Investigating the Effect of 3D Simulation Based Learning on the Motivation and Performance of Engineering Students

Abstract An attempt to focus problems encountered in teaching mechanics of machines to engineering students has stimulated the authors of this paper to develop specific software, lectures and laboratory activities with different emphases and relations between the teacher’s and students’ tasks. A multi-year study has been made to test if and how simulation, based on a hypermedia system, can be used in developing educational tools for this new courseware. As a result, new tools for learning mechanics of machines are proposed.

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Using simulation to iteratively test and re-design a cognitive aid for use in the management of severe local anaesthetic toxicity

BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

10.1136/bmjstel-2017-000221 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 4-12

Author(s):

Catherine A McIntosh ◽

David Donnelly ◽

Robert Marr

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

Local Anaesthetic ◽

Human Factors Engineering ◽

Cognitive Aids ◽

Local Standard ◽

Simulation Based ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Font Design ◽

And Performance ◽

Education And Development

IntroductionCognitive aids, such as a guideline for the management of severe local anaesthetic (LA) toxicity, are tools designed to help users complete a task. Human factors experts recommend the use of simulation to iteratively test and re-design these tools. The purpose of this study was to apply human factors engineering principles to the testing and iterative re-design of three existing cognitive aids used for the management of severe LA toxicity and to use these data to develop a ‘new’ cognitive aid.MethodsTwenty anaesthetist–anaesthetic assistant pairs were randomised into four groups. Each of the first three groups received one of three different existing cognitive aids during a standardised simulated LA toxicity crisis. Postsimulation semistructured interviews were conducted to identify features beneficial and detrimental to the format and usability of the aid. Synthesis of the interview data with established checklist design recommendations resulted in a prototype aid, which was subjected to further testing and re-design by the fourth group (five more pairs) under the same conditions thus creating the final iteration of the new aid.ResultsFeatures of the new aid included a single-stream flowchart structure, single-sided, large-font design with colour contrast, simplified instructions and no need for calculations. This simplified tool contains only the information users reported as essential for the immediate crisis management.ConclusionsUtilisation of formative usability testing and simulation-based user-centred design resulted in a visually very different cognitive aid and reinforces the importance of designing aids in the context in which they are to be used. Simplified tools may be more appropriate for use in emergencies but more detailed guidelines may be necessary for training, education and development of local standard operating procedures. Iterative simulation-based testing and re-design is likely to be of assistance when developing aids for other crises, and to eliminate design failure as a confounder when investigating the relationship between use of cognitive aids and performance.

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Educational impact of a pilot paediatric simulation-based training course in Botswana

BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

10.1136/bmjstel-2019-000501 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 279-283

Author(s):

Nicolaus W Glomb ◽

Manish I Shah ◽

Adeola A Kosoko ◽

Cara B Doughty ◽

Cafen Galapi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Test Scores ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Limited Resource ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Training Course ◽

Resource Setting ◽

Simulation Based ◽

And Performance ◽

Training Programmes ◽

The Impact

BackgroundAs emergency medical services (EMS) systems develop globally in resource-limited settings, equipping providers with paediatric training is essential. Low-fidelity simulation-based training is an effective modality for training healthcare workers, though limited data exist on the impact of such training programmes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the paediatric portion of a simulation-based curriculum for prehospital providers in Botswana.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of EMS providers from more populated regions of Botswana, who attended a 2-day training that included didactic lectures, hands-on skills stations and low-fidelity simulation training. We collected data on participant self-efficacy with paediatric knowledge and skills and performance on both written and simulation-based tests. Self-efficacy and test data were analysed, and qualitative course feedback was summarised.ResultsThirty-one EMS providers participated in the training. Median self-efficacy levels increased for 13/15 (87%) variables queried. The most notable improvements were observed in airway management, newborn resuscitation and weight estimation. Mean written test scores increased by 10.6%, while mean simulation test scores increased by 21.5% (p<0.0001). One hundred per cent of the participants rated the course as extremely useful or very useful.Discussion/ConclusionWe have demonstrated that a low-fidelity simulation-based training course based on a rigorous needs assessment may enhance short-term paediatric knowledge and skills for providers in a developing EMS system in a limited-resource setting. Future studies should focus on studying larger groups of learners in similar settings, especially with respect to the impact of educational programmes like these on real-world patient outcomes.

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Engaged to Succeed: Understanding First-Year Engineering Students’ Course Engagement and Performance Through Analytics

IEEE Access ◽

10.1109/access.2019.2945873 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 163686-163699 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Cory Brozina ◽

David B. Knight ◽

Timothy Kinoshita ◽

Aditya Johri

Keyword(s):

Engineering Students ◽

First Year ◽

Course Engagement ◽

And Performance

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A reduced order approach for probabilistic inversions of 3-D magnetotelluric data I: general formulation

Geophysical Journal International ◽

10.1093/gji/ggaa415 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 223 (3) ◽

pp. 1837-1863

Author(s):

M C Manassero ◽

J C Afonso ◽

F Zyserman ◽

S Zlotnik ◽

I Fomin

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Computational Cost ◽

Forward Problem ◽

Parallel Structure ◽

Data Sets ◽

Magnetotelluric Data ◽

Reduced Order ◽

Mcmc Algorithms ◽

Simulation Based ◽

And Performance

SUMMARY Simulation-based probabilistic inversions of 3-D magnetotelluric (MT) data are arguably the best option to deal with the nonlinearity and non-uniqueness of the MT problem. However, the computational cost associated with the modelling of 3-D MT data has so far precluded the community from adopting and/or pursuing full probabilistic inversions of large MT data sets. In this contribution, we present a novel and general inversion framework, driven by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, which combines (i) an efficient parallel-in-parallel structure to solve the 3-D forward problem, (ii) a reduced order technique to create fast and accurate surrogate models of the forward problem and (iii) adaptive strategies for both the MCMC algorithm and the surrogate model. In particular, and contrary to traditional implementations, the adaptation of the surrogate is integrated into the MCMC inversion. This circumvents the need of costly offline stages to build the surrogate and further increases the overall efficiency of the method. We demonstrate the feasibility and performance of our approach to invert for large-scale conductivity structures with two numerical examples using different parametrizations and dimensionalities. In both cases, we report staggering gains in computational efficiency compared to traditional MCMC implementations. Our method finally removes the main bottleneck of probabilistic inversions of 3-D MT data and opens up new opportunities for both stand-alone MT inversions and multi-observable joint inversions for the physical state of the Earth’s interior.

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An analysis of questionnaires and performance measures for a simulation-based kinesic cue detection task

2016 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) ◽

10.1109/wsc.2016.7822344 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan Hurter ◽

William Aubrey ◽

Sushunova G. Martinez ◽

Crystal S. Maraj ◽

Irwin Hudson

Keyword(s):

Performance Measures ◽

Detection Task ◽

Simulation Based ◽

And Performance ◽

Cue Detection

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