety in Medical Education.

Bridging the Gap Between Educator and Learner: The Role of Psychological Safety in Medical Education.

Therapeutic Reasoning: A Conceptual Challenge for Medical Students’ Surgical Clerkship

Issue: Medical students’ transition between pre-clinical and clinical environments can be jarring. Unclear expectations, disconnect between the pre-clinical and clinical environments, and feelings of exclusion from the team all negatively influence clerkship experiences. These difficulties are magnified on interventional-based clerkships due to the central role of therapeutic reasoning. Therapeutic reasoning is the process by which clinicians review and select treatments for their patients. Surgical therapeutic reasoning is challenging and infrequently addressed explicitly in the pre-clinical curriculum. This contributes to confusion among medical students as they transition from pre-clinical to clinical learning. Evidence: Multiple studies have identified challenges to medical students’ transition to clinical clerkships. Prior authors have outlined numerous barriers to successful medical student integration to clinical teams, including surgical teams. Studies that have assessed students’ perceptions of their transition to a clinical setting noted poor understanding of treatment decisions as a source of anxiety. Additionally, of particular importance to medical student team learning is their assimilation into the “communities of clinical practice,” groups of healthcare professionals who form teams with which students rotate. Surgeons have distinct approaches to the clinical process compared with non-interventionalists, particularly related to post-diagnostic involvement in care and performing diagnostic workup and treatment concurrently. Knowledge of these approaches is important for integration into surgical teams. Implications: An understanding of interventional therapeutic reasoning is critical to allow for medical students’ team integration on surgical and interventional clerkships. By incorporating education involving these concepts during the orientation period prior to students’ transition to surgical clerkships, we can help students modify traditional mental frameworks to effectively evaluate, present, and select appropriate interventions for patients. Such education should include a didactic introduction to therapeutic reasoning, interactive discussion with surgeons, and exercises for students to practice skills. This will maximize learning opportunities and clerkship experience.

EP.TU.44Improving Access to Surgery: The F1 ‘Theatre Day’ Programme

Abstract Aims To identify barriers in theatre attendance, facilitate access and maximise learning opportunities for surgical F1s (Foundation Year 1 Doctors) at a DGH (District General Hospital). Methods Between December 2019- December 2020, each F1 doctor was offered a day to spend in elective theatre during their General Surgery rotation (excluding emergency COVID rota periods). This was following feedback from the August- December 2019 cohort. Each ‘Theatre Day’ was scheduled during normal working hours when there was sufficient staff. Post-participation questionnaires were completed. Results Prior to implementation of the Programme, 3/8 F1s surveyed had not attended any elective surgery lists (1 had not attended theatre at all). All indicated that they would have been interested in attending a timetabled elective theatre day; 88% highlighted a ‘lack of staff’ and 63% indicated that ‘feeling guilty’ were barriers in attending theatre. 21 F1s were offered a ‘Theatre Day’: 17 agreed to participate and 16 completed post-participation questionnaires. Only 47% confirmed that they were considering a career in surgery prior to participation: all agreed that spending time in theatre was a useful learning opportunity and 94% agreed that the Programme should be continued. Conclusions Spending time in theatre appears to be valued as a useful learning opportunity for F1s, whether or not they are aspiring surgeons. Common barriers to self-organised theatre attendance appear to be an anticipated ‘lack of staff’ or feelings of ‘guilt’. A senior-led scheduling of one day in theatre should circumnavigate these barriers and ensure that access is available to all.

¿Ha sido el 2020 un año perdido en la formación de cirugía ortopédica y traumatología? Percepción de los residentes

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected specialized healthcare training at all levels. Surgical learning has been severely affected, and the impact on orthopedic surgery residency training has so far not been assessed. Material and methodsAn online survey of 17 questions was sent via web link to orthopedic surgery residents throughout Spain between February 10, 2021 and February 28, 2021. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care and training activities of residents were analyzed. ResultsA total of 307 orthopedic surgery residents from all over Spain responded to the online survey. A total of 77.2% of the respondents had to suspend their rotations. Of these, 67.5% would like to resume the rotations they missed during the pandemic. A total of 69.7% of scheduled surgeries were suspended. Surgical activity was completely stopped for an average of 8 weeks. 66.8% of the residents consider that their surgical training has been affected and this will have repercussions on their future work. 49.5% considered the online training offered to be insufficient. Of the total number of respondents, 52.1% considered that the impact of the pandemic situation on their training situation was bad or very bad. ConclusionsThe data collection shows a negative impact on both theoretical and clinical training. This study highlights the need to continue offering quality training by maximizing learning opportunities.

Consumer Awareness and Comfort with Resident-run Cosmetic Clinics: A Crowdsourcing Study.

Background:Resident cosmetic clinics (RCCs) are the training modality of choice among both residents and faculty and are a mainstay at most residency programs.1–4 Despite this, knowledge of RCCs among plastic surgery consumers remains untested. We hypothesize that the public would be aware of and receptive to RCCs.Methods:Participants with prior cosmetic procedures or interest in future cosmetic procedures were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk and asked to complete a survey in September 2020. First, prior awareness of RCCs was assessed. After a brief description of RCCs, perceptions of safety and preferences for care were assessed.Results:After screening for quality, 815 responses were included. Forty-five percent of consumers were aware of RCCs. Seventy-six percent of consumers believed that RCCs were just as safe as attending clinics and 65% were comfortable receiving care from fourth-year residents or higher. Belief in RCC safety was associated with 4.8 times higher odds of feeling comfortable receiving care at an RCC [95% confidence interval (3.3–7.1), P < 0.001]. When given a hypothetical choice between residents and attendings in two scenarios, 46% of consumers chose residents for abdominoplasty and 60% chose residents for Botox injections. Belief in RCC safety was associated with choosing a resident or being indifferent in both scenarios.Conclusions:Consumer preference regarding RCCs has largely been untested. This study shows that belief in RCC safety influences consumers’ perceived comfort with receiving care at an RCC. This knowledge can help guide RCC practice and maximize learning opportunities for surgeons-in-training.

Modifying Golf for Maximizing Learning Opportunities for Children with Visual Impairments

The purpose of this article is to assist teachers when teaching golf to students with visual impairments. The article presents different approaches that can serve as a guideline for didactic choices and the pedagogical aspects of teaching PE in inclusive settings. Using golf as an example, this article provides instructional strategies and ideas for activity modifications to support students who may need additional support. The purpose of these modifications is to maximize the learning opportunities for children with visual impairments. These activity modifications, however, could also be helpful for all students in the class.