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Skill Acquisition (skill + acquisition)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	54%
Psychology	15%
Humanities and Social Sciences	15%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	12%

Selected Abstracts

Developing Technical Expertise in Emergency Medicine,The Role of Simulation in Procedural Skill Acquisition

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2008
Ernest E. Wang MD
Abstract Developing technical expertise in medical procedures is an integral component of emergency medicine (EM) practice and training. This article is the work of an expert panel composed of members from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Interest Group, the SAEM Technology in Medical Education Committee, and opinions derived from the May 2008 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, "The Science of Simulation in Healthcare." The writing group reviewed the simulation literature on procedures germane to EM training, virtual reality training, and instructional learning theory as it pertains to skill acquisition and procedural skills decay. The authors discuss the role of simulation in teaching technical expertise, identify training conditions that lead to effective learning, and provide recommendations for future foci of research. [source]

The learning process of the hydrolocalization technique performed during ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2010
S. BLOC
Background: Because poor echogenicity of the needle remains a safety issue, we decided to analyze the learning process of the hydrolocalization technique (Hloc) performed to continuously identify needle-tip anatomical position during many ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia procedures. Methods: Ten senior anesthesiologists naïve to the Hloc agreed to participate in the study. They were requested to perform 40 out-of-plane (OOP) approach ultrasound-guided axillary blocks (AB) each using the Hloc. The Hloc, which is a needle-tip localization principle, was performed by means of repetitive injections of a small amount of a local anesthetic solution (0.5,1 ml) under an ultrasound beam. Details of the learning process and skill acquisition of the Hloc were derived from the following parameters: the duration of block placement, a measure of the perceived difficulty of needle-tip visualization, a measure of block placement difficulty, and the amount of local anesthetics solution required for the technique. Results: Four hundred ABs were performed. The success rate of an ultrasound-guided AB was 98%. The Hloc was successful in all patients. Skill acquisition over time of the Hloc was associated with a significant reduction of both the duration and the perceived difficulty of ABs placement. Apprenticeship data revealed that 20 blocks were required to successfully place AB within 5 min in most cases using the Hloc. Conclusion: The Hloc performed during the OOP approach of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia is a simple technique with a relatively short learning process feasible for efficient placement of ABs. [source]

Socially biased learning among adult cottontop tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Christopher Dillis
Abstract We presented adult cottontop tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) with a novel foraging task that had been used previously to examine socially biased learning of juvenile observers [Humle & Snowdon, Animal Behaviour 75:267,277, 2008]. The task could be solved in one of two ways, and thus allowed for an analysis of behavioral matching between an observer and a skilled demonstrator (trained to use one of the two methods exclusively). Because the demonstrator was an adult in both this study and the juvenile study, the influence of the observer's age could be isolated and examined, as well as the behavior of demonstrators toward observers of different ages. Our main goals were to (1) compare adults and juveniles acquiring the same task to identify how the age of the observer affects socially biased learning and (2) examine the relationship between socially biased learning and behavioral matching in adults. Although adults spent less time observing the trained demonstrators than did juveniles, the adults were more proficient at solving the task. Furthermore, even though observers did not overtly match the behavior of the demonstrator, observation remained an important factor in the success of these individuals. The findings suggested that adult observers could extract information needed to solve a novel foraging task without explicitly matching the behavior of the demonstrator. Adult observers begged much less than juveniles and demonstrators did not respond to begging from adult. Skill acquisition and the process of socially biased learning are, therefore, age-dependent and are influenced by the behavioral interactions between observer and demonstrator. To what extent this holds true for other primates or animal species still needs to be more fully investigated and considered when designing experiments and interpreting results. Am. J. Primatol. 72:287,295, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Change in action: how infants learn to walk down slopes

DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009
Simone V. Gill
A critical aspect of perception,action coupling is the ability to modify ongoing actions in accordance with variations in the environment. Infants' ability to modify their gait patterns to walk down shallow and steep slopes was examined at three nested time scales. Across sessions, a microgenetic training design showed rapid improvements after the first session in infants receiving concentrated practice walking down slopes and in infants in a control group who were tested only at the beginning and end of the study. Within sessions, analyses across easy and challenging slope angles showed that infants used a ,braking strategy' to curb increases in walking speed across increasingly steeper slopes. Within trials, comparisons of infants' gait modifications before and after stepping over the brink of the slopes showed that the braking strategy was planned prospectively. Findings illustrate how observing change in action provides important insights into the process of skill acquisition. [source]

How skilled were English agricultural labourers in the early nineteenth century?1

ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 4 2006
JOYCE BURNETTE
Using the wage accounts of two different farms in the 1830s and 1840s, matched with census records to determine the age of the workers, this article estimates age-wage profiles for male and female agricultural labourers. Females earned less than males, and had less wage growth over their life cycles. Male wage profiles peaked at age 30,5, earlier than the wage profiles of workers today. Before the age of 30 wage growth was more rapid than increases in strength, but less rapid than wage growth among factory workers. If wage increases after the age of 20 indicate skill acquisition, then male agricultural labourers acquired a significant amount of skill, but less skill than contemporaneous factory workers. [source]

Employer-supported volunteering benefits: Gift exchange among employers, employees, and volunteer organizations

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2009
Jonathan E. Booth
Abstract Using gift exchange theory to explain the growing trend of employers offering employer-supported volunteering (ESV) benefits, this article discusses the creation of exchange relationships between the employer and employee and between the volunteer organization and employee. Hypotheses derived from the employee's perspective are tested with a nationally representative sample of volunteers (n=3,658). Findings suggest that ESV benefits are positively related to hours volunteered by the employee. Volunteer hours predict employee perceptions of skill acquisition, and such perceptions are positively related to perceptions of job success and employer recognition. We discuss the implications of these findings for business, employees, and volunteer organizations, with an emphasis on human resource management policy and practice. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Effectiveness of simulation on health profession students' knowledge, skills, confidence and satisfaction

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 3 2008
Susan Laschinger
Abstract Background, Despite the recent wave of interest being shown in high-fidelity simulators, they do not represent a new concept in healthcare education. Simulators have been a part of clinical education since the 1950s. The growth of patient simulation as a core educational tool has been driven by a number of factors. Declining inpatient populations, concerns for patient safety and advances in learning theory are forcing healthcare educators to look for alternatives to the traditional clinical encounter for skill acquisition for students. Objective, The aim of this review was to identify the best available evidence on the effectiveness of using simulated learning experiences in pre-licensure health profession education. Inclusion criteria,Types of studies: This review considered any experimental or quasi-experimental studies that addressed the effectiveness of using simulated learning experiences in pre-licensure health profession practice. In the absence of randomised controlled trials, other research designs were considered for inclusion, such as, but not limited to: non-randomised controlled trials and before-and-after studies. Types of participants: This review included participants who were pre-licensure practitioners in nursing, medicine, and rehabilitation therapy. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest: Studies that evaluated the use of human physical anatomical models with or without computer support, including whole-body or part-body simulators were included. Types of outcome measures, Student outcomes included knowledge acquisition, skill performance, learner satisfaction, critical thinking, self-confidence and role identity. Search strategy, Using a defined search and retrieval method, the following databases were accessed for the period 1995,2006: Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, HealthSTAR, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and ERIC. Methodological quality, Each paper was assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological quality prior to inclusion in the review using the standardised critical appraisal instruments for evidence of effectiveness, developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Disagreements were dealt with by consultations with a third reviewer. Data collection, Information was extracted from each paper independently by two reviewers using the standardised data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Disagreements were dealt with by consultation with a third reviewer. Data synthesis, Due to the type of designs and quality of available studies, it was not possible to pool quantitative research study results in statistical meta-analysis. As statistical pooling was not possible, the findings are presented in descriptive narrative form. Results, Twenty-three studies were selected for inclusion in this review including partial task trainers and high-fidelity human patient simulators. The results indicate that there is high learner satisfaction with using simulators to learn clinical skills. The studies demonstrated that human patient simulators which are used for teaching higher level skills, such as airway management, and physiological concepts are useful. While there are short-term gains in knowledge and skill performance, it is evident that performance of skills over time after initial training decline. Conclusion, At best, simulation can be used as an adjunct for clinical practice, not a replacement for everyday practice. Students enjoyed the sessions and using the models purportedly makes learning easier. However, it remains unclear whether the skills learned through a simulation experience transfer into real-world settings. More research is needed to evaluate whether the skills acquired with this teaching methodology transfer to the practice setting such as the impact of simulation training on team function. [source]

The learning process of the hydrolocalization technique performed during ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia

The role of competence level in the self-efficacy,skills relationship: an empirical examination of the skill acquisition process and its implications for information technology training

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2009
James P. Downey
The role of computer training has long been critical in organizations as reliance on technology for strategic advantage increases in importance. How to most effectively conduct such training has clear implications for organizations. This study examines one area of training which is not well understood: the role that competence level plays in the self-efficacy,competence relationship (if indeed it plays a role at all) during skill acquisition. Two opposing conceptual positions are presented from the literature, one that suggests the relationship between self-efficacy and competence will be stronger early in the skill acquisition process (when competence is minimal), the other suggesting the strength of the relationship will be stronger at mastery. Using a sample of over 600 and structural equation modeling, the relationship between self-efficacy and competence for six different computing application domains is tested by dividing respondents in each domain in half, according to competence level. Results empirically demonstrate that level of competence makes a significant difference in the domains, that those higher in ability typically have a stronger relationship with self-efficacy. Results also show that the relationship is weaker for those new to the application and those who have mastered the application. The important implications for training are discussed. [source]

Building on formal education: employers' approaches to the training and development of new recruits in the People's Republic of China

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2003
Katharine Venter
Conceptions of modern management and of skill in China have developed out of quantitative, production oriented traditions that have tended to downplay the human side of management, training and development. Based on recent survey and case study research this paper argues that some organisations are moving away from such narrow definitions. These tend to be resource rich, larger enterprises, often in modern growth sectors and organisations exposed to foreign practice (either by virtue of foreign ownership or investment, or as a result of exposure to the pressures of global competition through operation in international markets). Skills shortages are faced by organisations throughout China. However, employers do not generally feel that the education system is serving to address these skills needs. The varying conceptions of modern management shape the manner in which organisations recruit from, and build, on formal education provision. Many resource rich employers are using formal education as a selection mechanism, selecting the educational elite and continuing to develop them. Those organisations that have limited access to highly qualified recruits are also least likely to be in a position to provide extensive or high quality training. Consequently the divide between resource rich and resource poor organisations, in terms of both organisational resources and employees' opportunities for skill acquisition, learning and development, seems likely to widen. [source]

Evaluating STORM skills training for managing people at risk of suicide

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2006
Linda Gask MSc PhD FRCPsych
Aim., This paper reports a study evaluating the Skills Training On Risk Management (STORM) training initiative in three mental health services in the North-West of England, UK. Background., Training for health workers has been widely advocated as a key route to suicide prevention. However, reports of evaluations are scarce in the literature. In previous research, we have demonstrated that the STORM intervention results in acquisition of new skills and can be disseminated in a community setting. Method., The training was delivered during a 6-month period in 2002 by three mental health nurses who were seconded part-time to the project. The quantitative evaluation, which assessed change in attitudes, confidence, acquisition of skills and satisfaction, used a pretest/post-test design, with participants acting as their own controls. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 participants to explore the impact on clinical practice, and with the three trainers at the end of the study. Findings., Data from 458 staff members were collected during a 6-month period. Positive changes in attitudes and confidence were shown, but previous evidence of skill acquisition was not replicated. Qualitative interviews revealed important insights into changes in clinical practice, particularly for less experienced or unqualified nursing staff, but also concerns about the lack of an educational culture to foster and support such interventions in practice within the organizations. Conclusion., STORM training for the assessment and management of suicide risk is both feasible and acceptable in mental health trusts. However, we remain uncertain of its longer-term impact, given the lack of engagement of senior staff in the enterprise and the absence of linked supervision and support from the organizational management to reinforce skill acquisition and development. We consider that regular supervision that links STORM training to actual clinical experience would be the ideal. [source]

Fostering a culture of engagement: an evaluation of a 2-day training in solution-focused brief therapy for mental health workers

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2009
H. FERRAZ msc pg dip ed rmn
The focus of mental health care has changed considerably in recent years, from an almost exclusive inpatient system of care to one where the majority of care is being delivered within the community. Arguably this has contributed to a reduction in the length of inpatient admissions. Therefore, there is a need to understand the ramifications that shorter admissions have on inpatient care and nursing practice. This paper reports on a study designed to test the knowledge and skill acquisition and self-reported application of solution-focused brief therapy by staff following a 2-day training. The study adopted a repeated measures design where participants' baseline knowledge was measured prior to the 2-day training and then at 3 and 6 months post-training. This study has demonstrated that the 2-day training was effective in increasing participants' reported knowledge and understanding of solution-focused brief therapy and their self-reported use of the techniques in routine clinical practice. In conclusion, this study has established that staff from a variety of professional and non-professional backgrounds can make good skill acquisition from a fairly modest training. Additionally, the current study has also highlighted the need for well-conducted large-scale trials of this potentially important technology. [source]

Evaluation of a postgraduate training programme for community mental health practitioners

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2005
A. N. GAUNTLETT rmn bsc msc
Government guidelines on mental health care in England have considerable implications for the level of competency required by the mental health workforce. Implementing these changes requires the widespread introduction of training initiatives whose effectiveness in improving staff performance need to be demonstrated through programme evaluation. This exploratory study evaluates the impact of a 2-year mental health training programme by measuring skill acquisition and skill application, by identifying the key ingredients for facilitating the transfer of learning into practice, and by examining differences in outcome between the academic and the non-academic students. High skill acquisition and application was reported in the majority of interventions, however, low skill application was reported for some key interventions (assertive outreach, dual diagnosis). Statistically significant differences were found between student cohorts in one intervention for skill acquisition (crisis intervention) and two interventions for skill application (client strengths model; medication management). The main ingredients for facilitating transfer were found to be the credibility of the trainers and training alongside colleagues from their own workplace. Some of the possible explanatory factors for these findings are discussed. [source]

The ,Collaborative Care' curriculum: an educational model addressing key ACGME core competencies in primary care residency training

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2003
Keith Frey
Aim, The ,Collaborative Care' curriculum is a 12-month senior resident class project in which one evidence-based clinical guideline is designed, implemented and evaluated in our residency practice. This curriculum specifically addresses three of the six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies: Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills and System-Based Practices. Additionally, the project enhances the quality of patient care within the model family practice centre in a family practice residency. Methods, During the project, the third-year residency class selects the disease, develops the clinical guideline, leads its implementation and guides the evaluation process. Select faculty members serve as mentors and coach the resident class through each phase of the project. Specific educational objectives are developed for each content area: evidence-based medicine, clinical guideline development, continuous quality improvement and team leadership. A series of seminars are presented during the project year to provide ,just-in-time' learning for the key content and skills required for each step in the project. By working together to develop the practice guideline, then working with nurses and allied health staff to implement the guideline and review its effectiveness, the resident team gains competence in the areas of practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and system-based practices. Results, The self-reported level of resident confidence in skill acquisition for each content area was measured for each resident at the time of graduation from the residency programme. Results from the first 2 years of this curriculum are reported (resident n = 12), and demonstrate a high level of physician confidence in the skills addressed and their utility for future practice. Conclusions, The senior resident seminar and team project model reported here creates learning experiences that appear to address at least three of the ACGME general competency expectations: practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal communication skills, and systems-based practice. From the initial resident feedback, this educational model seems to establish a high level of physician confidence in the skills addressed and their utility for future practice. [source]

The nonprofit leadership deficit: A case for more optimism

NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 3 2009
Janet L. Johnson
Recent headlines claim that a looming nonprofit leadership crisis will soon be precipitated by retiring baby boomers. Analysis of baby boom demographics, using national census data on the age distribution and other demographic characteristics of top leaders by sector, confirms the aging nonprofit workforce. However, the issue of whether the aging workforce portends a nonprofit leadership crisis, when analyzed within a theoretical framework of supply and demand in the market for nonprofit executives, reveals flaws in most commentaries about the leadership crisis. Workings of the labor market and nonprofit organizations themselves suggest trends that could be expected to affect labor supply and demand and mitigate a leadership deficit. Reasonable,and likely,market and organizational adjustments, including higher executive pay, increased labor force participation of older workers, skill acquisition of younger workers, possible consolidation of nonprofit organizations, board and volunteer skill sharing, and even venture philanthropy, can be expected to moderate the shock of baby boom retirements, much in the way that schools, job markets, and housing markets have accommodated the movement of this "bulging" generation through earlier decades of their lives. [source]

Frequency of knowledge of results and motor learning in persons with developmental delay

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2006
Martin S Rice
Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of high versus low frequency knowledge of results (KR) in a group of 16 individuals with developmental delay and in gender and age-matched average individuals learning a motor skill on a laptop computer. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 100% KR or a 50% KR group. KR was provided during the acquisition phase according to group assignment as participants learned the motor skill, whereas no KR was provided during the retention phase. Results indicated both populations who received 50% KR in the acquisition phase demonstrated better performance in the retention phase than those who received 100% KR. The results of this study suggest that, as has been found in the average population, feedback that is too frequent can interfere with learning and retention of tasks for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). Limitations involved the small sample size along with the task potentially being artificial in nature. Future research is needed to study further the effects of frequency of KR on skill acquisition, particularly in instrumental activities of daily living in this population. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source]

The early assessment conundrum: Lessons from the past, implications for the future

PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 7 2004
Catherine M. Bordignon
The early childhood educational field has garnered attention with initiatives to foster skill acquisition in young children prior to kindergarten entry. These initiatives, in conjunction with the rigorous demands of curricular reform and a burgeoning accountability movement, invoke questions regarding the adequacy of the instruments used to assess young children and the inherent difficulties in conducting such assessments. Because the effectiveness of education relies critically on the sound diagnoses of children's readiness for learning and the measurement of their subsequent progression throughout the schooling process, critical issues in early assessment must be addressed. An examination of past practices was synthesized with recent research to focus awareness on the insufficient content domain, restrictive context, adverse timing and questionable psychometric properties, specifically the inappropriate norms and low predictive validity, of many instruments. Both the implications of and compensatory strategies for each issue are considered. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 737,749, 2004. [source]

,Practice without theory': a neuroanthropological perspective on embodied learning

THE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 2010
Greg Downey
This paper, drawing on research on skill acquisition and sports training, asks two questions. First, how does the mimetic channel function and thus limit what can be acquired by bodily enculturation? Second, given that it was acquired through imitation, what must be the nature of the resulting bodily knowledge? These questions are addressed through a close examination of movement education, especially its neurological, psychological, and interactional dynamics in the Afro-Brazilian art capoeira. The study of embodied knowledge and its development in bodily practices suggests that gaining bodily skills requires more than ,knowledge', involving changes in physiology, perception, comportment, and behaviour patterns in unsystematic, diverse modes. Embodied knowledge from this perspective appears more complex, less systematic or susceptible to structural account, than typically modelled. Résumé À partir de travaux sur l'acquisition de compétences et l'entraînement sportif, l'article pose deux questions. D'une part, comment fonctionne le canal mimétique, et comment limite-t-il ce qui peut être acquis par une enculturation corporelle ? D'autre part, sachant que l'apprentissage s'est fait par imitation, quelle peut être la nature des connaissances corporelles en résultant ? Ces questions sont abordées par le biais d'un examen attentif de l'éducation au mouvement, et notamment de sa dynamique neurologique, psychologique et interactive, dans l'art afro-brésilien de la capoeira. L'étude des connaissances incorporées et de leur développement dans les pratiques corporelles suggère que l'acquisition de compétences physiques nécessite plus que des « connaissances » et implique des changements physiologiques, perceptifs et comportementaux de nature diverse et non systématique. De ce point de vue, les connaissances incorporées semblent plus complexes, moins systématiques ou susceptibles de faire l'objet d'un compte-rendu structural, que dans les modèles classiques. [source]

Knowledge, Skill, and the Inculcation of the Anthropologist: Reflections on Learning to Sew in the Field

ANTHROPOLOGY OF WORK REVIEW, Issue 3 2008
Rebecca Prentice
Abstract This article explores employment as a mode of participant observation, by analyzing the complex relationship between skill acquisition, embodiment, and anthropological analysis. It highlights the importance of thinking critically about the body, including the ethnographer's own body in the field. I describe working in a garment factory and learning to sew as part of my doctoral research on the garment industry in Trinidad, West Indies. I argue that disciplining the body into a particular craft is also a process of incorporating (or "taking into the body") the ideologies of work that structure skill's meaning and practice. By describing my own difficulties "disembodying" what I learned in the field (in order to intellectualize the experience) I show how learning practical skills and enacting them everyday can be both a vigorous and perilous form of ethnographic research. [source]

Virtual reality simulators: Current status in acquisition and assessment of surgical skills

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1 2002
Peter H. Cosman
Medical technology is currently evolving so rapidly that its impact cannot be analysed. Robotics and telesurgery loom on the horizon, and the technology used to drive these advances has serendipitous side-effects for the education and training arena. The graphical and haptic interfaces used to provide remote feedback to the operator , by passing control to a computer , may be used to generate simulations of the operative environment that are useful for training candidates in surgical procedures. One additional advantage is that the metrics calculated inherently in the controlling software in order to run the simulation may be used to provide performance feedback to individual trainees and mentors. New interfaces will be required to undergo evaluation of the simulation fidelity before being deemed acceptable. The potential benefits fall into one of two general categories: those benefits related to skill acquisition, and those related to skill assessment. The educational value of the simulation will require assessment, and comparison to currently available methods of training in any given procedure. It is also necessary to determine , by repeated trials , whether a given simulation actually measures the performance parameters it purports to measure. This trains the spotlight on what constitutes good surgical skill, and how it is to be objectively measured. Early results suggest that virtual reality simulators have an important role to play in this aspect of surgical training. [source]

The effects of ageing and cognitive impairment on on-line and off-line motor learning

APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
Jin H. Yan
Skilled performance is a collective function of practice-related experiences (online learning) and post-practice memory consolidation during sleep (offline learning). This study examines the effects of ageing and cognitive impairment on the on- and offline learning of a point-to-point arm movement. In a 3-day experiment, older adults (cognitively normal or impaired) and young adults (YAs) were randomly assigned to practice or no-practice conditions. Changes in the dependent measures of movement time and timing error were analysed within and between conditions across days. The findings suggest that both age and cognitive function affect skill learning. YAs improved performance via both on- and offline learning whereas older adults with normal cognitive capacities appeared to learn the movement skill primarily in an online mode. Cognitive impairments were found to hinder both types of skill learning. Implications for motor skill acquisition and rehabilitation are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Effects of a supervisory intervention on assessment of interobserver agreement by educational service providers

BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 2 2008
Meredith L. Garrity
Effective data collection requires routine assessment of interobserver agreement (IOA). This study evaluated a supervisory intervention to increase the frequency of IOA assessments performed by educational staff at a school for children with developmental disabilities. Intervention components included action directives, strategic posting of IOA recording forms, and performance feedback (positive reinforcement and correction). Implemented in a multiple baseline design, intervention increased IOA assessments targeting skill acquisition and behavior support plans. The study illustrates a systems-level approach towards performance enhancement of human services personnel. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

The effect of providing choices on skill acquisition and competing behavior of children with autism during discrete trial instruction

BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 1 2002
Bobby Newman
Discrete trial instruction was carried out for three students with autism. An alternating treatments design was implemented. In one condition, teachers chose the reinforcers to be used and the order in which programs were conducted. In a second condition, students chose the order of programs and the reinforcers to be used. Speed of skill acquisition and the presence of competing behavior such as tantrums, aggression, escape attempts or idiosyncratic noncompliance responses were measured. Speed of skill acquisition did not differ between the two conditions, but competing behavior was markedly reduced during student choice conditions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Developing Technical Expertise in Emergency Medicine,The Role of Simulation in Procedural Skill Acquisition

Comparison of Outcomes of Two Skills-teaching Methods on Lay-rescuers' Acquisition of Infant Basic Life Support Skills

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 9 2010
Itai Shavit MD
ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:979,986 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives:, The objective was to determine if lay-rescuers' acquisition of infant basic life support (BLS) skills would be better when skills teaching consisted of videotaping practice and providing feedback on performances, compared to conventional skills-teaching and feedback methods. Methods:, This pilot-exploratory, single-blind, prospective, controlled, randomized study was conducted on November 12, 2007, at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion,Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. The population under study consisted of all first-year medical students enrolled in the 2007,2008 year. BLS training is part of their mandatory introductory course in emergency medicine. Twenty-three students with previous BLS training were excluded. The remaining 71 were randomized into four and then two groups, with final allocation to an intervention and control group of 18 and 16 students, respectively. All the students participated in infant BLS classroom teaching. Those in the intervention group practiced skills acquisition independently, and four were videotaped while practicing. Tapes were reviewed by the group and feedback was provided. Controls practiced using conventional teaching and feedback methods. After 3 hours, all subjects were videotaped performing an unassisted, lone-rescuer, infant BLS resuscitation scenario. A skills assessment tool was developed. It consisted of 25 checklist items, grouped into four sections: 6 points for "categories" (with specific actions in six categories), 14 points for "scoring" (of accuracy of performance of each action), 4 points for "sequence" (of actions within a category), and 1 point for "order" of resuscitation (complete and well-sequenced categories). Two blinded expert raters were given a workshop on the use of the scoring tool. They further refined it to increase scoring consistency. The main outcome of the study was defined as evidence of better skills acquisition in overall skills in the four sections and in the specific skills sets for actions in any individual category. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics. Results:, Means and mean percentages were greater in the intervention group in all four sections compared to controls: categories (5.72 [95.33%] and 4.69 [92.66%]), scoring (10.57 [75.50%] and 7.41 [43.59%]), sequence (2.28 [57.00%] and 1.66 [41.50%]), and order of resuscitation (0.96 [96.00%] and 0.19 [19.00%]). The means and mean percentages of the actions (skill sets) in the intervention group were also larger than those of controls in five out of six categories: assessing responsiveness (1.69 [84.50%] and 1.13 [56.50%]), breathing technique (1.69 [93.00%] and 1.13 [47.20%]), chest compression technique (3.19 [77.50%] and 1.84 [46.00%]), activating emergency medical services (EMS) (3.00 [100.00%] and 2.81 [84.50%]), and resuming cardiopulmonary resuscitation (0.97 [97.00%] and 0.47 [47.00%]). These results demonstrate better performance in the intervention group. Conclusions:, The use of videotaped practice and feedback for the acquisition of overall infant BLS skills and of specific skill sets is effective. Observation and participation in the feedback and assessment of nonexperts attempting infant BLS skills appeared to improve the ability of this group of students to perform the task. [source]

A pilot study comparing the effectiveness of conventional training and virtual reality simulation in the skills acquisition of junior dental students

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2003
Frank Quinn
The use of virtual reality (VR) in the training of operative dentistry is a recent innovation and little research has been published on its efficacy compared to conventional training methods. To evaluate possible benefits, junior undergraduate dental students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group 1 as taught by conventional means only; group 2 as trained by conventional means combined with VR repetition and reinforcement (with access to a human instructor for operative advice); and group 3 as trained by conventional means combined with VR repetition and reinforcement, but without instructor evaluation/advice, which was only supplied via the VR-associated software. At the end of the research period, all groups executed two class 1 preparations that were evaluated blindly by ,expert' trainers, under traditional criteria (outline, retention, smoothness, depth, wall angulation and cavity margin index). Analyses of resulting scores indicated a lack of significant differences between the three groups except for scores for the category of ,outline form', for group 2, which produced significantly lower (i.e. better) scores than the conventionally trained group. A statistical comparison between scores from two ,expert' examiners indicated lack of agreement, despite identical written and visual criteria being used for evaluation by both. Both examiners, however, generally showed similar trends in evaluation. An anonymous questionnaire suggested that students recognized the benefits of VR training (e.g. ready access to assessment, error identification and how they can be corrected), but the majority felt that it would not replace conventional training methods (95%), although participants recognized the potential for development of VR systems in dentistry. The most common reasons cited for the preference of conventional training were excessive critical feedback (55%), lack of personal contact (50%) and technical hardware difficulties (20%) associated with VR-based training. [source]

A randomized, controlled, single-blind trial of teaching provided by a computer-based multimedia package versus lecture

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2001
Christopher Williams
Background Computer-based teaching may allow effective teaching of important psychiatric knowledge and skills. Aims To investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of computer-based teaching. Method A single-blind, randomized, controlled study of 166 undergraduate medical students at the University of Leeds, involving an educational intervention of either a structured lecture or a computer-based teaching package (both of equal duration). Results There was no difference in knowledge between the groups at baseline or immediately after teaching. Both groups made significant gains in knowledge after teaching. Students who attended the lecture rated their subjective knowledge and skills at a statistically significantly higher level than students who had used the computers. Students who had used the computer package scored higher on an objective measure of assessment skills. Students did not perceive the computer package to be as useful as the traditional lecture format, despite finding it easy to use and recommending its use to other students. Conclusions Medical students rate themselves subjectively as learning less from computer-based as compared with lecture-based teaching. Objective measures suggest equivalence in knowledge acquisition and significantly greater skills acquisition for computer-based teaching. [source]

Predictors of hyperactive,impulsive,inattention and conduct problems: A comparative follow-back investigation

PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 7 2005
Frank M. Gresham
Disruptive behavior patterns are particularly challenging for parents, teachers, and peers as these behaviors often interfere with classroom instruction, frequently lead to academic underachievement, and are associated with social skills acquisition and performance deficits. Children who exhibit a combination of hyperactivity,impulsivity,inattention and conduct problems (HIA + CP) have been shown to be at greater risk for negative social, behavioral, and legal outcomes than children with HIA-only or CP-only behavior patterns. This investigation explored the degree to which academic, social, and behavioral characteristics in Grade 4 could differentiate sixth-grade students with HIA + CP (n = 61), HIA-only (n = 29), and CP-only (n = 14). Results showed that the HIA-only group had higher academic achievement in Grade 4 as measured by teacher judgments and standardized tests than the HIA + CP and CP-only groups. By Grade 6, the HIA-only and HIA + CP groups showed lower academic competence than the CP-only group suggesting that by sixth grade, children having HIA alone or in combination with conduct problems are at greater risk for academic failure. Additionally, HIA + CP and CP-only groups had poorer social skills than the HIA-only group. Consistent with past research, students in the three risk groups showed no difficulties in either academic or social self-concept. Early screening and identification methods using a multiple-gating model were recommended as a means of proactive approaches to intervention design and prevention. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 721,736, 2005. [source]

Factors that influence physicians' detection of distress in patients with cancer,

CANCER, Issue 2 2005
Can a communication skills training program improve physicians' detection?
Abstract BACKGROUND No study to date has assessed the impact of skills acquisition after a communication skills training program on physicians' ability to detect distress in patients with cancer. METHODS First, the authors used a randomized design to assess the impact, on physicians' ability to detect patients' distress, of a 1-hour theoretical information course followed by 2 communication skills training programs: a 2.5-day basic training program and the same training program consolidated by 6 3-hour consolidation workshops. Then, theinvestigate contextual, patient, and communication variables or factors associated with physicians' detection of patients' distress were investigated. After they attended the basic communication skills training program, physicians were assigned randomly to consolidation workshops or to a waiting list. Interviews with a cancer patient were recorded before training, after consolidation workshops for the group that attended consolidation workshops, and , 5 months after basic training for the group that attended basic training without the consolidation workshops. Patient distress was recorded with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale before the interviews. Physicians rated their patients' distress on a visual analog scale after the interviews. Physicians' ability to detect patients' distress was measured through computing differences between physicians' ratings of patients' distress and patients' self-reported distress. Communication skills were analyzed according to the Cancer Research Campaign Workshop Evaluation Manual. RESULTS Fifty-eight physicians were evaluable. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed no statistically significant changes over time and between groups in physicians' ability to assess patient distress. Mixed-effects modeling showed that physicians' detection of patients' distress was associated negatively with patients' educational level (P = 0.042) and with patients' self-reported distress (P < 0.000). Mixed-effects modeling also showed that physicians' detection of patient distress was associated positively with physicians breaking bad news (P = 0.022) and using assessment skills (P = 0.015) and supportive skills (P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS Contrary to what was expected, no change was observed in physicians' ability to detect distress in patients with cancer after a communication skills training programs, regardless of whether physicians attended the basic training program or the basic training program followed by the consolidation workshops. The results indicated a need for further improvements in physicians' detection skills through specific training modules, including theoretical information about factors that interfere with physicians' detection and through role-playing exercises that focus on assessment and supportive skills that facilitate detection. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source]