scholarly journals Evaluating an International Facial Trauma Course for Surgeons: Did We Make a Difference?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 247275122110192
Author(s):  
Ayesha Younas ◽  
Irfan Shah ◽  
Thiam Chye Lim ◽  
Marcelo Figari ◽  
Gorman Louie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
Course Evaluations ◽  
Facial Trauma ◽  
Educational Impact ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Course Effectiveness ◽  
Retrospective Data Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
International Planning

Study Design: Retrospective data analysis study. Objective: Attending continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME) activities is a necessity for practicing surgeons in most parts of the world. To enhance best practices in conducting CME/CPD, objective evaluation of these events is crucial. This article aims to evaluate one such international standardized CPD course conducted for facial surgeons across the globe. The Management of Facial Trauma course was developed by an international planning committee of experienced surgeons and has been implemented in all regions of the world. Method: This 2-day course is delivered using a combination of short lectures, small group discussions, and practical hands-on activities. Data collected from pre- and post-course evaluations of 86 Management of Facial Trauma courses conducted worldwide from 2017-2019 were collated and analyzed. Results: Participant demographics and experience levels varied slightly across the regions. Evaluation of the course effectiveness revealed overall high ratings for educational impact, content usefulness, and faculty performance. Conclusion: Our results indicated that this standardized course met the audience needs and enabled participants to plan changes in clinical practice. In addition, it confirmed that the course was relevant across different specialties and across different cultures and countries.

Digital transformation of face-to-face focus group methodology: engaging a globally dispersed audience in management of institutional change (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Mahmoud ◽  
Anna TOKAR ◽  
Melissa ARRIAS ◽  
Christos MYLONAS ◽  
Heini UTUNEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Global Workforce ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

UNSTRUCTURED As part of its transformation process to meet the health challenges of the 21st century by creating a motivated and fit-for-purpose global workforce, the World Health Organization (WHO) is developing the first-ever global Learning Strategy for health personnel around the world. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were organized as part of in-depth qualitative research on staff views, visions, and suggestions. Due to the pandemic, a flexible, multi-linguistic, participatory, iterative methodology for digitization of face-to-face FDGs to engage a globally dispersed workforce was implemented.

Navigating Theory and Practice Through Evaluation Fieldwork

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Anne Chouinard ◽  
Ayesha S. Boyce ◽  
Juanita Hicks ◽  
Jennie Jones ◽  
Justin Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Evaluation Theory ◽  
Evaluation Practice ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
The Relationship

To explore the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation, we focus on the perspectives and experiences of student evaluators, as they move from the classroom to an engagement with the social, political, and cultural dynamics of evaluation in the field. Through reflective journals, postcourse interviews, and facilitated group discussions, we involve students in critical thinking around the relationship between evaluation theory and practice, which for many was unexpectedly tumultuous and contextually dynamic and complex. In our exploration, we are guided by the following questions: How do novice practitioners navigate between the world of the classroom and the world of practice? What informs their evaluation practice? More specifically, how can we understand the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation? A thematic analysis leads to three interconnected themes. We conclude with implications for thinking about the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation.

scholarly journals NATIVESPEAKERISM AND WORLD ENGLISHES: TEACHERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS NON-NATIVE ENGLISH VARIETIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Maraden Silalahi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Contextual Understanding ◽  
The World ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers

<p>In the last decade, the development of information technology confirms English as a Lingua Franca used by native English speakers and nonnative English speakers. English in a global context has triggered the emergence of new English variants, resulting from the assimilation of English into a local language known as World Englishes. On the other hand, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEAFL) in Indonesia is still oriented towards the ideology of nativespeakerism which believes that TEAFL should be done by Native English-Speaking Teachers (NEST) because they are believed to have better linguistic competence and contextual understanding than Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers (NNEST). This article is directed to determine the perceptions of English teachers in Indonesia regarding the world Englishes phenomenon. This research is qualitative research with 20 informants consisting of 10 Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers and 10 Native English-Speaking Teachers. Four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), each consisting of 5 informants, will be conducted to gather as much information as possible related to teachers’ perceptions. This research is expected to provide an overview of foreign language teaching in Indonesia. The results showed that nativespeakerism has a strong correlation with the world Englishes phenomenon. In the Indonesian context, this is shaped by the stigma that forms in society. This research is expected to enrich teaching studies, specifically in teaching foreign languages.</p>

scholarly journals Educational Impact of Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (97) ◽  
pp. 233-240
Author(s):  
Marcelo de Souza Bispo ◽  
Eduardo Paes Barreto Davel
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Educational Impact ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Educational Vision ◽  
The World ◽  
The Common

Abstract To think about the impacts of academic research on education is to think dynamically: education affects the ways of doing research (from the point of view of formal education) and is affected by research results that are little predictable and perceived due to constant negotiations among social actors in their daily socializations in different contexts. Management education (formal, non-formal and informal) affects and is affected by conflicting views of the world, which are produced within the field of management itself and whose impact as “beneficial” is not just a matter oriented primarily by economic, instrumental and financial aspects, but also for a negotiated understanding of the world that moves towards the common good. All research must be concerned with its power to affect educational vision and practice, directly or indirectly. How can this concern become perennial and central to the practice of academic research?

scholarly journals Youth Perspectives of Healthcare in Central Mexico: An Application of Massey’s Critical Health Literacy Framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Hoffman ◽  
Heidi Rueda ◽  
Lauren Beasley
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Critical Health Literacy ◽  
The World

Attention to health literacy is essential more now than ever given the recognition, attention, and resources being dedicated to addressing health disparities throughout the world. Unfortunately, health literacy research is scarce in many parts of the world, particularly among youth. Using focus group discussions with junior high school students (N = 98) in a rural town of Central Mexico, we sought to learn about their experiences utilizing healthcare services at a local health clinic. The themes that naturally emerged from focus group discussions aligned with Massey’s framework on critical health literacy among US youth, and included problems navigating the health system, embarrassment speaking to doctors about sensitive issues, and minimal importance being placed on preventative care. This suggests that Massey’s framework may be appropriate to use when seeking to understand and promote health literacy among youth in Mexico. Furthermore, the challenges faced by adolescent participants in this study suggest that additional research is needed to assess how youth in other areas of Mexico are faring in efforts to understand and access their new and evolving universal healthcare system.

scholarly journals A Traditional Closed-Loop Sanitation System in a Chronic Emergency: A Qualitative Study from Afghanistan

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin ◽  
Jean Lapegue ◽  
Jutta Gutberlet ◽  
Jan Franklin Adamowski ◽  
Caetano C. Dorea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The World ◽  
Smart Community ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Sanitation Systems

The use of closed-loop sanitation systems (CLSS), or reuse-oriented sanitation systems, has increased in recent years, and such systems have been successfully implemented in many parts of the world. However, no research has explored Traditional CLSS (T-CLSS) for a long-term humanitarian situation. This study explores the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of T-CLSS in peri-urban and rural contexts in three different provinces in Afghanistan (the first study of its kind in Afghanistan). Participatory research tools, such as transect walks, focus group discussions, smart community gatherings and interactive workshops, were applied to assess the SWOT associated with T-CLSS. The results indicate that T-CLSS has been practiced historically in both peri-urban and rural areas using local and traditional knowledge, skills and technologies. The socio-cultural acceptance of the system in both rural and peri-urban areas is an important strength of this established system. However, due to chronic development challenges in the study regions, T-CLSS may possibly lead to exposure to microbial contaminants. It is recommended that the feasibility of an improved CLSS be assessed and implemented in light of the issues that are inherent in the use of T-CLSS in Afghanistan.

scholarly journals Science learning in early years: Effects of the Chinese television series Big Bird Looks at the World

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeh Hsueh ◽  
Zongkui Zhou ◽  
Guimin Su ◽  
June Lee ◽  
Katherine Kitzmann
Keyword(s):  
Science Learning ◽  
Educational Television ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Sesame Street ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Educational Impact ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
The World ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Chinese Television

Big Bird Looks at the World, a Chinese co-production with Sesame Workshop, the producer of Sesame Street, uses science as a vehicle to promote curiosity, observation, and hands-on investigation among 3- to 7-year-old children. This study assessed the educational impact of Big Bird Looks at the World in a sample of 1860 children. Preschool and Grade 1–2 classrooms in Central and Southwestern China were randomized within schools to the experimental group (watched 42 11-minute episodes of Big Bird Looks at the World over a 7-week period) or the control group (engaged in normal class activities). Children’s Big Bird Looks at the World content knowledge, in terms of science vocabulary and science facts, was assessed through interviews at baseline and post-test; children’s responses were coded for quantitative analyses. Consistent with our assumptions based on cultural script theory, relatively brief exposure to Big Bird Looks at the World had significant benefits. Rural and urban children, children in preschool (ages 3–5) and Grades 1–2 (ages 6–7), and boys and girls all gained equally from exposure to the show. The results suggest that entertaining educational television has great potential for helping Chinese young children expand their science learning experiences.

scholarly journals Benefits of focus group discussions beyond online surveys in course evaluations by medical students in the United States: a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Katharina Brandl ◽  
Soniya V. Rabadia ◽  
Alexander Chang ◽  
Jess Mandel
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Course Evaluations ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Evaluation Team ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Course Changes ◽  
Collection Methods

In addition to online questionnaires, many medical schools use supplemental evaluation tools such as focus groups to evaluate their courses. Although some benefits of using focus groups in program evaluation have been described, it is unknown whether these inperson data collection methods provide sufficient additional information beyond online evaluations to justify them. In this study, we analyze recommendations gathered from student evaluation team (SET) focus group meetings and analyzed whether these items were captured in open-ended comments within the online evaluations. Our results indicate that online evaluations captured only 49% of the recommendations identified via SETs. Surveys to course directors identified that 74% of the recommendations exclusively identified via the SETs were implemented within their courses. Our results indicate that SET meetings provided information not easily captured in online evaluations and that these recommendations resulted in actual course changes.

scholarly journals Accessing the Literature: Using Bibliographic Databases to Find Journal Articles. Part 1

2001 ◽  
Vol os8 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen S Marlborough
Keyword(s):  
World Wide ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Database Searching ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
The World

Research in primary dental care, re-certification, continuing professional development, lifelong learning, peer review and quality healthcare are all informed by the published literature. Dental practitioners can find out about reliable and up-to-date information available in the published literature by searching bibliographic databases. Published in two parts, this article describes the databases relevant to clinical dental practice and explains the generic skills required to search them effectively, focusing on MEDLINE, the database most relevant for the majority of dental practitioners, which is freely available via the World Wide Web (WWW). The article differentiates between sensitivity (maximum recall) and specificity (relevance of recall), and suggests how to identify a manageable number of relevant citations, how to save the citations, and how to obtain the full text. In part 2, the article concludes by alerting readers to some of the limitations and pitfalls of database-searching.

scholarly journals Preliminary Establishment of a Spinal Stability Scoring System for Multiple Myeloma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingchen Yao ◽  
Xiangjun Shi ◽  
Ziyu Xu ◽  
Jie Tan ◽  
Yanzhe Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Scoring System ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Spinal Stability ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Spine Stability ◽  
Human Research Ethics ◽  
Retrospective Data Analysis ◽  
Retrospective Audit ◽  
Malignant Plasma Cell

Abstract Background: Multiple myeloma is an incurable malignant plasma cell disorder that represents the most common primary malignant bone tumor. It commonly involves bone metastasis in multiple vertebral bodies, which SINS scoring system may not be fully applicable to MM patients. We designed a stability evaluation system to evaluate the spinal stability of patients with MM spinal involvement in order to guide clinical treatment.Methods: By using Delphi method, information was collected and extracted through a series of questionnaires and improved via feedback and we preliminary establishment of a spinal stability scoring system for multiple myeloma.Results: Fifteen clinicians completed a second round of questionnaires and compared their answers with those of the first round of questionnaires to identify significant comments or changes that required group discussions. As a result, no further feedback was used to improve the scoring system. After integrating the information from the expert consultation questionnaire, we established the initial scoring system for MM spine stability and used the scoring system to assess a series of representative clinical cases. The scoring system consisted of the following six components. The MM spinal stability scoring system was created by calculating the scores of the six separate components: Location, Pain, Number of segments, Physiological curvature, Comorbidities and Neurological function. The minimum value was ‘0’, and the maximum value was ‘24’. A score of ‘0-10’ indicated ‘spine stability’, a score of ‘11-17’ indicated ‘potential instability’, and a score of ‘18-24’ indicated ‘spine instability’. Patients with a score of ‘11-24’ need an intervention such as surgery.Conclusions: The initial establishment of the MM spine stability scoring system provides a vital theoretical basis for the evaluation of spine stability in individuals with MM. Trial registration: The conducted study contains a retrospective analysis of medical records of our hospital database. Beijing Chao-yang Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee classifies this as a retrospective audit. The ethics approval and consent was given for the conducted retrospective data analysis.

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