Short Workshops Research Articles

Learning design for short-duration e-textile workshops: outcomes on knowledge and skills

AbstractE-textiles provide an interesting field of research as they “blend traditional craft with modern science” (Peppler, 2016) and help learners “broaden their own perceptions of computing” (Searle et al., 2016). Despite the promising findings by primarily long-term interventions structured around e-textiles, educational curriculum reform has been slow to materialize. Educators who embrace a STEAM philosophy are more likely to endorse short workshops, integrating them in existing courses or initiatives; this could serve as a steppingstone for longer interventions and bottom-up curriculum reform. This study examines whether shorter e-textile workshops (lasting four hours) can result in significant gains in understanding. We present an investigation of e-textiles with 22 young children who have no prior experience with e-textiles or working with microprocessors. We present details of our learning design, as well as findings related to circuitry knowledge and computational making skills. We find that the children advanced their circuitry knowledge and practice a range of computational making skills. We further document a series of emerging challenges, including the children’s unwillingness to engage or lack of adeptness with software, a tension between aesthetics and construction, creativity limited by samples of previous e-textile projects, and the difficulty in grasping the materiality of e-textiles. We propose that some direct instruction and facilitation is not incompatible with the making ethos; the approach can help address these challenges, allowing young children to benefit from their participation in short-duration e-textile workshops.

Psychopedagogical training of the teacher, a necessity in the current educational field

The psychopedagogical training of teachers is essential to improve educational quality, since it allows them to understand the learning and development processes of their students, adapting pedagogical strategies to individual needs. The purpose of this article is to examine the needs of psycho-pedagogical training of teachers who study in the bachelor’s degree in educational sciences at the Metropolitan University. An exploratory study is carried out to determine the psycho-pedagogical domains that contribute to more effective teaching performance and identify the areas of knowledge fundamental to their academic preparation. Although most teachers recognize the relevance of psychopedagogical training, many have only received short courses and workshops, which could limit their ability to implement profound changes in their educational practices. On the other hand, they value and apply psycho-pedagogical principles in their teaching, however, there is a tendency to focus more on solving existing problems, instead of adopting a preventive approach. The above indicates that comprehensive psychopedagogical training is essential so that teachers can respond to current educational demands, contributing to the academic success and personal development of their students.

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Business Model Formulation For Yarn Store As Cultural Tourism

This study aims to develop a sustainable business model for the first physical store of Mondu Crafts, a yarn store targeting cultural tourism. Research objectives include analyzing market characteristics, identifying factors affecting the business, and designing a suitable strategy. A mixed-method approach was used, employing questionnaires and interviews, analyzed through descriptive and cross-tabulation methods. Key findings indicate strong interest in Mondu Crafts, especially among females aged 17-35. High-income groups face time constraints, while lower-income groups face budget limitations. Strategies such as offering free, short trial workshops are recommended. Results highlight the trend for one-stop shops, integrating sightseeing, food, activities, and souvenirs. Long-term sustainability suggestions include integrating AI-based language translation services and eco-friendly initiatives. Establishing Mondu Crafts Cafe & Store in Bandung is both market-viable and financially feasible, with potential expansion to Bali for a broader reach. The study provides practical insights for developing a robust Business Model Canvas for a creative economy as a cultural tourism.

School-based cannabis prevention: Results of a cluster-randomised trial

Acluster-randomised trial was conducted in five German federal states to evaluate the results of a school-based cannabis prevention unit. A total of 55 schools were randomly assigned to the intervention group, i.e. participation in a two-hour cannabis prevention workshop conducted by drug prevention specialists in grades 8 and 9, or to a control group with a waiting list. The knowledge, attitudes, intentions and behaviour of the young people in relation to cannabis were measured at the start of the study and six months later. 2,669 pupils(50.8% girls, average age=14.12 years) made up the sample. Effects of the intervention on the students' knowledge (adjusted regression coefficient=0.26 [0.15-0.38], p<0.001) and on the expected negative consequences of cannabis use in adolescents (adjusted regression coefficient=0.15 [0.04-0.25], p=0.006) were found. Both increased significantly more in the intervention group compared to the control group. There were no effects on other attitude-related variables, intentions or behaviour. A very short school-based workshop for grade 8 and 9 students improved their knowledge of and critical attitudes towards cannabis use, but had no effect on their future intentions and cannabis use.

What/Why/When/Where/How Framework and Faculty Development Workshop to Improve the Utility of Narrative Evaluations for Assessing Internal Medicine Residents.

Clinical competency committees (CCCs) rely on narrative evaluations to assess resident competency. Despite the emphasis on these evaluations, their utility is frequently hindered by lack of sufficient detail for use by CCCs. Prior resources have sought to improve specificity of comments and use of evaluations by residents but not their utility for CCCs in assessing trainee performance. We developed a 1-hour faculty development workshop focused on a newly devised framework for Department of Medicine faculty supervising internal medicine residents. The what/why/when/where/how framework highlighted key features of useful narrative evaluations: behaviors of strength and growth, contextualized observations, improvement over time, and actionable next steps. Workshop sessions were implemented at a large multisite internal medicine residency program. We assessed the workshop by measuring attendee confidence and skill in writing narrative evaluations useful for CCCs. Skill was assessed through a rubric adapted from literature on the utility of narrative evaluations. Fifty-four participants started the presurvey, and 33 completed the workshop, for a response rate of 61%. Participant confidence improved pre-, post-, and 3 months postworkshop. Total utility scores improved in mock evaluations from 12.4 to 15.5 and in real evaluations from 13.7 to 15.0, but only some subcomponent scores improved, with fewer improving in the real evaluations. A short workshop focusing on our framework improves confidence and utility of narrative evaluations of internal medicine residents for use by CCCs. Next steps should include developing more challenging components of narrative evaluations for continued improvement in trainee performance and faculty assessment.

La posedición en el aula de traducción jurídica: un estudio exploratorio / Post-editing in the Legal Translation Classroom: an Exploratory Study

This article addresses the challenges and opportunities posed by the use of machine translation (MT) and post-editing (PE) in the training of legal translators in the Spanish-Italian combination. The aim is to find out whether students who do not have specific training in MT and PE, but a sufficiently developed translation competence, are able to successfully apply the MT and PE concepts learned during a short workshop in their Specialized Translation course and, as a result, produce a satisfactory post-edited translation of acceptable quality. The results show that students have an inward critical attitude towards the use of MT, so they are not influenced by the MT output. Moreover, they have adequate skills to immediately detect not only most of the errors related to concordance and lack of logic, but also the more hidden ones that require a subsequent revision.

IMPACT OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING ON DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP SKILLS AMONG EDUCATIONAL MANAGERS IN PUNJAB

The current quantitative study aimed to determine the impact of Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED) in-service training on the distributed leadership skills of educational managers from Punjab province. The study sample was 463 school heads and managers across the province of Punjab through a random sampling technique from the Punjab province. Data were collected over adopted questionnaires from indicators of QAED used during in-service training sessions. Google form was designed based on a five-point Likert scale to get online data from participants. The study's findings revealed that most participants showed significant progress in result-driven about various skills &amp; leadership capabilities about setting academic goals, monitoring instructional performance &amp; making decisions after in-service training. Positive response also explored the impact of in-service training in developing competencies such as vision, communication, objective oversight procedures, and evidence-based action that allow one to be transformed. The development of such directive leadership is essential for school improvements. In same way, short workshops demonstrate initial capacity developments.

Accuracy of OBGYN Resident Physician Clinical Estimation of Fetal Weight in Term Pregnancies Before and After a Teaching Curriculum

Purpose: Accurate prediction of fetal birth weight can improve antepartum and intrapartum shared decision-making with patients. Therefore, this study primarily sought to determine if OBGYN residents are more accurate at clinically estimating fetal weight via Leopold maneuvers following a teaching curriculum including a hands-on simulation model. Secondary aims were to determine if accuracy changes depending on training level, maternal or fetal characteristics. Methods: A paired t-test was used to evaluate the primary aim of the teaching curriculum’s effect on accuracy of correct fetal weight estimation. Nineteen residents served as their own controls to assess differences in accuracy by performing 10-12 estimates prior to and after the teaching curriculum. The curriculum consisted of a short verbal workshop with images of how to perform Leopold maneuvers, along with five models that were created to represent a gravid uterus with a fetus measured in the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 95th percentiles. Residents were also tested on models with unknown weights to confirm accuracy prior to completing the teaching curriculum. The inclusion criteria during the fetal weight estimates pre- and post-curriculum was as follows: mother had to deliver during hospital admission; gestational age was between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; singleton pregnancy; mother had not undergone rupture of membranes; mother was English speaking. Accuracy was defined as estimated fetal weight within 10% of actual birth weight. Generalized Logistic Mixed Models were used to assess accuracy when adjusting for PGY level, maternal and fetal characteristics. Maternal characteristics including age, BMI, race, pregestational diabetes, gestational diabetes, polyhydramnios, and oligohydramnios were abstracted from maternal medical charts via retrospective chart review. Infant characteristics including fetal macrosomia, fetal growth restriction, and gestational age were also recorded. Analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4; all p-values were two-sided and p-values &lt;0.05 were deemed statistically significant. Results: Nineteen OBGYN residents performed a total of 443 Leopold maneuvers to estimate fetal weight. Overall, resident estimation accuracy within 10% of actual birth weight improved from 65.5% to 67.4% (p=0.49) after the teaching curriculum. Senior residents showed a greater improvement after the teaching curriculum than junior residents, however it was not statistically significant. This could be due to the low sample size. Increasing gestational age was associated with higher odds of accurate estimation of fetal weight (OR 1.34, p=0.0295). There were no other differences in accuracy based on other maternal or fetal factors. Conclusion: The teaching of Leopold maneuvers is often not formalized in residency programs. This study did not show the expected improvement in accuracy of fetal weight estimation. Considerations that may impact clinical estimations include improving the simulation model, revising the teaching curriculum, and/or doing the teaching curriculum more frequently. Incorporating this hands-on simulation annually within the residency program educational curriculum to standardize the learning experience may be beneficial.

First FASEB conference in Africa-The 2023 FASEB conference on Imaging Cellular and Chromosome Dynamics held on August 27-30, 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

Access to scientific meetings and conferences is limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Efforts are being implemented to rectify this issue through short workshops, seminars, and conferences. Sena Institute of Technology (SIT), a nonprofit research institute based in Ghana, is one such organization championing this initiative. Through a partnership with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), SIT hosted the first FASEB conference in Africa from August 27-30, 2023 in Ghana. The 3-day conference brought together scientists specialized in imaging, genetics, and cell biology from across the globe to discuss the theme "Imaging Cellular and Chromosome Dynamics." The Ghanaian Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) provided local support to the meeting. At the end of the conference, participants recommended continuing engagement and the organization of more such meetings on the African continent.

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

EFFECTS OF EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE ON PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF ACCRA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, GHANA

Human resources are the most important resource of every organization. To get the best out of them, they need to be properly managed by providing them with the needed resources. Employee development and welfare are basically a higher form of motivation to prove their commitment. This study was designed to assess the effects of employee development and welfare on the performance of the staff of Accra Technical University, Ghana. A total of 100 respondents comprising 21 senior staff and 79 junior staff were used in the study and a questionnaire was used to gather data. Findings indicated that short courses, seminars, workshops, delegation, coaching, and participation are some of the employee development activities of Accra Technical University. Welfare packages include first aid equipment, sitting facility, medical facilities and leave travel concessions. Factors that generally affect employee development and welfare are limited opportunities, organizational culture, and the attitude of top management. Among the recommendations made was that management should have more organized and efficient development program opportunities for its employees to help retain them. Additionally, management should improve the welfare packages of employees.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0601/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Analysis of Patient Information and Differential Diagnosis with Clinical Reasoning in Pre-Clinical Medical Students

Background: The development of clinical reasoning (CR) abilities in Thai medical students during their pre-clinical years lacked well-designed establishment. Methods: This study utilized a pre-test and post-test design without a control group and was conducted at Walailak University, Thailand, in May 2022. We collected participant baseline characteristics and compared scores evaluated by the instructor and participants before and after the intervention. Additionally, we conducted a post-intervention survey on workshop satisfaction, perspectives on CR, and its learning impact. Results: Nineteen third-year medical students were included in the analysis, and twelve (63.2%) were women. The mean age was 20.6 years (standard deviation, SD: 0.5). The total score evaluated by the instructor after the intervention (8.95; SD, 1.81) was significantly higher than that before the intervention (1.68; SD, 0.67), p &lt; 0.001. The total score evaluated by the participants after the intervention (8.22; SD = 1.44) was significantly higher than that before the intervention (2.34; SD, 2.06), p &lt; 0.001. Overall, satisfaction was high. Conclusions: A short interactive workshop effectively taught CR principles and practice to Thai third-year medical students. These findings support the possibility of implementing this in pre-clinical curricula to prepare them for clinical practice.

Knowledge gap among one health key actors on multi-sectoral coordination at national and sub-national levels in Tanzania

Abstract Knowledge about One Health approach and its importance among the practitioners and the community in addressing health threats is of paramount important. This study aimed to assess knowledge of One Health actors on multi-sectoral coordination in addressing health risks in selected regions of Tanzania. A descriptive study was conducted from June to August 2023 in selected regions of Arusha, Iringa and Dodoma where quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 101 participants representing the line ministries and sub-national regional and district levels. Descriptive analysis was done using EPI INFO 7.2.5.0 statistical software and Microsoft excel. Results showed a decreasing proportion of participants reporting to be aware of One Health approach at the National level with 100.0% awareness and only 32.3% awareness at the district level. It was also revealed that 76.9% of the participants at the national level had received One Health training through short courses, workshops meetings, and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses compared to the varying proportions of 57.7% and 19.4% at the regional and district level, respectively. Limited awareness of different professional disciplines on One Health approach is the major challenge in its operationalisation and institutionalisation at sub-national levels. Awareness creation to One Health actors and advocacy to policy and decision-makers at all levels will enhance implementation, multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration among key actors in addressing health risks emergencies.

Calendar of short courses and workshops

Calendar of short courses and workshops

Antimicrobial stewardship: knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antimicrobial use and resistance among non-healthcare students at the University of Zambia.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to the world and could become humanity's next major challenge. This study assessed non-healthcare students' knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR at the University of Zambia. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 443 non-healthcare students from August to October 2022 using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 24.0. Of the 433 participants, 55.2%, 63.5% and 45% had moderate KAP scores regarding AMU and AMR. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 76.7%. Male participants were less likely to have good knowledge (OR = 0.524, 95% CI: 0.347-0.792) and positive attitudes (OR = 0.585, 95% CI: 0.364-0.940) towards AMU and AMR compared with females. Students who were studying Engineering and Mining were more likely to have good knowledge of AMR (OR = 1.891, 95% CI: 1.197-2.987) compared with those in Social Sciences. Those who were in their fourth and fifth years were more likely to have positive attitudes towards AMU and AMR (OR = 1.851, 95% CI: 1.147-2.986) compared with those who were in the first, second and third years. Finally, students who practised self-medication were less likely to have good self-reported practice towards AMR (OR = 0.442, 95% CI: 0.278-0.702) compared with those who did not. This study demonstrated that non-healthcare students had moderate KAP regarding AMU and AMR. All university students should be provided with education about AMU and AMR through free short courses, seminars, workshops, and AMR and antimicrobial stewardship awareness campaigns.

Monitoring environmental microbiomes: Alignment of microbiology and computational biology competencies within a culturally integrated curriculum and research framework.

We have developed a flexible undergraduate curriculum that leverages the place-based research of environmental microbiomes to increase the number of Indigenous researchers in microbiology, data science and scientific computing. Monitoring Environmental Microbiomes (MEM) provides a curriculum and research framework designed to integrate an Indigenous approach when conducting authentic scientific research and to build interest and confidence at the undergraduate level. MEM has been successfully implemented as a short summer workshop to introduce computing practices in microbiome analysis. Based on self-assessed student knowledge of topics and skills, increased scientific confidence and interest in genomics careers were observed. We propose MEM be incorporated in a scalable course-based research experience for undergraduate institutions, including tribal colleges and universities, community colleges and other minority serving institutions. This coupled curricular and research framework explicitly considers cultural perspectives, access and equity to train a diverse future workforce that is more informed to engage in microbiome research and to translate microbiome science to benefit community and environmental health.

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Calendar of Short Courses and Workshops

Addressing knowledge gaps in Surgical Safety Checklist use: statistical process control analysis of a surgical quality improvement programme in Ethiopia.

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist reduces morbidity and mortality after surgery, but uptake remains challenging. In particular, low-income countries have been found to have lower rates of checklist use compared with high-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of educational workshops on Surgical Safety Checklist use implemented as part of a quality improvement initiative in five hospitals in Ethiopia that had variable experience with the Surgical Safety Checklist. From April 2019 to September 2020, each hospital implemented a 6-month surgical quality improvement programme, which included a Surgical Safety Checklist workshop. Statistical process control methodology was used to understand the variation in Surgical Safety Checklist compliance before and after workshops and a time-series analysis was performed using population-averaged generalized estimating equation Poisson regression. Checklist compliance was defined as correctly completing a sign in, timeout, and sign out. Incidence rate ratios of correct checklist use pre- and post-intervention were calculated and the change in mean weekly compliance was predicted. Checklist compliance data were obtained from 2767 operations (1940 (70 per cent) pre-intervention and 827 (30 per cent) post-intervention). Mean weekly checklist compliance improved from 27.3 to 41.2 per cent (mean difference 13.9 per cent, P = 0.001; incidence rate ratio 1.51, P = 0.001). Hospitals with higher checklist compliance at baseline had the greatest overall improvements in compliance, more than 50 per cent over pre-intervention, while low-performing hospitals showed no improvement. Surgical Safety Checklist workshops improved checklist compliance in hospitals with some experience with its use. Workshops had little effect in hospitals unfamiliar with the Surgical Safety Checklist, emphasizing the importance of multifactorial interventions and culture-change approaches. In receptive facilities, short workshops can accelerate behaviour change.