Universities In Norway Research Articles

How Motivation for Undergraduate Physics Interacts With Learning Activities in a System With Built‐In Autonomy

ABSTRACTSupporting student participation and learning in STEM involves motivating students to engage in the most effective learning activities. In this article, we study how student motivation interacts with learning activities, and we pay special attention to active learning and the Scandinavian context where participation in learning activities is largely voluntary. Twenty‐one undergraduate physics students at a large, research‐intensive university in Norway participated in nine focus group interviews at the beginning and end of the spring term of 2020. With self‐determination theory as a lens, our thematic analysis resulted in three themes: First, students' autonomous motivation came from mastery experiences and perceived learning, such as the joy of solving a problem. Second, active learning activities enabled students' autonomous motivation when these activities supported competence, for example through optimal challenge or with evident learning gains. In contrast, students experienced low or controlled motivation when excessive challenge and lack of mastery threatened their sense of competence. Third, students' sense of competence was strengthened by being part of a community of learners. The community ensured that help and mastery experiences were available, and interactions with the community made evident that other students struggle too. The emphasis on mastery and competence for these students is discussed considering how physics is associated with difficulty and extraordinary cleverness. We argue that the main threat for students who do not feel competent enough in physics is the threat of not belonging in physics due to this perceived lack of competence. Implications for teaching and research are discussed.

Signs and symptoms in hospitalized children and adolescents' triggering nurses' awareness – A qualitative study across Denmark and Norway

BackgroundAssessment of signs and symptoms in hospitalized children presents unique challenges due to the children's age-related differences, such as vital signs and the broad range of medical conditions that affects children. Early detection of clinical changes in children is crucial to prevent deterioration, and while standardized tools exist, there is a growing recognition of the need to consider subjective factors based on experienced nurses' knowledge and intuition. ObjectiveTo explore which signs and symptoms, apart from vital signs, that trigger nurses' concern regarding deterioration of hospitalized children and adolescents. DesignThis study used a descriptive qualitative design. SettingsThe study was conducted at three pediatric departments in Denmark and a nursing department of a university in Norway, offering post graduate education programs for health care professions working with children and adolescents throughout Norway. ParticipantsA total sample of 29 registered nurses with varying levels of experience participated. MethodFour focus group interviews were used to collect data and analyzed with inductive content analysis approach. ResultsNurses' knowledge about children's clinical conditions is influenced by the nurses experience, their use of senses like touching the child with their hands, and the use of various approaches. Information from parents about the child's normal behavior are considered valuable. These sources of information, often difficult to verbalize, might be referred to as intuition or “gut feeling” and often guides the nurses' actions when vital signs appear normal, and nurses rely on their senses to assess the child's condition. Specific indicators triggering concern include changes in respiration, circulation, level of consciousness, and facial expressions. Challenges arise from nighttime assessments, interactions with parents, the presence of electronic devices, and children's ability to compensate. Clinical experience is a significant factor in nurses' ability to recognize changes in in the child's condition. ConclusionThis study highlights the multifaceted nature of nurses' assessments of clinical conditions in hospitalized children. Nurses draw on their experiences, intuition, and interactions with parents to complement vital signs-based assessments. Their intuition, or “gut feeling” serves as a valuable tool when vital signs do not fully capture the child's clinical status. Specific signs and symptoms that trigger nurses' concern, along with the challenges they face, contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of assessing children's clinical conditions. These findings, emphasize the role of nurses in early recognition of clinical deterioration in hospitalized children and the need for assessments that go beyond vital signs. Tweetable abstractBoth objective assessments and intuitive clinical judgment play an important role in identifying potential deterioration in pediatric patients.

Picture Your Science Educators: Through the Eyes of the Student Teachers

This study was aimed to examine and compare the opinions of science teachers studying at undergraduate and master levels in Norway and Turkey towards their instructors. 22 students studying in science fields at a state university in Norway and 28 students studying in science fields at a state university in Turkey participated in the research. The students participating in the research were selected on the basis of a easily accessible sample. Research data was collected using a structured interview form consisting of 5 open-ended questions that questioned students' opinions about the instructors. The data obtained at the end of the research was analyzed using content analysis and descriptive analysis methods. Considering the findings, the themes of student opinions were obtained: 21st century skills of the science instructors, methods and techniques they use in the classroom, the effects of the science instructors on themselves, what I would do if I were a science educator, and role modeling. While some of the participating students in Turkey found the lecturers inadequate in terms of 21st Century skills, most of the students in Norway found the lecturers sufficient. While student teachers in Turkey emphasized that science instructors ' interaction and communication with students and a strong academic infrastructure are important, participants in Norway pointed out that science instructors have positive effects that contribute to being a good teacher. However, participating students in both groups stated that more traditional teaching methods were used in the classroom. It was determined that students had negative opinions as well as positive opinions. The two most important components of the university learning environment that are meaningful to each other are students and science instructors. Therefore, it is thought that more qualified teaching activities will be realized if science instructors care about what students think about them

Learning and achieving basic mental health competence in placement studies with the support of a tool: A qualitative study of student nurses’ experiences

BackgroundLearning basic mental health care competence is often challenging for the bachelor of science student nurses, and many lack basic mental health care competence to ensure safe and confident mental health care practice. Mental health assessment is an integrated part of this competence. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore and describe in depth how student nurses experience learning and achieving basic mental health competence while on mental health placement with the support of a learning tool. DesignAn explorative and descriptive qualitative design was conducted to gain insight on how student nurses experienced learning basic mental health competence when on placement. SettingA diversity of mental health placement settings in which student nurses were involved with patient care or welfare were approached; general psychiatric wards (n = 2), psychiatric ward for elderly people (n = 1), community mental health in-patient facilities (n = 2) and unconventional placements in the community (n = 9). Unconventional placements are a diversity of non-clinical service contexts. ParticipantsThe participants comprised student nurses in their 3rd and final year while on mental health placement. Potential participants received information from course coordinators, the online learning platform, and from teachers in plenary. Using purposive sampling, 14 student nurses were recruited. MethodsIndividual semi-structured interviews were conducted online and in person at two campuses of one university in Norway between August 2020 and December 2021. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed as described by Braun and Clarke. ResultsStudents expressed insecurity in a new clinical context. They engaged in new learning situations and realized the diversity of nursing practice. Unconventional placements were described as challenging contexts for learning basic mental health care competence. ConclusionsThis qualitative study provided insight into how student nurses experience learning mental health assessment, and gaining relational, communicative, and ethical competence while on placement. Students revealed their insecurities and challenges in learning in a new context. Awareness of clinical learning opportunities on placement when preparing student nurses to learn basic mental health competence may help improve their confidence.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Suicidal Thinking in Adolescents by Derivation and Validation in 3 Independent Worldwide Cohorts: Algorithm Development and Validation Study.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents and is associated with clusters of suicides. Despite numerous studies on this preventable cause of death, the focus has primarily been on single nations and traditional statistical methods. This study aims to develop a predictive model for adolescent suicidal thinking using multinational data sets and machine learning (ML). We used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey with 566,875 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years and conducted external validation using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey with 103,874 adolescents and Norway's University National General Survey with 19,574 adolescents. Several tree-based ML models were developed, and feature importance and Shapley additive explanations values were analyzed to identify risk factors for adolescent suicidal thinking. When trained on the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data from South Korea with a 95% CI, the XGBoost model reported an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 90.06% (95% CI 89.97-90.16), displaying superior performance compared to other models. For external validation using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from the United States and the University National General Survey from Norway, the XGBoost model achieved AUROCs of 83.09% and 81.27%, respectively. Across all data sets, XGBoost consistently outperformed the other models with the highest AUROC score, and was selected as the optimal model. In terms of predictors of suicidal thinking, feelings of sadness and despair were the most influential, accounting for 57.4% of the impact, followed by stress status at 19.8%. This was followed by age (5.7%), household income (4%), academic achievement (3.4%), sex (2.1%), and others, which contributed less than 2% each. This study used ML by integrating diverse data sets from 3 countries to address adolescent suicide. The findings highlight the important role of emotional health indicators in predicting suicidal thinking among adolescents. Specifically, sadness and despair were identified as the most significant predictors, followed by stressful conditions and age. These findings emphasize the critical need for early diagnosis and prevention of mental health issues during adolescence.

Exploring the relationship between the learning environment and bullying: PLS-SEM evidence from Norwegian higher education

AbstractIncreasing awareness of the consequences of bullying leads to efforts to address deficiencies in the learning environments in which bullying occurs. This study explored factors that determine the learning environment and their influence on bullying experiences at two universities in Norway. The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 438 students. Students’ perceptions of various learning environment variables were correlated with their experiences of various negative behaviours and victimisation using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that students’ perceptions of the universities’ general learning environments are inversely associated with various negative behaviour constructs and victimisation, and the results are notable among bachelor students and married and cohabiting people. The study shows that an improvement, mainly in the universities’ general learning environment, relative to the validated variables, would reduce the occurrence and experience of bullying.

Assessment patterns in teacher education programmes: content analysis of course syllabi

Given the crucial role that teacher education programmes play in developing teacher-students’ assessment literacy, this study investigates all the course syllabi (n = 278) in primary and secondary-school teacher education programmes offered by three universities in Norway. This study aimed at identifying: 1) the assessment patterns, 2) the relationship between coursework and examination assessment within the course syllabi, and 3) the similarities (or differences) of assessment in teacher education programmes. The results showed a large variation in assessment patterns, especially in the two categories of coursework and examinations. A large percentage of the course syllabi required a form of written, and to a lesser degree, oral assessment. The results did not show a statistically significant relationship between the two modes of assessment in the course syllabi, i.e. coursework and examination assessments. Further, the course syllabi in the three universities were not similar in many assessment-related categories. Our study reveals that formative assessment patterns are rare, and approaches to train teacher-students in developing assessment literacy for future school practices might be missing.

Language practices in the tension between scholarly prestige and institutional power: a study of negotiations between English and Norwegian at a university in Norway

ABSTRACT This article explores the tensions between the use of English and Norwegian in the everyday lives of employees at a public university in Norway. The university is responsible for educating a large proportion of students for the Norwegian labour market, while also pursuing greater internationalisation. The qualitative interview study includes the voices of researchers with both international and Norwegian backgrounds, administrative staff, and department leaders. In the article, we analyse how language practices are negotiated in the institution, and how language functions as a device for inclusion or exclusion. We have identified three key domains in which language is activated as an inclusion/exclusion device: first, in the onboarding phase; secondly, when navigating bilingual workplaces; and thirdly, while participating in the life of the university as a societal institution. We find that both scientific and administrative staff navigate according to practical concerns, aiming to balance different and sometimes conflicting interests. Our analysis shows how maintaining bilingualism requires work and effort by everyone involved and that this work and its consequences are largely individualised. While academic prestige and power are associated with the use of English, Norwegian skills can function as a gatekeeper to positions of power within the university.

Business students’ attitudes towards mathematics and performance in business mathematics: A case study of a Norwegian business school

Mathematical abilities and skills are useful knowledge for success in economic administrative studies. This article focuses on business students’ attitudes towards mathematics, their mathematical pathway in upper secondary school, and achievement in the compulsory course in business mathematics. The sample is from a survey of 260 business students from a university in Norway. The analysis is based on the framework of the attitudes towards mathematic inventory (ATMI). By comparing mean values this paper displays a strong link between students’ selection of mathematical level in secondary school and their performance in business mathematics. This result is confirmed by using a linear regression model. However, by bringing in ATMI in the model this article shows there is no longer any significant correlation between choices regarding mathematics in upper secondary school and achievement in business mathematics. Nor did gender or grade point average from high school have any significant effect. Only elements included in ATMI (self-confidence and motivation) had a significant effect. The reason is probably that it is not the students’ selection of mathematical level in secondary school, but their attitudes towards mathematics, that can explain success in business mathematics.

Exploring scientific writing as part of a learning model for interprofessional higher health education – A qualitative study

This study investigated how students in interprofessional higher education experienced learning with a model including essay writing and perceived the effect on their learning outcomes. The study occurred at an institute with two interprofessional programs at a university in Norway. Students gained new knowledge or new understandings when their theoretical knowledge and clinical experiences intersected in essay form. Common themes were 1) learning benefits and learning models, 2) benefits of interprofessional collaboration, and 3) Organisations, developments, and changes in writing processes When participating in the study programme based on the developed learning model the students felt both their theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding were deepened. Essays gave students opportunities to formulate their own personal ideas, new understandings, new patterns of practice and deeper knowledge, particularly when writing in groups. Experience-based knowledge has been legitimated by the students who discovered the good interaction between theory and practice. We concluded that the model requires good virtual platforms for the groups to function optimally and that essay writing can give students in higher education the opportunity to formulate their ideas in a more personal way. The interprofessional collaboration, in essay writing, was perceived as both rewarding, challenging, but also a reflective learning process for the students.

Kroppsøvingslæreres credo - deres refleksjoner i lys av van Manens begrep om pedagogisk takt

The article examines what teachers, who are students in further education, teacher specialists in physical education, write in their pedagogic creed reflections related to what they are passionate about, and believe in, in their professional practice. The study is part of a larger follow-up research at a University in Norway, and the material used in this article are texts written in connection with a work requirement added to the start of studies in autumn 2019. The texts, from 12 informants, have been interpreted in the light of van Manen's concept pedagogical tact. Key findings are that the physical education teachers are particularly concerned with their students, and the importance of seeing the individual student, as well as being a role model for them. We have also seen that the creed texts often contain a political ideological language, and a less personal, authentic language, and that many of the pedagogic creeds express their own interests and traditional discourses in the subject.

Academic nurses' transition across an academic career: A qualitative study.

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of nurse academics' experiences with the transition from clinical practice to academia and throughout their whole career trajectory. Qualitative study design. Three focus group interviews with 17 nurse academics employed at a University in Norway were conducted in May and June 2020. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Nurse academics experienced several diverse career transitions that continued throughout their whole career trajectory, affecting their daily life. Three interconnected themes were identified: 'clinically confident, yet academically uncertain', 'balancing the academic role' and 'lost in academic transition'. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of nurse academics' experiences of transitioning into their academic role and identity. Transition was found not as separate occurrences but was described as several ongoing and concurrent processes throughout their whole career trajectory regardless of seniority level or academic experience. These transitions encompass shifts in identity, new responsibilities and increased tasks, yet often occur without adequate support. As a result, nurse academics may lack the essential skills and knowledge of the academic role. This study provides insights into nurse academics' transition from clinical practice to academia and throughout their whole career trajectory. This is not a one-time occurrence but a continuous process that takes place throughout their entire career trajectory. This transition is embedded within a complex environment that requires careful consideration and attention. To address challenges regarding career transitions for nurse academics, universities should provide more training and preparation opportunities for all nurse academics when facing different career transitions. Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. No patient or public contribution.

Health Care and Social Work Students' Experiences With a Virtual Reality Simulation Learning Activity: Qualitative Study.

Virtual reality is used to an increasing extent in various fields and is now making inroads into health and social education. Virtual reality simulation can provide a safe and controlled environment for students to practice and master skills that are transferable to real-world situations without putting patients, clients, or themselves at risk of any harm. Virtual reality simulation using 360° videos represents a novel approach to simulation in health care and social work education, and this inspired our interest in exploring students' experiences with such a learning activity. The aim of this study was to explore occupational therapy, social education, nursing, and social work students' experiences with virtual reality simulation as a learning activity in an interdisciplinary subject. The data were collected through 6 semistructured focus groups with 28 students. We conducted the focus groups after the students from the 4 education programs had participated in the virtual reality simulation at 3 campuses at a specialized university in Norway. Each focus group interview was facilitated by 1 moderator and 1 facilitator, a combination of experienced researchers and novices. We followed a qualitative design using the 6-step thematic analysis described by Braun and Clarke. The analysis revealed 3 overall themes for students' experiences with the virtual reality simulation. The first theme, 360° videos provide observations for individual learning, illustrates how learning can take place through the students' experiences with sensory inputs and observations from the 360° videos. Students experienced that the video enabled them to individually reflect and achieve learning from what was considered a clinically relevant video. The second theme, 360° videos activate emotional learning, demonstrates how the students experienced emotional engagement when watching the 360° videos. The degree of realism provided in the video was considered as important for the students' learning. The last theme, Debrief sessions enhance comprehensive learning, pinpoints how the students experienced learning through reflective discussions with other students after watching the 360° videos. Students claimed this process to be a vital part of the learning activity. Virtual reality simulation represents a promising learning activity to enhance the professional learning of health care and social work students. It offers opportunities for individualized learning through observations, and it also engages students emotionally in the learning process. The combination of 360° videos and group discussions in virtual reality appears promising to enhance professional learning outcomes and competence, which may contribute to improved health care and social work services.

The Nature of Bullying in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Students’ Experiences in Ghana and Norway

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to identify the negative behaviors that constitute bullying in higher education as reported by students, and (b) to explore differences in student experiences in two markedly different national contexts. A sample of 1,189 respondents from two universities in Ghana (n = 751) and two universities in Norway (n = 438) answered the same questionnaire. Approximately 40% of the Ghanaian students and 20% of the Norwegian students responded that they had been bullied. Although less frequently observed than in Ghana, relational forms of bullying (e.g., being excluded) were more prevalent in Norway compared to other behaviors. In contrast, direct and verbal forms of bullying, such as name-calling and being taunted, were most common in Ghana. The findings provide insights into cultural and national variations with respect to negative social behaviors related to bullying in the context of higher education.

Charting the motivation, self-efficacy beliefs, language learning strategies, and achievement of multilingual university students learning Arabic as a foreign language

Research on the relationship between students’ language learning motivation (LLM), language learning strategies (LLS), self-efficacy beliefs (SEB), and achievement in non-European languages has been both limited and overwhelmingly cross-sectional, often with little attention paid to their multilingualism. Combining complex dynamic systems and sociocultural perspectives, this article reports on a study that explored changes in the LLM, LLS, and SEB trajectories of two multilingual students taking Arabic at a university in Norway over two semesters, including how these trajectories, alongside their multilingual competence, related to their achievement in the course. Data were gathered through weekly semi-structured interviews and a rating scale-based log that the participants kept of their LLM and SEB, as well as their exam scores over two semesters. The results indicated that, although their LLS remained fairly consistent or grew more diversified, the participants were not completely successful in maintaining or boosting their LLM, SEB, or achievement. However, the use of more varied digital LLS appeared to prevent their LLM and SEB from further weakening. Moreover, participants’ LLM and SEB trajectories were susceptible to changes based on different timescales in that mesogenetic events had a more pronounced effect on one participant while the other was more sensitive to microgenetic events. Finally, despite both participants being multilingual, they were unable to benefit from their multilingual competence past the first semester, indicating that not all manifestations of multilingual competence are useful over time, especially when such competence does not contain a multilingual morphosyntactic awareness component.

Norsk Omstilling i høyere utdanning som retorisk praksis – en fortolkende kritikk av tillit og agency

On a winter morning a questionnaire pops up in the inbox of the 1700 staff members at one of the new universities in Norway. Now everyone is supposed to answer questions about the work envi-ronment joining what is called an ‘ARK-survey’. It has been two mer-ges of institutions and a period of accreditation to get the status as university since the last time the staff was asked about the work envi-ronment. “The leader at my unit always acts honestly toward me” one of the questions sounds, expecting you to answer on a scale from 1 to 5. How to answer? The article constitutes an interpretative rhetorical criticism of a cluster of texts that prepared the institution for the sur-vey, the texts that formed the survey and selected texts that were pre-sented to the university board after the survey. The questions we seek to answer concern the rhetorical practices: What forms of rhetorical agency that are to be found? How do the texts and transactions reflect trust between leaders and employees? And how does the ARK-survey as a discursive tool impact a university in transformation?

Student teachers’ experience of participating in a research and development project in Norway

This study investigates student teachers’ experience of participating in a research and development project named Learning, Assessment and Boundary-crossing in Teacher Education (LAB-TEd). LAB-TEd is a tripartite collaboration project between student teachers, practice teachers and university teachers from two universities in Norway. Framed by cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), participatory data analysis workshops, known as Change Laboratories, have been used to ensure the relevance of the student teachers’ thesis work for professional development, and to uncover obstacles and barriers to change. Recent research highlights that teachers are typical participants in Change Laboratories implemented in teacher education and schools. There are few studies that highlight student teachers as participants in such interventions, and this may indicate that this is a field of research that is important to investigate. The purpose of the article is to provide insight about how student teachers’ experience participating in a research and development project grounded in CHAT. The data material consists of qualitative interviews with 34 student teachers. Findings from this study indicate that student teachers experienced a development journey by participating in the project. The following are the main findings from the study: The student teachers experienced that their own drive and motivation went from self-interest as the driving force for participation, to a more collective understanding. The student teachers first experienced tripartite collaboration as non-existent, later to become tripartite collaboration. The student teachers experienced how their role in the project’s tripartite collaboration developed from serving as a communication link between university and school, to becoming an actual participant. The student teachers also experienced how their role in Change Laboratories changed from being voiceless participants to becoming more equal partners in the project. The discussion elaborates on the development journey that the participants experienced.

The effectiveness of the Conversation Analytic Role-Play Method (CARM) on interactional awareness: A feasibility randomized controlled trial with student teachers

This study tested the effectiveness of communication skills training intervention CARM (Conversation Analytic Role-play Method) on student teachers at a university in Norway. A feasibility randomized controlled trial (n = 41) found significant positive effects (d = 1.09) of the intervention on interactional awareness. Qualitative and quantitative results from an acceptability and satisfaction questionnaire revealed that the CARM training proves to be a highly appropriate training method in teacher education. This study shows how communication skills training may be implemented and evaluated using controlled experimental designs, and highlights some of the challenges and limitations of RCTs in educational research.

Caught in the Middle—Experiences of Student Peer Mentors in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study

The use of digital and remote teaching has expanded in higher education and reached a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the social component of the learning process may increase students’ isolation, loneliness, and dropout rates. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of student peer mentors who participated in a mentoring program that was implemented to increase student well-being and prevent dropping out among first-year Bachelor of Nursing students at a university in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven semi-structured interviews were carried out with student peer mentors. Using a thematic analysis, four themes were identified: being someone who can ease the transition, defining roles and boundaries, developing communication strategies, and developing their own professional competence. Knowing how difficult the transition to higher education was and being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic made it challenging for the mentors to set boundaries. It was also challenging to develop effective ways to communicate with the first-year students. Being a mentor was considered beneficial for developing professional skills such as empathy and communication and to gain self-confidence. There is a need for more knowledge about how to support mentors in clarifying the peer mentoring role, setting boundaries, and coping with the emotional labor involved in peer mentoring.

Gamification of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for simulation training—a feasibility study

BackgroundTraining prehospital personnel in identifying patients with acute stroke is key to providing rapid treatment. This study aimed to investigate whether game-based digital simulation training is a feasible alternative to standard in-person simulation training.MethodsSecond-year paramedic bachelor students at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway were invited to participate in a study to compare game-based digital simulation (intervention) to standard in-person training (control). For 2 months, students were encouraged to practice the NIHSS, and both groups logged their simulations. Then, they performed a clinical proficiency test, and their results were assessed using a Bland-Altman plot with corresponding 95% limits of agreement (LoA).ResultsFifty students participated in the study. Individuals in the game group (n = 23) spent an average (SD) of 42:36 min (36) on gaming and performed 14.4 (13) simulations on average, whereas the control group (n = 27) spent 9:28 min (8) simulating and performed 2.5 (1) simulations. Comparing time variables collected during the intervention period, the mean time for each simulated assessment was significantly shorter in the game group (2:57 min vs. 3:50 min, p = 0.004). In the final clinical proficiency test, the mean difference from the true NIHSS score was 0.64 (LoA: − 1.38 to 2.67) in the game group and 0.69 (LoA: − 1.65 to 3.02) in the control group.ConclusionGame-based digital simulation training is a feasible alternative to standard in-person simulation training to acquire competence in NIHSS assessment. Gamification seemed to give an incentive to simulate considerably more and to perform the assessment faster, with equal accuracy.Trial registrationThe study was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (reference no. 543238).