Talk Skills Research Articles

Investigating the impact of online learning platforms on student engagement and learning outcomes

With the advent of new technologies such as virtual reality (VR), educators have shown interest in using them to enhance the online learning experience. To investigate the impact of VR on students' foreign language learning outcomes and engagement, a longitudinal comparative study was conducted. This study focused on learning small talk skills with two groups, an experimental group using VR and a comparison group using Zoom. Both groups met weekly to discuss small talk skills and bonding strategies in groups and practiced small talk in pairs. The student interactions were recorded on both platforms and graded by two raters at three points during the course. Additionally, students completed an engagement survey and participated in focus group interviews. Results showed that both groups improved their small talk skills over time with no significant difference in learning gains and engagement. Participants were divided into VR enthusiasts, who appreciated the enhanced sense of presence and identity through avatars, and VR sceptics, who doubted the value and usability of VR. To continue this project, the researchers aim to further leverage the benefits of VR in international contexts to promote cross-cultural communication.

Developing effective communication skills in audiology using anonymous patient feedback

Objective To explore the value of anonymous patient feedback for audiology students, examining alignment between student and patient judgments on communication skills and assessing how students utilise the feedback. Design This study utilised a mixed methods design, employing a Likert survey to collect patient and student ratings on professionalism, compassion, and listening and talking skills in clinical encounters. Semi-structured interviews investigated the student perspective of receiving patient feedback. Study sample 13 Audiology students and 31 patients who were placed at, or received care at an Audiology teaching clinic Results Patients’ ratings across all measures were higher on average when compared to students’ self-ratings, only correlating significantly for the measure concerning students’ talking skills. Five themes and one subtheme were identified: Emotional impacts, A worthwhile experience, Contrasting priorities, Patients retake centre stage, and Self-reflective learners (subtheme Self-doubt). Conclusions This study reveals that patient feedback led student Audiologists to report heightened seriousness in their interactions and increased attention on skills vital for patient-centred care. The process boosted students’ confidence and reinforced awareness of the patient’s perspective. Further research is needed to gauge the extent of these effects and explore the feasibility of implementing a large-scale patient feedback program in audiology training settings.

Quantitative and qualitative initial validation of the accountable talk questionnaire

IntroductionAccountable Talk (AT) has been extensively studied as a tool for improving argumentation and respectful discourse. While several research tools exist for evaluating AT, as of yet there no self-report assessment tool to measure AT directly, on a large-scale basis, and without significant costs. The aim of the current study was to develop and provide initial validation for a self-report AT questionnaire (ATQ).MethodsOne hundred students aged 11–12 years participated in the study. Exploratory Factor Analysis, content validity, and test- retest reliability were assessed. 50 students were also randomly assigned to the qualitative part of the study. These students were recorded while discussing in small groups a topic provided by the experimenter (animal research). The qualitative data was coded and then correlated with the quantitative data obtained from the self-report questionnaire.ResultsThe results indicated that a 12-items questionnaire can reliably assess three separate and independent qualities of AT: accountability to a learning community, accountability to rigorous thinking, and accountability to accurate knowledge. The reliability of the ATQ was high with α = 0.80. The Test-retest reliability was assessed at two time points separated by a 3-week interval with Pearson correlation. Excellent correlations (r > 0.98) between the ATQ scores were found. The correlation coefficients between the three components of the self-reported ATQ and the observed data obtained from the group discussions were significant positive medium-high.DiscussionWe have shown that a concise 12-item questionnaire can assess the three main components of Accountable Talk within the framework of respectful discourse. The questionnaire showed good reliability and structural validity, with weak correlations between sub-topics supporting the distinction between different aspects of Accountable Talk. We suggest that the ATQ can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs aiming to improve students' acquisition of Accountable Talk skills.

Improve your skills in talking to patients about their mental health

A general practice nurse explains how taking part in research eased her fears of raising mental health issues

Evaluation of Children's Talking Skills Using Cochlear Implants According to Daily Times of Using the Implant Device

Amaç: Çocukların gelişiminde oldukça önemli olan işitsel algı yaşam boyu devam edip; İletişim becerilerinin temelini oluşturmaktadır. İşitsel algı; seslerin ve konuşmanın tanınması, anlamlandırılması ve yorumlanmasını sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışma koklear implantlı hastaların işitsel performanslarının gelişimini analiz etmek amacıyla yapıldı. Hastaların implant cihazını günlük kullanım sürelerinin, yaşı, cinsiyet ve işitsel performanslarına etkileri araştırıldı.Yöntem: Çalışmada konjenital ve prelingual dönemde işitme kaybına uğrayan ve 2 yaşından önce tek taraflı koklear implant uygulanan 60 hasta seçildi. 7, 8 ve 9 yaşında düzenli rehabilitasyon eğitimi alan hastalar işitsel performansları yönünden değerlendirildi. Değerlendirmeler yapılırken, Anlamlı İşitsel Deneyim Skalası (MAIS), Dinlemenin Gelişim Profili (LiP) ve Tek-İki-Üç Heceli Kelimeleri Tanıma Testi (MTP) kullanıldı. Cihazın günlük kullanım süreleri 0-7 saat, 8-16 saat ve 17 saat ve üzeri olarak 3 gruba ayrıldı. Yapılan testlerin sonuçları hastaların cihazı günlük kullanım sürelerine, cinsiyetlerine ve yaşlarına göre değerlendirildi.Bulgular: Lip/Mais/Mtp puanlarına göre cihaz kullanım süreleri (0-7 saat, 8-16 saat, 17 saat ve üzeri) arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık saptandı (p<0,05). Cinsiyet açısından yapılan değerlendirmede Lip/Mais/Mtp puanlarına göre kız ve erkek çocukları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı görüldü (p>0,05). Çalışmada Lip/Mais/Mtp Puanlarına göre yaş grupları (7 yaş, 8 yaş, 9 yaş) arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık saptanmadı (p>0,05).Sonuç: Koklear implant kullanıcılarının gün içerisinde implant cihazlarını daha sık kullanmaları; dinleme, sesleri fark etme, sesleri anlamayla birleştirme, kelimeleri tanıma, sese tepki gösterme, sesi ayırt etme ve sesi tanımlama becerilerine katkı sağlayıp konuşma skorlarını arttırdığı tespit edilmiştir.

Training to address vaccine hesitancy in first-year students

Aim: This study's aim was to determine if an additional educational component on pharmacy students can increase their knowledge and skill level to address vaccine hesitancy and/or refusal related to a future Covid 19 vaccine. Methods: First-year pharmacy students were given additional education beyond what they received in their Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) module, on motivational interviewing (MI). They were given a pre-and post-survey assessing their knowledge and confidence in addressing vaccine hesitancy and the application of MI. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Results: This study showed that additional motivational interviewing education had a significant impact on the student's knowledge, self-assessment of skills in talking to patients, and understanding how the skills impacted patients regarding vaccines both general and Covid-19 vaccines. Conclusion: The study’s findings indicate that additional training that focuses on motivational methods to engage patients is needed for students to be able to address vaccine hesitancy, especially when a new vaccine using different science is on the market.

Improving Experienced Mathematics Teachers’ Classroom Talk: A Visual Learning Analytics Approach to Professional Development

The professional development of experienced teachers has received considerably less attention than that of novice teachers. This study focuses on four experienced secondary mathematics teachers in Shanghai, China, with two participating in a year-long professional development program (treatment teachers) and the other two received conventional knowledge-based professional development (comparison teachers). The program introduced productive classroom talk skills which can facilitate teachers’ formative assessment of student learning during class. To encourage teachers to reflect on their classroom discourse when reviewing recordings of their teaching, we used visual learning analytics with the treatment teachers and theorized the use of this technology with activity theory. After completing the program, the treatment teachers were better able to use productive talk moves to elicit student responses and to provide timely formative feedback accordingly. Specifically, the percentage of word contributions in lessons from students and the length of their responses increased noticeably. Qualitative findings suggest that the use of visual learning analytics mediated the treatment teachers and improved classroom discourse. Based on these findings and activity theory, we provide recommendations for future use of visual learning analytics to improve teachers’ classroom talk and designing professional development activities for experienced teachers.

«Dere skal være enige med meg også!» Elevers administrering av gruppesamtaler i en periode med eksplisitt samtaleundervisning i norskfaget

I denne artikkelen undersøker jeg hvordan elever på 7. trinn administrerte gruppe­samtaler underveis i et ti uker langt undervisningsforløp med eksplisitt undervisning i samtaleferdigheter. Designet av norsktimene i denne perioden var inspirert av «Talk Lessons» fra Thinking Together-tilnærmingen (Dawes et al., 2004), som blant annet innebærer etablering av samtaleregler for å fremme utforskende gruppesamtale (eng. «exploratory talk»). Jeg analyserer samtaleadministrering i fire smågrupper ved hjelp av den konstant komparative metoden (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). Seks former for sam­taleadministrerende ytringer i materialet blir eksemplifisert og analysert med hensyn til hvilke funksjoner ytringene har i elevenes gruppesamtaler. Funnene indikerer at under­visningen stimulerte elevenes bevissthet om egen og andres samtaledeltakelse, selv om måten samtalene ble administrert på i flere tilfeller virket mekanisk. Dette tyder på at elevene var i ferd med å mestre nye kommunikative redskaper, men at disse enda ikke var fullt approprierte. Et annet funn er at gruppesamtalene var preget av et «enighets­trykk», der elevene ble opptatte av å komme raskt fram til felles svar. Dette enighets­trykket så ut til å være kontraproduktivt med tanke på at samtalereglene skulle stimulere til utforsking. Artikkelen er et bidrag til norskfagets muntlighetsdidaktikk ved at den belyser betydningen av eksplisitt samtaleundervisning. Samtidig leder også funnene til kritisk refleksjon rundt elementer ved undervisningstilnærmingen som ble prøvd ut. Nøkkelord: muntlige ferdigheter, norskfaget, mellomtrinnet, utforskende samtale, samtaleregler

The Effects of the Discipline of the Autonomous Attitude on the Talking Skills of College Students

The Effects of the Discipline of the Autonomous Attitude on the Talking Skills of College Students

Children Witnessing Domestic Violence in the Voice of Health and Social Professionals Dealing with Contrasting Gender Violence.

Witnessing domestic violence (WDV) is recognized by the Istanbul Convention as psychological abuse that has dramatic consequences on the psychophysical health of children. Therefore, professionals who form the support network for WDV victims play a very fundamental role. In order to draw up useful guidelines for services dealing with WDV, and to give children more awareness of supportive settings, this study analyzes WDV in the perception of health and welfare professionals to enhance their skills and strategies for contrasting gender violence. Sixteen Neapolitan specialists dealing with WDV children were interviewed. A theoretical intentional sampling was used. Narrative focused interviews were carried out, transcribed verbatim and analyzed through the grounded theory methodology, using the ATLAS.ti 8 software (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany). We assigned 319 codes and grouped these into 10 categories and 4 macro-categories. The analysis of the texts led to the definition of the core category as “The Crystal Fortress”. It summarizes the image of the WDV children as described by the professionals working in contrasting domestic violence. In this structure the parental roles of protection and care (fortress) are suspended and everything is extremely rigid, fragile and always at risk of a catastrophe. It also symbolizes the difficult role of health professionals in dealing with such children and their families. For WDV children, protective factors guarantee solid development and supportive settings help them to learn proper emotional responsiveness and expressiveness and to develop their skills in talking with adults while avoiding negative consequences.

ADOLESCENT’S ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR DECREASE OPPORTUNITIES AT SCHOOL

Prevalence of addictive behavior among young people is very rapid. Different preventive measures are being taken in schools to reduce addictive behavior, but often the youth age is the time when they want to experiment and self-testify using different intoxicants and often the form of organizing these preventive measures is not binding and effective for young people. The aim of the research is to reduce the addictive behavior of socio-pedagogical activity by developing social skills for young people. Research Methods: interviewing, questionnaires, mathematical processing of data. Mainly young people are starting to use addictive substances as a result of peer pressure, having problems with friends, out of curiosity, and family problems. However, the knowledge of the consequences discourages use of various intoxicating substances, the control of the parents, the fear and the fact that their friends also do not use. Skill, no, decision-making skills, critical thinking skills, skills to protect your opinion, and reasonable talk skills help refrain from using addictive substances.

Increasing substance use disorder counselors’ self-efficacy and skills in talking to patients about sex and HIV risk: A randomized training trial

BackgroundPeople with substance use disorder (SUD) experience increased risk for HIV, Hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted illnesses via risky sex. This high-risk population would benefit from sexual risk reduction interventions integrated into SUD treatment. However, many SUD counselors report lack of skill or confidence in addressing sexual risk with patients. MethodsThis study was part of a larger nested 2 × 2 factorial repeated measures design, which compared two levels of counselor training (Basic-2 h versus Enhanced-10 h plus ongoing coaching). We determined whether counselors receiving Enhanced training addressing their motivation, confidence and skills (a) increased knowledge about sexual issues; (b) increased self-efficacy to discuss sex with patients; and (c) improved skills in discussing sex as part of SUD treatment, compared with those receiving shorter information-based training. Counselors providing individual therapy at two opioid treatment programs (OTP) and two psychosocial outpatient programs in the United States were eligible. Randomization occurred after Basic training. Measures included self-report (self-efficacy and knowledge) and blinded coding of standardized patient interviews (skill). ResultsCounselors receiving Enhanced training (n = 28) showed significant improvements compared to their Basic training counterparts (n = 32) in self-efficacy, use of reflections, and use of decision-making and communication strategies with standardized patients. These improvements were maintained from post-training to 3-month follow-up. No adverse effects of study participation were reported. ConclusionsResults suggest that counselors can improve their knowledge, self-efficacy and skill related to sexual risk conversations with patients based on modest skills-based training.

Oral English Skills of Chinese University Students in Describing Their Native Culture

AbstractThis paper addresses the issue of Chinese students’ oral English skills in talking about Chinese culture from the perspective of conversation analysis. To examine their performance in this regard, group discussion data in the classroom were collected for analysis. Their oral skills in talking about Chinese New Year and Christmas, a Western festival, were analyzed and compared to determine their oral performance in describing their native culture. Comments by two native English speakers on the students’ performance are used to complement the conversation analysis. The results indicate that, compared with their performance regarding Christmas, the students were able to express a wider range of cultural connotations about Chinese New Year in English, but they used significantly fewer correct culturally-loaded words and phrases, and switched to Chinese much more frequently, suggesting unsatisfactory oral skills in describing Chinese culture.

El reto de comenzar a impartir cuidados paliativos en una facultad de medicina. ¿Es útil esta materia para los futuros médicos?

Introduction and objectiveThe teaching of palliative care has begun recently in certain universities. In our case, we have given two courses with positive outcome. We want to investigate if our students were able to acquire the necessary skills of basic palliative care and if they also appreciate the aspects of the bedside manner needed for our practice. Material and methodWe prepared a survey to be taken by fifth year medical students undertaking our palliative care course during the academic years 2003-2014 and 2014-2015. The survey was carried out before the first class was taught (pre-intervention test) and after completing the course (post-intervention test). ResultsA total of 102 students undertook the pre-intervention test and 105 the post-intervention test. The average age of the students was 23.16 years (+/- 2.25). Sixty-seven percent were female and 33% male. A total of 67 (65.6%) had no idea of the meaning of palliative care when they started the course. They associated lung cancer 95 (93%) and colon cancer 90 (88%) as the most common diseases treated by palliative care at first, and changed their opinion after taking the course. They identified doctors and nurses (100%) as the only professionals that practiced palliative care; however, they identified other professionals involved after the course. The students also acquired more theoretical knowledge on concluding the course as well as acquiring more general knowledge of palliative care. ConclusionsWe have seen an improvement in the medical knowledge that a medical student should have about palliative care. We have also seen that the students acquired a better bedside manner and better communication skills in talking to patients and their relatives.

Creating High-Frequency, Naturalistic Opportunities to Develop Small Talk Skills in EFL Classrooms

The paper is the outcome of an action research project that investigated factors that keep students from participating in classroom small talk (ST). In-class observations, surveys and students’ logs, backed by the author’s self-reflection resulted in an intervention plan which aimed to help students with their anxiety and ST apprehension. The final role plays, as well as the survey demonstrated that there was a change in how the students noticed and used the opportunities to utilize ST. Specifically, they started to see the potential of classroom talk for putting ST skills into practice. Another finding is the need to raise the students’ awareness of ST as a social and linguistic skill, to clearly establish ground rules for practising ST, and to create high-frequency, naturalistic opportunities to develop ST in class. It is argued in the paper that ST skills can be practised in the classroom beyond the purposefully designed activities, i.e. in spontaneous interactions between the teacher and the students. Such interactions may decrease the students' anxieties and reluctance to get engaged in small talk. This change would have a positive effect on their outside-the-classroom interactions in English, both in academic and work-place situations.

Exploring How Families Do Science Together: Adult‐Child Interactions at Community Science Events

Promoting family learning around science represents an important opportunity to reinforce science learning during out‐of‐school time. Evidence suggests that parent‐child discourse around science can promote inferential thinking by children and help solidify their understanding of science concepts. While teacher professional development that promotes the type of discourse that encourages student inquiry is trending, interventions that assist parents in developing the same types of learning talk skills are scarce. In this descriptive study, family discourse was observed at a series of events at community centers that promote science learning, such as the zoo and the library. These events were part of a large‐scale professional development program designed to transform teaching and learning around PK–3 science. Families were scored on their interaction, discourse, and use of “talk moves” using the Discourse, Interaction, and Inquiry in Family Science rubric. The results demonstrate that the events promoted family discourse and interaction in a manner dependent on the activity context. Implications for teachers and design of family science learning activities are discussed.

Child Abuse Syndrome (CAS): A Newly Recognized Distinct Entity.

A number of children and adolescents experience stressful events during their life spans, which can affect them both physically and emotionally. Their reactions to these events are usually time-limited, as most of these children recover without further problems. However, a child or an adolescent may experience a severe traumatic event, including situations where someone's life (especially parents’ lives) is threatened or where major injuries occur (e.g., victims or witnesses of physical/sexual abuse or of violence in the home or community, of a car accident, a natural disaster or a war event, or the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness); in these cases, the risk of developing a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) becomes more likely, and is directly related to the severity of the trauma experienced, to the likelihood of the trauma being repeated, and, when the trauma affects a child’s relative, also to the child’s relationship with the victim [1, 2]. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has recently proved that PTSD related to sexual abuse in children can manifest itself with unique clinical patterns, including specific signs and symptoms of varying degrees of intensity: losing interest in activities which normally gave them joy or pleasure, a regression to thumb-sucking, bedwetting or other age-inappropriate behaviors, also including loss of talking skills. Other leading hallmarks are the tendency to repeat some forms of behavior previously perpetrated against themselves; the development of a strong attachment to a parent or toward another reference figure; the manifestation of unusual fears regarding early death; and severe concentration problems interfering with learning or social activities. Additional potential consequences in adult life include suicidal thinking, active engagement in suicidal behavior and the onset of addictive relationships to food, alcohol or drugs [3, 4]. During the last few years, increasing evidence of the changes in brain structure and function occurring in abused children suffering from PTSD have been recorded by neuroimaging (MRI, fMRI, PECT) and neurophysiological (EEG, ERP) studies on large cohorts, mainly including changes in the frontal-limbic networks, the hippocampus and the amygdala [5, 6]. In addition, clinical and molecular geneticists have suggested and demonstrated that abused children who develop PTSD experience a biologically specific form of the disorder different from those caused by other types of trauma, including distinct genomic alterations and unique epigenetic DNA methylation profiles [7, 8]. According to this recent clinical, neuroimaging, neurophysiological, genomic and epigenetic evidence, independently reported by separate teams of researchers, we propose that, for a better and more accurate clinical and diagnostic evaluation and understanding of the clinical phenotype, the overall manifestations and symptoms caused by child abuse be regarded as a specific and distinct entity, grouped under the term of “Child Abuse Syndrome” (CAS).

On Teacher Talk From the Perspective of Dialogue Theory

In English teaching classrooms, the English language is not only the language for teaching and communication but the teaching contents and objectives. In addition, teacher talk is also the important source of learners’ English input. This is especially true in the case of China where teacher-oriented teaching still dominates the classroom; besides, students can hardly gain an access to other forms of comprehensible in put outside of the classroom since English is a foreign language. This essay tries to analyze college English teachers’ talk from the perspective of Baktin’s dialogue theory. It aims to open out the use of TT in the present classrooms and meanwhile explore the ways to improve the quality of it. The research is conducted in Henan Polytechnic University, and two research methods are adopted: case study and survey study. In the case study, six college English teachers’ classes were recorded, and the recordings were transcribed. In the survey study, the author designed one questionnaire, in which more than 150 students took part in the research. Through close analysis of the transcription, the essay elaborated such questions as feature and amount of TT, teacher’s questioning, teacher’s feedback, etc. According to the results of the analysis, the author put forward suggestions to improve the quality of TT and students’ talking skills.

Talking with patients about sex: results of an interprofessional simulation-based training for clinicians.

Sexuality is often a neglected topic in healthcare consultations. Several factors have been identified by clinicians as barriers to communication around sexuality, including lack of time, inadequate training, and personal discomfort. Within the Program to Enhance Relational and Communication Skills (PERCS), we developed a half-day interdisciplinary workshop that focuses on communication skills around sexuality and management of sexual problems with patients (PERCS-sexuality). This study reports on the efficacy of six PERCS-sexuality workshops enrolling 84 clinicians. Through a pre-post-questionnaire, participants rated their preparation, confidence, anxiety, communication and relational skills in talking with patients about sexual issues. Qualitative questions were also asked on their learning experience. The workshop increased participants' preparation (p=0.000), confidence (p=0.000), communication (p=0.000), and relational skills (p=0.000). Anxiety did not decrease. Qualitative comments focused on: Acquisition of communication and relational skills, Importance of patient's sexuality, Appreciation of group dynamics, and Personal insights. The findings suggest that PERCS-sexuality is a useful training experience to improve clinicians' attitudes and skills in addressing sexuality with patients.

Exploring children's everyday life: An examination of professional practices

In this article, we discuss an everyday life approach as a basis for professional collaboration with children in light of the present day emphasis on children's rights. Everyday life is both a theoretical concept and an object for exploration. We present approaches, results and experiences from the research project “Talk with Us” – Professional practices and children's participation. The aim of the project was to study how professional practices could be formed to support children's participation in their everyday life, as well as in professional practices. The article draws on empirical material from the child welfare field. The project has dealt with the questions of how to talk with children in professional practices, what to talk about, and why the children should be engaged verbally, aspects of professional practices which are highly intertwined. However, in both the research literature and policy documents most attention is given to the question of how one develops professional skills in talking with children. By contrast, this article focuses on the question of what, the content of the conversations. The subject of examination is of importance for illuminating the kinds of knowledge that might be generated, and important for the consequences that that knowledge can have for the services the particular child is offered, in other words, how “the case” is constituted. Knowledge of what happens in the particular child's everyday life, and how she/he makes sense of it, is crucial for the professional to be able to assist the child. Although the empirical material is from the child welfare field, we suggest that the issues discussed are relevant also for other professional contexts involving children.