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Knowledge Test (knowledge + test)
Selected AbstractsDevelopment and Validation of a Geriatric Knowledge Test for Medical StudentsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 6 2004Ming Lee PhD Objectives: To assesses the reliability and validity of a geriatrics knowledge test designed for medical students. Design: Cross-sectional studies. Setting: An academic medical center. Participants: A total of 343 (86% of those sampled) medical students participated in the initial study, including 137 (76%) first-year, 163 (96%) third-year, and 43 (86% of those sampled) fourth-year students in the 2000,2001 academic year. To cross-validate the instrument, another 165 (92%) third-year and 137 (76%) first-year students participated in the study in the 2001,2002 academic year. Measurements: An 18-item geriatrics knowledge test was developed. The items were selected from a pool of 23 items. An established instrument assessing the clinical skills of medical students was included in the validation procedure. Results: The instrument demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach ,=0.80) and known-groups and concurrent validity. Geriatrics knowledge scores increased progressively with the higher level of medical training (mean percentage correct=31.3, 65.3, and 66.5 for the first-year, third-year, and fourth-year classes, respectively, P<.001). A significant (P<.01) relationship was found between the third-year students' geriatrics knowledge and their clinical skills. Similar results, except the relationship between knowledge and clinical skills, were found in the cross-validation study, supporting the reliability and known-groups validity of the test. Conclusion: The 18-item geriatrics knowledge test demonstrated sound reliability and validity. The average scores of the student groups indicated substantial room for growth. The relationship between geriatrics knowledge and overall clinical skills needs further investigation. [source] The 14-item Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test: translation and validation study of the Malaysian versionPRACTICAL DIABETES INTERNATIONAL (INCORPORATING CARDIABETES), Issue 6 2010HK Al-Qazaz MSc Abstract The aims of this study were to translate the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test (MDKT) into the Malaysian language, and to examine the psychometric properties of the Malaysian version. A standard translation procedure was used to create the Malaysian version of the MDKT from the original English version. A convenience sample of 307 outpatients with type 2 diabetes was identified between May and October 2009. All data were collected from the Penang General Hospital, Penang, Malaysia. Instruments consisted of the Malaysian version of the MDKT and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Medical records were reviewed for haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and other clinical data. Reliability was tested for internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Employing the recommended scoring method, the mean±SD of MDKT scores was 7.88±3.01. Good internal consistency was found (Cronbach's alpha = 0.702); the test-retest reliability value was 0.894 (p<0.001). For known group validity, a significant relationship between MDKT categories and HbA1c categories (chi-square = 21.626; p,0.001) was found. The findings of this validation study indicate that the Malaysian version of the MDKT is a reliable and valid measure of diabetes knowledge which can now be used in clinical and research practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons. [source] Successful detection of verbal and visual concealed knowledge using an RT-based paradigmAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Travis L. Seymour An increasing number of researchers are exploring variations of the Concealed Knowledge Test (CKT) as alternatives to traditional ,lie-detector' tests. For example, the response times (RT)-based CKT has been previously shown to accurately detect participants who possess privileged knowledge. Although several studies have reported successful RT-based tests, they have focused on verbal stimuli despite the prevalence of photographic evidence in forensic investigations. Related studies comparing pictures and phrases have yielded inconsistent results. The present work compared an RT-CKT using verbal phrases as stimuli to one using pictures of faces. This led to equally accurate and efficient tests using either stimulus type. Results also suggest that previous inconsistent findings may be attributable to study procedures that led to better memory for verbal than visual items. When memory for verbal phrases and pictures were equated, we found nearly identical detection accuracies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effect of the challenger experience on elementary children's attitudes to scienceJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2002Tina Jarvis This research explored how the Challenger experience influenced over 655 elementary boys' and girls' general attitudes to science and space during the 5 months after their visit by examining their responses to four different attitude scales. These were administered to the 10- to 11-year-olds immediately before and after the Challenger experience as well as 2 and 5 months later. Knowledge tests were also administered before and after the visit. A sample of children completed an existing measure of anxiety. Although there were mainly positive outcomes immediately after the Challenger experience, there were some negative effects. There were also noticeable differences between boys and girls. Some 24% of pupils were inspired to become scientists. There was also less fear of space travel with a greater appreciation of the use of science to protect the planet after the visit. Most girls improved and maintained their attitudes toward science in society. A sizeable number of pupils were relatively unaffected by the experience and there was a significant negative effect on a small group of anxious girls. There are indications that previsit preparation and careful choice of roles during the simulation are important. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 979,1000, 2002 [source] Effects of back care education in elementary schoolchildrenACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2000G Cardon The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a back care education programme, consisting of six sessions of 1 h each, in fourth- and fifth-grade elementary schoolchildren. Testing consisted of a practical performance and a back care knowledge test. Forty-two subjects and 36 controls performed a pre-test and were tested within 1 wk after the programme. To monitor effects and follow-up effects on a larger sample, 82 different pupils were tested within 1 wk after the programme and 116 other children 3 mo after. Both larger samples were compared with one group of 129 controls. Interrater reliability for the test items of the practical assessment was high; intraclass correlation coefficients varied from 0.785 to 0.980. In the pre/post design study, interaction between time and condition was significant for the sum score of the practical assessment and for the knowledge test (p < 0.001), with higher scores for the intervention group (15% improvement for the knowledge test score, 31.6% for the practical sum score). Significantly higher sum scores for the knowledge test and for all practical assessment items were found in the intervention groups, tested within 1 wk and 3 mo after the programme, in comparison with the control group (p <0.001). Conclusion: The effectiveness of a primary educational prevention programme on back care principles was demonstrated in this study. Effectiveness, long-term outcomes and behavioural changes need further evaluation to optimize back care prevention programmes for elementary schoolchildren. [source] Covariations among fMRI, skin conductance, and behavioral data during processing of concealed informationHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 12 2007Matthias Gamer Abstract Imaging techniques have been used to elucidate the neural correlates that underlie deception. The scientifically best understood paradigm for the detection of deception, however, the guilty knowledge test (GKT), was rarely used in imaging studies. By transferring a GKT-paradigm to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, while additionally quantifying reaction times and skin conductance responses (SCRs), this study aimed at identifying the neural correlates of the behavioral and electrodermal response pattern typically found in GKT examinations. Prior to MR scanning, subjects viewed two specific items (probes) and were instructed to hide their knowledge of these. Two other specific items were designated as targets and required a different behavioral response during the experiment and eight items served as irrelevant stimuli. Reaction times and SCR amplitudes differed significantly between all three item types. The neuroimaging data revealed that right inferior frontal and mid-cingulate regions were more active for probe and target trials compared to irrelevants. Moreover, the differential activation in the right inferior frontal region was modulated by stimulus conflicts. These results were interpreted as an increased top-down influence on the stimulus-response-mapping for concealed and task-relevant items. Additionally, the influence of working memory and retrieval processes on this activation pattern is discussed. Using parametric analyses, reaction times and SCR amplitudes were found to be linearly related to activity in the cerebellum, the right inferior frontal cortex, and the supplementary motor area. This result provides a first link between behavioral measures, sympathetic arousal, and neural activation patterns during a GKT examination. Hum Brain Mapp 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Exploring the nutrition and lifestyle knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of student home economics teachers: baseline findings from a 4-year longitudinal studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2008Mary Isobelle Mullaney Abstract It is widely acknowledged that obesity linked with reduced exercise contributes to health problems, and that, conversely, individuals who embark on weight reducing diets may become deficient in key nutrients. It is often advocated that these problems, which can be grouped together as poor dietary practice, be tackled through education. This study attempts to examine the relationship between nutrition education and lifestyle behaviours in a select group of third level students. The Irish Home Economics curriculum aims to teach secondary school pupils about nutrition and lifestyle practices conducive to health. However, the attitudes and lifestyle practices of those teaching this subject have never been examined in Ireland. The purpose of the present 4-year longitudinal study, whose first year findings are presented here, is to investigate the nutrition and lifestyle knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a cohort of Irish student home economics teachers over the 4 years of their Bachelor of Education (Home Economics) degree course. The study was designed to explore possible changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices over the course of their professional education. Nutritional knowledge was measured using a 220-question adapted version of the test devised by Parmenter and Wardle. Attitudes were measured using a questionnaire adapted from the Pan-EU Survey on Consumer Attitudes to Physical Activity, Body-weight and Health. Food, alcohol consumption and exercise were measured using a 7-day reported dietary/exercise diary. Nutrient intake data were determined using dietary analysis. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured and body mass index (BMI) calculated. When starting college, student home economics teachers have broadly similar anthropometric, dietary and lifestyle characteristics to those of their contemporaries. Mean BMI was identical [24.4 kg/m2 (SD 4.3)] to that reported in the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey (NSIFCS) for those aged 18,35 years, although energy intakes were significantly higher in the cohort of student teachers (P = 0.000). Thirty-eight per cent were overweight or obese vs. 33.6% in the NSIFCS. Only 17% (n = 6) of students achieved an intake of 300 µg/day of folate as recommended by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and only one the recommended intake of non-starch polysaccharides (18 g/day). One in three students in this study smoke (16 of 48) and alcohol consumption was high. Only one student was very active. Students scored a mean of 55% (SD 8%) on the knowledge test, with similar scores attained for specific aspects of nutritional knowledge (i.e. food groups, constituents of foods, current dietary advice, nutrients, lifestyle practices). However, knowledge of nutrition definitions was weaker with a mean score of 31% (SD 8.6%). Students had a positive attitude towards food choice, the link between food and health and control over their own diet. Similar attitudes towards exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption were displayed despite students perceiving themselves as not having a balanced diet, having insufficient exercise and having regretted something done as a result of consuming alcohol. They appear to display optimistic bias in relation to health risks. These findings provide baseline data for the longitudinal study and indicate that those choosing to pursue a career as a home economics teacher in Ireland have similar nutritional and lifestyle characteristics to those of their contemporaries. [source] Development and Validation of a Geriatric Knowledge Test for Medical StudentsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 6 2004Ming Lee PhD Objectives: To assesses the reliability and validity of a geriatrics knowledge test designed for medical students. Design: Cross-sectional studies. Setting: An academic medical center. Participants: A total of 343 (86% of those sampled) medical students participated in the initial study, including 137 (76%) first-year, 163 (96%) third-year, and 43 (86% of those sampled) fourth-year students in the 2000,2001 academic year. To cross-validate the instrument, another 165 (92%) third-year and 137 (76%) first-year students participated in the study in the 2001,2002 academic year. Measurements: An 18-item geriatrics knowledge test was developed. The items were selected from a pool of 23 items. An established instrument assessing the clinical skills of medical students was included in the validation procedure. Results: The instrument demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach ,=0.80) and known-groups and concurrent validity. Geriatrics knowledge scores increased progressively with the higher level of medical training (mean percentage correct=31.3, 65.3, and 66.5 for the first-year, third-year, and fourth-year classes, respectively, P<.001). A significant (P<.01) relationship was found between the third-year students' geriatrics knowledge and their clinical skills. Similar results, except the relationship between knowledge and clinical skills, were found in the cross-validation study, supporting the reliability and known-groups validity of the test. Conclusion: The 18-item geriatrics knowledge test demonstrated sound reliability and validity. The average scores of the student groups indicated substantial room for growth. The relationship between geriatrics knowledge and overall clinical skills needs further investigation. [source] Racial differences in promotion candidate performance and reactions to selection procedures: a field study in a diverse top-management contextJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2008John Bret Becton The present study examined African-American and White promotion candidates' reactions to and performance on selection procedures that were completed within a police department where African Americans occupied the majority of top-management positions. Reactions (perceived job relatedness and test-taking motivation) of 187 candidates competing for promotion to the rank of sergeant were assessed after completing a written job knowledge test and a situational interview. Analyses showed that both the African-American and White candidates judged the situational interview to be more job-related than the pencil-and-paper job knowledge test. In addition, African Americans perceived both selection measures to be more job-related and reported higher levels of test-taking motivation than White candidates even though African Americans performed more poorly than White candidates on the paper-and-pencil test. These results challenge the contention that lower test-taking motivation for African-American candidates is related to racial differences in performance on pencil- and-paper tests. Implications and directions for future research on reactions to selection procedures for promotion in racially diverse employment settings are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Learning at the nanoscale: The impact of students' use of remote microscopy on concepts of viruses, scale, and microscopyJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 3 2003M. Gail Jones The rapid pace of development is bringing advanced technologies to the World Wide Web (WWW), and, as a result, schools have access to new tools for science investigations. In this exploratory study, we investigated how an educational experience organized around students' use of a WWW-controllable atomic force microscope (AFM) influenced students' understandings of viruses. The context for the study was a weeklong unit on viruses for two high school biology classes which incorporated student use of the WWW controllable AFM. We also investigated how the haptic (involving kinesthetics and touch) experiences afforded by this tool might influence students' knowledge of viruses, microscopy, and nanometer scale. Fifty students from two high school biology classes participated in a series of instructional activities and pre- and postassessments (knowledge test, opinion questionnaire, and interviews). Results showed that students' understandings of microscale, virus morphology, and dimensionality changed as a result of the experiences. Students' conceptions moved from a two-dimensional textbook-like image of a virus to a three-dimensional image of an adenovirus. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the use of the technology as a tool for learning about morphology of materials too small to see may be beneficial. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 303,322, 2003 [source] Reasoning versus knowledge retention and ascertainment throughout a problem-based learning curriculumMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2009Anne Collard Context, Since 2000, problem-based learning (PBL) seminars have been introduced into the curriculum of medical studies at the University of Liège. We aimed to carry out a cross-sectional investigation of the maturational increase in biomedical reasoning capacity in comparison with factual knowledge retention throughout the curriculum. Methods, We administered a factual knowledge test (i.e. a true/false test with ascertainment degree) and a biomedical reasoning test (i.e. an adapted script concordance test [SCT]) to 104 students (Years 3,6) and a reference panel. The selected topic was endocrinology. Results, On the SCT, the students obtained higher scores in Years 5 and 6 than in Years 3 and 4. In Year 3, the scores obtained on SCT questions in a new context indicated transfer of reasoning skills. On the true/false test, the scores of Year 3 students were significantly higher than those of students in the other three year groups. A positive correlation between SCT scores and true/false test scores was observed only for students in Years 3 and 4. In each group, the ascertainment degree scores were higher for correct than for incorrect responses and the difference was calculated as an index of self-estimation of core knowledge. This index was found to be positively correlated to SCT scores in the four year groups studied. Conclusions, Biomedical reasoning skills are evidenced early in a curriculum involving PBL and further increase during training. This is accompanied by a decrease in factual knowledge retention. The self-estimation of core knowledge appears to be related to reasoning capacity, which suggests there is a link between the two processes. [source] Effect of a short skills training course on competence and performance in general practiceMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2000Jansen Objectives Evaluation of the efficacy of a short course of technical clinical skills to change performance in general practice. Design Subjects were self-selected general practitioners (n=59) who were unaware of the study design. They were assigned to the intervention group (n=31) or control group (n=28) according to their preference for course date. The course covered four different technical clinical skills (shoulder injection technique, PAP-smear, laboratory examination of vaginal discharge, ophthalmoscopic control in diabetes mellitus). Main outcome measures used were pre- and post-training scores on a knowledge test of skills (60 multiple choice items), and pre- and post-training performance of procedures in practice using a log-diary covering 20 days. Setting University of Maastricht, The Netherlands. Subjects Self-selected general practitioners. Results Competence, as measured by the knowledge test of skills, improved significantly as a result of the training and skills test scores were satisfactory after training. A significant effect on performance in practice was found for PAP-smear and shoulder injection technique, whereas no effect could be demonstrated for examination of vaginal discharge and ophthalmoscopic control in diabetes mellitus. Conclusions A good degree of competence is a necessary but not always sufficient condition for a physician to change his performance in practice. While some skills training seems adequate to bring about desired changes, for other skills more complex interventions are probably needed. [source] EFFECTS OF CHARISMATIC INFLUENCE TRAINING ON ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOR, AND PERFORMANCEPERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2003ANNETTE J. TOWLER This study investigated the effectiveness of training in 2 components of charisma (charismatic communication style and visionary content). Forty-one business students received charismatic influence training, presentation skills training, or no training. All participants prepared and gave a speech. Groups of 2-3 students (N= 102) watched 1 of the videotaped speeches and then performed a task based on the speech instructions. Charismatic influence trainees performed better on a declarative knowledge test and exhibited more charismatic behaviors than those in the other conditions. In addition, participants who viewed a charismatic influence trainee performed best. [source] A Language Without Borders: English Slang and Bulgarian Learners of EnglishLANGUAGE LEARNING, Issue 3 2007Krassimira D. Charkova This study investigated the acquisition of English slang in a foreign language context. The participants were 101 Bulgarian learners of English, 58 high school students, and 43 university students. The instrument included knowledge tests of English slang terms and questions about attitudes, sources, reasons, and methods employed in learning English as a foreign language slang. The data were analyzed through multivariate analyses of variance, discriminant function analysis, and qualitative analyses. The younger group was significantly associated with the knowledge of vulgar/offensive slang, ,= .374, ,2(12) = 91.47, p < .001. The same group showed a significantly higher appreciation of slang as a way of group belonging and projecting an image of looking cool. Overall, there were quantitative and qualitative differences between the age groups on all variables of interest, which are interpreted in view of sociopsychological factors. [source] Comparison of methods for teaching clinical skills in assessing and managing drug-seeking patientsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 4 2000Taverner Aims New medical graduates lack clinical skills in assessing and managing patients seeking drugs of dependence. This study compares the effectiveness of three different clinical skills training methods, with similar content, which were developed to teach these skills to senior medical students. Methods A preliminary survey indicated that common problems seen by primary care practitioners included both new and previously known patients seeking either benzodiazepines or opiates. The common content of the teaching was determined from this survey. A didactic small group tutorial (DT), a video-based tutorial (VBT) using professional actors, and a computer-aided instruction package using digitized video (CAI) were developed with this common content, and trialled with undergraduate medical students over 2 years in a parallel-group design. Outcome was assessed by student feedback, performance on a case-based written examination and by a structured evaluation of interviews with simulated patients requesting drugs. Comparison was also made between methods on the basis of knowledge tests. Results No difference was seen in written examination and simulated patient outcomes between the three groups. However, the VBT was thought by the students to be preferable to other methods. The estimated development costs of CAI were higher, but total costs over a 6-year period were lower than for the DT and VBT. The results suggest that clinical skills can be taught equally effectively through several different methods. Collaboration between institutions in the development of widely applicable CAI tools should be an efficient and economical mode of teaching with a wide range of applications. [source] | ||||||||||||||||