Robots in education and care of children with developmental disabilities : a study on acceptance by experienced and future professionals

Research in the area of robotics has made available numerous possibilities for further innovation in the education of children, especially in the rehabilitation of those with learning difficulties and/or intellectual disabilities. Despite the scientific evidence, there is still a strong scepticism against the use of robots in the fields of education and care of people. Here we present a study on the acceptance of robots by experienced practitioners (specialized in the treatment of intellectual disabilities) and university students in psychology and education sciences (as future professionals). The aim is to examine the factors, through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, that may influence the decision to use a robot as an instrument in the practice. The overall results confirm the applicability of the model in the context of education and care of children, and suggest a positive attitude towards the use of the robot. The comparison highlights some scepticism among the practitioners, who perceive the robot as an expensive and limited tool, while students show a positive perception and a significantly higher willingness to use the robot. From this experience, we formulate the hypothesis that robots may be accepted if more integrated with standard rehabilitation protocols in a way that benefits can outweigh the costs

Observational Study of Conformity in Yet Another Medical Learning Environment: Conformity to Preceptors During High-Fidelity Simulation

Tanya N Beran,1 Ghazwan Altabbaa,2 Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci3 1Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 2Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Rockyview General Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 3Department of Community Health Sciences and Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaCorrespondence: Tanya N Beran, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. N.W, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada, Tel +1 403 220 5667, Fax +1 403 210 7507, Email [email protected]: Altering one’s behavior to comply with inaccurate suggestions made by others (i.e., conformity) has been studied since the 1950s. Although several studies have documented its occurrence in medical education, it has yet to be examined in a high-fidelity simulation environment. It was hypothesized that a large majority of learners would conform to a preceptor.Patients and Methods: A total of 42 student dyads (a medical student paired with a resident) participated in one of four clinical scenarios to manage the diagnosis and treatment of a simulated patient encounter. Once the learners became familiar with the patient’s case, a preceptor entered the simulation, offered an equivocal suggestion about diagnosis or management, and then left. Two raters observed the video recordings of how the learners managed the case after this suggestion was made. The nature of these interactions was also documented.Results: Sixteen (38.10%) of the 42 medical student dyads conformed to the equivocal information presented by the preceptors. Observations of these interactions showed that all of the medical students conformed to the residents, but not all of the medical students conformed to the preceptors.Conclusion: Many learners conform to preceptors by acting on their equivocal suggestion when managing a patient case during high-fidelity simulation.Keywords: Adherence, medical students, Immersive learning, medical education, medical errors, patient safet

Individual Characteristics Associated with Mismatches between Self-Reported and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity

Accurate assessment tools are required for the surveillance of physical activity (PA) levels and the assessment of the effect of interventions. In addition, increasing awareness of PA is often used as the first step in pragmatic behavioural interventions, as discrepancies between the amount of activity an individual perceives they do and the amount actually undertaken may act as a barrier to change. Previous research has demonstrated differences in the amount of activity individuals report doing, compared to their level of physical activity when measured with an accelerometer. Understanding the characteristics of those whose PA level is ranked differently when measured with either self-report or accelerometry is important as it may inform the choice of instrument for future research. The aim of this project was to determine which individual characteristics are associated with differences between self-reported and accelerometer measured physical activity.Participant data from the 2009 wave of the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study were used. Quartiles of self-reported and accelerometer-measured PA were derived by ranking each measure from lowest to highest. These quartiles were compared to determine whether individuals' physical activity was ranked higher by either method. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate the individual characteristics associated with different categories of mismatch.Data from 486 participants (70% female) were included in the analysis. In adjusted analyses, the physical activity of overweight or obese individuals was significantly more likely to be ranked higher by self-report than by accelerometer than that of normal-weight individuals (OR = 2.07, 95%CI = 1.28-3.34), particularly among women (OR = 3.97, 95%CI = 2.11-7.47).There was a greater likelihood of mismatch between self-reported and accelerometer measured physical activity levels in overweight or obese adults. Future studies in overweight or obese adults should consider employing both methods of measurement

Ego identity development in physicians: a cross-cultural comparison using a mixed method approach

Article deposited according to agreement with BMC, December 6, 2010.YesFunding provided by the Open Access Authors Fund