Wings of knowledge:navigating learner confidence and cognitive load in avian radiography with a low fidelity model

In veterinary first opinion practice, radiography is an important diagnostic tool for avian patients. Teaching of such diagnostic skills to learners is usually conducted using teaching models in clinical skills laboratories. The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of using a teaching model for avian radiography positioning by measuring learner's cognitive load, confidence, satisfaction, and assessing learning by OSCE assessment. An avian radiography positioning model was created and evaluated with pre- and post-Likert questions on confidence, a pre and post 9-point cognitive load scale, an OSCE assessment (max score = 20), and post Likert questions on satisfaction. Thirty-two undergraduate veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students participated in the study. The results showed the cognitive load of participants was high and did not change with the use of a physical model (p = .882). Participants exhibited increased confidence in avian radiography positioning (pre; M = 2, post; M = 4, p < .001) and expressed high overall satisfaction with the model (x̄ = 4.6, no negative or neutral Likert responses). The OSCE results demonstrated a higher pass rate mean (82%) for the positioning tasks compared to the collimation and centering tasks (53%). Overall, the model was well received by learners with increased confidence and a satisfactory learning experience in a clinical skill for exotics species. These findings suggest the avian radiography positioning model is an effective model to train students to position avian patients for radiography

Exploring spatial ability in veterinary students and the relationship to teaching methods

Anatomy is the foundation to most medical disciplines, and a sound understanding is required to underpin many aspects ranging from routine physical examination to complex surgical procedures. For qualified veterinary surgeons, anatomy knowledge is pivotal. The vast number of species dealt with, along with the fact that immediately after graduation veterinary graduates are permitted as a ‘Day One’ competency to perform surgical procedures further emphasises the necessity for strong anatomy knowledge. Anatomy by its very nature is a spatial subject; the human or animal body lives in a three-dimensional space and is, in itself, three-dimensional. It requires the mental manipulation of complex structures and an understanding of their topographical relationships. This spatially demanding aspect of anatomy is challenging to veterinary students, yet, despite the importance of the subject and the known challenges of learning anatomy, limited studies have researched the possible relationship of spatial ability to anatomy learning in veterinary medical students. The overall aim of this project was to investigate the possible relationship of spatial ability to the learning of anatomy, and the influence of different teaching methods on this learning in first-year veterinary medical students. Three well-validated tests of spatial ability (Card Rotation Test, Mental Rotation Test, and Surface Development Test) were given to four cohorts of undergraduate first-year students. Of the four cohorts, two cohorts were first-year veterinary medical students from the same academic institution but different academic year (University of Edinburgh first-year veterinary medical students cohort 1 (UoE Vet 1) and cohort 2 (UoE Vet 2)), one cohort of first-year veterinary medical students from a different academic institution to allow for between academic institution comparisons (University of Bristol first-year veterinary medical students (UoB Vet)), and lastly, one control cohort of first-year students studying psychology (University of Edinburgh first-year psychology students (UoE Psych)) to account for the re-test effect. All four cohorts were given the exact same spatial ability tests at the start of the academic year and 15-16 weeks later. The cohorts UoE Vet 1 and UoE Vet 2 additionally received a two-dimensional teaching method and a novel three-dimensional spatial teaching method respectively, and scores on an in-course spatial MCQ assessment and their end-of-course examinations were collected for comparison. The first study of this project aimed to investigate the baseline spatial ability of veterinary students to assess how consistent this ability is within one academic institution (UoE Vet 1 and UoE Vet 2), across institutions (UoB Vet), and to a control cohort of students who do not learn anatomy (UoE Psych). The second study compared a two-dimensional teaching method (UoE Vet 1) to a novel teaching method purposefully designed to teach anatomy spatially (UoE Vet 2), with the aim of improving anatomy knowledge and understanding. The third study involved the design and validation of a multiple choice question (MCQ) assessment to examine anatomy knowledge spatially and non-spatially and examined whether teaching spatially impacted on performance on the MCQ (UoE Vet 1 and UoE Vet 2). The fourth study investigated whether spatial ability improved in students who learn anatomy from two academic institutions (UoE Vet 1, UoE Vet 2, and UoB Vet) to a control cohort of psychology students (UoE Psych) who do not learn anatomy to account for the re-test effect observed with spatial ability tests. The fourth study also investigated whether the novel spatial teaching method had any additional significant impact on spatial ability improvement. The fifth study of this project qualitatively analysed student views and experiences of anatomy learning, the MCQ assessment, and spatial ability to provide a more in-depth qualitative insight (UoE Vet 1 and UoE Vet 2). The novel results of this project are as follows. An understanding that spatial ability appears to be relatively consistent across first-year veterinary medical students from the same academic institution and two different institutions (UoE Vet 1, UoE Vet 2, and UoB Vet) (p > 0.05). Comparison of spatial ability test scores of veterinary students to a control group of psychology students showed veterinary students scored higher on the Surface Development Test and exhibited a ceiling effect (OR = 1.85 – 1.69, p £ 0.004). The Mental Rotation Test exhibited gender differences with males scoring higher than females (p < 0.01) except for the UoB Vet cohort. The UoE Psych cohort exhibited a gender difference for all three spatial ability tests (p < 0.05). No statistical differences were observed for the demographic parameters handedness or age for each cohort. The successful design and delivery of a novel spatial teaching method resulted in improved student experience and improved anatomy test scores for short answer questions (OR = 1.18, p = 0.040) and an in-course oral exam (OR = 1.26, p = 0.005) compared to a two-dimensional teaching method. While the two-dimensional teaching method showed improved scores for interpretation style questions (OR = 1.35, p < 0.001) and in-course workbooks documenting dissection practicals (OR = 1.44, p < 0.001). The successful design of a novel MCQ containing items testing anatomy spatially, with the MCQ significantly predicting student performances on end-of-course examinations (OR 0.86 – 1.09, p < 0.05), and thus providing useful formative information to students on their progress. Student spatial ability scores for cohorts UoE Vet 2 and UoB Vet improved for the Card Rotation Test (RR = 1.05, p = 0.049 and RR = 1.06, p = 0.047, respectively). No improvement in spatial ability test scores was identified with the Mental Rotation Test for all four cohorts (p > 0.389). While cohorts UoE Vet 1 and 2 exhibited improvement for the Surface Development Test (OR = 1.46, p = 0.014 and OR = 1.86, p < 0.001, respectively). Overall indicating the 3D spatial teaching method improved spatial ability more than the 2D teaching method for the Card Rotation Test and Surface Development Test. However, post-hoc Tukey analysis directly comparing the post test scores of the two teaching methods identified no statistically significant differences. Further research should be carried out to investigate the 3D spatial teaching methods effect to improve spatial ability. The last novel finding of this project is the first identification and proposal, through student views and experiences, that spatial thinking is a threshold concept for anatomy learning. Overall, this research makes a novel contribution to veterinary anatomy education by exploring spatial ability in first-year veterinary medical students and relating it to their learning of anatomy both quantitatively and qualitatively. As one of the first detailed investigations into this aspect of cognitive ability in the context of Veterinary Medical Education, this work highlights the potential for this area of research to provide valuable insights into veterinary students learning and furthermore to inform curriculum and assessment development accordingly

Contextual influences on social enterprise management in rural and urban communities

The idea that difference exists between rural and urban enterprise activity is not new, the obvious comparators are measures such as social architecture, resource availability and accessibility. However, when the concept and practice of management in social enterprise is compared in these two contexts then there is opportunity to further our understanding of the contextual challenges encountered by social enterprise. In this paper six cases studies are compared and analysed: three cases are urban social enterprises and three classified as remote rural social enterprises. The urban cases are social enterprises located around Glasgow in the west of Scotland and are compared with three remote rural location studies, one on the Scottish mainland peninsula, the other in northern Scotland and the final case on a Scottish western island. We conclude that the main differences between remote rural and urban management of social enterprise are heavily nuanced by in-migration levels in both rural and urban locations, leadership and community needs and therefore deserving of context relevant policy

Leadership-Focused Coaching in Action: An Approach to Continuous Improvement and Supporting Public Schools

This article details the efforts of one program’s collaborative efforts toward continuous improvement and strengthening partnerships with local school districts using Leadership-Focused Coaching, a research-based model for principal preparation programs. Practical experiences and lessons learned from the ongoing online program improvement and redesign initiative are shared. In advance of two accreditation visits, data and feedback were gathered from partner districts, recent graduates, current students, and employers, which helped to identify ways in which the program could better prepare instructional leaders. This article describes the efforts, successes, setbacks, and future plans of a group of professors working to improve a program while preparing for accreditation visits and strengthening district partnerships. Résumé Cet article détaille les efforts d’un programme spécifique de collaboration afin d’assurer une amélioration continue et un renforcement des partenariats avec des districts scolaires locaux au moyen du Leadership-Focused Coaching (coaching axé sur le leadership), lequel est un modèle basé sur la recherche pour les programmes visant à mieux former les directeurs d'école. Cet article partage les expériences et les leçons pratiques tirées d’une initiative en cours qui consiste à améliorer et reconcevoir le programme en ligne dont il est question dans l’article. Avant deux visites d'accréditation, des données et des commentaires ont été recueillis auprès de districts partenaires, de diplômés récents, d’étudiants actuels et d’employeurs, ce qui a permis d’identifier les moyens par lesquels le programme pourrait mieux préparer les leaders pédagogiques. En somme, cet article décrit les efforts, les succès, les revers et les projets d'un groupe de professeurs travaillant à l'amélioration d’un programme tout en se préparant aux visites d’accréditation et en renforçant les partenariats avec les districts. Keywords / Mots clés : leadership preparation, university-school partnerships, leadership field experience, leadership-focused coaching, leadership mentoring / préparation au leadership, partenariats université-école, expérience de terrain en matière de leadership, coaching axé sur le leadership, mentorat en matière de leadershi

Emergence of Professional Identities of Novice Emirati Teachers

This article explores the emergence of Emirati novice teachers’ professional identity from a socio-cultural viewpoint where influences on identity are sourced internally through beliefs, attitudes, values and dispositions and externally through factors such as roles and responsibilities. Empirical data collected through individual and group interviews and analysed using content analysis, highlights both challenges and emergence of professional identity from point of graduation through to the end of the first year of teaching. The results show that influences on professional identity relate to challenges of raising learner outcomes in relation to delivery of the curriculum, managing the self in multiple contexts, and participating in school-based communities of practice. Teaching science and mathematics in English raises queries of ‘self’ as a teacher. Novice teachers’ emerging professional identity emphasises the ethics of teaching in the UAE

COVID-19 and shortened integrated clinical experiences: impacts on acute care confidence and interpersonal communication

Purpose: Many doctor of physical therapy (DPT) programs limited student clinical experiences, including integrated clinical experiences (ICEs), in 2020 due to the restrictions of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, without knowing how the abbreviated clinical exposure would influence student perceptions of psychomotor and interpersonal communication skill development. The purpose of this study was to determine if fewer ICEs resulted in a difference in acute care confidence or interpersonal communication skills for DPT students. Methods: Two cohorts of DPT students completed surveys aimed to measure acute care confidence (Acute Care Confidence Survey [ACCS]) and interpersonal communication skills (Interpersonal Communication Questionnaire [ICQ]) pre- and post- ICE. Students in one of the cohorts completed half of their second ICE experience because of unexpected curricular changes, effectively decreasing their ICEs by 25%. Data was analyzed using paired t-tests and two-way repeated measures ANOVAs. Results: There was a significant interaction on ACCS and ICQ by time. Students gained an average of approximately 440 points on the ACCS and 4.9 points on the ICQ over the course of both ICEs. However, there was not a statistically significant difference between cohort and either acute care confidence or interpersonal communication. Conclusion: Curricular changes resulting in fewer ICEs did not appear to significantly influence student confidence in the acute care environment or with interpersonal communication skills. Students gained self-confidence in acute care practice and improved communication skills when involved in hands-on ICEs. These improvements were not seen during portions of the curriculum that did not involve inpatient experiences

'I just need to know what they are and if you can help me': Medicalization and the search for legitimacy in people diagnosed with non-epileptic attack disorder

This paper focuses on the struggles for legitimacy expressed by people with non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD), one of the most common manifestations of functional neurological disorder presenting to emergency and secondary care services. Nonepileptic attacks are episodes of altered experience, awareness, and reduced self-control that superficially resemble epileptic seizures or other paroxysmal disorders but are not associated with physiological abnormalities sufficient to explain the semiological features. "Organic" or medicalized explanations are frequently sought by patients as the only legitimate explanation for symptoms, and consequently, a diagnosis of NEAD is often contested. Drawing on narrative interviews with patients from a small exploratory study and using a sociological perspective, we propose that a psychological account of NEAD does not provide a sufficiently legitimate path into a socially sanctioned sick role. This is a reflection of the dominance of biomedicine and the associated processes of medicalization. These processes are, we argue, the sole route to achieving legitimacy. The stress-based or psychologically oriented explanations offered to patients in contemporary medical models of the etiology of NEAD engender an uncertain identity and social position and fail to provide many patients with an account of the nature or origin of their symptoms that they find satisfactory or convincing. These struggles for legitimacy (shared by others with functional or somatoform conditions) are sharpened by key features of the contemporary healthcare landscape, such as the increasing framing of health through a lens of 'responsibilization'. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.