Monitoring Conceptual Development: Design Considerations of a Formative Feedback tool

This paper presents the design considerations of a tool aiming at providing formative feedback. The tool uses Latent Semantic Analysis, to automatically generate reference models and provide learners a means to compare their conceptual development against these models. The design of the tool considers a theoretical background which combines research on expertise development, knowledge creation, and conceptual development assessment. The paper also illustrates how the tool will work using a problem and solution scenario, and presents initial validations results. Finally the paper draws conclusions and future work

Design of e-Teaching Portfolio System Framework for e-Tutor Competency Management

In e-learning, tutors support learners through their understanding of e-learning environments as well as their knowledge of the subjects under their charge, and also play the role of preventing the dropout of learners. Therefore, measures to manage efficient competency of tutors are necessary. Whereas e-portfolios are made from the viewpoint of learner's learning, e-teaching portfolios are made from the viewpoint of the activities of teachers including tutors. Although there have been discussions about the roles and competency of tutors, thus far, the presentation of concrete items to be managed in the system is insufficient, and discussions about e-teaching portfolio systems are insufficient. In this study, attempts were made to define the items of tutor competency necessary for systematic management of tutors’ competency in e-teaching portfolio systems. In results, tutor information, tutors’ personal history, and tutor competency were presented as areas that constitute e-teaching portfolios. The competencies that must be possessed by tutors in e-learning were also presented from the viewpoints of knowledge (e.g., e-learning, teaching-learning, etc.), skills (e.g., ICT literacy, LMS, etc.), and attitudes (e.g., responsibility, positive attitudes, etc.). The results of the present study will provide implications when e-teaching portfolio systems are designed for tutor competency management in e-learning

A Developmental Perspective on College & Workplace Readiness

Reviews research on and identifies the physical, psychological, social, cognitive, and spiritual competencies high school graduates need to transition into college, the workplace, and adulthood. Includes strategies for meeting disadvantaged youths' needs

Workshop 07. Developing approaches to professionalism in medical students

Since the inception of our medical school seven years ago we have noticed that despite undergraduate medical students having an awareness that doctors have expected professional behaviours they have not always appreciated how professional behaviour applies to medical students. Professionalism issues have arisen both within and outside the medical school. This has been particularly evident during the introduction three years ago of peer physical examination as a means for students to acquire physical examination skills.We have been able to address these issues in several ways - At an institutional level we have both been closely involved with supporting tutors and students as issues have arisen. Challenges that have arisen have informed tutor training –helping tutors to feel empowered to deal with issues themselves. Professionalism issues are addressed in staff development sessions covering acceptable behaviours and tutors are encouraged to draw on each other for advice. For example, we involved our tutors in the development of a session which involves case vignettes around appropriate behaviour in physical examination sessions. We have developed a highly effective process of peer observation within the tutor group. Existing tutors mentor new tutors. We are proud to have developed a group of experienced clinician tutors with diverse views who have collective ownership of the teaching process. On a practical level we have raised the ‘professionalism’ thread in the students’ learning experience – via lectures, written material and discussions. For example, one of the first lectures given to the first year students focuses on professionalism and its relevance to them within both clinical and non-clinical teaching sessions and also outside the medical school. One area that continues to challenge both students and tutors is that of cultural diversity and how this sits alongside expected professional behaviours

P16. Introducing Peer Physical Examination

We are a new medical school (now into our eighth year) and until the 2008/09 academic year our Year One and Two students acquiredphysical examination skills by examining healthy volunteers. The Year One cohort in 2008/09 were the first to acquire these skills using Peer Physical Examination (PPE), performing the examinations on each other, and this was rolled out to involve all Year One and Twostudents this academic year.Introducing PPE involved a culture shift within the medical school, training of existing and new tutors and revisions to our written studyguide material.Over the past eighteen months we have overcome several practical and ideological challenges during the introduction of PPE as a teaching method.Our poster explains our teaching methods, the challenges encountered and the pragmatic ways in which we have navigated a course through these challenges at both an individual and organisational level. We are now able to give much clearer guidance to students and tutors with the benefit of what we have learntover the past 18 months

P15. Employing students' multilingualism and language diversity in teaching and learning

Before our innovative clinical skills session ‘Interpreting in Consultations’, we conducted an annual survey of languages spoken by students on admission, in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Froma response rate of 94% we noted that 28% of students are advanced/fluent speakers of language(s) other than English and a total of 48 languages are spoken.The session, ‘Interpreting in Consultations’, involves first and second year students who speak the same language other than English, role-playing an ‘interpreted’ consultation.Feedback from tutors and students following the session shows that using different languages serves multiple, valuable purposes, highlighting:• issues encountered with interpreters• challenges of ‘medical’ language• difficulties in transmitting a patient centred approach• how linguistic and cultural sensitivities are lost in translation.Student linguistic diversity is considerable and not used to its full potential: the single clinical skills session we report suggests there is much more to be gained. The education we design and delivermay fail to recognise what patient-centred-ness means in different languages and cultures.Future research should: consider how to make best use of multiculturalism and linguistic diversity; explore how students’ awareness of, and competence in, different languages and culturescan be developed and maintained

Comprehensive institutional self-study: for the Middle States Associations of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education, February 2, 2010

Includes Appendices to the Report

The Role of e-Tutor Competencies in Postgraduate e-Learning Courses: Spotlight on Emotion Management

[EN] The role of e-learning in the existing and challenging educational era is crucial. However, it is necessary to overcome some drawbacks such as feelings of isolation and a lack of emotional contact. In this sense, emotion management is a key driver of student satisfaction in e-learning, which is significantly related to students' motivation, learning, cognitive strategies, self-regulation, and personality antecedents in the classroom. This article examines an online postgraduate course in financial statements auditing, describing the resources used by the e-tutor to conduct affective tutorials, reduce students' feelings of isolation, increase student involvement, and achieve success in e-learning. The results of a survey administered to 125 students over the period 2015 to 2020 indicate that students who receive emotional support have higher levels of satisfaction with the course in terms of all satisfaction indicators. In addition, female e-learning students are more satisfied with intensive e-tutor monitoring overall but are less gratified by non-face-to-face e-tools. Our study responds to the calls in the 2021-2027 Digital Education Action Plan to improve and reset education and training for the digital ageBustos-Contell, E.; Porcuna-Enguix, L.; Serrano-Madrid, J.; Labatut-Serer, G. (2021). The Role of e-Tutor Competencies in Postgraduate e-Learning Courses: Spotlight on Emotion Management. Sustainability. 13(17):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179716S113131

P06. Clinical Reasoning in Medicine: Developing Students' metacognitive skills

This poster outlines the introduction of formal Clinical Reasoning Skills sessions - initially a Student Selected Component (SSC) - as compulsory sessions in the core second year curriculum. Observations of 4th and 5th Year students’ performances in live examinations and student feedback indicated that, despite having excellent core communication skills, students struggled with the skills needed for effective analytical thinking when faced with complex diagnostic challenges.A three week SSC was designed around current research introducing students to the concepts underpinning the process of clinical reasoning. This SSC is founded on experiential practice where students analyse their thought processes and hypothetico-deductive reasoning governing the choices and conclusions reached whilst interviewing patients. All sessions are conducted in small interactive groups with experienced simulated patients and academic clinician tutors. Student feedback was extremely positive; all students felt these sessions must become part of the core undergraduate curriculum. The iterative processes required for developing higher order thinking skills in students are described

The evolution of mathematics support: a literature review

Mathematics support, the provision of additional learning opportunities to, primarily, non- mathematics specialist undergraduates has grown significantly since the early 1990s, particularly in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Alongside the growth in volume of provision, there has been a marked increase in the amount of research and scholarship relating to mathematics support that has been carried out and disseminated. This paper reviews this literature and in doing so identifies areas in which mathematics support has evolved. This evolution has taken place in response to a range of crucial changes in the external policy and general environment and, in particular, in response to the changing nature of the so-called ‘Mathematics Problem’. Key themes that emerge from the literature review, which are explored in detail, are the characteristics of students who engage with mathematics support and reasons why others do not; the role of the mathematics support tutor, who undertakes the tutoring task and how they are trained; the positioning of mathematics support within higher education structures; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of mathematics support