Seminar Group Research Articles

Tackling the Tumbleweed: Reflections on increasing seminar engagement from an introverted GTA

Pedagogical literature identifies established links between student engagement with learning and subsequent academic attainment. During my first year as a GTA, the main challenge I experienced was getting students to verbally engage in seminars, both with myself and their peers. I was surprised by how challenging I found teaching a seminar with limited verbal engagement, and how difficult it was encouraging this during seminar discussions. In this piece, I critically reflect on my experiences as an introverted GTA trying to ‘tackle the tumbleweed’. To commence, I consider the preconceptions I had about what constituted an ‘engaged’ seminar group, and examine varied definitions of (verbal and non-verbal) ‘student engagement’ within the seminar context. Then, I reflect on the techniques I used to encourage both verbal and non-verbal engagement in practice, plus further approaches I will trial in future teaching. In the concluding section, I provide advice for other GTAs and raise wider, external factors likely impacting engagement that lie beyond GTA control.

Leap, learn, earn: exploring academic risk taking and learning success across gender and socioeconomic groups

Abstract Background The positive learning effects of academic risk taking (ART) in higher education has been discussed since the 1980s. However, this may not apply equally for all social groups. Men and women may differ in the way they use ART to construct their gender identity. Students with different socioeconomic status (SES) may differ in their ability to navigate academic risks due to differences in available cultural capital. Aims This study examines gender and SES disparities in ART and their impact on learning success. It explores if ART mediates and is moderated by gender and SES effects. Additionally, it assesses if ART directly predicts learning success. Sample A sample of N = 381 German university students was used. Methods Data was analyzed following a structural equation modeling approach. Results Men show more ART on the seminar group dimension, whereas women show more ART on the peer dimension. Being male indirectly predicts higher learning success via the seminar group dimension of ART. Furthermore, SES and gender moderate the effect between ART and learning success. Both ART dimensions directly predict students’ learning success. Conclusions Our research contributes to understanding the mechanisms of social disparities within higher education and offers implications for the development of inclusive teaching strategies and research on aspects of intersectionality.

Pure Question-Based Learning

We have evaluated a new pedagogical approach, pure question-based learning, or rather, a modern, digitized version of a really old approach: the Socratic method of learning. The pedagogical approach was evaluated and improved using a design-based research methodology. An online course was developed with pure question-based learning to explain its predecessor: question-based learning. The course was successively taken by students, researchers, and practitioners, and discussed in four group seminars. Feedback from each iteration was integrated into the next version and the course is still in use, see link below. Results from the design-based research process were positive (n≈78 participants, over four iterations) with the main negative results coming from the unfamiliarity of the format and feelings of exam-like stress during the first encounter. While pure question-based learning is new, it builds upon well-tested pedagogical methods. The method has several potential advantages: learning can be broken down into smaller modules, there is less passive learning for the students, less learning material needs to be created and AI could be used for this creation.

Doctoral students’ season schools

Part of the work of universities worldwide is to train new doctors who can meet current and future challenges and who have the knowledge and skills required in academic life. There are many ways to achieve these goals, and it is necessary to explore these avenues. For the last decades, a diversity of spaces for learning and networking beyond formal ones has been provided to doctoral students. International seasonal schools, intensive programs, international writing retreats, international research communities of practice, and international seminar groups, among others, have been learning opportunities where students have the opportunity to discuss their work with peers, mentors and teachers. These learning spaces are organised by various facilitators such as universities, scientific associations, and researchers who usually focus on the same topic. In many cases, those experiences became even more relevant during the pandemic, keeping some of those activities in online environments with a significant role as a supportive network for social isolation (Cullinane et al., 2022). Now that the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been lowered in most countries of the world and people seem to be craving to meet other people once again face-to-face, it is reasonable to assume that participating in these learning opportunities will become even more popular.

The Efficacy of Electromyographic Biofeedback Combined with Swallowing Training on Post-Stroke Dysphagia

Objective: This paper focuses on the research and discussion of the efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback combined with swallowing training on post-stroke dysphagia. Methods: This study randomly sampled and analyzed 68 patients with post-stroke dysphagia from January 2023 to December 2023, 34 cases of swallowing training intervention were grouped as the control group, and 34 cases of electromyography biofeedback combined with swallowing training intervention were grouped as the study group, and the clinical therapeutic effects of the two groups of patients after receiving the two different modes of intervention were compared. Results: The swallowing function of patients in both groups improved, and the VFSS score of patients in the seminar group was significantly higher than that of the control group, indicating that the clinical efficacy of the seminar group was more significant. The nasal feeding tube extraction rate, extraction time, and quality of life scores of the seminar group were better than those of the control group (P < 0.05), which is of research value. Conclusion: For patients with post-stroke dysphagia, treatment with electromyography biofeedback combined with swallowing training mode can significantly improve their swallowing function. This effective intervention can not only shorten the time for patients to remove the nasal feeding tube but also help to improve the quality of life of patients, which is worth using.

Analysis of the Effect of The Error Method Demonstration in The Teaching of Basic Nursing Laboratory Operation

Objective: This paper is mainly to deeply study and systematically explore the practical application of the error- demonstrating method in the teaching of basic nursing laboratory operation and the impact and effect it produces. Methods: 80 cases of nursing interns in our school were randomly selected for analysis and research from January 2023 to December 2023, 40 cases of traditional teaching methods were named as the reference group, and 40 cases of demonstration and error methods were named as the seminar group and in-depth analysis and evaluation of the teaching effect of the two groups after the implementation of different teaching modes were carried out. Results: The seminar group achieved remarkable results in terms of teaching effect, and the performance of the interns in this group was significantly better than that of the reference group in terms of medical key skills such as aseptic operation technique, intravenous infusion operation, intramuscular injection operation, and catheterization operation, P < 0.05, which is of research value. Conclusion: After the nursing interns received the teaching intervention of the demonstration of the error method, their experimental operation performance and hands-on ability were significantly improved, and at the same time effectively stimulated their interest in learning, which is worth using.

The new Foundation Programme Mental Health Curriculum: foundation doctors' perceptions of its importance and their competency: pre-post psychiatric placement evaluation study.

The new 2021 UK Foundation Programme Curriculum mandates foundation doctors to acquire mental health competencies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychiatry placements in facilitating competency attainment, foundation doctors' perceived importance of acquiring these and their preferred teaching methods. Utilising Kirkpatrick's evaluation framework, the study employed a pre-post intervention design assessing the impact of psychiatry placements on 135 foundation doctors across three cohorts from August 2021 to March 2022. Initially, foundation doctors assigned high importance to mental health competencies. Post-placements, this perceived importance improved slightly, whereas that of clinical skills scenarios slightly decreased. Significant confidence increases were observed in recognising and assessing specific psychiatric disorders. Foundation doctors favoured small seminar groups and on-the-job ad hoc teaching. Qualitative insights underscored the need for context-specific teaching. Psychiatry placements enhance foundation doctors' confidence and perceived importance of mental health competencies as specified by the curriculum. Addressing clinical scenario gaps through context-specific teaching and transferable skills development is essential. Customised teaching approaches, especially small seminars and ad hoc teaching, hold promise for effective mental health training.

Analysing a concept as a research practice: Concept analysis, according to Walker and Avant using social dance as an example

Based on a critical reflection using conceptual analysis methods and drawing from the lecture “L'Anàlisi de Concepte, segons Walker & Avant” given as part of a research seminar of the Research Group in Education, Heritage and Intermedia Arts (GREPAI) in November 2023, this method of narrative analysis aims to adopt an exploratory approach to the literature on dance. It was used to analyse the concept of social dance, which is the key part of the researcher's study, developed within the framework of the interuniversity doctoral programme in Art and Education at the University of Girona. It concludes that concept analysis is a method of practical application that contributes to deepening, innovating, and generating knowledge of dance.

Virtual Reality in Social Work Teaching - Two Approaches to 360° Videos and Collaborative Working

The use of virtual reality and 360° videos has been little researched so far, especially in social work studies and teaching. The reasons for this are the low prevalence of VR headsets in social work courses and the fundamental technological deficit in social work, which means the lack of clear causal chains within it. Professionals must adapt their practical knowledge to the individual framework conditions and problem situations depending on the case situation and field of work. In contrast, in simulation-based approaches, as used in the teaching of many rather object-oriented courses of study, fixed sequences of action usually lead to success. At the same time, 360° videos, with suitable didactic framing, can be used to convey case studies in an immersive manner that can then be continued individually, methodically developed and reflected upon. In the” Teilprojekt XR”, two approaches to the use of VR headsets were designed, the first enables remote collaboration, the second offers a chance for analysis and reflection using 360° videos. The first approach is Collaborative work using VR headsets, which is intended to be an addition to communication with existing video conferencing systems. It has the potential to counteract the previous challenges associated with zoom technology and create more proximity. The first few evaluation results (n=11) on the methodological implementation of collaborative work with VR headsets suggest that this approach can bring added value to students. However, getting started with VR headsets is challenging for students and only a few have taken up the offer so far. The integration of 360° videos in education has potential for social work, as the high degree of realism and immersion can improve the link between theory and practice. Students can thus obtain realistic insights into practical examples already during their studies and professionally reflect on their own perspective in the situations. The use of 360° videos using VR headsets has been tested and established in teaching in four seminars so far. The students experience the simulated case situations from the subjective perspective of the different protagonists and can thus more easily put themselves in their individual perspective. Didactically, these observations are professionally framed by teaching content taught in advance, group work in small numbers as well as a collaborative analysis and reflection within the seminar group. The results of the evaluation (n=60) of the integration of 360° videos into teaching are promising and show a clear potential for university didactics. A flow experience and an experience of presence were confirmed by the students when working with the 360° videos. Furthermore, the students reported that the methodological extension supported their comprehension of the course materials and validate the usefulness and advantages of using 360° videos during the seminars.

Effectiveness of Nursing Safety Education in Teaching Nursing Technical Operations

Objective: To investigate the effect of implementing nursing safety education in the teaching of nursing technical operation. Methods: A total of 80 nursing interns in Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital were randomly selected between January 2023 and December 2023, 40 cases of the implementation of the conventional teaching mode were named as the control group, and 40 cases of the implementation of the nursing safety education mode were named as the seminar group. The degree of nursing teaching acceptance, theoretical knowledge mastery, skill operation performance, and the incidence of nursing adverse events in the two groups after receiving the two different teaching modes were observed and analyzed in depth. Results: Compared with the control group, the nursing interns in the seminar group had significantly better teaching effects, superior assessment results, higher nursing teaching recognition, and fewer incidences of nursing adverse events (P < 0.05), which fully proved their advantages in teaching practice with research value. Conclusion: The interns of nursing specialty can significantly improve the teaching quality of the nursing internship stage by receiving the effective intervention of nursing safety education, which in turn will make the intern nurses more skillful in mastering the nursing technical operation and effectively reduce the occurrence of nursing error events, and it is worth to be applied.

Special Issue in Celebration of the 50th Seminar of the European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists

Special Issue in Celebration of the 50th Seminar of the European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists

Report of the first young researcher group seminar and visitation in 2024

Report of the first young researcher group seminar and visitation in 2024

What ‘Teeny’ Group Seminar Teach Us: Enhancing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Small Group Seminar through Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) and Anecdotal Pedagogy

What ‘Teeny’ Group Seminar Teach Us: Enhancing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Small Group Seminar through Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) and Anecdotal Pedagogy

Uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare workers and the effect of nudging interventions: A mixed methods study

BackgroundDuring the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) has a critical role because of their high-risk exposure and being a role model. Therefore, we aimed to investigate vaccine hesitancy and the role of mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and education for vaccine uptake. MethodsWe conducted an explanatory sequential designed observational mixed-methods study, including quantitative and qualitative sections consecutively in two different pandemic hospitals between 15 September 2021 and 1 April 2022. The characteristics of vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs were compared. The vaccine hesitancy scales were applied, and the effect of nudging, such as mandatory PCR and education, were evaluated. In-depth interviews were performed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among HCWs according to Health Belief Model. ResultsIn total, 3940 HCWs were included. Vaccine hesitancy was more common among males than females, the ancillary workers than other health professions, and nonmedical departments than other departments. After the mandatory weekly PCR request nudge, 83.33 % (130/156) vaccine-hesitant HCWs were vaccinated, and 8.3 % (13/156) after the small group seminars and mandatory PCR every two days. The rate of COVID-19 vaccination was raised from 95.5 % to 99.67 % (3927/3940). At the end of in-depth interviews (n = 13), the vaccine hesitancy determinants were distrust, fear of uncertainty, immune confidence and spirituality, the media effect, social pressure, and obstinacy. ConclusionsThe nudging interventions such as mandatory PCR testing and small group seminars helped raise the rate of COVID-19 vaccination; the most effective one is mandatory PCR.

Impact of virtual education on urology education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic changed the way urology education was delivered. At Dalhousie University, third-year medical students (clinical clerks) undergoing a two-week urology elective had the historic in-person seminars changed to virtual seminars with pre-recorded lectures by staff. The academic abilities of the clerks were measured via a standardized written exam and clinical score assigned by a staff preceptor. This study aimed to measure the impact of virtual education on student performance. Clerk clinical and exam scores have been recorded since 2014. The in-person seminar (pre-COVID) cohort included students from January 2014 to March 2020 (n=109), while the virtual seminar (post-COVID) cohort was recorded from April 2020 to August 2022 (n=60). Independent t-test was used to compare clinical, exam, and total scores between the pre-COVID student groups after ensuring normality. Students in the virtual seminar group (mean ± standard deviation 88.69±6.50%) performed better than the in-person seminar student groups (86.32±6.33%) in terms of clinical performance gradings (p=0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in written exam scores between the in-person seminar and virtual seminar cohorts (77.34±10.94% vs. 78.75±11.37%, p=0.43). Cumulative scores were higher for virtual seminar student groups vs. in-person seminar cohort (86.70±5.40% vs. 84.52±5.44%, p=0.01). Clinical clerks undergoing virtual education during a two-week urology elective had improved clinical and cumulative score performances when compared to the in-personal seminar cohort; virtual seminars did not statistically negatively impact exam scores.

The role of groups in teaching critical reflection on practice to MSW students

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on how social group work is integral to teaching and learning about critical reflection on practice (CRoP), on three different levels. The paper provides an overview of the theory and practice of CRoP, followed by a description of group work in two MSW CRoP course sections at a school of social work in Ontario, Canada. The paper describes the process of integrating CRoP into practicum integration seminar groups to sustain skills in critical reflection, as well as our own group process in our small faculty research and teaching group. By integrating group work and critical reflection literature and by focusing on the development of critical acceptance and mutual aid, this paper will outline benefits, challenges, and opportunities related to the use of groups in facilitating the CRoP process, along with next steps and further discussion.

Cyber Nuts and Bolts: Effective Participatory Online Learning, Theory and Practice

This article presents emergent findings from an empirical research study conducted during Covid lockdown with 52 undergraduate students at a UK university November 2020–April 2021. The research study, which adopts a teacher-practitioner stance, builds on a 2012–2019 programme of research (represented by publications including Barnard 2019) which explores the potentials and dangers that digital technologies hold for pedagogy and education. It is located in the field of Creative Writing and uses the discipline’s pedagogical practice of ‘workshopping’ as a case study. The Creative Writing workshop centres on the exchange of information and critically informed comment by participating students (generally in small groups), and, as such, has similarities with seminars in other disciplines. Hence it is hoped that this article will be of benefit both in the home discipline and more widely. The contention of this article is that, to maintain quality in the delivery of participatory online teaching, it is necessary to ensure an ongoing feedback loop between individuals’ bodily existence ‘IRL’ (‘In Real Life’) and the section of cyberspace that they carve out and inhabit collaboratively during virtual seminar groups. It considers how the cliché of the ‘digital native’ can inhibit learning and the role of affect in enabling productive online and engagement. In taking initial steps towards development of a pedagogy of affect in which a ‘neutral terrain’ is established that enables students to apply and develop close reading skills in an online environment, it presents a new theoretical position on what constitutes effective pedagogy in the context of participatory virtual classrooms.

EngAge – A metacognitive intervention to supplement working memory training: A feasibility study in older adults

Working Memory (WM) training has shown promise in supporting cognitive functioning in older adult populations, but effects that generalize beyond the trained task have been inconsistent. Targeting cognitive processes in isolation might be a limiting factor given that metacognitive and motivational factors have been shown to impact older adults’ engagement with challenging cognitive activities, such as WM training. The current feasibility study implemented a novel metacognitive intervention in conjunction with WM training in older adults and examined its potential amplifying short- and long-term effects on cognitive and self-report outcomes as compared to WM or active control training alone. One-hundred and nineteen older adults completed acognitive training over the course of 20 sessions at home. The cognitive training targeted either WM or general knowledge. In addition, one of the WM training groups completed a metacognitive program via group seminars. We tested for group differences in WM, inhibitory control, and episodic memory, andwe assessed participants’ perceived self-efficacy and everyday memory failures. At post-test, we replicated earlier work by demonstrating that participants who completed the WM intervention outperformed the active control group in non-trained WM measures, and to some extent, in inhibitory control. However, we found no evidence that the supplemental metacognitive program led to benefits over and above the WM intervention. Nonetheless, we conclude that our metacognitive program is a step in the right directiongiven the tentative long-term effects and participants’ positive feedback, but more longitudinal data with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these early findings.

Report of the 1st young researcher group seminar in 2022

Report of the 1st young researcher group seminar in 2022

PROACT: Implementing a PROACTive care pathway to empower and support breast cancer (BC) survivors.

221 Background: Optimal comprehensive survivorship care, beyond screening of recurrences and new cancers, and including health promotion, management of physical as well as psychosocial needs and chronic conditions is insufficiently delivered. To increase patient (pt) empowerment and maximize the uptake of multidisciplinary strategies serving all survivorship needs, we implemented a proactive survivorship care pathway offered for pts with early BC at the end of their primary treatment phase (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy). Methods: The pathway consisted of the following components: 1) receipt of a personalized survivorship care plan (SCP), 2) invitation to attend face-to-face group seminars focused on specific themes and a comprehensive survivorship consultation for multidisciplinary referrals (”the transition day”) 3) access to a mobile application (app) delivering personalized education according to symptoms reported and 4) decision aids for helping physicians to manage prevalent symptoms and side effects related to BC treatment. Administrative data were collected. A pre-specified post-experience survey was sent to all pts four weeks post pathway delivery to inform program implementation with a minimum requirement of 50 responses. BC physicians and members of the multidisciplinary implementation team (MIT) answered a dedicated survey. For the overall pathway and each of its components we descriptively evaluated the following domains: satisfaction (primary outcome), uptake, perceived usefulness, barriers for delivery, and suggestions for improvement. A 70% satisfaction rate would define a positive experience. Results: From October 2021 to April 2022, 241 SCP were delivered, and 98 pts attended the “transition day”. 62 pts replied to the survey, 42 (67%) had received the SCP, 34 (55%) attended the “transition day”, 36 (57%) accessed the app. Only 21 pts (34%) who answered the survey received the full pathway, 81% of whom were very or completely satisfied with it. Perceived usefulness of individual components and for pts that received the full pathway were, respectively: 64% and 90% for the SCP, 91% and 95% for the “transition day”, 72% and 90% for the app. Among 14 BC physicians, agreement regarding the usefulness of the components was: 93% for the SCP, 86% for the decision aids, 93% for the “transition day”, and 86% for the app. The MIT (n = 13) reported high engagement and satisfaction (100%). Main actionable points for improvement included: automated screening and SCP preparation, virtual “transition day”, increase physicians’ awareness. Conclusions: In this pilot phase, pts were satisfied with receiving a proactive survivorship care pathway and the majority reported that the components were useful for supporting their needs. This study informed improvements on program penetration. Evolution towards sustainability phase is ongoing including dissemination to other cancers and centers.