Technical Skills Training Research Articles

Identifying competencies for future graphic design graduates in Malaysia: A Delphi study

Traditionally, graphic design (GD) education focuses on the training of technical production skills to prepare graduates for entry-level employment. However, due to the new challenges and the expanding opportunities of emerging practices, GD graduates are expected to master a wide range of additional competencies beyond traditional scope. The study aims to identify the competencies required by future GD graduates in the context of Malaysia. A two-round modified Delphi technique was used to gain consensus from a panel of experts consisted of design educators and industry practitioners regarding the competencies needed by the graduates for effective work performance. A total of 108 competencies were generated. All accepted competencies were ranked ‘very important’ and ‘extremely important’ by at least 75 percent of the respondents in Round Two. These competencies could be classified into 29 subdomains under five components, i.e., cognitive competence, functional competence, personal competence, ethical competence, and meta-competencies. The findings of this study are useful for enhancing the education and employability of graphic designers as they provide a common vocabulary to relevant stakeholders about the standards of performance for new entrants to the GD profession.

Is COVID-19 threatening electoral democracy in Uganda? Readiness to accept “scientific voting” (electronic voting) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the readiness of Ugandans to accept electronic voting under the restrictive conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA semi-structured questionnaire, built on a five-point-Likert scale with responses ranging from 1 – strongly disagree to 5 – strongly agree was used to get quantifiable data from four main electoral stakeholders i.e. the policymakers, urban and semi-urban youth, rural voters and government officials. These stakeholders were purposively and conveniently selected because of the influential roles they play in promoting electoral democracy in Uganda. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the authors adopted correlational and quantitative research designs to collect and analyse data. Data was collected from a maximum sample size of 384 as recommended by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) from which 252 useful responses (65.6% response rate) were obtained. Using a statistical package for social scientists version 21.0, the authors performed a Pearson correlation coefficient to determine the relationships between study variables and linear regression analysis to predict the readiness of the stakeholders to accept e-voting more especially under the constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThere was a positive significant relationship between perceived usefulness (PU) and attitude towards adoption, perceived ease of use and attitude towards adoption, attitude and readiness and finally trust propensity and readiness. The regression results show that 65% of the variations in readiness to adopt e-voting can be explained by perceived ease of use, PU, trust propensity and attitude towards adoption. Attitude towards adopting e-voting accounts for the highest variations in the model followed by trust propensity and finally PU. However, perceived ease of use was found to be insignificant.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was limited to only PU, perceived ease of use, trust propensity, attitudes towards using/adoption and readiness to accept e-voting amidst the COVID-19 strict conditions. In Africa, electoral democracy can be influenced by a number of factors such as finances, education levels, sectarianism, voter rigging, perceived risk, political and economic environment. These were not taken into consideration yet they would affect the stakeholders’ attitudes and perceptions which would directly or indirectly affect the adoption of electronic voting.Practical implicationsGiven the low levels of technology infrastructure in the country, there is a general low uptake of technology-oriented systems. The internet reach is low and quality is poor whilst the radio and televisions network is limited to a few urban settings, poor quality technology systems such as the recently acquired voter biometric systems and the constant government actions to switch off the internet and social media whenever there are contentious political issues. These inadequacies together with the restrictive COVID-19 conditions have compromised the participation of stakeholders which dents the stakeholders’ readiness to accept e-voting which consequently compromises electoral democracy in the country. Therefore, government, electoral observers, the international community and civil society organizations need to accelerate the technology infrastructure development in the country, training and development of technical skills and competences, as well as mass mobilization on the use of technology-oriented platforms aimed at promoting electoral democracy. The country should come up with ICT policies and regulations that encourage the use of ICT in areas that promote democracy. These may include; the use of an easy e-voting system such as emails and voting via the post office. Also, Lawmakers, civil society organizations and the international community should make it punitive for anyone who disenfranchises people through internet disconnection, denial of access to broadcast, print and online media. These interventions will restore peoples’ attitudes and perceptions towards electronic voting, consequently increasing their levels of participation in the electioneering process.Originality/valueThe Ministry of Health, the Uganda Police Force and other security agencies have come out strongly to enforce the COVID-19 standard operating procedures which among others include the banning of political gatherings, processions and meetings of any kind. As a remedy, the Electoral Commission is encouraging political parties, electoral candidates, voters and other stakeholders to use technology-oriented systems such as mobile phones, broadcast and print media, the internet and others to reach out to the electorate. With the government in full control of all these electronic, print and broadcast media, having previously switched them off during the 2011 and 2016 polls consequently disenfranchising many people from their democratic rights, it remains unknown the extent to which the electorate is ready to accept and appreciate scientific voting more so during this time when restrictions against COVID-19 are not making it any better for the voters and other key participants to carry out their political and civil activities.

Can youth empowerment programs reduce violence against girls during the COVID-19 pandemic?

This paper shows that a youth empowerment program in Bolivia reduced the reported prevalence of violence against girls during the COVID-19 lockdown. The program offered training in soft skills and technical skills, sexual education, mentoring and job-finding assistance. To measure the effects of the program, the study conducted a randomized control trial with 600 vulnerable adolescents. Results indicate that 7 months after its completion, the program increased girls’ earnings and decreased violence against girls. Violence was measured with both direct self-report questions and list experiments. These findings suggest that multi-faceted empowerment programs can reduce the level of violence experienced by young women during high-risk periods.

Using Qualitative System Dynamics Analysis to Promote Inclusive Livestock Value Chains: A Case Study of the South African Broiler Value Chain.

Livestock value chains globally are increasingly dualistic, with integrated market-leaders co-existing with comparatively disadvantaged small producers who, nevertheless, support rural livelihoods and food access, and can also contribute to more resilient supply chains. The South African broiler value chain provides a highly illustrative case study. The purpose of this study is to identify potential leverage points for policy intervention to support small and emerging producers in the South African broiler value chain, and to discuss the strengths and limitations of system dynamics approaches to promote inclusive food value chains. This study develops a causal loop diagram (CLD) based on semi-structured stakeholder interviews and policy documents. The main challenges, key variables and causal relationships between them are systematically identified. Variables are coded, generalised and graphically represented, and entry points for intervention and their links to existing policies are mapped. The challenges faced by smallholders in the context of our study can be characterised, using a CLD, as a set of interlinked and reinforcing dynamics which perpetuate existing disadvantages and reinforce duality in the value chain. Key policy entry points have been identified that could be targeted by a coordinated policy package, including: Direct support for infrastructure investment and input access through grants, subsidies or other policies; credit and liquidity provision for day-to-day expenses; creation of aggregation mechanisms for both inputs and outputs; regulations or initiatives that directly target the relationship of farmers with the commercial segment to improve access to day-old-chicks and, finally, training in business and technical skills. Although most of these interventions have been addressed at some point, implementation has been fragmented, failing to fully consider their complementary nature, thus undermining effectiveness. Existing approaches to consensus building and stakeholder participation in system dynamics research can present challenges when it comes to engaging with complex policy processes and issues of conflict of interest that are relevant in the context of smallholder promotion and equitable food systems, but there are promising avenues for addressing. Despite some methodological challenges, we find that there is considerable scope for system dynamics approaches to inform policy for smallholder promotion, even in contexts characterised by complex policy processes.

Enhancing Maritime Crew Resource Management Training by Applying Resilience Engineering: A Case Study of the Bachelor Maritime Officer Training Programme in Rotterdam

This paper sets out to enhance current Maritime Crew Resource Management (MCRM) training, and with that to improve the training of technical and non-technical skills given to bachelor maritime officers. The rationale for CRM training is improving safety performance by reducing accidents caused by human error. The central notion of CRM training is that applying good resource management principles during day-to-day operations will lead to a beneficial change in attitudes and behaviour regarding safety. This article therefore indicates that enhanced MCRM should play a more structural role in the training of student officers. However, the key question is: what are the required changes in attitude and behaviour that will create sufficient adaptability to improve safety performance? To provide an answer, we introduce the Resilience Engineering (RE) theory. From an RE point of view, we elaborate on the relation between team adaptability and safety performance, operationalized as a competence profile. In addition, a case study of the ‘Rotterdam Approach’ will be presented, in which the MCRM training design has been enhanced with RE, with the objective to train team adaptability skills for improved safety performance.

Building a Display Field Leader: SKL's Journey

Building a Display Field Leader: SKL's Journey

On The Inheritance of Traditional Culture and the Cultivation of Artisan Spirit in Vocational Education

There is a fundamental difference between vocational education and General Education. Vocational Education produces students who are mainly hands on, who want to create products, and who want to be used by consumers, the so-called training goal of high quality, that is to say, the training of talents in the need to have the professional spirit must attach importance to the “craftsman spirit” training, only technical skills training is not enough. But in the way of “craftsman spirit” cultivation, we still have to rely on the inheritance of traditional culture, which is the root of the Chinese nation and has advocated “craftsman spirit” since history, therefore, the cultivation of the “craftsman spirit” in the vocational education must rely on the inheritance of traditional culture, must combine the two tightly, and must be to cultivate the “craftsman spirit” of the students in the lifeline of inheriting the excellent traditional culture of China, only in this way can the “craftsman spirit” developed in the vocational education students take root and grow in the fertile soil of traditional culture.

The Past, Present and Future of Surgical Education in Ireland

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) was founded primarily to advance the standards of surgical training and surgical practice in Ireland. Over the course of almost 240 years, the College evolved as a comprehensive University of Medicine and Health Sciences, delivering education not only in Surgery but also in Medicine, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy and Nursing. RCSI today has a large global footprint and runs healthcare education programmes in several international locations. The College works in close collaboration with the other surgical Royal Colleges in Great Britain and the four colleges have a common surgical curriculum. RCSI recognises the increasing challenges facing traditional surgical training models and therefore has developed structured education programmes to support the conventional apprenticeship model. Surgical training in Ireland includes comprehensive training in both technical (operative) skills and non-technical (human factors) skills. RCSI is committed to the integration of simulation in surgical training and has invested heavily in state-of-the-art simulation facilities and in next-generation education technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and Artificial Intelligence-based educational technologies. Formal surgical training programmes in Ireland are complemented by a range of Masters programmes in Surgical Science and Practice and also Human Factors in Patient Safety.

Digital Transformation: Opportunity or Threat to Employability?

This paper presents a critical analysis of the Digital Transformation’s (DT) effects on employability within organizations in Chile, providing an action reference framework for competitiveness in the field. To achieve this, a qualitative approach to the opinions of a convenience sample of executives and leaders was employed, based on semi-structured interviews, to understand how to address this type of transformation. The analysis indicates that, having long-term policies for the development of new skills in their collaborators is a critical success factor. These policies are summarized in three stages, through a reference framework for the generation of specific actions in pursuit of the development of a successful DT process. DT fosters a cultural change in the entities to generate capacities that allow them to anticipate the evolution of the market and adapt quickly to it, for which it is fundamental to promote the training of new technical and behavioral skills in collaborators, in addition to encouraging them to self-train.

Innovation in journalism educational programmes at university. A systematic review of educational experiences at Spanish universities

The journalism being taught at universities in Spain is undergoing intensive changes as a result of the dual pressure exerted by the impact of digitisation in two specific aspects. The first is the journalistic system itself (business models, professional routines, information consumption, etc.). The second aspect involves the teaching guidelines established as a result of the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Focusing on the latter issue, the current debate regarding the orientation of journalistic education is calling for this aspect not to be relegated or limited to training in technical skills, which are constantly being renewed by technological developments of the digital environment. On the contrary, journalism education must also take into account other skills that foster the achievement of critical thinking, which is fundamental for the exercise of the journalistic profession. However, in the face of an increasingly digitised, competitive labour market, journalism studies and their training programmes also have a duty to provide the skills and competencies demanded by this market. In this paper, we have conducted a systematic review of some of the experiences of innovative teaching that have been successfully carried out in Journalism degrees taught in Spain for this purpose (service-learning, project-based learning, content curation, and edublogs, among others). These experiences reflect the involvement of university professors in providing comprehensive education for future journalists, with a strong emphasis on the intensive use of the digital resources currently available.

Objective structured assessment of technical skill in temporal bone dissection: validation of a novel tool.

This study developed an assessment tool that was based on the objective structured assessment for technical skills principles, to be used for evaluation of surgical skills in cortical mastoidectomy. The objective structured assessment of technical skill is a well-established tool for evaluation of surgical ability. This study also aimed to identify the best material and printing method to make a three-dimensional printed temporal bone model. Twenty-four otolaryngologists in training were asked to perform a cortical mastoidectomy on a three-dimensional printed temporal bone (selective laser sintering resin). They were scored according to the objective structured assessment of technical skill in temporal bone dissection tool developed in this study and an already validated global rating scale. Two external assessors scored the candidates, and it was concluded that the objective structured assessment of technical skill in temporal bone dissection tool demonstrated some main aspects of validity and reliability that can be used in training and performance evaluation of technical skills in mastoid surgery. Apart from validating the new tool for temporal bone dissection training, the study showed that evolving three-dimensional printing technologies is of high value in simulation training with several advantages over traditional teaching methods.

Supporting Biomedical Research Training for Historically Underrepresented Undergraduates Using Interprofessional, Nonformal Education Structures

Research experience provides critical training for new biomedical research scientists. Students from underrepresented populations studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are increasingly recruited into research pathways to diversify STEM fields. However, support structures outside of research settings designed to help these students navigate biomedical research pathways are not always available; nor are program support components outside the context of laboratory technical skills training and formal mentorship well understood. This study leveraged a multi-institutional research training program, Enhancing Cross-Disciplinary Infrastructure and Training at Oregon (EXITO), to explore how nine institutions designed a new curricular structure (Enrichment) to meet a common goal of enhancing undergraduate research training and student success. EXITO undergraduates participated in a comprehensive, 3-year research training program with the Enrichment component offered across nine sites: three universities and six community colleges, highly diverse in size, demographics, and location. Sites’ approaches to supporting students in the training program were studied over a 30-month period. All sites independently created their own nonformal curricular structures, implemented interprofessionally via facilitated peer groups. Site data describing design and implementation were thematically coded to identify essential programmatic components across sites, with student feedback used to triangulate findings. Enrichment offered students time to critically reflect on their interests, experiences, and identities in research; network with peers and professionals; and support negotiation of hidden and implicit curricula. Students reported the low-pressure setting and student-centered curriculum balanced the high demands associated with academics and research. Core curricular themes described Enrichment as fostering a sense of community among students, exposing students to career paths and skills, and supporting development of students’ professional identities. The non-formal, interprofessional curricula enabled students to model diverse biomedical identities and pathways for each other while informing institutional structures to improve diverse undergraduate students’ success in academia and research.

Training and education of healthcare workers during viral epidemics: a systematic review

BackgroundIt is necessary to train a large number of healthcare workers (HCW) within a limited time to ensure adequate human resources during an epidemic. There remains an urgent need for...

Use of simulation-based training of surgical technical skills among ENTs: an international YO-IFOS survey.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the use of simulation-based technical skills training (SBTST) in the otolaryngology curriculum in different countries, and to explore the needs and opinions about the use of simulation among young otolaryngologists. An e-survey conducted among Young Otolaryngologists of the International Federation of Oto-rhino-laryngological Societies (Yo-IFOS) members. 139 Yo-IFOS members from 51 countries completed the survey. During residency training, 82.7% of respondents have used SBTST on cadavers, 51.8% on physical simulators, and 43.8% on virtual reality simulators. High costs (65.5%), lack of availability (49.2%) and lack of time (25.5%) were the main barriers limiting the practice of SBTST. These barriers also limited teaching using simulation. Sinonasal surgery (72.7%), temporal bone surgery (67.6%), and head/neck surgery (44.6%) were significantly more frequently taught using SBTST than suspension microlaryngoscopy (25.9%) and pediatric surgery (22.3%) (p < 0.001). The procedures rated as the most important to learn through SBTST were tracheotomy (50.4%), emergency cricothyroidotomy (48.9%), and rigid bronchoscopy (47.5%). On an analogic visual scale (0-100) for the question "how important will simulation be for future ENTs in surgical training?", the mean score was 79.5/100 (± 23.3), highlighting the positive attitude toward the use of SBTST in otorhinolaryngology training. SBTST is an attractive learning and teaching method in otorhinolaryngology, but associated costs, lack of access, and lack of time are the main barriers limiting its use. Emergency procedures are key technical skills to be learned using simulation but in some cases, lack relevant simulators for training.

Local tech mediators - a human access point to global crowdfunding platforms

ABSTRACT Despite much criticism, global digital platforms hold some promise for small-scale entrepreneurs (SSEs) in the global south. However, they are often excluded from direct participation in global initiatives, such as crowdfunding. Besides socio-cultural disparities, accessibility and adoption issues, technology usage and integration present a major challenge. To bridge those gaps we propose a workable model consisting of a local tech mediator operating on a digital platform connecting local SSE to global digital services. We have engaged a group of informal settlement SSE in Windhoek, Namibia to jointly conceptualise the roles, tasks and responsibilities of a local tech mediator, concurrently with technical skills training as well as the development of an international crowdfunding campaign. We assert that the jointly developed concepts of a local instantiation of the model as well as the co-design process have enabled us to create model, which would allow the utilisation of global digital platforms for SSEs in the global south.

Attracting Diverse Students to Field Experiences Requires Adequate Pay, Flexibility, and Inclusion.

Access to field experiences can increase participation of diverse groups in the environmental and natural resources (ENR) workforce. Despite a growing interest among the ENR community to attract and retain diverse students, minimal data exist on what factors undergraduate students prioritize when applying for field experiences. Using a nationwide survey of US undergraduate ENR students, we show that attracting most students to field experiences—especially racial or ethnic minority students—will require pay above minimum wage. However, the concurrent landscape of pay in ENR fell short of meeting many students’ pay needs. Aside from pay, ENR students valued training in technical field skills and analytical or research skills, working with their desired study species or taxa, and working near school or family. Additional barriers beyond limited pay included incompatible schedules and noninclusive work environments. Our findings provide important insights for attracting a diverse workforce to this critical stage in career advancement for students in ENR.

Changing the Status Quo: Developing a Virtual Sub-Internship in the Era of COVID-19

ProblemSubinternships are integral to medical education as tools for teaching and assessing fourth-year medical students. Social distancing due to COVID-19 has precluded the ability to offer in-person subinternships – negatively impacting medical education and creating uncertainty surrounding the residency match. With no precedent for the development and implementation of virtual subinternships, the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) developed an innovative and standardized curriculum for the Virtual Subinternship in Urology (vSIU).MethodsThe vSIU committee's mandate was to create a standardized curriculum for teaching foundational urology and assessing student performance. Thirty-three members from 23 institutions were divided into working groups and given 3 weeks to develop 10 modules based on urologic subspecialties, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies, technical skills training and student assessment. Working groups were encouraged to develop innovative learning approaches. The final curriculum was assembled into the “vSIU Guidebook.”ResultsThe vSIU Guidebook contains 212 pages – 64 pages core content and 2 appendices (patient cases and evaluations). It outlines a detailed 4-week curriculum with a sufficient volume of resources to offer a completely adaptable virtual course with the same rigor as a traditional subinternship. Modules contain curated teaching resources including journal articles, lectures, surgical videos and simulated clinical scenarios. Innovative learning tools include reflective writing, mentorship guidelines, videoconference-based didactics, surgical simulcasting and virtual technical skills training. The guidebook was disseminated to program directors nationally.Next StepsThe vSIU is the first virtual subinternship in any specialty to be standardized and offered nationally, and it was implemented by at least 19 urology programs. This curriculum serves as a template for other specialties looking to develop virtual programs and feedback from educators and students will allow the curriculum to evolve. As the pandemic continues to challenge our paradigm, this rapid and innovative response exemplifies that the medical community will continue to meet the needs of an ever-changing educational landscape.

Structured and evidence-based training of technical skills in respiratory medicine and thoracic surgery.

Within the last decade, the number of technical procedures in respiratory medicine and thoracic surgery has grown and created a higher demand for effective and evidence-based education. Today, trainees are often allowed to perform procedures unsupervised on patients after obtaining a course certificate from a theoretic course and having performed a fixed number of supervised procedures. However, these methods do not ensure adequate competence. Well-structured and effective educational programmes including validated tests are needed to reduce economic expenses, optimize time spend, and ensure patient safety. The aim of this article is to summarize current state of educational strategies for technical procedures within respiratory medicine and thoracic surgery. Thus, to discuss future recommendations for curriculum development and assessment of competences based on Kern’s framework. The approach by Kern consists of six topics, which needs to be considered and evaluated and in order to educate physicians and surgeons most effective and evidence-based. We present a practical guide contributing to future educators’ considerations on (I) problem identification and general needs assessment, (II) targeted needs assessment, (III) goals and objectives, (IV) educational strategies, (V) implementation, and finally (VI) evaluation and feedback.

Automated Vision-Based Microsurgical Skill Analysis in Neurosurgery Using Deep Learning: Development and Preclinical Validation

Technical skill acquisition is an essential component of neurosurgical training. Educational theory suggests that optimal learning and improvement in performance depends on the provision of objective feedback. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a vision-based framework based on a novel representation of surgical tool motion and interactions capable of automated and objective assessment of microsurgical skill. Videos were obtained from 1 expert, 6 intermediate, and 12 novice surgeons performing arachnoid dissection in a validated clinical model using a standard operating microscope. A mask region convolutional neural network framework was used to segment the tools present within the operative field in a recorded video frame. Tool motion analysis was achieved using novel triangulation metrics. Performance of the framework in classifying skill levels was evaluated using the area under the curve and accuracy. Objective measures of classifying the surgeons' skill level were also compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, and a value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The area under the curve was 0.977 and the accuracy was 84.21%. A number of differences were found, which included experts having a lower median dissector velocity (P= 0.0004; 190.38 ms-1 vs. 116.38 ms-1), and a smaller inter-tool tip distance (median 46.78 vs. 75.92; P=0.0002) compared with novices. Automated and objective analysis of microsurgery is feasible using a mask region convolutional neural network, and a novel tool motion and interaction representation. This may support technical skills training and assessment in neurosurgery.

Formative Assessment Activities to Advance Education: A Case Study

Aim/Purpose: During the education of future engineers and experts in the field of computer science and information communication technology, the achievement of learning outcomes related to different levels of cognitive ability and knowledge dimensions can be a challenge. Background: Teachers need to design an appropriate set of activities for students and combine theory-based knowledge acquisition with practical training in technical skills. Including various activities for formative assessment during the course can positively affect students’ motivation for learning and ensure appropriate and timely feedback that will guide students in further learning. Methodology: The aim of the research presented in this paper is to propose an approach for course delivery in the field of software engineering and to determine whether the use of the approach increases student’s academic achievement. Using the proposed approach, the course Process Modeling for undergraduate students was redesigned and experimental study was conducted. Course results of the students (N=82) who took the new version of the course (experimental group) were compared to the results of the students from the control group (N=66). Contribution: An approach for a blended learning course in the field of software engineering was developed. This approach is based on the formative assessment activities that promote collaboration and the use of digital tools. Newly designed activities are used to encourage a greater level of acquired theoretical content and enhance the acquisition of subject-specific skills needed for practical tasks. Findings: The results showed that students who participated in the formative assessment activities achieved significantly better results. They had significantly higher scores in the main components of assessment compared to the students from the control group. In addition, students from the experimental group expressed positive views about the effectiveness of the used approach. Recommendations for Practitioners: The proposed approach has potential to increase students’ motivation and academic achievements so practitioners should consider to apply it in their own context. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are encouraged to conduct additional studies to explore the effectiveness of the approach with different courses and participants as well as to provide further insights regarding its applicability and acceptance by students. Impact on Society: The paper provides an approach and an example of good practice that may be beneficial for the university teachers in the field of computer science, information-communication technology, and engineering. Future Research: In the future, face-to-face activities will be adapted for performance in an online environment. Future work will also include a research on the possibilities of personalization of activities in accordance with the students’ characteristics.