Promoting Clinical Reasoning in Undergraduate Nursing Students: Application and Evaluation of the Outcome Present State Test (OPT) Model of Clinical Reasoning

Promoting clinical reasoning in undergraduate nursing students through application of the Outcome Present State Test (OPT) Model of Clinical Reasoning, is a challenge that can be successfully managed through effective teaching-learning strategies. Empirical evidence to support teaching strategies that foster both cognitive and metacognitive skill acquisition is limited. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the development of clinical reasoning skills among nursing students through the application and evaluation of teaching-learning strategies associated with self-regulated learning and the OPT model (Pesut & Herman, 1998; 1999; Pesut, 2004). The model and self-regulated learning prompts were used to structure learning with junior level baccalaureate nursing students during a ten-week, medical-surgical clinical experience in acute care telemetry units. Data analysis revealed students effectively made gains in learning associated with the OPT model. Qualitative analysis of self-regulated learning prompt journal data revealed students made significant gains in self-observation, self-judgment, knowledge work and use of health care personnel resources during clinical experiences. Results indicated the intentional use of guided reflection coupled with structure and learning tools of the OPT model significantly enhanced clinical reasoning skill acquisition, and provided evidence for the effectiveness of structured teaching learning strategies

Reciprocal peer coaching: A constructivist methodology for enhancing formative assessment strategy in tertiary education

Reciprocal peer coaching (RPC) as a form of peer-assisted learning has an important part to play in formative assessment strategy. The primary objective of this article is to evaluate the effective use of RPC as a formative assessment strategy. A multi-method phenomenological research design was employed using purposive sampling. Seventy students completed a qualitative focused questionnaire survey asking them to reflect on their experiences of reciprocal peer-coaching relationships. Content analysis of student perceptions resulted in the emergence of key themes including; RPC relationship process, the learning process and cognitive skills development. Powerful learning gains were reported by participants, and were characteristic of a successful RPC relationships. Overall the RPC relationship can greatly enhance deep level learning and aid the transfer of theory into practice to inform academic debate on the use of constructivist methodology for enhancing the use of formative assessment strategy within undergraduate business education

Collaborative trails in e-learning environments

This deliverable focuses on collaboration within groups of learners, and hence collaborative trails. We begin by reviewing the theoretical background to collaborative learning and looking at the kinds of support that computers can give to groups of learners working collaboratively, and then look more deeply at some of the issues in designing environments to support collaborative learning trails and at tools and techniques, including collaborative filtering, that can be used for analysing collaborative trails. We then review the state-of-the-art in supporting collaborative learning in three different areas – experimental academic systems, systems using mobile technology (which are also generally academic), and commercially available systems. The final part of the deliverable presents three scenarios that show where technology that supports groups working collaboratively and producing collaborative trails may be heading in the near future

Developing the scales on evaluation beliefs of student teachers

The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to investigate the validity and the reliability of a newly developed questionnaire named ‘Teacher Evaluation Beliefs’ (TEB). The framework for developing items was provided by the two models. The first model focuses on Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered beliefs about evaluation while the other centers on five dimensions (what/ who/ when/ why/ how). The validity and reliability of the new instrument was investigated using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis study (n=446). Overall results indicate that the two-factor structure is more reasonable than the five-factor one. Further research needs additional items about the latent dimensions “what” ”who” ”when” ”why” “how” for each existing factor based on Student-centered and Teacher-centered approaches

Metacognitive Writing Strategies for Emerging Dancer-Scholars: Uncovering Supportive Links Between Academic Writing and Choreographic Processes

Canadian graduate programs in Dance at the Masters level frequently accept students with long professional careers in dance but limited academic background in writing essays. Writing term papers, with perhaps only dim memories of high school writing instruction to draw from, can pose challenging experiences for such emerging dancer-scholars. While long standing metacognitive reading strategies are commonly available to assist those new to graduate studies with interpreting their academic readings, no comparable metacognitive writing strategies appear in the literature to support an academic writing process. However, metacognition theory regarding the role of affect in monitoring and controlling ones progress through the completion of a task offers potential applications to support academic writing. Furthermore, re-imagining academic writing as an experience deeply informed by affect resonates with recent research into articulating the affective or felt sense understanding of ones creative processes in composing a choreographic work. Investigating connections between how dancers process composition tasks in the two disciplines revealed metacognitive processing parallels. The findings implied several considerations for designing a writing pedagogy specific to the needs of emerging dancer-scholars. This dissertation research with graduate dance students in Canada and the US incorporated ethnographic and educational action research approaches for identifying, addressing and documenting participants perceived essay writing problems. Initial group workshops prepared the participants for individual Case Study research sessions, which were characterized by practice-led research/research-led practice methods of generating, developing, performing and theorizing. The research investigated the howness of each participants writing process across a series of analytical writing assignments. Participants and I collaborated in uncovering the focus and potential structure for each paper using visual-spatial-dialoguing techniques. Participants expressed affective experiences during these video- or audio-taped sessions and in emailed reflections. Their gestural and verbal metaphors generated metacognitive knowledge about the source of writing frustrations versus the support provided by using familiar processing techniques from their choreographic practices. Their retrospective analyses demonstrated the participants metacognitive evolution from personal awareness to co- and self-regulated learning about the characteristic processing traits underlying their writing and choreographic practices. A comparative analysis of three Case Studies suggested metacognitive writing strategies for supporting emerging dancer-scholars

SciTech News Volume 71, No. 2 (2017)

Columns and Reports From the Editor 3 Division News Science-Technology Division 5 Chemistry Division 8 Engineering Division 9 Aerospace Section of the Engineering Division 12 Architecture, Building Engineering, Construction and Design Section of the Engineering Division 14 Reviews Sci-Tech Book News Reviews 16 Advertisements IEEE

Promoting reflective interactions in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment

International audienceEngaging in reflective activities in interaction, such as explaining, justifying and evaluating problem solutions, has been shown to be potentially productive for learning. Here we address the problem of how these activities may be promoted in the context of computer-mediated communication with respect to a modelling task in physics. We present the design principles of two different communication interfaces. The first allows free text to be exchanged, and the second structures the interaction by providing a restricted set of communicative acts. Comparative analyses of interaction corpora produced with the two communication interfaces are then described. The analyses show that use of the second structured interface in performing the problem-solving task is feasible for students, and that it promotes a taskfocussed and reflective interaction. In conclusion we discuss the different resources provided by different media and the relative degrees of effort that their use requires

Science and Technology Governance and Ethics - A Global Perspective from Europe, India and China

This book analyzes the possibilities for effective global governance of science in Europe, India and China. Authors from the three regions join forces to explore how ethical concerns over new technologies can be incorporated into global science and technology policies. The first chapter introduces the topic, offering a global perspective on embedding ethics in science and technology policy. Chapter Two compares the institutionalization of ethical debates in science, technology and innovation policy in three important regions: Europe, India and China. The third chapter explores public perceptions of science and technology in these same three regions. Chapter Four discusses public engagement in the governance of science and technology, and Chapter Five reviews science and technology governance and European values. The sixth chapter describes and analyzes values demonstrated in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Chapter Seven describes emerging evidence from India on the uses of science and technology for socio-economic development, and the quest for inclusive growth. In Chapter Eight, the authors propose a comparative framework for studying global ethics in science and technology. The following three chapters offer case studies and analysis of three emerging industries in India, China and Europe: new food technologies, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Chapter 12 gathers all these threads for a comprehensive discussion on incorporating ethics into science and technology policy. The analysis is undertaken against the backdrop of different value systems and varying levels of public perception of risks and benefits. The book introduces a common analytical framework for the comparative discussion of ethics at the international level. The authors offer policy recommendations for effective collaboration among the three regions, to promote responsible governance in science and technology and a common analytical perspective in ethics

Autonomous learning through task-based instruction in fully online language courses

This study investigated the affordances for autonomous learning in a fully online learning environment involving the implementation of task-based instruction in conjunction with Web 2.0 technologies. To that end, four-skill-integrated tasks and digital tools were incorporated into the coursework. Data were collected using midterm reflections, post-surveys and final interviews from two online elementary language courses. The results indicate that the types of tasks and digital tools utilized fostered learner autonomy in different ways. Structured tasks enabled students to work independently to create content, whereas open-ended tasks allowed them more freedom in exploring the understanding of a particular topic through social interaction. Significantly, teacher scaffolding through modeling and timely feedback affected student self-regulated efforts in online learning. The study concludes that personal commitment to the coursework and cognitive engagement with the learning material contributed to the degree of learning autonomy and the level of social interaction in fully online language learning

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AS A FACILITATOR OF SELF-REGULATION IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

This study examined 56 middle school students' self-reflections and self-regulatory behavioral development in a project-based learning experience. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected providing a more comprehensive evaluation of 1) students' perceptions of their self-regulatory behaviors in the project-based learning experience and 2) both the teacher's and students' perceptions of what aspects of the project-based learning experience were beneficial in facilitating students' self-regulatory behaviors. The overall findings in this study suggest that students had success in using metacognitive processes to self-monitor the development of their self-regulatory skills. The self-monitoring process was a deliberate approach used to teach students to self-identify their weaknesses and strengths in terms of three self-regulatory skills: learning strategy use, goal setting and time management. These skills are instrumental in students' achieving success by independently completing a project. The outcomes of the study imply that students need scaffolding support in project-based learning in order to facilitate the development of self-regulatory skills. As students completed the social studies class project, they required careful guidance to learn to sift through and to synthesize information from a variety of resources. It was important to design a collaborative learning environment where students were encouraged to share in the decision-making process of the project outcomes and the curriculum. Students used the Student Weekly Reflection Form (SWRF) to engage in self-reflection throughout the project. NUD*IST N6 was used to quantify and analyze the data obtained from the SWRF. Students' pre- and post-test scores on the Goal Orientation Index (GOI) (Atman, 1986) showed a significant increase in the Reflecting and Planning Subscales at the .01 level of significance using a one-tailed t-test. The Bandura Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning Scale (as cited in Pajares and Urdan, 2006) was used to measure students' perceptions of their self-regulatory abilities to complete goals. There was no significant difference between the students' pre- and post-test scores as measured by a one-tailed t-test.This study adds to existing social cognitive understanding. In order for students to identify and develop self-regulatory skills in this project, they first had to experience the opportunity to participate as managers in their own learning