Wide Range Of Learners Research Articles

Clipper: Online Joint Client Sampling and Power Allocation for Wireless Federated Learning

Communication overhead is a main bottleneck in federated learning (FL) especially in the wireless environment due to the limited data rate and unstable radio channels. The communication challenge necessitates holistic selection of participating clients that accounts for both the computation needs and communication cost, as well as judicious allocation of the limited transmission resource. Meanwhile, the random unpredictable nature of both the training data samples and the communication channels requires an online optimization approach that adapts to the changing system state over time. In this work, we consider a general framework of online joint client sampling and power allocation for wireless FL under time-varying communication channels. We formulate it as a stochastic network optimization problem that admits a Lyapunov-typed solution approach. This leads to per-training-round subproblems with a special bi-convex structure, which we leverage to propose globally optimal solutions, culminating in a meta algorithm that provides strong performance guarantees. We further study three specific FL problems covering multiple scenarios, namely with IID or non-IID data, whether robustness against data drift is required, and with unbiased or biased client sampling. We derive detailed algorithms for each of these problems. Simulation with standard classification tasks demonstrate that the proposed communication-aware algorithms outperform their counterparts under a wide range of learning and communication scenarios.

Twelve tips for optimising learning for postgraduate doctors in the operating theatre

Learning in the operating theatre forms a critical part of postgraduate medical education. Postgraduate doctors present a diverse cohort of learners with a wide range of learning needs that will vary by their level of experience and curriculum requirements. With evidence of both trainee dissatisfaction with the theatre learning experience and reduced time spent in the operating theatre, which has been exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is vital that every visit to the operating theatre is used as a learning opportunity. We have devised 12 tips aimed at both learners and surgeons to optimise learning in the operating theatre, set out into four domains: educational context, preparation, learning in theatre, feedback and reflection. These tips have been created by a process of literature review and acknowledgment of established learning theory, with further discussion amongst surgical trainees, senior surgical faculty, surgical educators and medical education faculty.

Learning in/of solitude in the context of pedagogical monoseology

The article deals with the issue of learning in/of solitude. It is a cognitive category of pedagogical monoseology, the research area of which covers two key terms: solitude and learning. Empirical research conducted in Poland on a group of 19 people on the threshold of adulthood (aged 18-25) showed a very wide range of learning in/of solitude, which not only manifests itself as coping with loneliness, but also means getting to know oneself, looking for space for self-realization in a situation of chosen solitude and silence. The reflectiveness of young adults in the period of development moratorium deserves attention. Research reveals the relationship of their learning in / of solitude with andragogic theories of adult learning, in particular with the theory of existential learning.

An Evaluation of Security in Blockchain-based Sharing of Student Records in Higher Education

Blockchain has recently taken off as a disruptive technology, from its initial use in cryptocurrencies to wider applications in areas such as property registration and insurance due to its characteristic as a distributed ledger which can remove the need for a trusted third party to facilitate transactions. This spread of the technology to new application areas has been driven by the development of smart contracts – blockchain-based protocols which can automatically enforce a contract by executing code based on the logic expressed in the contract. One exciting area for blockchain is higher education. Students in higher education are ever more mobile, and in an ever more agile world, the friction and delays caused by multiple levels of administration in higher education can cause many anxieties and hardships for students as well as potential employers who need to examine and evaluate student credentials. Distance learning as a primary platform for higher education promises to open up higher education to a wider range of learners than ever before. Blockchain-based storage of academic credentials is being widely studied due to the advantages it can bring. As with any network-based system, blockchain comes with a number of security and privacy concerns. Blockchain needs to meet several security-related requirements to be widely accepted: decentralization; confidentiality; integrity; transparency; and immutability. Researchers have been busy devising schemes to ensure that such requirements can be met in blockchain-based systems. Several types of blockchain-specific attacks have been identified: 51% attacks; malicious contracts; spam attacks; mining pools; targeted DDoS attacks; and others. Real-world attacks on blockchain-based systems have been seen on cryptocurrency sites. In this paper, we will evaluate the specific privacy and security concerns for blockchain-based systems used for academic credentials as well as suggested solutions. We also examine the issues for academic credentials which are stored “off-chain” in such systems (as is often the case). In this case, a Distributed File System (DFS) implemented with a peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture is often the choice for the storage of the academic credentials since it matches the decentralized nature of blockchain. Blockchain then contributes much to the usefulness of such a DFS, making it in turn a good match for a P2P DFS such as IPFS.

Impact of Deliberate Practice on Point-of-Care Ultrasound Interpretation of Right Ventricle Pathology.

BackgroundPoint-of-care (POC) ultrasound (POCUS) has become an essential tool in caring for critically ill patients in several specialties. Mastery in POCUS requires competency in image acquisition, image interpretation, and integration into clinical care. Deliberate practice is an effective method for performance improvement in many areas of medical education; however, it is not well described in the literature for POCUS training.ObjectiveTo analyze differences in the effect of deliberate practice in POCUS image interpretation on performance improvement in groups with varying skill levels.MethodsWe recruited attending physicians and trainees with varying degrees of expertise in POCUS to complete a 50-item educational instrument on the interpretation of right ventricle size and function. The instrument incorporated deliberate practice for the task of correctly identifying right ventricle size and function as either normal or abnormal. Pulmonary critical care trainees obtained and interpreted POCUS images of patients with diagnosed acute pulmonary embolism, which were compared with gold-standard, two-dimensional echocardiographic scans obtained by an expert technician and interpreted by a cardiologist board-certified in echocardiography. We mapped learners’ cumulative accuracy on a learning curve to assess their performance. In addition, we compared groups on the basis of prior experience with using POC echocardiography.ResultsSeventy-nine of 81 participants completed the survey and examination and were included in the analysis. Of the participants, 69 (87.3%) were trainees. The overall cumulative accuracy for the group was 72.9%. All groups demonstrated improvement in accuracy with repetitive practice.ConclusionDeliberate practice in POC echocardiograph interpretation is effective for improving performance in a wide range of learners. Further study is needed to define accuracy cutoffs for competency to help guide learning plans and program requirements and for application into a model for global POC echocardiography competence.

A Scoping Review of Animated Video’s Effect on Individual Health Knowledge

Objectives: Animated video has the potential to both educate and persuade patient audiences. This scoping review considers use of animated educational video’s effect on individual-level knowledge in order to inform its application to kidney transplant education and interest among patients and their social network. Methods: A scoping review of standalone animated video studies published before December 1, 2020, was conducted in six research databases. Results: Fifteen of 2,066 studies were included. Eight studies were RCTs. The others were pre-post and between-group designs. Studies focused on multiple health topics. Video duration spanned 2 to 16 minutes and video delivery was generally clinic-based. The majority of the publications did not report the use of a learning theory or patient input to inform video development. Significant gains in participant knowledge, including among at-risk groups, were reported in 80% of studies. Improvements in concerns, attitudes, and anxiety were also reported. Conclusion: While few studies applied standalone animated video to adult patient health education, existing research suggests that standalone animation is a powerful and efficient instructional format for a wide range of learners, with added benefit for reducing anxiety. Practice Implications: These characteristics of animation potentially could be useful to improve transplant education delivery.

Penerapan Metode Demonstrasi dalam Sistem Pembelajaran Daring Mata Pelajaran Fiqih Materi Adzan dan Iqomah Kelas II MI Ma’arif Pengempon Tahun 2020/2021

Application of the Demonstration Method in the Online Learning System for the Subject of Fiqh Azan and Iqomah Class II Mi Ma'arif Pempon Year 2020/2021” The focus of this research is: (1). How to apply the Demonstration Method in the online learning system for the fiqh subject of the call to prayer and iqomah Class IIMi Ma'arif Pempon. (2). What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the demonstration method in an online learning system? The type of research used is qualitative research. In this study, the data collection techniques used were observation, interviews and documentation. The results of the study show that 1) Implementation of Fiqh Learning on Azan and Iqomah materials using the online learning system demonstration method, there are several steps taken by the teacher including, a) making lesson plans before carrying out learning. b) in the learning process, the teacher carries out several stages consisting of preliminary, core and closing activities. The advantages and disadvantages of implementing fiqh learning using the online system demonstration method on the call to prayer and iqomah material. The advantages of this process include learning that can be done anywhere without having to go to school, children become more active, a wide range of learning can be reached by students who live in the lowlands and highlands. Weaknesses in the learning process of applying the online system demonstration method include ineffective learning, the network sometimes errors, the quota costs incurred are expensive because all use the network

Infant-toddler care in Singapore: Journey towards quality

In Singapore, early childhood care and education has evolved according to the nation’s needs since its independence in 1965. From a welfare scheme to custodial care, early childhood care and education is now recognised as a critical part of children’s learning and development. Over the years, the government has progressively implemented policies to raise the quality of early childhood care and education and while increased efforts have been effective, there is still a gap between policy and practice. This article reviews the policies and frameworks throughout the history of early childhood care and education, with a focus on infant toddler care and examines some of the alignment and gaps. It identifies two key areas for improvement – staff to child ratio and teacher quality for quality infant toddler care. In the current staff to child ratio, an ‘educarer’ oversees 5 children between 2 and 18 months. This indicates that the educarer needs to be well trained for this role to cater to a wide range of learning and developmental needs. However, the quality of teacher training has been disparate and was only harmonised in 2017. This suggests that the quality of educarers is still uneven in the sector. In terms of qualifications, educarers only need to fulfil the minimum level of teacher certification, which means that the youngest children in their most formative years are being taught and cared for by the least qualified educators ( Bull and Bautista, 2018 ). Cognisant of these issues, this article proposes recommendations to address issues of manpower allocation and teacher quality.

Non-invasive Neurophysiology in Learning and Training: Mechanisms and a SWOT Analysis.

Although many scholars deem non-invasive measures of neurophysiology to have promise in assessing learning, these measures are currently not widely applied, neither in educational settings nor in training. How can non-invasive neurophysiology provide insight into learning and how should research on this topic move forward to ensure valid applications? The current article addresses these questions by discussing the mechanisms underlying neurophysiological changes during learning followed by a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of non-invasive neurophysiology in learning and training. This type of analysis can provide a structured examination of factors relevant to the current state and future of a field. The findings of the SWOT analysis indicate that the field of neurophysiology in learning and training is developing rapidly. By leveraging the opportunities of neurophysiology in learning and training (while bearing in mind weaknesses, threats, and strengths) the field can move forward in promising directions. Suggestions for opportunities for future work are provided to ensure valid and effective application of non-invasive neurophysiology in a wide range of learning and training settings.

Pairing Teachers for Effective Co-Teaching Teams

Co-teaching provides the opportunity for two licensed professionals to share their expertise and differentiate instruction for a wide range of learners in a general education class. The authors describe four effective types of co-teaching partnerships and offer tips for pairing co-teachers.

Formatively assessing teamwork in technology-enabled twenty-first century classrooms: exploratory findings of a teamwork awareness programme in Singapore

Teamwork, one of the core competencies for the twenty-first century learner, is a critical skill for work and learning. However, assessing teamwork is complex, in particular, developing a measure of teamwork that is domain-generic and applicable across a wide range of learners. This paper documents one such study that leverages technology to help provide a formative assessment of teamwork. It focuses on the self and peer ratings of a teamwork measure and a pedagogical method, which was trialled as a teamwork awareness programme in a mainstream Secondary School in Singapore. This teamwork awareness programme was incorporated into the school’s Interdisciplinary Project Work curriculum. Findings of students’ experiences of the programme are described. The teamwork competency dimension of “team emotional support” was rated highest amongst students. Also, students’ report gains in teamwork awareness, mixed engagement in reflective practices, and on the real-world relevancy of the programme. Discussions and implications of the findings follow.

The contribution of CLIL to learners’ international orientation and EFL confidence

ABSTRACT Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has become increasingly popular all over Europe. As the target language is invariably English, many see CLIL as a way of helping learners develop an optimal command of English as a foreign language (EFL). The focus of many research studies has been on gains in language proficiency but the aims of CLIL reach well beyond this. The present study concentrates on whether CLIL also contributes to building pupils’ confidence as EFL users, well-prepared for life in an internationalised world. Specifically, it looks at the impact on two constructs: ‘EFL confidence’ and ‘international orientation’. The study was undertaken with 11 groups of 12–15-year-olds at ‘grammar’ schools (i.e. preparing for university) in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy and involved 231 pupils: 123 pupils following CLIL streams and 108 mainstream pupils. The results indicate that all pupils, both CLIL and mainstream, showed a positive development on our two variables during their first two years at grammar school. The CLIL intervention seemed to produce only a small added value. This was only a small-scale study but it highlights the need for further investigation of the impact of CLIL with a wider range of learners.

Simulation in healthcare education: is it only about money?

Editorial No musician would give a concert without having trained to perfection. No actor or actress would ever go on stage without knowing his or her role. Indeed, artist’s training is really tough! Every movement during and even every bow at the end of their performance are trained to perfection. They invest plenty of time to achieve their one and only goal: to thrill their audience. Imagine a theatre employing untrained musicians and actors! How long would this theatre survive? As in the world of art economic survival has always been also a matter of staff training, many theatres all over the world run well-equipped training facilities. So-called “rehearsal stages” provide the safe environment needed to try out new things, to gain self-confidence and to bring any performance to perfection. Training in the world of art is more than a successful concept – it is a successful culture. What about this culture in healthcare? Do healthcare systems or hospital operators provide comparable safe environments? Are today’s healthcare professionals fully enabled to train their skills before treating real patients? Are there enough facilities and programmes available to meet their needs for simulation-based skills training? And if not: Why is that? From the perspective of critically ill or perhaps even incurable persons all these questions reach a new dimension. Nowadays more and more patients rightly refuse being used as a “learning object” [1]. Using simulation as an educational tool reduces risks for patients as well as for learners, allows repeated skills training and facilitates the transfer of classroom-knowledge to real situations [2]. But simulation is not only about technical skills performance. Simulation-based training paves the way for medical crews working together as medical teams even in critical situations. Simulation has the power to sensitize all people involved in patient care to the impact of human factors on care quality. Structured approaches and tools e.g., the life-saving ‘10-seconds-for-10 minutes” principle [3] might be given a better chance to be put into daily practice by using simulation training and structured debriefing rather than using so-called “traditional” teaching methods. Although significance and benefits of simulation-based training in the wide field of healthcare education have been undisputable for decades, in some respects even for centuries [2, 4], there are still blank spots in the core curricula of medical and paramedical educational institutions. Simulation-based programmes in undergraduate education are often electives, reaching not all students. Moreover compulsory simulation-based training programmes are still very rare in postgraduate education. Nevertheless strong efforts are made all over the world to promote simulation-based training as a vital part of patient-safety-training programmes. In 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) published a Patient Safety Curriculum Guide for Medical Schools [5] followed by a Multi-professional Edition in 2011 [6]. Both documents emphasize the relevance of multiprofessional training using simulation to enhance patient safety [5, 6]. Although those responsible are mostly aware of the wide range of learning and teaching opportunities of simulation and its positive effects on patient safety, many educational institutions as well as hospital operators tend to show more hidden restraint than support. Correspondence: thomas.wegscheider@medunigraz.at Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Special Anesthesiology, Pain-and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria Clinical Skills Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

The Dynamics of the Indicators of Social Adaptation of Orphaned Children with Limited Health Abilities

Relevance of the problem being researched in this article is due to the need creating optimal conditions for successful social development and social adaptation of children regardless of the level of their psychophysical development. The article is devoted to the analysis of dynamics of indicators of social disadaptation, as well as development of the elements of social competence of orphaned children with limited health abilities in the process of implementation a coherent program which includes a model of guest form of placement orphaned children in families and a wide range of learning, educational and correctional-developing programs, the main purpose of which is preparation the students to individual life. The diagnostic results of the students of Oktyabrskaya special boarding school on the first stage reflect quite unfavourable situation marked by various manifestations of disadaptation with dominance of symptoms determining distrust in people, the rejection and anxiety towards adults, inclination to depression and annoyance as well as lack of social normativity. The final results show quite both expressed positive changes that characterize the growth of social competence and the level of social adaptation of students DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s7p155

Research on Learning in a Digitalized Environment

The fast development of computer digital technology has brought profound revolution to various fields of human life, so as the learning mode of students, which has turned digitalized and diversified. Digitalized learning applies text, audible pictures, audio, video and some other media materials comprehensively, from which, students can select the content that he or she is interested to study without restrained by time and space, to realize a diversified, multi-level self-development. Due to its characteristics of flexibility, swiftness and strong interaction, digitalized learning is favored by a wide range of learners. This article is about the research on learning mode in digitalized environment which is stated from several aspects, such as the theory foundation, general features, basic mode, and analysis of the main problems.

Designing for mobile participation in blended higher educational settings

As society is increasingly dependent on mobile technological solutions, higher education needs to be prepared for changing behaviours in terms of increasingly emerging mobile communication patterns of students and teachers. Therefore, projects that explore models of mobile participation in blended higher education settings are needed. This paper concerns the design for participation in mobile learning and in particular how participation could be designed into educational settings. Focus in the paper is the design of a university project aimed at exploring models of participation in blended learning through the use of mobile learning. The project "Mid Sweden University and Mobile Learning (MUML)" is used in the paper as an example of such design. This is argued to be of strategic value for institutions of higher education, the need to be up-to-date with the development within the mobile society. A wide range of learning about mobile learning in higher education settings were built into the project, including conducting research reviews and diverse experiences from teachers. The project included trials that were conducted in four different first-cycle programs, which then informed the planning and conducting of further trials in courses. These trials included approaches to mobile applications and devices that embraced the deployment of university-owned equipment as well as bring-your-own-device scenarios. Cumulative features were included in the design of the project with the purpose of informing the performance of features in later stages of the project. Iterations were included to create loops of different features that could help participants recycle and share their experiences. In this way the project had the intentions to explore different forms of participation.

Solutions: Chewing (on) Gum

This department showcases students' in-depth thinking and work on previously published problems. The December 2012/January 2013 hands-on exploration of the history of chewing gum appeals to a wide range of learners. It was a perfect followup to a multiplication unit that a third-grade class in Pennsylvania had just studied.

Early Childhood Education in South African Townships: Academics Accepting the Challenge to Empower Early Childhood Development Practitioners

This paper presents a descriptive study of an Early Childhood Development (ECD) intervention project, grounded in a community-based research approach that resulted in a wide range of learning and d...

Learning acoustic phonetics by listening, seeing, and touching

There is a huge volume of written textbooks available in virtually every modern field, including acoustic phonetics. However, in areas dealing with acoustics, learners often face problems and limitations when they deal with only written material and no audio or visual information. As one response to this problem, we have developed several sets of physical models of the human vocal tract and have shown that they are extremely useful for intuitive understanding. In addition, we also developed a tool called “Digital Pattern Playback.” Another solution is an online version featuring demonstrations. We are currently collecting materials, mainly in the form of sounds, for educational purposes in acoustics and phonetics and are releasing them as “Acoustic-Phonetics Demonstrations” through our Web site. These demonstrations are designed for students in linguistics, phonetics and phonology, speech pathology, audiology, psychoacoustics, speech engineering, and others. However, potential users are not limited to these groups, as we feel that a wide range of learners can obtain tremendous benefits from the demonstrations, including those who are studying foreign languages or patients undergoing speech articulation therapy. [Work partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (24501063) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.]

A Scoping Review of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Addictions Education and Training

Developing a workforce of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills to collaboratively address the public health crisis of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is critical for effectively identifying, preventing, and managing AOD conditions and their sequelae. Despite general enthusiasm for interdisciplinary education and training, little is known overall about the nature and outcomes of interdisciplinary collaboration in addictions education and training. We conducted a five-stage scoping review of the literature to provide an eight domain overview of the state of interdisciplinary collaboration in addictions education (ICAE). In our final review of 30 articles, we identified a lack of conceptual and terminological clarity around ICAE but a wide range of learners and professional collaborators in ICAE initiatives, which focused on a variety of AOD topics and used a constellation of didactic, interactive, and service-learning teaching strategies and formats. Although we found limited substantive educational or practice-oriented outcomes available for ICAE initiatives, learner and faculty feedback reflected high enthusiasm for ICAE and widespread perceptions of benefit for improved clinical care. Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of ICAE initiatives occurred at the level of the individual and the institution and ranged from pragmatic to conceptual. Emerging trends in ICAE initiatives included increased application of learning and implementation theory and extension of ICAE into research training. We conclude with recommendations to support ICAE as a new paradigm for addictions education for all health professionals.