The use of deliberative method in educational reform

The project named Higher Education Reform was established in 2004 as one of the implementation elements of the European higher education policy. The core activities of the project were executed throughout the formation of National Teams of Bologna Experts who had the task and duty to contribute to the general and real awareness-rising on the topic of the higher education reform among different stakeholders in participating countries of the Bologna Process. The Croatian National Team of Bologna Expert (Hrvatska stručna skupina za Bolonjski proces) was established in 2011. Among the diversity of activities executed by the student representatives in the Team, the important place is reserved for the deliberative workshops held during 2013. The target groups of the deliberative workshops were students and other stakeholders in the higher education. This paper presents the process of including the stakeholders in educational reform through the deliberative workshops. During the workshops, the organizers found out how the stakeholders are rethinking on some of the aspects of the Bologna Process, how they perceive and value the work of student representative and volunteering activities, and what they think about the extra-curricular activities of the student and how they value such activities. The form of deliberative workshops encouraged participants to freely and in constructive way express their thoughts and expectances in order to exchange ideas and knowledge about the matter, and to make a decision on common suggestions to solve a particular problem in the context of higher education (introduction of a new practice, modifications and alternations of existing practices, etc). This type of the application of deliberation method is extremely useful, which is the reason for the suggestion of the method’s use in preparing, implementing and evaluating the educational reforms

Predictors of medical students’ research degree pursuit: a convenience poll pilot study

Aim: The evidence about factors predicting the desire of medical graduates for pursuing research careers are inconsistent. Identification of factors which influence decision for pursuing research career would be important information to medical schools to improve research environment for students. For that reason, we performed an international survey of medical students to analyze the factors predicting research careers in medicine. Methods: An international online survey of undergraduate and graduate medical students was performed, using the using the data from Res Medica student journal database, about their research activities, future interests and plans and desire to pursue research careers. Results: In total, 486 students took the survey. Logistic regression revealed a single significant factor influencing medical students’ desire to pursue a research degree: increased motivation for participation in research in future (R2=0.33). Conclusion: In order to encourage students and training doctors to more readily engage in research, exposure to research and research participation could have an incremental value to existing research education in medical schools

The impact of article title on the interpretation of scientific research: a randomized trial

Aims: Interpretation and comprehension of the available health information may be a difficult task for the public, since previous studies have shown that understanding scientific articles can be difficult for lay people. This study aimed to determine whether title incongruence with the conclusions of the study affects readers’ interpretation and understanding of the read content. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial via an online survey using abbreviated summaries of two scientific articles (named “Breakfast” and “Music” trial groups), each of which had a title congruent or incongruent with the conclusion. The participants were adults (n=283), women (81.6%), aged over 30 (53.7%) and with higher education (77.4%); 149 participants took part in the “Breakfast” group, and 134 participants took part in the “Music” group. The primary outcome was text comprehension measured by a correct answer to the question about the conclusion in the summaries. Results: In both trial groups, we found no differences in answer to the questions about whether the title was congruent or incongruent with the conclusion of the summaries. In the “Breakfast” group, an essential predictor factor for a correct answer was a higher score on knowledge dimensions, while in the “Music” group correct answer predictors, except higher scores on knowledge dimensions, were family physician and search of domestic health websites as sources of health information. Finally, the knowledge score was the only predictor in the overall logistic regression model, where data from both groups was merged (Cox & Snell R2=0.32). Conclusion: The title does not affect making of conclusions based on scientific information, which means that people rely on the read article content or some other part of the article other than the title itself. Trial registration: https://osf.io/4f6s

ISPITIVANJE RAZUMIJEVANJA RAZINE ZNANSTVENIH DOKAZA: RANDOMIZIRANO EKSPERIMENTALNO ISTRAŽIVANJE

Prijenos točnih i jasno razumljivih podataka o znanstvenim istraživanjima važan je čimbenik u donošenju odluka u svezi sa zdravstvenim ponašanjem. U tome procesu središnji koncept zauzima zdravstvena pismenost, sposobnost pojedinca da razumije prikazane informacije o medicinskim sadržajima. Iako se zdravstvena pismenost ispitivala u različitim konceptima, još nije provedeno istraživanje koje bi ispitalo kako razumijevanje osnovnih metodoloških koncepata u općoj populaciji utječe na donošenje odluka o učinkovitosti terapije. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati postoji li razlika u procjeni učinkovitosti liječenja ako su nalazi dobiveni korištenjem različitih kombinacija veličina uzorka i nacrta istraživanja. Sudionici u istraživanju bili su pacijenti u ordinacijama dentalne medicine koji su dobivali nasumično dodijeljene scenarije znanstvenih istraživanjima s različitim kombinacijama vrste istraživanja i veličine uzorka. Utvrđeno je da čitatelji ne razlikuju metode istraživanja s obzirom na njihove mogućnosti u dokazivanju učinkovitosti terapije. Osim toga, utvrđeno je da se čitatelji nisu razlikovali u procjeni učinkovitosti terapije s obzirom na veličinu uzorka u istraživanjima. Konačno, neovisno o vrsti istraživanja koju su sudionici pročitali, svi su se osjećali podjednako sigurnima procijeniti učinkovitost terapije. Ovi su rezultati važni za prijenos informacija o znanstvenim istraživanjima preko medija u svakodnevnoj komunikaciji. U prijenosu istraživanja trebalo bi jasno naglasiti je li određenim tipom istraživanja moguće dokazati uspješnost terapije

IZVJEŠTAVANJE O REZULTATIMA KVALITATIVNIH ISTRAŽIVANJA

Kvalitativna istraživanja se prema predmetu istraživanja razlikuju od kvantitativnih, koja predstavljaju veliku većinu modernih istraživanja, te se o njima i drugačije izvještava. Prikladnim načinom izvještavanja se smatra korištenje smjernica za izvještavanje o kvalitativnim istraživanjima, čiju strukturu i prati ovaj pregledni rad. Rad se fokusira na kvalitativna istraživanja provedena korištenjem intervjua i fokus grupa.Cilj istraživanja treba biti strukturiran, i uključivati elemente uzorka, fenomena koji se istražuje, nacrta istraživanja, procjenu ishoda te metodološkog pristupa.Preregistracijom istraživanja se podiže vjerodostojnost rezultata, te se definiraju metode istraživanja sve do odjeljka rezultati čak i prije nego istraživanje počne. Opis konteksta istraživanja je važan čimbenik koji treba biti detaljno opisan, jer često predstavlja i sam predmet istraživanja. Značajke sudionika te postupak uzorkovanja bi trebali biti dokumentirani kroz istraživanje i prikazani prema fazama istraživanja. Primjeri informiranog pristanka i vodiča kroz intervju bi trebali biti prikazani u dodatnim materijalima.U kvalitativnim istraživanjima rezultati se uglavnom dijele na teme i podteme, dok se tvrdnje podupiru citatima sudionika u istraživanju. Pri prikazu rezultata preporuka je da se tvrdnje ne prikazuju kao činjenice, nego kao stavovi ili navodi sudionika. Uz navođenje citata, za lakši prikaz čitatelju, preporuka je rezultate prikazati u obliku grafikona koji prikazuje odnos tema i podtema. Kvalitativna istraživanja nemaju snagu dokaza kao kvantitativna, ali korištenjem kvalitativne metodologije istraživač može dobiti uvid u veliku količinu podataka koji olakšavaju razumijevanje procesa i mehanizama, te postavljanje hipoteza koje se mogu provjeriti kvantitativnim istraživanjem

Moral Foundations theory in the context of a political scandal: Two cross sectional studies in Croatia

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the moral foundations structure in the Croatian population, and to examine possible changes in moral foundation structure after a major political scandal in Croatia. Methods: We conducted an online survey using Moral Foundations Questionnaire and Key Social Issues Scale, which was distributed in two waves, in 2009 and 2014. Participants were invided from the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences at the universities in Zagreb and Split and asked to distribute the survey to colleagues and friends. Results: 3000 participants completed the survey in 2009, 1323 participants completed the survey in 2014. In both samples, most participants reported that they relied more on individual foundations of “Care/Harm” and “Fairness/Cheating”, than on relational foundations of “Loyalty/Betrayal”, “Authority/Subversion” or “Sanctity/Degradation”, which are typically more valued by traditionally oriented or conservative individuals. Comparison of the two measurement time points indicated that scores on traditional foundations significantly decreased, while liberal values increased. These changes were triangulated and confirmed by the results on the Key Social Issues Scale. Conclusion: This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study which analysed the changes in the moral foundations structure after a major political scandal, implicating that negative political events may decrease the expression of moral foundations related to the values which are nurtured by a political party involved in the scandal

Languages for Different Health Information Readers: Multitrait-Multimethod Content Analysis of Cochrane Systematic Reviews Textual Summary Formats

Background: Although subjective expressions and linguistic fluency have been shown as important factors in processing and interpreting textual facts, analyses of these traits in textual health information for different audiences are lacking. We analyzed the readability and linguistic psychological and emotional characteristics of different textual summary formats of Cochrane systematic reviews. Methods: We performed a multitrait-multimethod cross-sectional study of Press releases available at Cochrane web site (n= 162) and corresponding Scientific abstracts (n= 158), Cochrane Clinical Answers (n= 35) and Plain language summaries in English (n= 156), French (n= 101), German (n= 41) and Croatian (n=156). We used SMOG index to assess text readability of all text formats, and natural language processing tools (IBM Watson Tone Analyzer, Stanford NLP Sentiment Analysis and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) to examine the affective states and subjective information in texts of Scientific abstracts, Plain language summaries and Press releases. Results: All text formats had low readability, with SMOG index ranging from a median of 15.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 15.3–15.9) for Scientific abstracts to 14.7 (95% CI 14.4–15.0) for Plain language summaries. In all text formats, “Sadness” was the most dominantly perceived emotional tone and the style of writing was perceived as “Analytical”and “Tentative”. At the psychological level, all text formats exhibited the predominant “Openness”tone, and Press releases scored higher on the scales of “Conscientiousness”,“Agreeableness”and “Emotional range”. Press releases had significantly higher scores than Scientific abstracts and Plain languagesummariesonthedimensionsof“Clout”,and“Emotional ton

Nonlinear directional coupler for polychromatic light

We demonstrate that nonlinear directional coupler with special bending of waveguide axes can be used for all-optical switching of polychromatic light with very broad spectrum covering all visible region. The bandwidth of suggested device is enhanced five times compared to conventional couplers. Our results suggest novel opportunities for creation of all-optical logical gates and switches for polychromatic light with white-light and super-continuum spectrum.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Trends, Habits and Attitudes towards Suntanning

Epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between suntanning habits and high risk of malignant melanoma (MM). The incidence of MM is increased during the last 40 years. Sun exposure is highly prevalent in all age groups, especially among young and it is influenced by certain believes and attitudes towards suntanning and stimulated by peer pressure and aesthetic references. What is the cause of higher incidence of MM? Is it only trend and attitudes towards suntanning? A prototype of a young female of 21st century is attractive, slim, with bronze complexion, dresses in the bathing suit, whereas the lady of the 19th is pale, dressed in white dress and with hat or sunshade that protects face and hair from the sun. When did social mores and medical knowledge about sun exposure change? A critical interplay occurred between the end of 19th century and the start of the 20th century with significant success of phototherapy and the growing popularity of sunbathing which reflected number of social changes. During the same time of invigoration of sun exposure, appeared the first reports about correlation between sunlight and skin cancer, but without significant repercussion on medical profession and therefore without knowledge of the public. The 1920s and 1930s were highlighted with the great discovery that ultraviolet wavelengths less than 313 nm played the role in vitamin D synthesis which prevents rickets. Numerous other medical benefits were soon attributed to the sunlight. Finally, the cancerogenity of UV light came to attention when scientist succeeded in induction of skin cancer in rodents after UV light exposure. The etiology of sunlight in development of skin cancer was mentioned in scientific articles and public magazines in 1940s and 1950s. Over the decades the message that sunlight exposure leads to increased risk of skin cancer, reach the public. But despite the knowledge, even at present people believe that tan person looks healthier. Additional and continuous educational campaigns are needed for changing people’s behavior