Process Of Skill Acquisition Research Articles

Curriculum Integration Model for Teaching Entreprenurial Skills at Senior Secondary School Level for Sustainable Employment Opportunities in Nigeria

The implementation of the current educational system in Nigeria 6-3-3-4 as far back as 1980, was intended to device a new approach in providing an employment opportunities for the ever growing youth in Nigeria. The system in view, has all the needed characteristics to expose the senior secondary school learners with a life sustaining employment, unfortunately, for over three decades of the existence of this system (6-3-3-4) it has failed in achieving this noble objective. Greater population of secondary school leavers that could not continue with higher education due to lack of university requirement for admission or lack of the financial ability to sponsor their higher education, end up with a bleak future in our society today. Morover, the secondary school system could not provide the required training that can develop entrepreneurial skills to these children due to lack of teaching equipment, workshops in our schools. It is in recognition of these problem, this paper tries to integrate skills acquisition process that will provide the necessary entrepreneurial skills for sustainable employment opportunities in Nigeria.

An application of the learning curve–cumulative summation test to evaluate training for endotracheal intubation in emergency medicine

ObjectiveThe learning curve–cumulative summation (LC-CUSUM) test allows for quantitative and individual assessments of the learning process. In this study, we evaluated the process of skill acquisition for performing endotracheal intubation...

P 173. Motor skill acquisition in neurofibromatosis type 1 patients

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is the most common single gene disorder affecting the human nervous system, with an estimated prevalence of two to three cases per 10,000 population. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with equal sex incidence. Cognitive deficits and academic learning difficulties are the most common neurological complication, and can be responsible for significant lifetime morbidity. Recent animal studies proposed increased GABA-mediated inhibition with concomitant deficits in long-term potentiation as a potential mechanism for the learning impairment in these patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the acquisition of a new motor skill in a group of young NF-1 patients without any neurological impairment. Furthermore, we used double-pulse TMS (dpTMS) in order to determine NF1-related effects on inhibitory (GABAergic) and facilitatory (Glutamatergic) motorcortical circuits during the process of motor skill acquisition. In this Pilot study, a group of NF-1 patients without any cognitive or learning deficit and healthy controls participated in an explicit motor learning experiment (for details see Zimerman et al. 2012), composed of a sequential pressing of nine-elements sequence on a four-button electronic keyboard with the left hand. All participants attended five consecutive days of training and two follow-up measurements 10 and 20 days after training, where the task was re-evaluated. dpTMS measurements were performed at baseline, immediately after the training days and before the follow-up times. Additionally, factors that might potentially influence motor learning, such as level of attention, perception of fatigue or discomfort were evaluated. Preliminary results suggested an impairment in motor skill acquisition in NF-1 patients ( F = 2.8; p = .05), driven mainly by a decrease on ‘offline improvement’ in NF-1 compared to healthy subjects ( T = − 2.9; p = .03). In healthy subjects a reduction of intracortical inhibition in the motor cortex was apparent after the learning task compared to baseline, this was not the case for the NF-1 patients, who did not show any change due to learning. Furthermore, reduced intracortical facilitation was obvious in the patients. The present pilot study provides a first hint that the acquisition of a skill might be impaired in even clinically intact NF-1 patients. One potential mechanism that could at least in part contribute to explain these behavioural deficits observed in NF1-patients is alteration of intracortical circuits related to GABAergic and/or glutamatergic neurotransmission. Further experiments are necessary to support the present findings and to gather greater understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of NF1, an important basis to design appropriate interventions to support skill acquisition in these patients.

How Small-Sided and Conditioned Games Enhance Acquisition of Movement and Decision-Making Skills

This article summarizes research from an ecological dynamics program of work on team sports exemplifying how small-sided and conditioned games (SSCG) can enhance skill acquisition and decision-making processes during training. The data highlighted show how constraints of different SSCG can facilitate emergence of continuous interpersonal coordination tendencies during practice to benefit team game players.

Distributed cortical adaptation during learning of a brain-computer interface task.

The majority of subjects who attempt to learn control of a brain-computer interface (BCI) can do so with adequate training. Much like when one learns to type or ride a bicycle, BCI users report transitioning from a deliberate, cognitively focused mindset to near automatic control as training progresses. What are the neural correlates of this process of BCI skill acquisition? Seven subjects were implanted with electrocorticography (ECoG) electrodes and had multiple opportunities to practice a 1D BCI task. As subjects became proficient, strong initial task-related activation was followed by lessening of activation in prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and posterior parietal cortex, areas that have previously been implicated in the cognitive phase of motor sequence learning and abstract task learning. These results demonstrate that, although the use of a BCI only requires modulation of a local population of neurons, a distributed network of cortical areas is involved in the acquisition of BCI proficiency.

Staying at the top: playing position and performance affect career length in professional sport

In an effort to understand the process of skill acquisition and decline, researchers have largely neglected a critical aspect of this development – maximizing time at the highest levels of achievement. This study examined length of career for professional athletes in basketball, football, ice hockey, and baseball and considers whether career length differed by position and player performance (standardized career performance). Results revealed career length differences among positions in baseball and football but not basketball and ice hockey. In all sports, longer careers were associated with superior performance, reinforcing the notion that performance is a critical indicator of career length and suggesting positional demands influence career length. Results highlight the need for further work on this important stage of development.

The Effect of Accent(s) and Pronunciations(s) of English on Bangladeshi English Language Learners’ Listening Skill Acquisition Process

Listening, the most vital skill in language acquisition, is often regarded also as the most difficult skill to attain by second language learners. This study investigates Bangladeshi English language learners’ problems in acquiring listening skills in connection to pronunciation(s) & accent(s) of English and its possible connection to the motivation of learners. To conduct the study, a number of 255 first year undergraduate students from twenty universities in Bangladesh were selected as subjects. The findings of the study suggest that native accent(s) and pronunciation(s) of English play a critical role in listening skills acquisition process and that motivation to learn listening skills among English language learners in Bangladesh is affected by native pronunciation(s) and accent(s) of English.

Learning Through Apprenticeship: Belonging to a Workplace, Becoming and Being

The transition from school to work, in the form of a trade-based apprenticeship, is one with a long history. Recent socio-historical changes include increased use of technology, the changing nature of work and shifting patters in the employment market are influencing both the apprenticeship journey and its destination. In this article, the contemporary apprenticeship experience is described and explored using the metaphoric phases consisting of belonging to a workplace, becoming a baker and eventually being a baker. These phases are derived from a longitudinal case study of 13 baking apprentices as they entered bakery work mainly by happenstance and began to belong to the workplace; became bakers through various processes of skill acquisition, knowledge consolidation, dispositional transformation and occupational identity formation; and continued to be bakers, with many attaining a strong sense of vocation and identification with bakers’ occupation. An updated understanding of apprenticeship may inform the development of entry pathways into apprenticeship; improve workplace learning opportunities; and widen the means for recognition and certification of skill/knowledge attainment and dispositional transformation.

Construção e validação de um instrumento de análise qualitativa do arremesso (lance-livre) do basquetebol

Quando o profissional da área de Educação Física está ensinando uma habilidade motora, ele procura avaliar o movimento realizado pelo aluno e reflete sobre quais intervenções poderiam ser feitas naquele momento. No entanto, muitas vezes, o professor não dispõe de recursos que possam auxiliá-lo no processo de avaliação do movimento a ser aprendido pelo aluno. O processo de aquisição habilidades motoras poderia ser facilitado se o professor dispusesse nesse momento de um instrumento que identificasse o erro(s) cometido(s), bem como, qual seria a informação prioritária a ser fornecida ao aprendiz. Portanto, como a literatura especializada apresenta escassez no que diz respeito a esse tipo de ferramenta, o objetivo do presente estudo foi construir, validar e testar a objetividade e fidedignidade de um instrumento (checklist) que avalia a qualidade do arremesso do basquetebol (lance livre). O checklist da habilidade foi desenvolvido e avaliado por especialistas da modalidade esportiva e, posteriormente, o checklist foi utilizado para analisar 10 arremessos (vídeo editado) de quatro indivíduos em diferentes fases de aprendizagem da habilidade. Os resultados foram organizados em função do erro crítico e somatória de erros verificados pelos especialistas em duas ocasiões com uma semana de intervalo. Contrastando as avaliações do mesmo avaliador e entre avaliadores, em ambas as medidas, observou-se um nível de erro médio de 16,9%. Concluiu-se, portanto que o checklist proposto no presente estudo é um instrumento de avaliação do lance livre consistente e, nesse sentido, pode auxiliar professores e técnicos na análise qualitativa do arremesso. Além disso, esse instrumento de avaliação permite fazer inferências sobre o processo de aprendizagem de indivíduos nessa habilidade.

Maritim læring i vikingetiden – Om praksisfællesskabets marginale deltagere

The acquisition of maritime skills in the Viking AgeThe acquisition of maritime skills in the Viking Age can be examined through application of the social constructivist theory with respect to communities of practice. A community of practice is maintained via skill transfer. The process begins already in childhood and leads to the gradual inclusion of these marginal participants as fully valid members. By way of their role play and rule games, based in part on observations of adult practice, children acquire basic skills and develop a knowledge of the community’s sensus communis.The aim of this article is not to describe the players in the community of practice, i.e. the children and adults of the Viking Age, but to examine the relationship between them in a practice structure. The child and the adult are perceived as mutual preconditions. They are, seen in relation to a common practice, parts of the same community. It is the learning process, from marginal participant via legitimate peripheral participant to fully valid member, which defines and maintains this community of practice.Model ships which can be dated to the Viking Age have been found in several locations across Northern Europe (fig. 1). These are employed in this article to examine the skill-transfer processes inherent in Viking Age communities of practice. Some of the model ships can be interpreted as children’s toys and are very detailed in their execution, with holes for a mast, a side rudder and oars (fig. 2). Other miniature artefacts, such as anchors and weather vanes, can similarly be argued to have comprised part of the fittings of these toy ships.In order to gain a more detailed insight into the process of skill acquisition in maritime communities of practice, a selection of sailors’ memories from their childhood in the Danish maritime town of Marstal in the late 19th and early 20th century are drawn upon (fig. 3). This is exclusively to demonstrate how children learn through play.The model ships and their equipment, if these are interpreted as children’s toys, give access to an aspect of Viking Age society which is very difficult to study in other ways. The toy ships are a material expression of the play which – then as now – has equipped children for their passage into the community of practice. It is this play which, in spite of its superficially banal character, is fundamental to the maintenance and development of a community of practice.Morten RavnAfdeling for Forhistorisk ArkæologiSaxo-InstituttetKøbenhavns Universitet

Effects of the interaction among demonstration, verbal instruction and relative frequency of Knowledge of Results (KR) in motor skill acquisition

Demonstration, verbal instruction and knowledge of results are variables presented during the process of motor skills acquisition but their interaction was not investigated. This question was tested with three frequencies of knowledge of results plus three ways to supply prior information (demonstration, verbal instruction and demonstration added to the verbal instruction). The task consisted of carrying three tennis balls in a predetermined sequence and target time. A hundred eight volunteers participated in the study, divided into nine groups according to the combination of variables. The experiment consisted of the acquisition phase with 60 trials of practice and tests and data reliability was tested through two way ANOVA. The results showed that demonstration and KR conducted to better performance during tests.

Educational Robotics: Robotics from fantasy medium to medium for fantasy

Educational Technologies can be used both as mediators for didactic activities in different specific contexts, and as self-sustaining tools in various settings, acquiring a relevant role in competence building and in developing an attitude to a scientific approach. In this contribution we propose a systematic overview of theorical assumptions in order to activate some Robotic experiences and didactic paths in which students act as researchers, continuously discovering and verifying if their intuitions are valid. Robotics shows a fantasy dimension which motivate the students and engage them in skill acquisition processes.

Organic bench model to complement the teaching and learning on basic surgical skills

To propose an organic bench model made with fruits/vegetables as an alternative to complement the arsenal of simulators used in the teaching and learning of basic surgical skills during medical graduation and education. They were described the training strategies, through the use of fruits (or vegetables) to the learning of different techniques of incision, sutures, biopsies and basic principles of reconstruction. The preparation of bench model, the processes of skill acquisition, feedback and evaluation were also delineated. A proposal for teaching based on an organic model with training delivered in multiple sessions, with increasing levels of difficulty, and with feedback and evaluation during all the process was structured. The organic model, being simple, versatile, portable, reproducible, readily available, and having low cost, is another option to complement the existing simulators for teaching and learning of basic surgical skills.

Implicit sequence learning based on instructed task set.

How does the way we code and control actions influence automatic skill acquisition processes? Wenke and Frensch (2005) showed that instructions can lead participants to code spatial responses based on color. Here, we tested in 3 experiments to what extent response labeling and instruction-based response coding can determine what is learned in implicit sequence learning. Instructions mapped 4 gray shape stimuli to 1 of the 4 keys each in a serial reaction task, referring to the keys in terms of either their color or their spatial location. In Experiments 1 and 2 we found that people in the color instruction conditions used color for action control and acquired sequence knowledge containing color: They were susceptible to irrelevant stimulus colors at transfer and could transfer color sequence knowledge to a new arrangement of response positions and fingers, whereas participants who had received spatial instructions could not. Implicit sequence learning was thus surprisingly flexible. Depending on whether an arbitrary nonspatial response feature was used or not used to explain the stimulus-response mappings, we either found or did not find evidence that this feature became part of action control and sequence learning. Furthermore, Experiment 3 suggested that response position might become part of the sequence knowledge even if instructions do not emphasize this response feature. Together, the findings suggest that implicit sequence learning is based on action control, which in turn strongly, but not entirely, depends on which response features are used to explain the stimulus-response mappings in the instructions.

First grade Elementary School Student's Family Involvement in the Process of Reading and Writing Skills Acquisition

This paper tries to describe according to the opinions of teachers and parents whether families involve in reading and writing skill acquisition process of first grade elementary school students and how effective the involving families are in this process. Information was received from teachers and families about reciprocal expectations of teachers and families, procedure of the process, teacher-family communication and home studies. Two first grade teachers from two primary schools representing subclass and upper-class and parents of the students in these classes were interviewed. Survey forms for teachers and parents were employed in information acquisition. Obtained findings were interpreted according to the frequency and opinions. When opinions of teachers and parents are evaluated in general, it can be stated that teachers and parents from sub-class are less sensitive about family participation and inadequate in maintaining participation.

中堅看護師のスキル修得プロセスに関する調査研究

病院に勤務する看護師，特に中堅看護師は，看護チームの中核として「看護の質」に影響するばかりでなくチームワークという職場環境にも多大な影響を及ぼす重要な存在であり，将来に向けたキャリア開発の分岐点にいる存在といえる．本研究は，臨床経験4年から10年の看護師を対象に全国の256病院にスキル修得に関する調査を依頼し，そこから得た1273名の看護師のデータを基に，看護師として必要なスキルの修得に関する特徴を明らかにした．また，階層構造化モデル（ISM：Interpretive Structural Modeling）によりスキル修得のプロセスを視覚的に示し，スキル間の関連性を明らかにした．その結果，スキル別の修得プロセスの特徴とサブスキルとして位置づけた能力の影響−被影響の関係から修得の先行順序を明示することができた．これにより中堅看護師育成に際して，不足能力を伸ばすためにはどのような能力がベースになっているのかを知ることができ，教育に当たっての指針を得ることができる．

Evaluación de Conocimientos sobre Habilidades de Manejo Conductual Infantil en Profesionales de la Salud

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar conocimientos sobre habilidades para manejar problemas de conducta infantil. Los conocimientos se evaluaron a través de situaciones hipotéticas de crianza, entrevistando a 294 profesionales de diversos estados del país, empleando un diseño pre-experimental pre-post. Se empleó un instrumento con 13 situaciones hipotéticas de problemas de conducta infantil en casa, donde se calificaba las respuestas de los participantes sobre las habilidades a emplear por los adultos. Los resultados mostraron que a partir de una capacitación breve hubo un aumento significativo en los conocimientos sobre las habilidades de manejo conductual para las 13 situaciones. Se concluye que el cuestionario de situaciones hipotéticas de crianza fue útil para evaluar el conocimiento sobre habilidades de crianza. Además, los profesionales lograron reportar estrategias para el aumento de conductas pro-sociales, la corrección de conducta inadecuada, el establecimiento de reglas en el hogar y la solución de problemas en familia. Investigación adicional mostrará el proceso de adquisición de las habilidades a través de técnicas de observación directa de estas situaciones hipotéticas de crianza.

Automation in Surgery

Human performance consequences of a new technology of image-guided navigation (IGN) support for surgeons are investigated. Navigated control (NC) represents an advancement of IGN technology. In contrast to currently available pointer-based systems, it represents a higher degree of automation that supports processes not only of information analysis and integration but also of intraoperative decision making. In the first experiment, 14 surgical novices performed a simulated mastoidectomy with and without NC support. Effects of provision of the system were analyzed with respect to different measures of surgical performance and outcome, workload, and situation awareness. In the second experiment, 21 advanced medical students were trained to perform a mastoidectomy by practicing it either with or without NC support. It was investigated to what extent the provision of the system during practice would affect the acquisition of surgical skills. The results reveal that NC support can reduce both the risk of intraoperative injuries and complications as well as the physiological effort of surgeons. "Cost effects" compared to a conventional (i.e., not supported) surgery emerged with respect to the time needed for the surgery, increased subjective workload, reduced spare capacity, and a reduced level of situation awareness. However, no significant effects on processes of skill acquisition were found. NC systems can contribute to improved patient safety. Most of the cost effects seem to be related not to the basic principle of NC but to its current technological implementation. The results have consequences for the design and clinical use of automated navigation support.

Intubation training in neonatal patients: a review of one trainee’s first 150 procedures

Background: The experience in performing intubation procedures gained by a single operator has been previously reported for adult, but not for neonatal patients. Aim: In order to evaluate the process of skill acquisition, we reviewed the first 150 neonatal tracheal intubations performed by a pediatric trainee. Methods: For logbook purposes, a pediatric trainee prospectively recorded all neonatal tracheal intubation procedures that she performed during a 5-year training period. Results: During the study period, Nicoletta Doglioni performed for 152 intubation procedures. Of the 152 procedures, the author was successful on 120 (79%) occasions. Of these, 77 (64%) were performed on the first attempt, and 43 (36%) on the second attempt. Author successful intubation improved by the training year 1 (67%) to training year 2 (79%), 3 (77%), 4 (80%) and 5 (91%), respectively. Conclusions: Intubation success rate progressively improved with training year experience. A recommended level of proficiency, defined as 90% of procedure success, was obtained after 100 attempts suggesting that a significant amount of experience is needed for obtaining proficiency in neonatal intubation.

Structuralized box-trainer laparoscopic training significantly improves performance in complex virtual reality laparoscopic tasks.

IntroductionIn the era of flowering minimally invasive surgical techniques there is a need for new methods of teaching surgery and supervision of progress in skills and expertise. Virtual and physical box-trainers seem especially fit for this purpose, and allow for improvement of proficiency required in laparoscopic surgery.Material and methodsThe study included 34 students who completed the authors‘ laparoscopic training on physical train-boxes. Progress was monitored by accomplishment of 3 exercises: moving pellets from one place to another, excising and clipping. Analysed parameters included time needed to complete the exercise and right and left hand movement tracks. Students were asked to do assigned tasks prior to, in the middle and after the training.ResultsThe duration of the course was 28 h in total. Significant shortening of the time to perform each exercise and reduction of the left hand track were achieved. The right hand track was shortened only in exercise number 1.ConclusionsExercises in the laboratory setting should be regarded as an important element of the process of skills acquisition by a young surgeon. Virtual reality laparoscopic training seems to be a new, interesting educational tool, and at the same time allows for reliable control and assessment of progress.