Small Group Work Research Articles

36. CHANGE IN RESIDENT KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF DAILY PROGRESS NOTES FOLLOWING AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION

Introduction Physicians enter residency with variable proficiency in note writing and knowledge of note purpose. Best practice guidelines give learners some direction, but may not provide adequate explanation about the importance and purposes of progress notes. Objective Test the efficacy of a workshop intervention on changing resident knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about progress notes. Methods An educational workshop was constructed by residents and faculty stakeholders based on review of the literature, institutional best practices, and a previously designed note assessment tool. Residents from a mid-sized pediatric residency program attended a workshop consisting of best practice didactics and small group work using the tool to assess example progress notes. Participants completed a 22-question online survey (Qualtrics) before and after the workshop to evaluate knowledge of progress note components and attitudes regarding note importance. Pre-post analysis was performed with Chi square testing for true/false questions and Mann-Whitney testing for Likert scale questions. Results Pediatric residents (n=26, 79% response rate) completed the pre-intervention online survey, and 23 (70%) completed the post-intervention survey. Accurate response rate improved in 15/20 of the true/false content questions, with a statistically significant improvement in five of them (p Discussion/Conclusion This study suggests that a workshop intervention is an effective method of educating pediatric residents on progress note best practices. Further studies should assess the impact of the intervention on sustained resident knowledge and beliefs about progress notes and subsequent note quality.

67. YEAR ONE OF A NEW RESIDENCY PROGRAM: REFLECTIONS FROM THE INAUGURAL INTERN CLASS TO LEADERSHIP

Background As the number of graduating medical students is increasing, the number of residency positions is remaining the same. One solution to this problem is the creation and accreditation of new residency programs to help bridge the gap. However, the distinct challenges and opportunities that new training programs present for learners and faculty have not been extensively studied or described. Objective Determine and understand the distinctive perspective of a group of resident physicians who served as the inaugural interns in a new categorical pediatrics residency program. Methods We conducted a modified qualitative analysis of themes to generate resident perspectives. Seven residents (70% of the total class) agreed to answer six initial open-ended questions followed by a analysis of themes. These residents then met as a group and identified three consensus themes in each of the three topic areas: Strengths, Challenges, and Lessons Learned from a new program. In small working groups key areas were investigated and themes were consolidated, reviewed and edited for flow by faculty over a 2-month period and presented in a summarized form. Results Residents described strengths of participating in a new residency-training program as the opportunity to shape the program, individualized learning experience, and enthusiastic and available faculty. They identified challenges of training in a new program as lack of upper level residents, diverse faculty expectations, resident morale, and coping with challenges. Lessons learned included themes of resident engagement, standard expectations and feedback, and resident driven wellness. Conclusions Our inaugural class of residents identified the key challenges and opportunities of training in a new program. These perspectives should prove informative for educators who are planning new programs in graduate medical education.

Motivating teens to speak English through group work in Storyline

Abstract Overcoming the reluctance of teenage learners to speak in the language classroom is a challenge for many teachers. This article reports on a study in which 60 Swedish pupils, aged 15–16, took part in a Storyline project based on a young adult fantasy novel. In the Storyline approach, a fictive world is created when learners, taking on the roles of characters in a story, collaborate on tasks to develop the story. A key feature is that the learners work in the same small groups for much of the time. During the six-week period of this study, these learners used English in a variety of speaking and writing tasks. The project showed a number of benefits, the most important of which were an increase in their motivation to speak English and enhanced self-confidence through doing so.

Proposal of a Model of Disaster Medical Education for Practical Risk Management and Disaster Nursing: The SINCHI Education Model.

Education in disaster nursing and risk management is important, and developing the human resources of medical staff who participate in disaster response is also necessary. However, a practical educational model for risk management and disaster nursing has not yet been established in Japan. In the present study, a model of disaster medical education for practical risk management and disaster nursing was proposed. Seventeen expert nurses with experience in practical international disaster response (IDR) participated in this study. They were recruited from among past members of Japan disaster response medical teams. They were asked an open-ended question through a questionnaire survey: "What kind of nursing education is necessary for risk management and practical activities in disaster response?" The responses were analyzed qualitatively and an educational model was developed.Sixty-five codes were obtained from the answers to the open-ended question, and they were categorized into 19 sub-categories and three categories. Subsequently, the "SINCHI education model" was proposed for practical disaster nursing education; it comprises six elements: (1) Simulation exercise and small-group work; (2) International nursing knowledge; (3) Nursing skills and knowledge, including disaster nursing; (4) Communication ability promotion; (5) Humanity, responsibility, and flexibility; and (6) Infection prevention and control. A sample of this education exercise model is the following: (1) preparing the list of medical staff members (2) information-gathering simulation (3) preparing the list of medical instruments, and (4) developing the plan for risk management and operation, including infection prevention and control. Disaster nursing education could be made more instructive and practical by including simulation exercises.

Teacher interactions and effects on group triple problem solving space

ABSTRACTResearch shows that collaborative work promotes student learning and improves social skills, but teachers are still exploring how to best support problem-solving in a small group context, particularly in the science classroom. This study builds on prior research to characterise teacher interactions with small groups in secondary science and analyses how those interactions affect a collectively constructed space – the triple problem solving space (TPSS) – in which group members collectively understand a task (content/cognitive dimension), manage social interactions (social/relational dimension), and co-construct the emotional life of the group (affective dimension). Results of two biology teachers’ interactions with students in small groups working on inquiry and engineering design activities show that most interactions were administrative and had little influence on the group’s TPSS. Teacher interactions that engaged students in monitoring their problem-solving process, however, did have the capacity to increase cognitive work of the group, which subsequently impacted the students’ group affect and social dimension. These findings suggest that interactions focused on cognitive processes have the potential to support all aspects of a group’s TPSS. Though this research is only a first step in understanding the impact of teacher interactions on small group work, implications for teaching practices are discussed.

Learners' Degree of Satisfaction Regarding Small Group Work: Focusing on Implementing an English Assignment

Learners' Degree of Satisfaction Regarding Small Group Work: Focusing on Implementing an English Assignment

Counter-Arguing During Curriculum-Supported Peer Interaction Facilitates Middle-School Students’ Science Content Knowledge

Peer argumentation, especially the discussion of contrary points of view, has experimentally been found to be effective in promoting science content knowledge, but how this occurs is still unknown. The available explanations are insufficient because they do not account for the evidence showing that gains in content knowledge are unrelated to group outcomes and are still evident weeks after collaboration occurs. The aim of this article is to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between peer-group argumentation and science content knowledge learning. A total of 187 students (aged 10 to 11 years) from 8 classrooms participated in the study, with the classrooms spread across 8 public schools, all located in Santiago, Chile. We conducted a quasi-experimental study randomized at school-class level. Four teachers delivered science lessons following a teaching program especially developed to foster dialogic and argumentative classroom talk (the intervention group), and four teachers delivered lessons in their usual way (the control group). Students were assessed individually using both immediate and delayed post-test measures of science content knowledge. The results showed no differences in pre- to post-immediate content knowledge between conditions. However, the intervention-group students increased their content knowledge significantly more than the control-group students between post-immediate and post-delayed tests. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that, after controlling for school-level variables, time working in groups, and scores in the pretest, the formulation of counter arguments, although occurring in both groups, significantly predicted delayed gains in the intervention group only. Moreover, the frequency of counterarguments heard by students during the group work did not make a difference. Focal analysis of one small-group work suggests that teachers’ instructional practice may have contributed to the consolidation of students’ knowledge at an individual level in a post-collaborative phase.

Earlier detection of public health risks – Health policy lessons for better compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005): Insights from low-, mid- and high-income countries

The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) require all Member States to build and maintain the capacities to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies. Early detection of public health risks is one of the core functions. In order to improve surveillance and detection, a better understanding of the health system conditions and their influencing factors are needed. The Israeli Ministry of Health/IHR National Focal Point held a workshop to elucidate health system conditions and their influencing factors that enable earlier detection. The workshop methodology employed a stepwise, small working group analysis approach to elucidate the conditions and their influencing factors affecting each stage of recognition, assessment, and reporting of infectious disease outbreaks, at the local, regional and national levels. In order to detect public health risks earlier, the detection process needs to be moved closer to the local communities and start with building capacity within communities. Building capacity and engaging with local and diverse communities requires significant changes in the governance approach and include information sharing, multi-sectoral communication and coordination across various levels before, during and after public health emergencies. Across the regions, low-, mid- and high-income countries seem to struggle more with governance and information sharing rather than with technical capacities and capabilities.

Developing Effective Top Management Team at Vietnamese SMEs

Developing Effective Top Management Team at Vietnamese SMEs

Make It So: Harnessing Technology to Provide Professional Development to Regional Museum Workers

Make It So: Harnessing Technology to Provide Professional Development to Regional Museum Workers

Comparison of General Dentistry Curriculum in Iran with Eight of the World's Top Dental Faculties.

Background and objectives:A curriculum is a general and immense outline of an educational activity. A curriculum defines teaching content, student and curriculum assessment methods, and ultimately defines the framework for each activity in the curriculum. Given the importance of training in medicine and dentistry, the purpose of this study was to compare Iran's general dentistry curriculum with eight of the world's top dental faculties. Materials and methods:In descriptive-comparative research, the important components and parameters of the curriculum of the PhD in dentistry at several universities in the world were studied and compared with Iranian curriculum. The present study was conducted in two stages: The first phase included finding the best dental faculties in the world; the second phase was to identify and examine the various components of the curriculum of the PhD in Public Dentistry in Iran and the 8th highest dental faculties in the world and compare them according to Loudvigsson indicators. The results of the study were reported using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). Results:All of the evaluated indicators were in the Iranian curriculum. The study of the eight top universities in the world showed that the indicators worth paying attention to, including critical thinking and scientific approach in the program, student-centered curriculum, horizontal and vertical integration, systematic education, education based on community health care system, community-based education and ethical principles, existed in all curricula of the studied colleges. The presence of a selective framework in a curriculum and early clinical exposure was only available in the educational curriculum of four universities: Toronto, UNC, Minnesota and UCLA. The focus on small group work was defined as the prevailing educational method in three Herman Ostrow, Minnesota and UCSF universities. The problem-solving learning index was only presented at two universities in Osaka and NYU. Conclusion:The highest rates of Loudvigsson indicators in general dentistry curriculums of eight universities in the world were 90% and at least 72.7%, while the above indicators were 100% in the dentistry curriculum of Iran. According to the indicators of Loudvigsson, Iran's dental training program is ranked high in content.

The influence of a patient counseling training session on pharmacy students\u2019 self-perceived communication skills, confidence levels, and attitudes about communication skills training

BackgroundThe ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill for a pharmacist. However, the curricula of most pharmacy schools in South Korea do not include communication skills training (CST). This study aims to evaluate the effects of CST in pharmacy education.MethodsThis study was a comparison of pre- and post-intervention surveys completed by sixty fifth-year pharmacy students who participated in communication skills and patient counseling training during the spring 2017 semester. The students were asked to respond to 49 questions addressing 4 self-assessment categories: communication skills (24), attitudes (19), and confidence levels (2) at the beginning and end of the CST, and their perception of CST (4) after completing the course. The training session included lectures, small group work, role play, videos, and performance feedback by a tutor. Data were analyzed using the paired t-test with Bonferroni’s correction for multiple comparisons. The open-ended questions were analyzed using inductive content analysis.ResultsThe pharmacy students’ self-assessment of their communication skills, attitudes toward the communication course, and confidence levels showed significant improvement after the CST. Most students (96.7%) indicated the necessity of a pharmacy communication curriculum. They responded that CST is helpful for effective communication with patients (33.3%) and other healthcare professionals (31.7%). Role-playing was reported as the most preferred learning method (58.3%).ConclusionsCST significantly impacted pharmacy students’ skills, attitudes, and confidence levels related to communication skills and patient counseling. These findings indicate that communications training should be included in the regular curriculum of pharmacy schools.

Teaching Philosophy: An Optimization-Liquidation or a New Start?

In the article, I analyze the current situation in the field of teaching philosophy and also other social sciences and humanities. The point is that in higher school, under various pretexts, many departments and philosophy councils are closed, hours for teaching philosophical courses and seminars are reduced. Teachers of philosophy and other disciplines in higher education, in addition to being overwhelmed, have to spend a lot of time on unnecessary reporting, which for the most part does not reflect the essence of the matter. The policy of education officials and their belief in the need for such reporting and reduction of hours are critically reviewed. I show that in addition to the well-known functions of philosophy, teaching philosophy is of crucial importance today is due to three important circumstances: we live, firstly, in a period of double transition (of the whole civilization and of Russia) and, secondly, in a period of an anthropological crisis and a crisis of reality, thirdly, due to a crisis of morality and ethics. Only philosophy, based on the methodology, as well as the humanities and social sciences can comprehend modern conditions. The question is about a new start to the practice of teaching philosophy. I propose to introduce a temporary moratorium on the compilation of new teaching programs and start a broad discussion in the philosophical and pedagogical community of the goals and content of the teaching of philosophy. In this regard, I offer my own understanding of the problems and the essence of the teaching of philosophy. I also share my personal experience in teaching philosophy, which includes lecturing and organizing the creative work of small groups of students.

Development and evaluation of an organisational culture change intervention in residential aged care facilities

To develop and evaluate an organisational culture change intervention for residential aged care settings. This study was undertaken in five residential aged care facilities (RACFs). All staff working within participating RACFs were invited to take part. Participatory action research was used to develop a structured approach, supporting small workgroups of staff in each facility to undertake change cycles, focusing on improved leadership, teamwork and communication. Qualitative data were gathered from reflection and evaluation sessions with facility work team focus groups, interviews with managers and other staff who were not engaged in the work team, field journals and reflective discussion with research team members. Staff and management both positively evaluated the intervention and process, and there were perceived cultural shifts in communication, teamwork and staff empowerment. An organisational culture change intervention that engages work teams through brief change cycles appears to be feasible for use in RACF.

Activating the Research Methods Curriculum: A Blended Flipped Classroom

ABSTRACTThe blended flipped classroom is a partially online, partially offline course to teach social science research methods. Online, students watch video lectures, do readings, and complete short exercises to acquire basic knowledge of research methodologies and academic skills. Being set up modularly, the online environment offers flexibility regarding not only when to study but also what to study: students choose the methods they find useful for their thesis project. They then apply these methods and skills in a series of face-to-face workshops, which incorporate several forms of active learning, such as small-group work, mini-games, and in-class writing. Although more demanding than a traditional lecture course, the blended flipped classroom has had a positive effect on student performance in the research methods course as well as in subsequent thesis projects.

Effect of Class wide peer tutoring on learning Backstroke swimming skills and attitude to work in small groups

The study aimed to investigate the effect of Class-wide peer tutoring cooperative learning on backstroke learning swimming performance of novice pre-service students at department of physical education and kinesiology department at Qassim University. The study sample were 60 novice students at the first year and second semester (age= 18.4 SD=1.9) were randomly assigned in two groups (experimental and control) each group had 30 students. Experimental group exposed to Class wide peer tutoring cooperative learning and control group exposed to traditional teaching method. The intervention program lasted for 6 weeks. Students evaluated in 25-meter backstroke swimming performance with pull boy between their thighs. The results showed there is significant differences between the two groups in backstroke swimming performance. The results also indicated that the experimental group had more positive attitude to work together in small group and had positive interaction between. The study recommended to use Class wide peer tutoring cooperative learning to teach backstroke swimming performance to pre-service novice students at the faculties and departments of physical education because the students at the peer tutoring group enjoyed the active learning engagement in swimming lectures than traditional methods, and had more positive attitude to work together.

Implementing Same-Day Discharge After Hysterectomy Within a Large, Multi-Hospital Healthcare System [1L

INTRODUCTION: Same day discharge (SDD) for minimally invasive hysterectomies (MIH) often promises to save healthcare resources and improve satisfaction among patients and providers. Previous studies established the safety of SDD, however data are limited on how to effectively integrate SDD programs in heterogeneous healthcare systems consisting of tertiary care centers and smaller community hospitals. The goal of this work is to describe the implementation of a SDD process within UPMC--a large, multi-hospital health system in Pennsylvania. METHODS: Implementation of SDD was studied through stakeholder interviews including surgeons, nurses, and administrators. Participants were asked about the development and implementation of the SDD program including facilitator and barrier factors at 20 hospital of various sizes, with sub-specialists as well as general gynecologists. To determine the best course for integrating SDD, small multidisciplinary working groups were established with representatives from relevant departments. University of Pittsburgh IRB approved this work. RESULTS: System development of the program included formation of evidence based guidelines, development of protocols, hiring of a nurse concierge, quality checks, SDD pathway introduction into EMR, surgeon performance dashboards, incentives for following the pathway, etc. The program was piloted by a small group of surgeons, followed by integration within the wider UPMC community. Provider buy-in was encouraged through surgeon education and the use of outcomes data. SDD program resulted in considerable reduction in overnight stays associated with hysterectomies. CONCLUSION: It is safe and feasible to implementing a SDD program for MIH within a heterogeneous health care system through a multi-step process of providing processes, systems, and education.

Migration Education Program for Teacher Candidates

This study aims to analyze Migration Education Program (MEP) developed for teacher candidates from the viewpoint of teacher candidates. MEP lasted 8 sessions and consists of topics: Migration phenomenon, Migrant Population in Turkey and World, Globalization and Multiculturalism, Migration and Poverty, Migration and Women, Migration and Children, Migration and Education, and Migration from the Viewpoint of Teacher Candidates. The participants of MEP are 34 volunteer teacher candidates. Case study method which is one of the qualitative research designs is used in this study. The data of the study is collected from teacher candidates' diaries and group interview forms carried out at the end of education program. The results of the study showed that at the end of MEP teacher candidates deepened their knowledge of migration phenomenon; they were able to make more detailed and extensive analysis and inquiries of topics such as migration and globalization, migration and multiculturalism, migration and poverty, migration and women, migration and children, migration and education; they were able to face their own prejudices and improve their viewpoints; and also they found materials used in the program effective. Additionally, the activities most appreciated by teacher candidates were film activity, creative writing, small and large group work activities and case analysis. Finally, it is possible to say that MEP is an educational program which can be used in the training of teacher candidates.

Use of the "Step-back" Method for Education Research Consultation at the National Level: A Pilot Study.

There are a limited number of emergency medicine (EM) physicians with expertise in education research. The Harvard Macy "step-back" method is an emerging model utilized to gather group feedback. Despite its use in multiple educational settings, there are little published data demonstrating effectiveness. Our objective was to create and evaluate a national faculty development session providing consultation in education research utilizing the step-back method. This was a pilot study. EM experts in education research from across the country served as facilitators for a faculty development session held at the 2018 Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors Academic Assembly. Small groups consisting of two or three facilitators and one or two participants were formed and each participant underwent a step-back consultation for their education research study. Participants wrote their study question before and after the session. After the session, facilitators and participants completed an evaluative survey consisting of multiple-choice, Likert-type, and free-response items. Descriptive statistics were reported. Qualitative analysis using a thematic approach was performed on free-response data. Participant study questions were assessed by the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) and FINER (feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant) criteria. Both scales were evaluated using a two-way random-consistency intraclass correlation. Before and after scores were evaluated with a paired t-test. Twenty-four facilitators and 13 participants completed the step-back session. Evaluations from 20 facilitators and nine participants were submitted and analyzed. Sixteen of 20 facilitators felt that the step-back method "greatly facilitated" their ability to share their education research expertise. All facilitators and participants recommended that the session be provided at a future academic assembly. Regarding suggestions for improvement, qualitative analysis revealed three major themes: praise for the session, desire for additional time, and a room set up more conducive to small group work. Seven of nine responding participants felt that the session was "very valuable" for improving the strength of their study methods. Qualitative analysis regarding change in study as a result of the step-back session yielded four major themes: refinement of study question, more specific outcomes and measurements, improvement in study design, and greater understanding of study limitations. Both FINER and PICO scale comparisons showed improvement pre- and postintervention (PICO 60% relative increase; FINER 16% relative increase). Neither achieved statistical significance (PICO t(5)=-1.835, p=0.126; and FINER t(5)=-1.305, p=0.249). A national-level education research consultation utilizing the step-back method was feasible to implement and highly valued by facilitators and participants. Potential positive outcomes include refinement of study question, more specific outcomes and measurements, improvement in study design, and greater understanding of limitations. These results may inform others who want to utilize this method.

The education avenue of the clinical learning environment: A pragmatic approach

Aim: This perspective is part of a series of articles that are outcomes of a consensus conference, that seek to offer a comprehensive examination of the clinical learning environment (CLE), using different academic disciplines and areas of focus termed “avenues.” The education dimensions of the CLE are discussed in detail in this perspective, along with critical linkages to the other avenues.Methods: Using iterative presentations, discussion and small group work, in October 2018, the consensus conference participants explored the education, psychological, sociocultural, diversity and inclusion, digital and architectural aspects of the CLE.Results: The education avenue of the CLE includes elements of teaching and learning such as the curriculum, clinical experiences, the assessment system, educational program governance, trainee selection, faculty development, and program evaluation and improvement. Within the educational domain, we focus on organizational and personal/social aspects of the CLE, including (1) curriculum design and deployment, including placement of trainees in clinical settings, organizational culture, practices and policies, and accreditation and regulatory requirements from the organizational domain (2) the education system, including assessment, program evaluation and organization and governance; and (3) elements from the personal and social domains, including peer-to-peer, trainee-faculty, and trainee-patient relationships that influence how and what postgraduate trainees learn, trainee selection, informal and hidden curricula, and trainees’ perceptions of their learning environment.Conclusions: We provide suggestions for further research and recommendations for addressing challenges and facilitating improvement in the educational aspects of the CLE, along with actionable practice points.