Conveying troublesome concepts : using an open-space learning activity to teach mixed-methods research in the health sciences

In the past decade, there has been a groundswell of interest in the use of mixed-methods approaches to conduct research in the health sciences. However, there remains a paucity of diverse teaching materials, curricula and activities to support the continued expansion of education and innovation in mixed-methods research. Here, we report the development and evaluation of an open-space learning activity and tool to aid teaching the concept of synthesis in mixed-methods research. We detail the iterations of the teaching activity and tool as they were developed, we report student feedback, and we discuss the utility of the activity and tool for introducing the concept of synthesis in mixed-methods research within health science and related fields

Creating a Positive Classroom Environment

Creating a positive classroom environment has long been a topic of research at the kindergarten through high school levels. However, less research is available at college/university level despite evidence that suggests its importance to the successful delivery of course content. Relevant information from the Faculty Academic Orientation Manual has been summarized to provide the backdrop for two paradigms. The journalistic paradigm Who, What, When, Where, How and Why is useful for assessing the characteristics of students and the challenges they face. A more recent paradigm Situation, Purpose, Audience, and Method (SPAM) presented by Dr. Laurie Rozakis has been adapted to facilitate utilization of data from the first paradigm. The use of such background data enhances the development of a positive classroom environment. Furthermore, the flexibility inherent in both paradigms permits the instructor to extrapolate additional information on an as needed basis. The expeditious delivery of course content to a focused, goal-oriented population in a positive classroom environment is deemed desirable. The paradigms expand available choices to faculty striving to achieve that goal

Measuring Outcomes Of Students\u27 Learning Involving the Learning Modalities, Domains, Critical Thinking Skills Levels, and Right-and Left-Brain Thinking

There is no paucity of literature that relates to the learning domains, the modalities, critical thinking skills, or right- and left-brain thinking. Charts for various aspects of the preceding aspects have taken the forms of pyramids, circles, and the more conventional square or rectangle as well as bubbles and diagrams. None, however, have attempted to chart sample evaluative vocabulary that links the critical thinking skill levels to both the learning domains and the learning modalities. Textual comments indicate links between the preceding and right- and left brain thinking. The extrapolation of the sample evaluative vocabulary provides a quick reference to provide effective and valid evaluation of student learning as follows: 1. Enhance the inclusion of test items related to right- and left-brain thinking; 2. Create a stronger link between test items and learning modalities; 3. Develop a stronger link between test items and the affective domain; 4. Improve the link between test items and the cognitive and psychomotor domains; and, 5. Forge a stronger link between test items in the preceding categories and the Johnson Critical Thinking Skills Levels

Critical Thinking Skills: Building Blocks for Success

Although research has been done to identity critical thinking skills, little has been done to extrapolate a comprehensive hierarchy of critical thinking skills sets necessary to the enhancement of academic performance. The link between critical thinking skills and course specific content has not been broken nor is there evidence to indicate that a link has been forged between course specific critical thinking skills and utility in life beyond the classroom. The extrapolation of a comprehensive hierarchy of sets of critical thinking skills provides the foundation to do the following: 1. Move beyond the course-specific link; 2. Develop methods to select appropriate critical thinking skills sets that may be utilized to incorporate critical thinking into most, if not all, aspects of the curriculum; 3. Develop methods by which to evaluate the results of such endeavors; and, 4. Promote an understanding of the utility of critical thinking skills in classrooms as well as electronically delivered courses

A survey of methods and techniques used in teaching typewriting to the one-handed typist

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Choosing Your Philosophical Slat

The development of nursing knowledge and history of nursing as a profession began with Florence Nightingale who served in the Crimean War by caring for the wounded in Scutari and her establishment of a School of Nursing at St. Thomas hospital in London. Nursing has since continued to evolve to its twenty-first-century focus, which entails sophisticated nursing theories that are utilized to guide research, practice, education, and administration. This chapter serves as an introduction to the nursing student and focuses on the definition of a nursing metaparadigm and its concepts. It briefly touches upon the history and growth of nursing as a profession since its inception. It gives the beginner nursing student an explanation of nursing theory and its separate subcomponents. It describes the relationship between nursing theory, practice, and research. Instructions are put forth as to how to formulate a research question. It gives a brief explanation of the different types of research design. The overall goal of the chapter is to assist the novice student to gain practical knowledge to begin a research study

Hindsight Bias and Guilt

This study is an examination of the relationship between hindsight bias and posttraumatic guilt. There is some evidence that guilt following a trauma is caused, at least in part, by the hindsight bias. However, the researchers behind this theory have not tested this theory utilizing the hypothetical experimental design for hindsight bias or tested their conception of hindsight bias in terms of foreseeability and inevitability. This study attempted to do just that. Participants were presented with a scenario about a friend in a car accident. Participants in the foresight group received no outcome. Participants in the hindsight groups were told the outcome of the scenario (the friend died) and were then divided into four different groups: Guilt, No Guilt, List, No List. After reading their respective outcomes, half of the hindsight participants were instructed to list two alternative outcomes to the scenario. Previous research has demonstrated that this exercise can reduce or eliminate the hindsight bias. Participants did not demonstrate the hindsight bias in this study, and no support for previous research was obtained. The foresight group regularly expressed more distress and guilt cognitions than the hindsight group. Comparing hindsight groups revealed that listing two alternative outcomes caused participants to judge the outcome as less inevitable but not less foreseeable. This study suggests that the link between hindsight bias and posttraumatic guilt may not be a simple causal relationship, as previous research has suggested

Social-Context Middleware for At-Risk Veterans

Many veterans undergo challenges when reintegrating into civilian society. These challenges include readapting to their communities and families. During the reintegration process veterans have difficulties finding employment, education or resources that aid veteran health. Research suggests that these challenges often result in veterans encountering serious mental illness. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common mental disease that veterans often develop. This disease impacts between 15-20% of veterans. PTSD increases the likelihood of veterans engaging in high risk behaviors which may consist of impulsivity, substance abuse, and angry outbursts. These behaviors raise the veterans’ risk of becoming violent and lashing out at others around them. In more recent studies the VA has started to define PTSD by its association to specific high risk behaviors rather than defining PTSD based on a combination of psychiatric symptoms. Some researchers have suggested that high risk behaviors -- extreme anger (i.e., rage or angry outbursts) is particularly problematic within the context of military PTSD. Comparatively little research has been done linking sensor based systems to identify these angry episodes in the daily lives of military veterans or others with similar issues. This thesis presents a middleware solution for systems that work to detect, and with additional work possibly prevent, angry outbursts (also described in psychological literature as “rage”) using physiological sensor data and context-aware technology. This paper will cover a range of topics from methods for collecting system requirements for a subject group to the development of a social-context aware middleware. In doing such, the goal is to present a system that can be constructed and used in an in lab environment to further the research of building real-world systems that predict crisis events, setting the state for early intervention methods based on this approach