Acquisition Of Skills Research Articles

The impact of early childhood education and mathematical abilities on student achievement: Analysis of TIMSS 2019

This paper is based on the analysis of the relationship between early education, mathematical skills, and student achievement in Bosnia & Herzegovina, using data from the trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS) 2019. The study involves 5,628 fourth-grade students whose average age was 10.1 years. The research specifically focuses on factors such as the age of students at the beginning of schooling, attendance at preschool institutions, and their mathematical skills before starting school. Through the application of SPSS analysis, insights into the statistical relationships and trends between these factors are provided, emphasizing the importance of early educational experiences to improve the quality of education in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The analysis results show that the length of stay in preschool institutions, attendance in preschool programs, and the early acquisition of mathematical skills (counting skills, recognition of numeral representations, numeral writing, simple addition, and subtraction) impact later mathematical achievements of students.

Access to Digital Media and Digital Literacy among Ghanaian Youth: An Explore, Engage, Empower Model Study

ABSTRACT Across Africa, increased availability of mobile devices and internet connectivity means that more young people can participate in digital spaces. Yet media access and use are not universal either across the continent or within countries. Indeed, as the euphoria around technological advancements wanes, researchers and policymakers recognise that technology has the capacity to exacerbate social and other inequalities. This paper problematises the capacity of under-served African youth to effectively use media, given scholarship that suggests that frequent media use enhances digital literacy capacity. It makes use of a quantitative approach by surveying students in senior high schools using a multi-stage sampling approach and draws on the explore, engage, empower (EEE) model to examine young people’s access to digital spaces and how this shapes the acquisition of digital literacy skills. The findings from a nationwide survey of senior high school students in Ghana, using a newly developed media and information literacy (MIL) scale, indicate that Ghana’s youths have reasonably high levels of access to digital spaces (83 per cent) and that such access is related to their development of specific MIL skills, including competencies of accessing, critically evaluating, and creating and sharing information in digital spaces.

The Impact of Virtual Teaching and Learning on Skill and Knowledge Acquisition in the Training of Health Professionals

This paper aims to examine how virtual teaching and learning affect the acquisition of skills and knowledge among healthcare professionals in Ghana using the SWOT framework and socio ecological model. The findings indicate that virtual teaching offers benefits such as improved accessibility, flexibility, cost effectiveness and opportunities for expanding training using technologies. However challenges were noted in skill development and digital disparities. Threats included declines in competency and sustainability issues. The socio ecological perspective emphasized how factors across levels are interconnected. In conclusion the combined analysis using SWOT and socio ecological models provides an understanding of how virtual teaching impacts healthcare education in Ghana. Recommendations include investing in infrastructure training faculty members and supporting learners better; promoting collaboration among healthcare professionals; well as establishing quality assurance measures and plans, for long term sustainability. The study provides guidance on how to enhance the execution and impact of virtual education programs, in training health professionals. The results guide the development of policies based on evidence, allocation of resources and collaboration across sectors to establish an enduring policy framework for virtual healthcare professional education in Ghana.

The impact of orthographic knowledge on reading development in German third graders

AbstractOrthographic knowledge (i.e., the knowledge of conventions of a written language) has been identified as a predictor of both basic and higher-level reading processes, however, mostly examined in a cross-sectional design. It remains unclear, whether and how orthographic knowledge contributes uniquely in explaining differences in the acquisition of reading skills. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effects of orthographic knowledge on basic (word-reading) and higher level (sentence- and text-comprehension) reading development in German third graders over the course of a schoolyear. 325 German speaking children (mean age = 8.35 years, standard deviation = 0.57; 49% girls) participated in the study, 100 of whom also provided data on vocabulary and naming speed. Data were analyzed via multiple regression in hierarchical models with random intercepts, since the children were nested in classes. The longitudinal analyses showed that orthographic knowledge contributes to the development of reading on the word- and text-level, over and above vocabulary knowledge and naming speed. These findings support and extend previous results, showing that orthographic knowledge not only supports reading processes, but also plays an important role in reading development over the course of a schoolyear. The fact that no significant interaction between orthographic knowledge and reading comprehension could be found implies that orthographic knowledge is relevant for reading development in German third graders, independent of the level of reading proficiency. The present findings suggest that orthographic knowledge should be considered in reading instruction at school as well as during reading related interventions.

Unveiling Effective CSCL Constructs for STEM Education in Malaysia and Indonesia

The acquisition of knowledge and skills in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) plays a crucial role in fostering the development of future innovators. These subjects are critical for creating future thinkers. Additionally, it is important to note that there are a lot of job openings in the STEM fields, and this trend is expected to keep growing. However, students don’t seem to be as motivated to study in STEM fields or work in STEM fields. One teaching method that is becoming more popular is computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). This is because it can have a big effect on how people learn, especially in STEM subjects. It is very important to set up a CSCL learning environment for STEM schooling right away. However, that there isn’t a good framework and there aren’t many widely used design methods in this area. Without a question, there is a strong need to learn more about design methodologies in the areas of collaborative and technology-enhanced learning to come up with simple methods for CSCL. Because of this, the goal of this study is to investigate the conceptual parts of CSCL methods in STEM education. This will be used to make CSCL educational methods that are good especially for STEM education. STEM academics in Malaysia and Indonesia were surveyed using questionnaires to find the most important parts of CSCL strategies in STEM education, and the results were analysed using the Fuzzy Delphi Method. The results give us a list of CSCL settings used in schools, which can be used as a guide for creating and using CSCL strategies in STEM education.

Teaching systems thinking for sustainable development in business schools: A hands‐on project using the online news

AbstractBusiness schools have a responsibility for educating global citizens capable of understanding and addressing the major societal challenges of the 21st century. However, working on complex societal problems within business school curricula remains a challenge. This teaching brief presents a learning project that helps instructors introduce systems‐thinking skills into the classroom to address complex problems of sustainability. The project involves students studying an issue of their choice within one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and designing a multi‐stakeholder strategy to both alleviate problem symptoms and address their underlying causes and drivers. Analysis of student evaluations and feedback show that the project engages students and favors systems‐thinking skill acquisition. The project can be run either online or in the classroom, individually, in small teams, or with an entire class. It can be used by instructors for sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and systems‐thinking classes, or be run as a capstone activity.

Voices from Graduate School and the Workforce: Identified Student Outcomes from Completing a Multi-Semester Undergraduate Research Experience Capstone

Recent reforms in undergraduate science education have highlighted the need for student-centered learning that challenges students to take ownership of the scientific process through conducting authentic research. As such, Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs) have become more prevalent in higher education. However, extensive variations in the structures, durations, and contexts of UREs exist and long-term implications are not well documented. We used the Social Cognitive Career Theory to guide our exploration of student outcomes from completing a required three-semester capstone URE at a predominantly undergraduate institution located in the Midwest, United States. We sought to answer two central research questions: (1) What skills and competencies do alumni perceive to have gained from completing the URE capstone, and (2) What is the impact of the URE capstone on alumni success in the workforce and/or graduate school? We conducted in-depth, one-on-one interviews with 16 alumni who recently completed their undergraduate research capstone and who were currently in a science-based career or attending graduate school. Results indicate long-term benefits from URE capstones and are described through three primary themes: technical skill acquisition and future application, soft skill acquisition and future application, and scientific pursuits.

Economic shocks and skill acquisition: Evidence from a national online learning platform at the onset of COVID-19

We study how large shocks impact individuals’ skilling decisions using data from a large, government-sponsored, online learning platform in Saudi Arabia. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a massive increase in online skilling, and demand shifted towards courses that offered skills, such as telework, likely to be immediately valuable during the pandemic. Consistent with a model where individuals trade off reskilling costs with their expectations of future labor market conditions and their duration of work, we find that shifts into telework courses were largest for older workers. In contrast, younger workers increased enrollments in courses related to new skills, such as general, occupation-specific, and computer-related skills. Using national administrative employment data, we provide descriptive evidence that these investments in skills in early 2020 helped users maintain employment over the course of the pandemic.

Medical students and residents of both sexes have similar learning curves for laparoscopy simulator training

BackgroundSimulation-based laparoscopy training is a standard part of modern surgical education. Studies focused on optimizing training for surgical residents have often used medical students as study participants. This has been criticized as medical students might have different prerequisites for surgical skills training due to their limited knowledge and exposure to real-life laparoscopic procedures. Simulation-based training has also been criticized for favouring male trainees due to its resemblance with video games and focus on competition. This study aimed to investigate if there is any difference in skills acquisition between novice surgical residents and medical students for proficiency-based laparoscopic training. Furthermore, to examine if there was a difference between male and female participants. MethodWe did a post-hoc study combining data from 59 participants from four previously published randomized trials. We compared residents with medical students and females with male participants across studies with identical training programs. ResultsThe median time to reach proficiency in the first training program comparison was 295 (IQR: 269-357) and 318 (241-445) minutes, respectively, for the residents and medical students (p=0.87). Male trainees spent 323 (IQR: 281-371) minutes to reach proficiency compared to 318 (IQR: 241-445)minutes for females (p=0.73). In the second training program comparison, the residents and medical students spent 169 (IQR: 123-229) and 165 (IQR: 128-214) minutes (p=0.67), respectively, reaching proficiency. The times for males and females were 166 (IQR: 61-151)minutes and 169 (61-117) minutes, respectively (p=0.74). ConclusionSimilar learning curves were observed for laparoscopic skills acquisition for residents and medical students. No difference was observed between male and female participants for proficiency-based laparoscopy simulator training.

Drawing the past to envision the future: supporting the development of primary STEM teacher identity

ABSTRACT Growing interest in STEM education and imminent curricular reform places new demands on teachers, giving impetus to re-examining how we prepare primary teachers for more integrated approaches. In addition to the acquisition of knowledge and skills, sustainable change demands the development of teacher identity, in which teachers are seen by themselves and others as STEM teachers. This paper reports on the emerging STEM teacher identities of five preservice primary teachers. Using STEM story-lines as an innovative graphing exercise, participants were prompted to reflect on key events that shaped their journey and share future-oriented narratives through drawing and storytelling, as they negotiated becoming STEM teachers. Findings suggest that although their own school experiences were varied and influential, an integrated STEM intervention was the common turning point in their STEM identity development, whereby participants aligned critical components of STEM with personal experiences and values. The reflective tools used supported identity work, by triggering a rediscovery and reinterpretation of their experiences with the benefit of increased knowledge for teaching STEM and, in turn, provided a means to re-envisage the future.

DistaNet: grasp-specific distance biofeedback promotes the retention of myoelectric skills

Objective. An active myoelectric interface responds to the user’s muscle signals to enable movements. Machine learning can decode user intentions from myoelectric signals. However, machine learning-based interface control lacks continuous, intuitive feedback about task performance, needed to facilitate the acquisition and retention of myoelectric control skills. Approach. We propose DistaNet as a neural network-based framework that extracts smooth, continuous, and low-dimensional signatures of the hand grasps from multi-channel myoelectric signals and provides grasp-specific biofeedback to the users. Main results. Experimental results show its effectiveness in decoding user gestures and providing biofeedback, helping users retain the acquired motor skills. Significance. We demonstrates myoelectric skill retention in a pattern recognition setting for the first time.

Practice and Automatization in Second Language Research: Perspectives From Skill Acquisition Theory and Cognitive Psychology

Practice and Automatization in Second Language Research: Perspectives From Skill Acquisition Theory and Cognitive Psychology

Freely available, online videos to support neurological physiotherapists and students in task-specific training skill acquisition: a scoping review

BackgroundVideos to support learning of clinical skills are effective; however, little is known about the scope and educational quality of the content of freely available online videos demonstrating task-specific training (TST). This review aimed to determine the extent, characteristics of freely available online videos, and whether the content is suitable to guide skill acquisition of task-specific training for neurological physiotherapists and students.MethodsA scoping review was conducted. Google video and YouTube were searched in December 2022. Videos that met our eligibility criteria and were explicitly designed for (TST) skill acquisition were included in the report.ResultsTen videos met the inclusion criteria and were difficult to find amongst the range of videos available. Most were presented by physiotherapists or occupational therapists, originated from the USA, featured stroke as the condition of the person being treated, and involved a range of interventions (upper limb, constraint induced movement therapy, balance, bicycling). Most videos were created by universities or private practices and only two used people with a neurological condition as the participant. When the content of videos and their presentation (instruction and/or demonstration), was assessed against each key component of TST (practice structure, specificity, repetition, modification, progression, feedback), five of the videos were rated very suitable and five moderately suitable to guide skill acquisition. Most videos failed to demonstrate and provide instruction on each key component of TST and were missing at least one component, with feedback most frequently omitted.ConclusionsThere are many freely available online videos which could be described as demonstrating TST; very few are suitable to guide skill acquisition. The development of a standardised and validated assessment tool, that is easy to use and assesses the content of TST videos is required to support learners to critically evaluate the educational quality of video content. Guidelines based on sound teaching theory and practice are required to assist creators of online videos to provide suitable resources that meet the learning needs of neurological physiotherapists and students.

A review of minimal access surgery provision and training within the United Kingdom

When combined with healthcare pressures, the exponential growth of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) has impacted UK-based training outcomes, including the learning curve to competency. Aim: To ascertain the current provision of RAS and investigate differences in access to minimal access surgical (MAS) facilities and training across the UK. A two-armed electronic survey was conducted. The first arm questioned clinical leads regarding robotic practice and future training provisions. The second investigated trainee and trainers’ perceptions of MAS training and facilities. 64% (52/81) of responding trusts utilise a robotic system. The majority (68% [55/81]) have plans to expand or acquire a system within 3 years. 171 responses from 112 UK and Republic of Ireland hospitals were collected for Arm 2. Laparoscopic categories queried whether trainees had access to a formal curriculum, training days and sim-boxes. Most consultants (51.9%) and trainees (51.6%) reported that there was no formal local training curriculum for robotic surgery. Combined responses demonstrated 42.1% (n = 195/463) said “yes”, 39.5% (n = 183) “no” and 18.4% (n = 85) “don’t know”. For combined robotic categories (simulation, training days and operative lists) 28.3% (n = 134/473) responded “yes”, 51.6% (n = 244) said “no” and 20.1% (n = 95) said “don’t know”. This study provides insight into the current provision of robotic-assisted surgery at UK trusts and highlights the need to facilitate regular clinical training and equitable access to MAS simulation within a formal curriculum. This may aid regulation of training in parallel with the expansion of robotic practice and avoid a significant skill acquisition gap and risks to patient safety.

Foreign experience of future veterinarians’ preparation for professional communication

The article analyzes foreign experience in preparing future veterinarians for professional communication. It has been established that the preparation of future veterinarians for professional communication is considered by foreign scientists to be on the same level of importance as a wide range of professional disciplines. The process of communication of specialists in the agricultural sector consists in the formation of skills and professional communication skills, in the exchange of information, in the content of the information itself, which is the main factor in the acquisition and formation of knowledge and skills of students. The work examines the achievements of some European, American, and Australian universities that pay significant attention to the communicative training of students of veterinary medicine. It is noted that this issue requires a more detailed study in view of insufficient dissemination of positive experience, existing practices and effective models of training veterinarians for professional communication that already exist. It was determined that the most attention is paid to communication between colleagues and management of conflict situations. It was found that communication regarding the treatment plan, work conversations, communication in stressful situations, business and professional communication are included in communicative actions in the work process. It has been studied that foreign institutions of higher education pay equal attention to the development of oral and written communication, which allows future specialists to avoid difficulties when communicating with colleagues and clients. It has been established that role-playing games are considered one of the effective means of forming communication skills of specialists, in particular, communication situations with clients. Scientists will pay much less attention to communication with colleagues and other potential interlocutors. The results of the study will contribute to the discussion of ways to improve the organization and conduct of classes in professional disciplines in domestic institutions of higher education.

Enactive Interaction in Support of Creative Learning: A Systematic Literature Review

Creative learning can be understood as a process of personal transformation driven by the acquisition of new knowledge and skills through active participation in projects that are meaningful to the individuals. This process enables them to develop the capacity for innovation in different contexts. Contemporary technologies that allow more physical and immersive modes of interaction brought the concept of enactive systems, technological environments where there is a form of dynamic body-technology coupling. In this work, we present results from a systematic literature review of studies that supported creative learning using interactive environments with enactive characteristics, in educational contexts. The systematic review was conducted based on works published during the period of 2012–2022. The methodology details the research questions, selection criteria, search string, data collection and the quality and relevance of the selected documents. Results showed that environments of the selected studies present mainly the embodiment and emergence characteristics as part of their interaction. These environments promoted user initiatives, enabled users to think creatively and encouraged communication and collaboration. Results also point out other aspects of enactive approaches to cognition such as autonomy, sense-making, and intersubjectivity.

The Retrospective Stressor Analysis (RSA): a novel qualitative tool for identifying causes of burnout and mitigation strategies during residency

BackgroundResident physicians are at an increased risk of burnout due to their high-pressure work environments and busy schedules which can lead to poor mental health outcomes and decreased performance quality. Given variability among training programs and institutions across the United States, stressors likely differ, and interventions must be tailored to the local context, but few tools exist to assist in this process.MethodsA tool commonly used in adverse event analysis was adapted into a “retrospective stressor analysis” (RSA) for burnout prevention. The RSA was tested in a group of chief residents studying quality improvement and patient safety in veteran’s hospitals across the United States. The RSA prompted them to identify stressors experienced during their residencies across four domains (clinical practice, career development, personal life, and personal health), perceived causes of the stressors, and potential mitigation strategies.ResultsFifty-eight chief residents completed the RSA. Within the clinical domain, they describe the stress of striving for efficiency and clinical skills acquisition, all while struggling to provide quality care in high pressure environments. In the career domain, identifying mentors and opportunities for research engagement was stressful. Within their personal lives, a lack of time-constrained their ability to maintain hobbies, relationships, and attend meaningful social events while also reducing their engagement in healthy behaviors such as exercise, optimal nutrition, and attending medical appointments. Within each of these domains, they identified and described stress mitigation strategies at the individual, departmental, and national levels.ConclusionThe RSA is a novel tool that can identify national trends in burnout drivers while simultaneously providing tailored prevention strategies for residents and their training sites.

Fostering human learning in sequential decision-making: Understanding the role of evaluative feedback.

Cognitive rehabilitation, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skill acquisition, and coaching games such as chess often require tutoring decision-making strategies. The advancement of AI-driven tutoring systems for facilitating human learning requires an understanding of the impact of evaluative feedback on human decision-making and skill development. To this end, we conduct human experiments using Amazon Mechanical Turk to study the influence of evaluative feedback on human decision-making in sequential tasks. In these experiments, participants solve the Tower of Hanoi puzzle and receive AI-generated feedback while solving it. We examine how this feedback affects their learning and skill transfer to related tasks. Additionally, treating humans as noisy optimal agents, we employ maximum entropy inverse reinforcement learning to analyze the effect of feedback on the implicit human reward structure that guides their decision making. Lastly, we explore various computational models to understand how people incorporate evaluative feedback into their decision-making processes. Our findings underscore that humans perceive evaluative feedback as indicative of their long-term strategic success, thus aiding in skill acquisition and transfer in sequential decision-making tasks. Moreover, we demonstrate that evaluative feedback fosters a more structured and organized learning experience compared to learning without feedback. Furthermore, our results indicate that providing intermediate goals alone does not significantly enhance human learning outcomes.

Enhancing Cardiac Arrest Skills: Exploring Student Nurses’ Journey through Mental Simulation to Self-efficacy

Objective: This study explores mental simulation (MS) as a potential tool for enhancing skill acquisition and readiness among student nurses in life-saving procedures, particularly in high-stress, time-sensitive situations like cardiac arrest. It aims to investigate the impact of MS on learning life support skills and creating self-officious students in nursing education. Methods: The study combines a theoretical framework grounded in social constructionism with qualitative research methods. We utilize a qualitative reflexive thematic analysis approach. Eleven pre-registration student nurses participated in interview-based investigations after engaging in a 4-week MS program. Data collection utilized open-ended questions, allowing participants to express their experiences and perceptions regarding MS for life support skill acquisition. Results: The research identified six key themes and sub-themes: “Motivation to learn”, “emulating reality”, “emulating real-world intensity”, “emotional resonance”, “harmonizing reflective practice”, and “empowering confidence”. Participants reported using MS to address self-efficacy challenges, creating vivid simulated experiences, inducing real-world intensity, personalizing visualizations, fostering reflective practice, enhancing team understanding, and demystifying cardiac arrest skills, ultimately empowering confidence in employing their cardiac arrest skills. Conclusion: The findings underscore MS’s potential as a valuable training tool in nursing education. MS not only bridges knowledge gaps but also prepares student nurses for real-life scenarios, demystifying cardiac arrests and enhancing self-efficacy. The study advocates for the integration of MS alongside traditional training methods to enhance preparedness and confidence among student nurses in critical life support situations. Further research could explore the broader implications of MS across various healthcare contexts.

Self-Regulation of Student Learning in a STEAM Project

Self-regulated learning refers to the learner’s ability to regulate his or her behaviour, focusing on the acquisition of academic content, skill, or task. This concept includes aspects related to cognitive and emotional self-regulation. According to research studies, the aspect of STEAM education is a crucial determinant of academic success. Thus, in this type of education, attitudes towards science are also important, considering different aspects such as enjoyment, interest, usefulness, and self-efficacy and factors like age, educational stage, gender, family context, and self-concept. This study aims to analyse how Primary School students, who participated in a STEAM project, perceive their own learning process in aspects related to metacognition and self-efficacy, as well as their interest and enjoyment during the activities; furthermore, how the connections between these aspects are. In this project, 109 students between 9 and 11 years old from two different schools participated, using a questionnaire validated by experts. The results show that students show a high appreciation for STEAM work through this type of project as it enables problem-solving and critical thinking associated with the development of satisfaction and positive self-concept in doing it. These distinct aspects show significant correlations between them favoured by the designed STEAM project.