Professors\u27 and students\u27 perceptions and experiences of computational simulations as learning tools

Computational simulations are becoming a critical component of scientific and engineering research, and now are becoming an important component for learning. This dissertation provides findings from a multifaceted research study exploring the ways computational simulations have been perceived and experienced as learning tools by instructors and students. Three studies were designed with an increasing focus on the aspects of learning and instructing with computational simulation tools. Study One used a student survey with undergraduate and graduate students whose instructors enhanced their teaching using online computational tools. Results of this survey were used to identify students’ perceptions and experiences with these simulations as learning tools. The results provided both an evaluation of the instructional design and an indicator of which instructors were selected in Study Two. Study Two used a phenomenographic research design resulting in a two dimensional outcome space with six qualitatively different ways instructors perceived their learning outcomes associated with using simulation tools as part of students’ learning experiences. Results from this work provide a framework for identifying major learning objectives to promote learning with computational simulation tools. Study Three used a grounded theory methodology to expand on instructors’ learning objectives to include their perceptions of formative assessment and pedagogy. These perceptions were compared and contrasted with students’ perceptions associated with learning with computational tools. The study is organized around three phases and analyzed as a collection of case studies focused on the instructors and their students’ perceptions and experiences of computational simulations as learning tools. This third study resulted in a model for using computational simulations as learning tools. This model indicates the potential of integrating the computational simulation tools into formal learning experiences in terms of content, formative assessment and pedagogy. These three studies capture the complexity of learning environments that adopt computational simulations as learning tools in graduate engineering education. The results of these studies have implications in the areas of engineering and science education, simulation-based learning environments development, and instructional design

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium report, data summary of 50 countries for 2010-2015: Device-associated module

•We report INICC device-associated module data of 50 countries from 2010-2015.•We collected prospective data from 861,284 patients in 703 ICUs for 3,506,562 days.•DA-HAI rates and bacterial resistance were higher in the INICC ICUs than in CDC-NHSN's.•Device utilization ratio in the INICC ICUs was similar to CDC-NHSN's. Background: We report the results of International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2010-December 2015 in 703 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific. Methods: During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC-NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 861,284 patients hospitalized in INICC hospital ICUs for an aggregate of 3,506,562 days. Results: Although device use in INICC ICUs was similar to that reported from CDC-NHSN ICUs, DA-HAI rates were higher in the INICC ICUs: in the INICC medical-surgical ICUs, the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection, 4.1 per 1,000 central line-days, was nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.8 per 1,000 central line-days reported from comparable US ICUs, the overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher, 13.1 versus 0.9 per 1,000 ventilator-days, as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 5.07 versus 1.7 per 1,000 catheter-days. From blood cultures samples, frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (29.87% vs 10%) and to imipenem (44.3% vs 26.1%), and of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (73.2% vs 28.8%) and to imipenem (43.27% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC ICUs compared with CDC-NHSN ICUs. Conclusions: Although DA-HAIs in INICC ICU patients continue to be higher than the rates reported in CDC-NSHN ICUs representing the developed world, we have observed a significant trend toward the reduction of DA-HAI rates in INICC ICUs as shown in each international report. It is INICC's main goal to continue facilitating education, training, and basic and cost-effective tools and resources, such as standardized forms and an online platform, to tackle this problem effectively and systematically