Principles Of Adult Learning Theory Research Articles

The Husky Byte Program: Delivering Nutrition Education One Sound Byte at a Time

As food gatekeepers, parents have the opportunity to establish healthful eating patterns for their children. Nutrition education efforts directed toward parents will therefore have themost impact on family foodways. However, parents often have difficulty attending the traditional mode of education, nutrition classes, because of lack of child care, transportation, time, ormotivation.At theUniversity ofConnecticut, the authors responded to this problem by creating the Husky Byte program, designed to deliver short, unambiguous nutrition education messages. This innovative program considers time constraints, employs principles of adult learning theory, and is easily accessible to adults in community settings.

Strategies for Workplace Learning Used by Entry-Level Physician Assistants

Physician assistants (PAs) play an increasingly important role in medicine. While PAs have strong basic science and clinical training in school, typically they don't participate in postgraduate training and are expected to expand their generalists' competencies through continuing professional education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the methods PAs use during their initial phase of workplace learning and determine which methods are deemed most effective by PAs. This large, cross-sectional study of PAs within the first 2 years of practice consisted of a survey of PAs investigating the methods used for assessment of educational needs, instruction, and assessment of learning. The results revealed that PAs generally found that employers are well aware of their learning needs and their supervising physicians play an essential role in their learning. PAs themselves often recognized their learning needs based on perceived gaps in competencies noted with patient encounters. Though many PAs reported having an orientation period, most PAs said that this orientation was not well adapted to their unique learning needs. A variety of methods were used during workplace learning, with those related to real patient problems deemed most helpful by PAs. Although PAs reported that their learning was assessed, review of patient outcome data was uncommon. Consistent with principles of adult learning theory, these findings suggest that PAs find active forms of learning most valuable. Employers and supervising physicians should consider these findings and the available literature on adult learning in developing an environment that is supportive of continuing professional development.

Community‐Based Dental Education and the Importance of Faculty Development

Community-based dental education offers a variety of positive learning experiences for students while providing needed dental services for the underserved. More dental students are being instructed by a growing body of largely volunteer community-based faculty who practice in a wide range of community settings including community hospitals and clinics, nursing homes, and private practices. These geographically dispersed instructors may have little experience as educators. Their practice styles and their motivation to improve teaching effectiveness are likely to differ from the styles and motivation of school-based faculty members. Moreover, many dental schools have begun to emphasize practices that may be unfamiliar to community-based faculty such as evidence-based practice. Providing faculty development for them is challenging, yet crucial to the success of these programs and dental education in general. Fundamental elements that must be considered for effective community faculty development programming include fostering a culture of respect between school-based and community faculty members, basing programs on the actual needs of these educators, integrating principles of adult learning theory, and establishing ongoing institutional support. This article provides background on this movement, reviews the literature for faculty development programs geared specifically to community-based educators, makes recommendations for development programs for these dental educators, and includes suggestions for future research.

Using Live Supervision in Field Education: Preparing Social Work Students for Clinical Practice

This article presents a qualitative study exploring respondents’ perceptions of live supervision as the primary field instruction method for MSW students participating in an internship that emphasized family therapy. Participants were specifically asked in what ways live supervision supported and facilitated learning clinical practice. Identifying live supervision as important for bridging the pedagogical gap between teaching theory and practice learning stood out as an important metatheme of the study, not previously discussed in the literature. Important emergent categories included learning-in-action pedagogy, feedback loop for integrative learning, the safety net in parallel observation, transparency in the supervision process, and building capacity for entering the workforce. Incorporating the principles of adult learning theory, live supervision offers an important contribution to social work field education.

The trainee-led clinicopathological conference: an innovative method for educating medical trainees

Adult learning theory states that adults learn by setting their own goals and making their learning applicable to the real world. Postgraduate training in medicine is now regulated by the 'gold guide', which emphasises the importance of trainee-led education. A new method of delivering education that allows trainees to develop generic skills as well as knowledge, the trainee-led clinicopathological conference, will be discussed. This method embraces the principles of adult learning theory and has been well received by trainees.

The Evidence-Based Medicine Advisor’s Challenge: Mentoring and Critiquing Students’ PubMed Search Methods

INTRODUCTION Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a component of many of our curricular offerings and is presented with varying levels of rigor based on the requirements of the given curricular application. For example, physician assistant (PA) students during their clinical experiences are encouraged to access point-of-care, evidencebased recommendations from secondary sources to assist in the care of patients. EBM may also be the focus of a more academically minded experience such as a final capstone or master’s project. The more rigorous use of EBM for master’s projects is typically supported through prior coursework. These EBM training efforts are often heavily skewed toward teaching the basic concepts required to interpret the medical literature in regards to relevance and validity of identified articles.1,2 The teaching of database search strategies (eg, MEDLINE via PubMed) is often unsystematic, limited in scope, and lacking in principles of adult learning theory. Even when additional time is allocated to teaching medical literature search strategies, the effectiveness is limited.3 This pattern of training can lead students into a situation where they may be able to evaluate articles once identified, but they lack the ability to efficiently and confidently locate the most appropriate articles for a given clinical question. Students fear wasting precious clinical year training time on evaluating articles that may not be the best available evidence. For programs that require students to perform original EBM searches, challenges may arise for students and their faculty advisors. The ideal search of the medical literature involves collaboration between a content expert (eg, a clinician with expertise in the subject area) and an expert searcher (eg, a medical librarian).4 It may not be feasible for programs to support student projects with these two valuable assets. How can faculty advisors, who may be neither content experts in the student’s chosen topic nor search experts, be prepared to properly advise and mentor clinical-year students on their unique search methodology? Faculty advisors of master’s projects sense a heavy burden of responsibility when they are asked to critique search terms and strategies. Fortunately, there are proven steps for success in searching MEDLINE via PubMed that faculty advisors can promote. At the same time, the PubMed interface can also lead to common “human factor” errors that students may inappropriately employ to garner a manageable number of citations for clinical questions. This article will describe both the steps for success and common errors that may arise while performing a PubMed search. The goal is to improve an advisor’s confidence and ability to mentor and critique search strategies. Feature Editor’s Note:

Promoting academic writing/referencing skills: Outcome of an undergraduate e‐learning pilot project

AbstractFuture health care professionals will require self‐directed learning skills. e‐Learning is a tool to assist in this process and therefore there is a need to develop the capacity and readiness to utilise e‐learning within educational programmes. The aim of this study was to determine if extra‐curricular online referencing and anti‐plagiarism lectures would be utilised and would ultimately improve 1st‐year undergraduate health sciences students’ performance in written assessments. A series of six online archived multimedia lectures (asynchronous) were offered. Adult learning theory principles guided the resource design. Pre‐ and post‐testing of knowledge, attitudes and computer skills was carried out. In‐person tutorials and online email support were also offered. Less than 36% (self‐report) of students accessed the online resources. The poor uptake revealed in this study is consistent with a number of other studies. These findings indicate the need for more careful scrutiny of the learning theory applied in e‐learning design. Prochaska's transtheoretical model is suggested as a framework with strong potential for e‐learning initiatives.

Development and Implementation of a Health Literacy Training Program for Medical Residents

Nearly 50 percent of Americans lack the literacy skills needed to function effectively in today’s health care environment. Experts recommend that health professionals be trained to better communicate with low-literacy patients, but few educational programs have been described. We developed a training program for medical residents that includes a videotaped standardized patient encounter, interactive small-group workshop, one-on-one feedback with a faculty member, and an individual behavioral prescription for improved communication. The program employs key principles of adult learning theory and evidence-based teaching approaches. Residents felt that the topic was relevant and that their communication skills benefited from the intervention. They enjoyed the teaching methods, particularly the individual feedback on their videotaped encounter. A qualitative process evaluation is provided to facilitate the teaching of similar programs elsewhere. Response to this curriculum indicates that residency appears to be a suitable time to raise awareness of health literacy and build appropriate communication skills.

Teaching people with Parkinson’s disease about their medication

PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting an estimated 78,000 Australians. Predominantly it affects older people, although or younger. Medications to treat PD are aimed at controlling symptoms as there is no known cure. A regime of PD medications may involve taking doses at frequent intervals and adverse reactions are common. Education of the person with PD, their close carers and family that covers medications, observational techniques and dealing with side effects, along with unpredictable worsening of PD symptoms, may result in improvement in quality of life. When the person with PD has realistic expectations about PD drug therapy then the ability to cope with the physical disability caused by symptoms may be improved. It is important to educate about any possible interaction with commonly taken drugs including dietary supplements and over-the-counter medication. Before a medication education session, nurse activities should include assessment of the person with PD and their support network, development of an appropriate education plan and subsequent implementation, followed by evaluation. Ongoing nursing support at each clinic visit can provide opportunity for evaluation. An individualised session guided by the principles of adult learning theory may provide a successful tool for use in the education of people with PD as well as healthcare professionals. A large amount of available information and untested educational material does not address the educational needs of people with PD with regard to their medications. There is a need for further research in this area. The effectiveness of a one-on-one educational session about PD medication supported by printed, individualised PD medication information may provide more appropriate education and lead to improved quality of life. It is the focus of a planned research study.

Development and Evaluation of a Nutrition and Physical Activity Counseling Module for First-Year Medical Students

:Introduction: Few Americans follow recommendations regarding nutrition or physical activity, and few physicians provide nutritional counseling (NC) or physical activity counseling (PAC) to patients. Clinical, systems-based, and institutional barriers to teaching and providing NC and PAC exist, but theoretical models of behavior change and principles of adult learning theory (ALT) can enable medical educators to overcome these barriers.Methods: We developed an educational intervention consisting of interactive lectures and two standardized patient experiences to provide first-year medical students with practical experience in PAC and NC. Students completed pre and post educational assessments of attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy with the counseling techniques.Results: Knowledge scores increased from 6.1 to 8.5 (p<.001) on a 13-item test. Self-confidence scores for NC increased from 45 to 78 (p<.001), and self-confidence scores for PAC increased from 51 to 82 (p<.001). While overall attitudes regarding the necessity and utility of counseling with specific disease states were not different pre/ post test (necessity pre/post 6.3 to 6.2 p= .71; utility pre/post 5.8 to 5.7 p=.88), necessity and utility scores for disease states treated primarily with counseling were different compared to disease states students perceive to be primarily pharmacologically treated (counseling vs. pharmacological necessity 5.9 vs. 6.6 p<.001; utility 5.4 vs. 6.1 p<.001).Conclusion: An educational intervention based on theoretical models of behavior change and ALT can increase knowledge and self confidence scores regarding counseling for NC and PAC.

Responses of Older Adults to Theory-Based Nutrition Newsletters

Objective To evaluate the effect of a theory-based newsletter on knowledge, attitude, and behavior-change in older adults. Design Pretest-posttest, random assignment, and treatment-control design with 2 treatment groups: 1 that received newsletters-only and 1 that received newsletters with follow-up telephone interviews. Control group completed pretest-posttest surveys only. Subjects/setting Four hundred eighty men and women, aged 60 to 74 years, were recruited to participate in a home-based educational intervention using a patient list generated from a rural tertiary care hospital database, Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa. Intervention Five nutrition newsletters designed using the nutrition communication model and adult learning theory principles were mailed biweekly. Telephone-interviews followed each of the 5 newsletters 10 to 14 days after distribution. Outcome measures Nutrition knowledge and interest, food behavior related to dietary fat, and stages of change for dietary fat and fiber. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of covariance was used to determine group differences in posttest outcome measures using pretest as covariate. Results In addition to achieving higher scores than the control group, the treatment groups were significantly different from each other in correct and perceived nutrition knowledge at posttest. Those in the treatment group receiving telephone calls scored higher (mean change=19.0% for correct and 20.3% for perceived) than those who received the newsletters only (mean change=12.5% for correct and 14.3% for perceived; P<.05). Treatment groups also rated their interest in nutrition higher than the control group did; there was no between-treatment difference. Treatment groups performed significantly better than the control group for dietary fiber stage of change ( P<.05). Those receiving only newsletters scored significantly better than the control for the “avoid fat” food behavior ( P<.05). Applications/conclusions This study provides an example of the incorporation of a theoretical model in development and evaluation of newsletters. Home-delivered nutrition newsletters based on this model can communicate health and nutrition information to older adults. Consumers today have more opportunities than ever before to access nutrition information quickly and inexpensively. Newsletters can help dietetics professionals filter and limit what consumers must process, saving clients time and improving the accuracy of information obtained. Dietetics professionals in both clinical and community practice are uniquely positioned to provide highly focused and understandable information to consumers via a newsletter format. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:656-664.

Applying Adult Learning Theory to a Residents-as-teachers Workshop Series

Objective: Adult learning theory is well suited to formal programs for residents in their roles as teachers of medical students and junior residents. Its concepts of active, context-bound learning are immediately applicable to clinical teaching. The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine is offering a workshop series, Residents-as-Teachers, that is informed by the principles of adult learning theory. Adult learning theory has guided the selection of topics, the workshop format, and the teaching methods. The purpose of the workshops is twofold: to develop the skills to become successful clinical teachers, and to model the principles of adult learning theory and thereby reinforce the concepts being taught. Description: The series consists of seven hour-long workshops offered throughout the year. In keeping with the tenets of adult learning theory, the topics of the workshops were developed by a needs analysis. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents to determine what they perceived their teaching roles to be and what training they needed to improve their teaching skills. In work with the chief residents, these topics were narrowed and presented to a second focus group. Final topics were identified and put on the residents' master schedules. Topics include making effective presentations, time management, adult learning theory, giving feedback, clinical teaching, and ward team leadership. All workshops are offered at lunchtime, and food is provided. The chief residents and an education specialist from the college's instructional support unit lead the workshops. None of the workshops is a lecture, although they may contain short didactic components. Workshops consist of activities; for example, the workshop on effective conference presentation is a hands-on session held in a computer lab at which residents create a mini-presentation using a “problem patient template.” The template's content is formatted to foster learning by promoting the conference listener's active engagement. Workshops on clinical teaching and feedback consist of activities during which residents work with partners to practice their skills, alternating the roles of teacher and learner. Passive learning is minimized and active learning encouraged. At the end of every session, residents are called upon to reflect on the session and to apply new principles to their own clinical teaching. Discussion: Many residents feel overwhelmed juggling clinical and teaching responsibilities. Often they are the primary teachers of students and junior residents, and many times they have never had any training in teaching or been exposed to adult learning theory. Through these workshops we hope to create more efficient, qualified, and knowledgeable resident-teachers. As a partial measure of success, an item to rate residents' teaching will be added to mandatory clerkship evaluation by students. Additionally, the education specialist will observe residents' teaching on the wards to determine whether the workshops' concepts are being applied. Finally, feedback from evaluations that residents complete at the end of each workshop will be used to modify and plan future sessions.

A brief guide to writing better test questions.

Writing high-quality test questions is not an easy task. This report offers a brief summary of how to write more effective multiple choice questions and reasoning questions based on the principles of adult learning theory. The intent of this article is to present a brief overview of information for readers at a formative level who are interested in basic question-writing tips.

An Evaluative Framework for Selecting Multimedia

This article presents a framework for evaluating the design of multi‐media programmes intended for use in training. The evaluative frame‐work incorporates principles of adult learning theory, motivation theory, and task analysis as applied to training. Multimedia design features that will realise these principles are enumerated. The issue of systematic professional review of commercial materials is also addressed.

Ambulatory-based residency education: improving the congruence of teaching, learning, and patient care.

Residency education in internal medicine should be based in the ambulatory setting. The challenge in ambulatory education lies not only in the unique opportunities afforded by the setting but also in the careful implementation of a program based on sound educational principles. We have designed a new ambulatory-based model of internal medicine residency that adheres to the principles of adult learning theory. Four aspects of the proposed residency model are discussed: the setting, the teaching-learning model, the curriculum, and the schedule. Potential barriers to implementation of the model are reviewed, and solutions are suggested. Residency programs in internal medicine are at an important crossroad. Either we can substantially change the programs' content and focus, or we can risk the continued unpopularity and "second-class" status of the programs among medical students. Internal medicine needs to be recognized and accepted as a fundamental primary care discipline to justify continued public support in an era of overspecialization.

Group Learning Towards Family Development

ResumeThe agency described here works with low-functioning excluded families. Members of these families often cannot perform ordinary family tasks, and one of the agency's aims is to assist development in these areas. This article reports an attempt to use some principles of adult learning theory with a group of women who meet regularly in a social/educational setting.

Diagnosing Optimum Learning Situations

Have you ever had an experience similar to this? Having decided to use appropriate adult learning theory principles, you have just employed an experiential learning technique with a group of trainees. So far as you can ascertain, the trainees successfully identified the important learning points. You have just started congratualting yourself on a well run session, when a trainee approaches you. “That was a waste of time,” the trainee says. “I understand the main points listed after the discussion, but I don’t see how those points developed out of the exercise we did.”

An anomaly of the sedimentation rate in rheumatic diseases.

<h3>PROBLEM ADDRESSED</h3> The Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alberta has used academic sessions and clinical-based teaching to prepare residents for private practice. Before the new curriculum, academic sessions were large group lectures given by specialists. These sessions lacked consistent quality, structured topics, and organization. <h3>OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM</h3> The program was designed to improve the quality and consistency of academic sessions by creating a new curriculum. The goals for the new curriculum included improved organizational structure, improved satisfaction from the participants, improved resident knowledge and confidence in key areas of family medicine, and improved performance on licensing examinations. <h3>PROGRAM DESCRIPTION</h3> The new curriculum is faculty guided but resident organized. Twenty-three core topics in family medicine are covered during a 2-year rotating curriculum. Several small group activities, including problem-based learning modules, journal club, and examination preparation sessions, complement larger didactic sessions. A multiple-source evaluation process is an essential component of this new program. <h3>CONCLUSION</h3> The new academic curriculum for family medicine residents is based on a variety of learning styles and is consistent with the principles of adult learning theory. This structured curriculum provides a good basis for further development. Other programs across the country might want to incorporate these ideas into their current programming.