Postparticipation Questionnaires Research Articles

Effects of participation in a cross year peer tutoring programme in clinical examination skills on volunteer tutors' skills and attitudes towards teachers and teaching

BackgroundDevelopment of students' teaching skills is increasingly recognised as an important component of UK undergraduate medical curricula and, in consequence, there is renewed interest in the potential benefits of cross-year peer tutoring. Whilst several studies have described the use of cross-year peer tutoring in undergraduate medical courses, its use in the clinical setting is less well reported, particularly the effects of peer tutoring on volunteer tutors' views of teachers and teaching. This study explored the effects of participation in a cross-year peer tutoring programme in clinical examination skills ('OSCE tutor') on volunteer tutors' own skills and on their attitudes towards teachers and teaching.MethodsVolunteer tutors were final year MBChB students who took part in the programme as part of a Student Selected Component (SSC). Tutees were year 3 MBChB students preparing for their end of year 'OSCE' examination. Pre and post participation questionnaires, including both Likert-type and open response questions, were used. Paired data was compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. All tests were two-tailed with 5% significance level.ResultsTutors reflected their cohort in terms of gender but were drawn from among the more academically successful final year students. Most had previous teaching experience. They were influenced to participate in 'OSCE tutor' by a desire to improve their own teaching and associated generic skills and by contextual factors relating to the organisation or previous experience of the OSCE tutor programme. Issues relating to longer term career aspirations were less important. After the event, tutors felt that participation had enhanced their skills in various areas, including practical teaching skills, confidence in speaking to groups and communication skills; and that as a result of taking part, they were now more likely to undertake further teacher training and to make teaching a major part of their career. However, whilst a number of students reported that their views of teachers and teaching had changed as a result of participation, this did not translate into significant changes in responses to questions that explored their views of the roles and qualities required of a good clinical teacher.ConclusionFindings affirm the benefits to volunteer tutors of cross-year peer tutoring, particularly in terms of skills enhancement and reinforcement of positive attitudes towards future teaching responsibilities, and have implications for the design and organisation of such programmes.

Developing a Sustainable Faculty Mentoring Program

Objectives. To develop a sustainable formal faculty mentoring program to support professional development of new faculty members at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Methods. Program components included a mentorship subcommittee, faculty mentoring guidelines, protege/mentor pairs, an orientation, seminars/workshops, and meetings between mentor/proteges pairs. Preparticipation and postparticipation questionnaires about the faculty mentoring program were used to assess changes in perceived level of abilities of proteges and mentors in areas of teaching, service, and scholarship. Results. After 5 years, 93 proteges and 73 mentors have participated in the faculty mentoring program. Program evaluations were largely positive. Self-perceived abilities of proteges increased in all areas addressed, program self-study, faculty recruitment, grant application preparation, program development, and promotion process. Perceived abilities of mentors also showed some increases following the facult...

Parent training for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Parental and child outcome

Thirty-four patients who had children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) participated in a group parent training program (PT) that taught them about ADHD and behavior management. All parents completed pre- and postparticipation questionnaires measuring parental knowledge of ADHD and behavior management, parental stress in managing their youngsters, and the severity of their child's problem behaviors. Main effects were found indicating an increase in parental knowledge and a modest decrease in parental stress. However, behavioral improvement of their youngsters was not found at the completion of the program. This finding was discussed in the context of a possible ceiling effect from the medications that the youngsters were using to treat their ADHD. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 55: 907–913, 1999.

Parent training for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: parental and child outcome.

Thirty-four patients who had children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) participated in a group parent training program (PT) that taught them about ADHD and behavior management. All parents completed pre- and postparticipation questionnaires measuring parental knowledge of ADHD and behavior management, parental stress in managing their youngsters, and the severity of their child's problem behaviors. Main effects were found indicating an increase in parental knowledge and a modest decrease in parental stress. However, behavioral improvement of their youngsters was not found at the completion of the program. This finding was discussed in the context of a possible ceiling effect from the medications that the youngsters were using to treat their ADHD.

The Pine Ridge-Mayo National Aeronautics and Space Administration Telemedicine Project: Program Activities and Participant Reactions

To determine the response of participants to the Pine Ridge-Mayo National Aeronautics and Space Administration telemedicine project. We describe a 3-month demonstration project of medical education and clinical consultations conducted by means of satellite transmission. Postparticipation questionnaires and a postproject survey were used to assess the success of the activity. Patients and employees at the Pine Ridge Indian Health Service Hospital in southwestern South Dakota and employees at Mayo Clinic Rochester participated in a telemedicine project, after which they completed exit surveys and a postproject questionnaire to ascertain the acceptability of this mode of health care. Almost all Pine Ridge and Mayo Clinic participants viewed the project as beneficial. The educational sessions received favorable evaluations, and almost two-thirds of the patients who completed evaluations thought the consultation had contributed to their medical care. More than 90% of the respondents from Pine Ridge and more than 85% of the respondents from Mayo Clinic Rochester said that they would recommend participation in this project to others. More than 90% of respondents from Pine Ridge and 80% of Mayo respondents agreed with the statement that the project should continue. These data suggest that a program of clinical consultation services, professional education, and patient education available by telemedicine might be viewed as beneficial.