Self-assessment Of Skills Research Articles

Teaching listening for interpreting through mind mapping

Abstract Interpreting scholars claim that mind mapping can be used pedagogically to enhance trainees’ interpreting-specific listening skills. However, so far relevant empirical studies have been rare. A single-group post and retrospective self-assessment design was used to examine student interpreters’ attitudes towards the use of mind mapping in teaching listening for interpreting and its effectiveness. Eighty-two students were involved as participants. An instruction experience questionnaire was administered at the end of the pedagogical intervention to examine their attitudes towards the mind mapping exercise. Two self-assessments of knowledge and skills were conducted at the end of the pedagogical intervention to investigate their pre-test post-test gains. One was a retrospective self-assessment about their competence before the exercise (then self-assessment) and the other was a post self-assessment about their competence after the exercise (now self-assessment). The results indicate that the participants perceived mind mapping as a positive learning experience and that it was effective in developing students’ interpreting-specific listening knowledge and skills.

Validation of the self-directed learning scale for middle-aged and older adults

ABSTRACT Considering the significance of lifelong learning in advancing active aging in aging societies, the ability to engage in self-directed learning plays a crucial role for adults. There are many self-directed learning (SDL) tools available that measure the SDL abilities of nursing students and healthcare professionals. However, fewer SDL tools specifically designed for middle-aged and older adults have been developed. The purpose of this research was to examine and confirm the factor structure and the internal consistency of the SRSSDL-adult scale, specifically for middle-aged and older adult learners enrolled in senior learning centers. A cross-sectional method was adopted. Both Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were conducted to assess the structural validity of the scale. The internal consistency was determined using the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient. The results indicated that the five factors – learning needs assessment skills, learning planning skills, learning execution skills, self-assessment skills, and interpersonal skills – showed acceptable levels of reliability. The revised 25-item SRSSDL-adult scale was found to be a valid measure of middle-aged and older adults’ self-directed learning abilities in the context of senior education programs. The findings of this study have the potential to be utilized by educational institutions and educators involved in senior education programs.

Getting ready for teaching with digital technologies: Scenario-based self-assessment in teacher education and professional development

Teachers’ technology-related skills are often measured with self-assessments. However, self-assessments are often criticised for being inaccurate and biased. Scenario-based self-assessment is a promising approach to make self-assessment more accurate and less biased. In this study with N = 552 inservice and student teachers, we validated a scenario-based self-assessment instrument IN.K19+ for teachers. The instrument enables scenario-based self-assessment of instrumental and critical digital skills and technology-related teaching skills for teachers. In a confirmatory factor analysis, we show that the instrument has sufficient factorial validity. To test the predictive validity of the instrument, we examined the instruments’ relationship to the frequency of technology use during teaching and teacher-initiated student learning activities involving digital technologies. Results from structural equation modelling show that instrumental digital skills and technology-related teaching skills are positively related to the frequency of digital technology use during teaching, while critical digital skills are not. In terms of the initiation of student learning activities, instrumental and critical digital skills show relationships with initiating student learning activities that include lower cognitive engagement. Technology-related teaching skills are related to initiating learning activities that indicate higher cognitive engagement. The results show that instrumental and critical digital skills play an important role with respect to the basic use of digital technologies in the classroom, while technology-related teaching skills turn out to be crucial for more complex scenarios of digital technology use. This pattern of findings supports the predictive validity of the IN.K19+ instrument.

The impact of formative assessment techniques on students' self-assessment skills

The introduction of formative assessment to improve students' self-assessment skills was one of the main innovations in Kazakhstan. However, there are issues with the implementation of formative assessment and its introduction. This study aims to examine the impact of the author's formative assessment techniques on students' self-evaluations. One of the methods was experimental work carried out in 2021-2022 at Almaty Secondary School No. 198. This study was carried out using 55 fourth grade students consisting of 27 students in grade four "A" (16 girls and 11 boys) as the experimental group (EG) and 28 students in grade four "B" (18 girls and 10 boys) as the control group (CG). The results identified problems with the introduction and implementation of formative assessments. This highlighted the importance of developing formative assessment strategies to improve students' self-evaluations. Our findings confirm that the identified and methodically substantiated procedures for improving self-assessment in students in primary school may be employed in classes with younger students and in teacher training groups.

Efficacy of live-supervision regarding skills, anxiety and self-efficacy: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Sixty-nine psychology students (M = 24.93 years, 82.6% female, 81% B.Sc. level) were randomly assigned to live supervision or a control group in an experiment with two simulated therapy sessions. In Session 1, their task was to conduct the beginning of a cognitive-behavioral therapy session with a standardized patient. In Session 2, all students repeated the task, but only one group received live supervision from a licensed psychotherapist. Live supervision improved students’ (observer-based) skills (ds ≥0.91), and students were satisfied with the feedback. In terms of self-efficacy and self-assessed skills, live supervision had no significant advantage over merely practicing.

Development of complex pedagogical competencies and reflexivity in clinical teachers via distance learning: a mixed methods study

ABSTRACT Clinical reasoning is the cornerstone to healthcare practice and teaching it appropriately is of utmost importance. Yet there is little formal training for clinical supervisors in supervising this reasoning process. Distance education provides interesting opportunities for continuous professional development of healthcare professionals. This mixed methods study aimed at gaining in-depth understanding about whether and how clinical teachers can develop complex pedagogical competencies through participation in a Massive Open Online Course on the supervision of clinical reasoning (MOOC SCR). Participants self-assed their clinical supervision skills before and after partaking in the MOOC SCR through the Maastricht Clinical Teachers Questionnaire. Item scores and the distribution of response proportions before and after participation were compared using paired t-tests and McNemar’s tests respectively. In parallel, the evolution of a subset of MOOC participants’ pedagogical practice and posture was explored via semi-structured interviews throughout and beyond their MOOC participation using simulated and personal situational recalls. The verbatim were analysed with standard thematic analysis. Quantitative and qualitative findings converged and their integration demonstrated that partaking in the MOOC SCR promoted the development of complex pedagogical competencies and reflexivity with the participants. This was quantitatively evidenced by significantly higher self-assessed supervision skills and corresponding attitudes after completing the MOOC. The qualitative data provided rich descriptions of how this progression in pedagogical practice and posture occurred in the field and how it was shaped by participants’ interaction with the MOOC’s content and their motivations to progress. Our findings provide evidence for the development of pedagogical skills and corresponding attitudes for the supervision of clinical reasoning through participation in the MOOC SCR and contribute to the literature body on the opportunities that distance learning provides for the development of pedagogical competencies. The extent to which the pedagogical underpinnings of the MOOC contributed to these developments remains to be determined.

Misjudgement of One's Own Performance? Exploring Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD) and Individual Difference in Complex Music and Foreign Language Perception.

In previous research, we detected that children and adolescents who were diagnosed with ADHD showed deficits in both complex auditory processing of musical stimuli and in musical performance when compared to controls. In this study, we were interested in whether we could detect similar or distinct findings when we use foreign speech perception tasks. Therefore, we recruited musically naïve participants (n = 25), music-educated participants (n = 25) and participants diagnosed with ADHD (n = 25) who were assessed for their short-term memory (STM) capacity and the ability to discriminate music and speech stimuli and we collected self-ratings of the participants' music and language performances. As expected, we found that young adults with ADHD show deficits in the perception of complex music and difficult speech perception stimuli. We also found that STM capacity was not impaired in young adults with ADHD and may not persist into young adulthood. In addition, subjective self-estimation about the participants' language and music performances revealed that the ADHD group overestimated their performance competence relatively compared to both control groups. As a result, the findings of our study suggest that individuals diagnosed with ADHD require a special training program that not only focuses on improving performance in perceptual skills of music and language but also requires metacognitive training to develop realistic self-assessment skills.

Stand-up paddling: A case study on the effect and impact pathway of information and appeals to reduce ecological conflicts

Water bodies form important habitats for animals and plants. At the same time, they offer special recreational benefits, through nature experiences, their scenic quality or as a basis for sport activities. However, high visitor numbers and problematic behaviour can lead to disturbances in nature. To maintain the recreational benefits of such public spaces and to protect nature, campaigns are a useful means, in addition to spatial interventions and legal regulations. This study evaluates a campaign to reduce negative effects on nature due to the increasingly popular activity of stand-up paddling. A written pre-post survey of the treatment group at Lake Greifensee was completed by the stand-up paddlers on site on tablets or location-independently on their own device. The control survey took place at Lake Lauerzersee, but mainly via various disseminators and social media in German-speaking Switzerland, starting with the pre-survey and ending with the post-survey at Lake Greifensee. The total sample comprised 334 people. To evaluate the campaign, behavioural predictors - based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) - and self-reported behaviour of stand-up paddlers with and without exposure to the campaign were compared. Exposure to the campaign influenced the predictor “perceived control” the most; the two variables “knowledge” and “self-assessed skills” increased significantly with exposure to the campaign. The poster, which was present on site throughout the campaign, was the communication tool most perceived by stand-up paddlers. The variables that best predicted self-reported behaviour were behavioural knowledge, relevance, and self-assessed ability. The results indicate that TPB-predictors tend to be positively influenced by campaign exposure, and they point to a relationship between TPB-predictors and behaviour. However, not all components of the TPB-predictors are statistically significantly improved by campaign exposure, nor do they all significantly influence self-reported behaviour. Nonetheless, the results show that persuasive work improves self-reported ecological behaviour and largely confirm the impact path for persuasion as it has been theoretically proposed. Management implications•A combination of information and behavioural recommendations reduce conflicts between stand-up paddlers and nature. To improve all TPB-predictors, additional efforts such as persuasion on an emotion-related basis are recommended.•Due to the low level of organization of the activity and because information is rarely obtained in advance, paddlers are best informed on site or in the beginning of their activity career (e.g., when buying/renting equipment).

Effect of different teaching methods (reciprocal and shelf-check TS) on learning and performance of traditional Greek dance

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of reciprocal, self-check, and command TS on the learning and dance performance of Greek traditional dances. A total of 128 university students, were divided into three groups and taught six dances. The reciprocal experimental group, the self-check experimental group and the command control group. A two-way MANOVA indicated that in the Zonaradiko, Tsamiko and Pentozali dances, reciprocal and self-check TS scored higher (p < 0.05) than the command TS on individual criteria and overall performance. In the Xassapia and Tik-Double dances, only the criteria ‘dance recognition’, ‘qualitative movement elements’ and ‘expressiveness’ were superior. In the Enteka dance no differences (p > 0.05) were observed. Similarly, reciprocal, and self-check TS did not differ from each other, except of ‘qualitative movement elements’ and ‘expressiveness’ in the Pentozali dance, where reciprocal showed higher values (p < 0.05). The females’ dance performance was better than that of male students, regardless of the TS. The use of reciprocal, and self-check TS effectively contributes to the learning of Greek dance. A quality learning environment is promoted, where decision-making initiatives are delegated to students, enhancing the skills of collaboration, observation, heteroevaluation, self-assessment, and self-regulation, necessary in their lives, in general.

Exploring students’ perceptions of self-assessment in the context of problem solving in STEM

Central goals of higher education in STEM domains include learning of problem solving and self-assessment skills. To achieve these goals, we propose a novel self-assessment method called the Solve-Correct-Assess-Negotiate (SCAN) method of assessing problem solving that includes both formative and summative elements. We study students’ learning experiences in courses involving different methods of assessing problem solving (Course 1 including teacher-led assessment, Ntrad = 53; Course 2 including SCAN method, NSCAN = 56) and specifically associations between these learning experiences and students' perceptions of the SCAN method. We found that the students relied on teacher-led assessment more than the self-assessment. The perceived utility of the self-assessment was positively associated with a deeper approach to learning in Course 2 than in Course 1. Students who found the self-assessment less beneficial also perceived less support from the learning environment. Our findings suggest that the successful implementation of novel self-assessment-based practices for problem-solving requires personalized support for self-assessment, teachers’ awareness of the different perceptions that students have towards these practices, and discussion among teachers and students on the rationale, utility, and reliability of the different practices.

Multilateral Assessment of the Communication Skills of Students in a Medical University: Conditions for Implementation

The study is aimed at identifying the conditions for a multilateral assessment of the communication skills of students in a medical university.The method involves peer review, self-assessment and assessment of communication skills by a standardized patient.It has been established that its implementation is possible subject to a set of conditions: availability of standardized assessment tools, organization of feedback from experts and the patient, training of all participants in the multilateral assessment methodology.

Introducing best practice for reproducibility in government

There is an appetite to improve the reproducibility of quantitative analysis undertaken across government. Our team supports conversion of regular publications into Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP). To achieve this, we developed a roadmap to work with analysts in our organisation and help them transform their pipelines and build their skills.&#x0D; An audit of the current RAP status of all regular pipelines assisted in resource allocation and planning. The maturity of a RAP is evaluated on 7 criteria required to reach a minimum viable product (MVP) and 7 additional advanced criteria as outlined by the Analysis Function (AF). We use a combination of hands-on pair-coding with analysis teams, regular and ad hoc code reviews, and training sessions to convert existing pipelines into RAPs, while simultaneously upskilling the analysts. We have also developed guidance and training documentation to share internally and externally.&#x0D; Currently, out of 73 regular publications, 12 have reached the MVP, with an average score of 4.36 out of 7. This scoring is reassessed monthly, allowing us to track the progress in real-time. Self-assessment of technical skills increased by between 43% and 89% and 97% said their understanding of RAP principals improved because of the training and 77% said they are now able to implement best practice into their work. By working with the pipeline owners instead of just refactoring the code directly, we are ensuring business resilience. The in-depth knowledge of the pipeline and skills required to maintain it are present within the analysis team. Publishing our methods, documentation and tools facilitates adoption of RAP for those without a dedicated RAP team.&#x0D; We are on track to convert all our regular publications into RAPs and move to “RAP by default”, in line with the AF RAP Strategy. This will improve the reproducibility, quality, efficiency, transparency, and trustworthiness of analysis within government. We hope other organisations can learn from our methods.

Incorporating Patient Safety and Quality Course Into the Nursing Curriculum: An Assessment of Student Gains.

Training nursing students on quality and patient safety (PS) is crucial to ensuring safe healthcare practices given the key role nurses play on the healthcare team. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of quality and PS course on the knowledge, and system thinking of students at different stages of the undergraduate nursing course. A 4.5-day quality improvement and PS course was conducted at the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery for 146 second- and 139 fourth-year students. Students' knowledge, self-assessment of knowledge and skills, and system thinking were assessed using pretest and posttest. Of the total of 20 points, the course significantly improved students' knowledge by a mean of 4.91 points for second-year students (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.32-5.51) and 3.46 points for fourth-year students (95% CI, 2.90-4.02) between pretest and posttest. For systems thinking, the Systems Thinking Scale scores increased by 0.41 points (95% CI, 0.29-0.52) for second-year students and 0.33 points (95% CI, 0.22-0.44) for fourth-year students out of the total of 5 points. The self-assessment scores significantly increased on postcourse assessment for second (P < 0.05) and fourth-year students (P < 0.001). Positive experience reported by students in the narrative reflections complemented these results. There was a significant increase in nursing students' knowledge, self-efficacy, and system thinking after participating in this short PS course. Replication at a national level may improve safety knowledge and skills among nursing students with subsequent gains in the safety of healthcare delivery in Pakistan.

Emergency department nurses’ competences: implementing a personal dossier for nurses onboarding, skills maintenance, and quality audit

Emergency Departments (EDs) are among the most challenging clinical settings for nurses.EDs are complex settings, including patients with various clinical severity levels, every typology of medical and surgical specialties, fast organizational responses, a triage area to identify the clinical priorities to access a medical visitation, and simultaneous emergency codes to be managed.Therefore, the issue of acquiring and maintaining adequate competencies to manage the delivery of nursing care in a multifaceted setting such as ED is central.&#x0D; Orientation and onboarding programs with very different characteristics in terms of content, duration, and delivery methods are present worldwide. These programs can include clinical skills self-assessment, structured learning opportunities, e-learning, development of core skills, portfolios.&#x0D; The possibility of integrating different educational strategies to gain knowledge with time spent in specific clinical areas to increase experience is the winning way to obtain the growth and maintenance of ED nurses’ competencies.&#x0D; In this paper, we report on the experience (currently in progress) related to the ongoing performance evaluation of ED nurses’ activities during 12 months in the Emergency Department of Careggi University Hospital.In particular, a printed annual “Professional dossier” was designed with two-fold aim. The staff nurse holder of the booklet can handle a realistic summary of his/her activities, case mix, and time spent in the diverse clinical areas of the ED, comparing these data with opportune standards provided to make adequate comparisons and pinpoint the professional improvements that are needed. The nurse coordinator and nurse manager can use nurses’ personal dossiers to know the realistic competencies load in the ED, balance the work shifts with adequate skill mix, program the rotation of nurses in the different clinical areas during the year to ease the maintenance of experience and expertise, and have a photograph of some important performance indicators for hospital personnel evaluation.

The Impact of Orthographic Transparency and Typology on L2 Learner Perceptions

While there is substantial research on literacy in the L1, factors impacting literacy in the L2 remain understudied. Preliminary research indicates that orthographic accuracy and typology influence literacy acquisition, indicating these aspects of linguistic representation need further exploration within the context of second-language acquisition (SLA). Additionally, SLA research on individual learner differences highlights emotional factors such as attitude and motivation, which are widely considered critical indicators of L2 success. Motivation is closely linked to perceptions towards the L2, which indicates learner perceptions of L2 literacy could impact success in learning to read and write. As such, this paper presents a cross-lingual, mixed-methods study that compares the orthographic transparency and typologies of 26 languages against learners’ (n = 217) perceptions of L2 literacy acquisition, such as perceived difficulty of the orthography and a self-assessment of literacy skills. Results indicated that orthographic transparency has a greater impact on learners’ perceptions compared to typology alone.

When educators are locked down: transitioning an international faculty development program from in-person to online during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced international faculty development programs in medical education to forgo in-person activities and transition to online learning. We sought to examine changes in international medical educators' evaluations of our faculty development program as it transitioned due to the pandemic. Methods: We compared survey responses from participants in our International Medical Educators Program between 2019 (in-person) and 2020 (online). The 43-item survey addressed aspects such as program evaluation and self-assessment of curriculum development and teaching skills. We analyzed data using t-tests to compare means and chi-square test for categorical variables, and performed thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Results: We found that trainees in both cohorts rated the program highly with regard to overall program quality and self-assessed learning outcomes, but the 2019 group reported stronger relationships with peers and instructors. Some scores for self-assessed outcomes were lower for the 2020 class, but no statistically significant differences were found in pre- and post- training scores between the two cohorts. Four themes emerged from the feedback: positive program utility, IMEP as an example of good curriculum design, timing issues, and online learning environment challenges. Conclusions: Despite pandemic challenges, the transition to online faculty development was favorably evaluated, with high confidence in the applicability of learned skills. Future efforts should focus on fostering community and optimizing interaction times to enhance learning experiences. The study contributes insights for global medical education communities in pandemic circumstances.

Investigation of the Impact of Technology on the Written Production of EFL Learners in Iraqi Kurdistan

Writing is a significant manner of learning a foreign language and can be essential in facilitating second language development. Moreover, it is an essential part of language learning for L2 learners. Research has shown that many EFLs perform poorly in written language skills. Research has shown that many EFLs perform poorly in written language skills. The present study aimed to investigate technology's impact on EFL learners' written production in Iraqi Kurdistan. In this research, a single group pre-test-post-test method was utilized. The research community included Iraqi EFL learners, and the research sample included 30 intermediate-level learners. In order to measure the students' self-evaluation of their writing skills, the students completed the Self-Assessment of English Writing Skills and Use of Writing Strategies questionnaire. A descriptive writing task was used to measure students' writing performance. SPSS22 software was used for data analysis. The normality of the scores was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The Likert scale evaluation showed that Self-Assessment of English Writing Skills with an average of 69.03±25.21 was evaluated at a relatively favorable level and Use of Learning Strategies with an average of 149.83±69.38 at an unfavorable level. The results indicated that the average score of the students in the pre-test was 17.37±2.16, and in the post-test, it was 21.00±1.96. Based on the results, a statistically significant difference was observed between the pre-test and post-test results. In the present study, we found that Iraqi EFL learners' writing skills and practices improved significantly with the help of technology.

The Development and Evaluation of a Teaching Strategy for Enhancing Students’ Argument Self-Assessment Skills

The Development and Evaluation of a Teaching Strategy for Enhancing Students’ Argument Self-Assessment Skills

The Voice of ELT Students at Islamic College on Academic Life

Research shows that student voice might be an influencing factor in the future transformation and innovation of English language teaching (ELT). The voice has long been believed to be an instrument that could provide ELT practitioners and policymakers with meaningful feedback for the betterment of curricula, materials, and classroom practices. However, there are limited discussions exploring ELT student voice in such particular educational contexts as Islamic colleges. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of that rarely discussed voice with a particular focus on: (a) the students’ best experience as English education students at an Islamic college; (b) the students’ perceptions related to dress code and exams; and (3) the students’ self-assessment of English language skills. This study presents a survey study on 278 students in the English language education department at an Islamic college in Lampung province, Indonesia. The data are drawn from a survey consisting of open-ended questions distributed to the respondents at the end of the semester. Data analysis was conducted qualitatively, ranging from preparing and organizing the data to interpreting the meaning of the data in line with the research questions and theoretical review. The findings reveal that among the students' best experiences were the Islamic atmosphere, affordable tuition fees, religious education, professional lecturers, and scholarship availability. The majority of students agreed with the dress code regulation and had problems with cheating on the final examinations. The findings also show that more than half of the respondents are not sure about their English competency. This study offers important implications for English teacher education in Islamic educational contexts.

Mentoring in research: development of competencies for health professionals

BackgroundMentoring programmes in health research are beneficial for both mentors and mentees and are essential for the development of the next generation of research leaders. This study describes the self-assessment of research skills in health professionals participating in a research mentoring programme and determines the correlation between the participants’ self-assessment of research skills and professional characteristics. MethodThis was a quasi-experimental, time-series study conducted in a Brazilian tertiary hospital. Thirty-five health professionals holding a master’s or PhD degree were included. The participants answered a survey in which they self-assessed their research skills distributed into eight domains, with one group responding before training and another group responding after training. The level of significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05).ResultsThose who received training scored better in research skills related to two domains: critical analysis of the literature and identification of appropriate research methods (p = 0.0245).ConclusionTrained professionals performed better in the domains of critical thinking and knowledge and management of steps in the research process.