What Do Educators Need To Know To Promote Student Performance On Dual Tasks?

In today’s society, doing two things at once is the norm. As educators, especially in the area of physical education and special education, we assist students in performing multiple motor tasks successfully at one time. Understanding how the performance of multiple tasks affects the success of the overall performance may provide educators with knowledge regarding the most effective and efficient learning strategies to be used when teaching dual task performance. Therefore, this study was designed to provide insight by comparing the effects of performing dual tasks requiring different attentional demands on walking parameters in 6- and 7-year old children. It was hypothesized that a task, which requires a higher degree of attentional demands, would cause a disturbance of the children’s gait, with greater changes noted in the younger children. The subject population comprised of 13 boys, six 7-year olds (mean age=7 yrs, 4 mos) and seven 6-year olds (mean age=6 yrs, 6 mos) with no known medical problems. The subjects in both age groups walked at self-selected velocities over the Gait Rite Gold mat which is a 4 meter by 0.5 meter computerized walkway designed to capture spatial and temporal parameters of gait. Each subject walked under four conditions, with four trials per condition. The conditions were: 1) self-paced walking, 2) self-paced walking holding a 3/4 full, open plastic pitcher of water, 3) self-paced walking carrying a knapsack containing weights totaling 15 lbs., and 4) self-paced walking while performing a cognitive task requiring a color/action association verbal response. Conditions 2 and 4 were considered the high attentional demand tasks. The order of the conditions were randomized and counterbalanced across the subjects. Data collection started as the subject stepped onto the mat and ended when the subject stepped off the mat. Multi-factorial ANOVAs on the dependent variables of velocity and cadence, with leg length as the covariant were performed (p < .05). Scheffe post hoc analyses were used to compare individual means. The SPSS program - 11.5 for Windows - was used to perform all the calculations. When looking at conditions, a main effect was noted for velocity p<.001 and cadence p<.049. However, there was no main effect observed for age or age-by-condition interaction. Scheffe post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference in cadence when walking with the water versus self- paced walking only p<.001; for velocity when walking with water versus walking with the knapsack, a trend was noted, p<.07. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that performing a secondary dual task that requires a high degree of attention (walking with water) will have a greater effect on the primary task of gait as noted by gait parameter changes. Interestingly, age did not significantly influence gait changes in these healthy young children. In today’s fast-paced world, doing several things at once is common. For example, walking while talking on a cell phone and crossing a busy street is a common occurrence, even for young children. The issue of how safe is one when doing multiple things at once frequently emerges in the news. Educators must begin to examine the effects of dual task performance on the safety and quality of the performance so that they can begin to help students focus their attention on the relevant features in the environment, which must be monitored. The findings of this study, as well as others, suggest that incorporating a dual task requirement during walking may provide an individual the opportunity to develop and practice movement strategies required in performing everyday activities regardless of age, and it affords insight into learning strategies that educators may use.

Use Of Video-Based Cases As A Medium To Develop Critical Thinking Skills In Health Science Students

One learning strategy that, at present, has not been widely used in graduate Physical Therapy education is “video based cases”. The use of visually unfolding case-based experience provides students a unique opportunity to experience real patient scenarios in their classroom environment. The purpose of this paper is to provide data on student perceptions of usefulness of the video based case experience in promoting their ability to organize, prioritize, and integrate content knowledge for the development of effective critical thinking skills

Using The Tenets Of Problem Based Learning In The Development Of Small Group Experiences In The Rehabilitative Environment

Purpose. Professional health science educational programs have utilized numerous learning strategies including journals, practice patterns, problem-based learning (PBL), case-studies, and hypothesis-oriented algorithm for clinicians (HOAC) (Shepard et al., 2002). While, these learning strategies have found a place in the health science educational curriculums they have not been utilized in the clinic with patients. This essay provides a brief overview on the tenets of small group work associated with PBL and offers insight into how small groups may be used in the clinic as a teaching strategy.  Importance. While this essay does not offer data to support the use of small group work as a learning technique for the promotion of patient problem solving it does provide a medium for the exchange of ideas which may lead to future research in this area

Use Of Clinical Visitations As A Medium To Develop Critical Thinking Skills In Health Science Students

The results of this study suggests that students have positive perceptions regarding Class Supported Clinical Visitation (CSCV) as a learning technique that may promote active learning and critical thinking. While the data obtained from this limited educational experience cannot be generalized, it does offer some insight into the usefulness of the CSCV learning technique.  Based upon these findings further work can begin to explore student’s perceptions of its usefulness in a larger diverse health science student population. Second, future work must assess if CSCV is truly effective in developing a student’s ability to think critically. Finally, one must ask is CSCV more effective than other active learning strategies currently used to promote critical thinking

Infusing The Mentorship Model Of Education For The Promotion Of Critical Thinking In Doctoral Education

Effective mentorship is demonstrated in a variety of venues. Good mentors lead students on a journey that forever changes the ways in which they think and act, and consists of different and diverse experiences. Acknowledging faculty beliefs regarding mentorship and instruction is important to understanding why mentors select and implement specific strategies throughout the mentee’s academic tenure. The purposes of this paper are first, to describe the “Layered Learning Mentorship Model (LLMM)” presented in the Department of Graduate Programs in Heath Sciences curriculum; second, to provide an understanding of how the LLMM was developed so as to promote critical thinking skills in graduate students; third, to provide educators with an understanding of the tools essential for the integration of critical thinking opportunities at all levels of doctoral education; and finally, to assess student and faculty perceptions regarding the use of LLMM

Use Of Train-The-Trainer Sensorimotor Group Experience (TTSMGE) To Promote Functional Motor Skill Development In An Urban US Preschool Environment

As the demand for services from therapists in the educational environment continues to grow, both physical and occupational therapists seek innovative and effective ways to meet the identified needs of the child and school environment. Train-the-trainer model of service delivery can be used to meet the needs of both the therapist and the preschool educator in aligning the academic curriculum with age appropriate sensory motor activities. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results obtained from a pilot survey given to school personnel in an urban preschool setting who participated in a Train-the -trainer model of service delivery

The Role Of The Academic Portfolio In Documenting Faculty Development

The academic portfolio provides a means for faculty to organize, present and reflect on their accomplishments in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service. Since the portfolio represents faculty accomplishments in these key areas it may be used to support an application for promotion, tenure or merit reviews. Given this, it is important to identify faculty’s knowledge and perspectives on the structure and utility of the academic portfolio. Surveys were sent to faculty at Seton Hall University to gather information on what faculty know about academic portfolios and whether portfolios should be used for promotion/tenure or merit reviews. Results indicate that faculty understand the characteristics and organization of a portfolio, but are not certain about whether portfolios should be used for personnel decisions. The lack of objective criteria for evaluating portfolios may be a factor underlying this perspective. Further research using a larger sample is warranted

Practice Schedule And The Learning Of Motor Skills In Children And Adults: Teaching Implications

Understanding how motor skills are learned influences how one teaches effective motor skill attainment. Educators must ask, “Does repetitive practice of the same task make for better performance or does contextual variability (random practice) offer some benefit when learning motor skills?” Studies on the effects of Contextual Interference may provide some insight. Contextual interference (CI) studies typically use simple tasks involving movements already acquired by adults, which may account for random practice benefits. In contrast, children do not consistently demonstrate CI effects, as tasks usually require acquisition of a new movement pattern. In this experiment, adults and children ((8-10 yrs old) threw a Frisbee to targets for 54 trials under random or blocked conditions. Having had considerable throwing experience with other throwing objects, adults were expected to benefit from random practice. For children, a blocked practice advantage was predicted as it provides for devising and stabilizing a suitable movement pattern. Retention/retraining trials were administered 30 minutes after acquisition and seven days later. Two transfer tests were given after the delayed retention test: (a) same throwing object/different target distances (SODT), which required re-scaling the practiced movement, and (b) different throwing object (ropeball)/same target distances (DOST) which required a new movement pattern. Throwing accuracy was measured by absolute error from the target. Both age groups showed a blocked practice benefit on retention and SODT transfer tests. Findings from this experiment suggest that task variables and stage of learning are important determinants of CI effects and thus should influence how we teach motor skill attainment

The Role Of Collaborative Scholarship In The Mentorship Of Doctoral Students

The work of a professor is the “scholarship of teaching” (Boyer, 1990).  The strength of the teaching and learning environment is fostered by a dynamic interplay between the mentor (scholar) and the mentee (student).  Boyer (1990) suggests that in order to be a scholar, one must have “a recognition that knowledge is acquired through research, through synthesis, through practice, and through teaching.” However, as the academy has placed increased emphasis on research productivity as a concrete measure of scholarship, faculty may lose sight of what it means to view teaching as a scholarship. For example, if mentorship collaborations (student/faculty, faculty/faculty) are not viewed as scholarship activities, faculty may limit the amount or depth of student mentorship or peer collaborations to pursue their own research endeavors and thereby compromise the scholarship of teaching. Research is needed to gain an understanding of how faculties view collaborative research in relation to the scholarship of teaching.  The purpose of this paper is to first briefly describe the student-centered mentorship model for doctoral students proposed by Zipp and Olson (2008); second, to address the question, “Should the outcomes associated with this model be recognized as faculty scholarship?”; and third, to present pilot data of faculty perceptions on the role of collaborative scholarship in the mentorship of doctoral students

Mind Maps: Useful Schematic Tool For Organizing And Integrating Concepts Of Complex Patient Care In The Clinic And Classroom

Academicians are always trying to answer the question, “What is the most effective way to teach?” Finding the answer to this question is no easy task but recognizing that each teachable moment must be shaped based upon the learner, task, and the environment enable the academician to consider viable teaching strategies that would promote the learning goals. The purposes of this paper are first, to describe one teaching strategy “Mind Mapping Learning Technique (MMLT)”; second, to provide an understanding of how the MMLT is used to promote critical thinking skills in graduate students; and finally, to assess students perceptions regarding the use of the mind mapping learning technique as a tool to enable them to better organize, prioritize, and integrate material presented in a course