Effectiveness of an Emotional Intelligence Intervention and Its Impact on Academic Performance in Spanish Pre-Adolescent Elementary Students: Results from the EDI Program

Background Sudden speechlessness is common in critically ill patients who are intubated or have had surgery for head and neck cancer. Sudden inability to speak poses challenges for hospitalized patients because strategies to facilitate communication are often limited and unreliable. Objective To determine the impact of a technology-based communication intervention on patients’ perception of communication difficulty, satisfaction with communication methods, and frustration with communication. Methods A quasi-experimental, 4-cohort (control and intervention) repeated-measures design was used. Data were collected daily for up to 10 days. Patients in adult critical care units were followed up as they were transferred to other units within the institutions selected for the study. The impact of a technology-based communication system (intervention) was compared with usual care (control). Patients’ communication outcomes pertinent to communication with nursing staff that were evaluated included perception of communication ease, satisfaction with methods used for communication, and frustration with communication. Results Compared with participants in the control group, participants in the intervention group reported lower mean frustration levels (−2.68; SE, 0.17; 95% CI, −3.02 to −2.34; P < .001) and higher mean satisfaction levels (0.59; SE, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.91; P < .001) with use of the communication intervention. Participants in the intervention group reported a consistent increase in perception of communication ease during the hospital stay. Conclusions The results facilitated evaluation of a bedside technology-based communication intervention tailored to the needs of suddenly speechless critically ill patients.

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The Impact of Stratified Teaching on the Academic Performance of Chinese Middle School Students: A Meta-Analysis

Science Insights Education Frontiers ◽

10.15354/sief.20.re012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 735-760

Author(s):

Hui Shi ◽

Alan C.K. Cheung ◽

Elizabeth S.T. Cheung

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Academic Performance ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Chinese Students ◽

Learning System ◽

School Students ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Effect

Stratified teaching is an effective method and means to implement teaching students per their aptitude. Domestic and foreign scholars have carried out many experimental and quasi-experimental studies to observe the impact of stratified teaching on students’ academic performance, but the results are quite different. So, can stratified teaching effectively help Chinese students improve their academic performance? How big is its impact? Which model is more suitable for Chinese students? To answer these questions, this article uses meta-analysis to quantitatively analyze 22 Chinese studies on the impact of Stratified teaching on student academic performance. We found that (i) stratified teaching has a positive effect on students’ academic performance, and the overall combined effect size is 0.53; (ii) among the seven subjects of mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and information technology, stratified teaching has had a positive effect on their learning. Stratified teaching’s order of effect on different subjects was English > Physics > Geography > Information Technology > Mathematics > Biology > Chemistry; (iii) stratified teaching is suitable for students of different sizes of classrooms. However, the smaller the number of students in the classroom, the better the learning effect, and (iv) stratified teaching is more suitable for improving their learning in the mobile learning system.

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Trial for the Prevention of Depression (TriPoD) in final-year secondary students: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

10.26686/wgtn.12331289.v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Y Perry ◽

AL Calear ◽

A Mackinnon ◽

PJ Batterham ◽

J Licinio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

School Level ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

School Students ◽

Cluster Randomised ◽

The Impact

© 2015 Perry et al. Background: Evidence suggests that current treatments cannot fully alleviate the burden of disease associated with depression but that prevention approaches offer a promising opportunity to further reduce this burden. Adolescence is a critical period in the development of mental illness, and final school examinations are a significant and nearly universal stressor that may act as a trigger for mental health difficulties such as depression. The aim of the present trial is to investigate the impact of SPARX-R, an online, gamified intervention based on cognitive behavioural principles, on the prevention of depression in secondary school students before their final examinations. Methods/Design: Government, independent and Catholic secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited to participate in the trial. All students enrolled in their final year of high school (year 12) in participating schools will be invited to participate. To account for possible attrition, the target sample size was set at 1600 participants across 30 schools. Participating schools will be cluster randomised at the school level to receive either SPARX-R or lifeSTYLE, an attention-controlled placebo comparator. The control intervention is an online program aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The primary outcome will be symptoms of depression, and secondary outcomes will include symptoms of anxiety, suicidal ideation and behaviours, stigma and academic performance. Additional measures of cost-effectiveness, as well as process variables (e.g., adherence, acceptability) and potential predictors of response to treatment, will be collected. Consenting parents will be invited to complete measures regarding their own mental health and expectations for their child. Assessments will be conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 6- and 18-month follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in levels of depressive symptomatology for the intervention group relative to the attention control condition using mixed-effects model repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools. Discussion: This is the first trial of a universal depression prevention intervention delivered to school students in advance of a specific, significant stressor. If found to be effective, this program may offer schools a new approach to preparing students for their final year of schooling. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12614000316606. Registered 25 March 2014.

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Positive Effects of Workplace Meditation Training and Practice

International Journal of Psychological Studies ◽

10.5539/ijps.v11n1p15 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 15

Author(s):

Leila Karimi ◽

Stephen P Kent ◽

Sandra G. Leggat ◽

Jiri Rada ◽

Alison Angleton

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Control Group ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Positive Effects ◽

The Impact

There is evidence that meditation is a powerful organisational tool for enhancing employee effectiveness, wellbeing, and job satisfaction; however, experimental studies on the effects of meditation on other organisational factors such as presenteeism and emotional intelligence are limited. This study investigated the impact of meditation on mindfulness, emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and job stress-related presenteeism in an Australian workplace. Participants learned and practised an 'Auto Transcending Meditation Technique’ (ATMT) at their workplace. The study used the switching replications experimental design, comparing an intervention group with a control group. Quantitative data analysis used descriptive statistics and repeated measures to compare the mean pre-post intervention differences. Thematic analysis was completed on qualitative data gathered in focus groups and from the training evaluation. As a consequence of ATMT, participants showed significant improvements in their levels of mindfulness and emotional intelligence. Thematic analysis indicated that participants felt the meditation training and practice led to positive personal changes. In addition, the results showed that higher mindfulness buffers the effect of stress-related presenteeism on participants’ mental and physical health. Our results demonstrate that meditation training and practice enhances mindfulness and emotional intelligence, with benefits for employees’ physical and mental health.  Workplace meditation should be considered in health promoting work settings.  

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The Effect of Tailored E-mails in the Workplace

AAOHN Journal ◽

10.1177/216507990905700805 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 57 (8) ◽

pp. 313-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tracey L. Yap ◽

L. Sue Davis ◽

Donna M. Gates ◽

Annette B. Hemmings ◽

Wei Pan

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Small Sample ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Comparison Groups ◽

Medium Effect Size ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact tailored e-mail messages, based on participants' identified needs, have on intentional physical activity. A quasi-experimental design (two groups, repeated measures) in a population of manufacturing workers (73 employees from two distribution plants of a multi-national manufacturer) was used. Significant differences were found between contemplation-staged participants in the intervention and the comparison groups. In the intervention group, 53.3% of the workers moved forward, as opposed to 19.2% in the comparison group (medium effect size = 0.353). Although both the intervention group and the comparison group increased their number of steps, the comparison group's improvement was most likely attributed to a Hawthorne effect. These results are highly promising given the small sample size and limited “dose.” The intervention is one most industries could feasibly implement. Such efforts have the potential to significantly impact public health.

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The Impact of a Nutrition Information Program on Food Purchases

Journal of Public Policy & Marketing ◽

10.1177/074391568500400101 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Alan S. Levy ◽

Odonna Mathews ◽

Marilyn Stephenson ◽

Janet E. Tenney ◽

Raymond E. Schucker

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Brand Names ◽

Nutrition Information ◽

Evaluation Period ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Special Diet ◽

Market Shares ◽

Information Program ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Impact

A quasi-experimental repeated measures design using a matched set of 20 test and comparison supermarkets in the Washington, D. C. and Baltimore, Md., metropolitan areas was used to evaluate a nutrition information program called “Special Diet Alert” (SDA) introduced by Giant Food, Inc. into Washington, D. C. stores in March 1981. The objective of the SDA program was to help supermarket shoppers find products for special diet needs by providing brand-specific (i.e., individual product level) shelf markers that identified products considered low or reduced in sodium, calories, cholesterol, and fat, supplemented by take-away information booklets available from a rack in the store which listed SDA brand names and specific nutrient values. Market shares of these products were tracked over the two-year evaluation period in Washington, D. C. and Baltimore stores. The pattern of differential sales trends across 16 individual food categories was complicated, but sales of shelf-marked products increased on the average 4 to 8 percent more over the two-year evaluation period in Washington, D. C. than in Baltimore, Md. stores. The average magnitude of effect attributable to SDA was modest in comparison with other factors influencing consumer purchases, highlighting the need for powerful evaluation designs to assess the effectiveness of information programs that operate in the context of many other more powerful influences. Further research is needed to determine which aspects of the SDA program were critical to its success, but one obvious difference between SDA and other in-store nutrition information programs that have been reported in the literature was the use of individual brand-specific shelf markers to deliver nutrition information to shoppers rather than prominently displayed sectional posters and detailed educational pamphlets.

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Metacognitive Pedagogical Sequence for Less-Proficient Thai EFL Listeners: A Comparative Investigation

RELC Journal ◽

10.1177/0033688218754942 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 86-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sukanya Tanewong

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Comparative Investigation ◽

Future Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Related Factors ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

L2 Listening ◽

The Impact

This study investigated the impact of metacognitive pedagogical sequence on development of less-proficient Thai EFL listeners’ L2 listening metacognition and listening comprehension achievement over a semester. Sixty-four university students who were enrolled in a listening course participated in a quasi-experimental study. Both the intervention group (IG) and the comparison group (CG) received listening lessons comprised of pre-listening, during-listening, and post-listening activities. Each lesson was designed to allow both groups to practise listening to the same video and audio texts the same number of times. However, the IG engaged in key metacognitive processes such as prediction/planning during pre-listening, monitoring, evaluating, planning, and problem-solving with peer dialogue and collaboration in the during-listening, and post-listening activities followed by reflection and goal-setting. Students’ L2 listening metacognition development was assessed using the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) at the beginning, during, and at the end of the intervention and after the final listening test. Data were also collected and analysed from responses to an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. ANCOVA showed no significant differences between the two groups on the scores of the achievement post-tests. However, repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant gains by the IG in development of metacognition of three listening-related factors, Problem Solving, Planning and Evaluation, and Directed Attention, while only Planning and Evaluation was found to be significant in the CG. Possible reasons for these statistical results are explained, supported by the qualitative findings. Implications for future research and listening pedagogy using the metacognitive pedagogical sequence for less-skilled listeners are also discussed.

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Trial for the Prevention of Depression (TriPoD) in final-year secondary students: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

10.26686/wgtn.12331289.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Y Perry ◽

AL Calear ◽

A Mackinnon ◽

PJ Batterham ◽

J Licinio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

School Level ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

School Students ◽

Cluster Randomised ◽

The Impact

© 2015 Perry et al. Background: Evidence suggests that current treatments cannot fully alleviate the burden of disease associated with depression but that prevention approaches offer a promising opportunity to further reduce this burden. Adolescence is a critical period in the development of mental illness, and final school examinations are a significant and nearly universal stressor that may act as a trigger for mental health difficulties such as depression. The aim of the present trial is to investigate the impact of SPARX-R, an online, gamified intervention based on cognitive behavioural principles, on the prevention of depression in secondary school students before their final examinations. Methods/Design: Government, independent and Catholic secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited to participate in the trial. All students enrolled in their final year of high school (year 12) in participating schools will be invited to participate. To account for possible attrition, the target sample size was set at 1600 participants across 30 schools. Participating schools will be cluster randomised at the school level to receive either SPARX-R or lifeSTYLE, an attention-controlled placebo comparator. The control intervention is an online program aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The primary outcome will be symptoms of depression, and secondary outcomes will include symptoms of anxiety, suicidal ideation and behaviours, stigma and academic performance. Additional measures of cost-effectiveness, as well as process variables (e.g., adherence, acceptability) and potential predictors of response to treatment, will be collected. Consenting parents will be invited to complete measures regarding their own mental health and expectations for their child. Assessments will be conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 6- and 18-month follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in levels of depressive symptomatology for the intervention group relative to the attention control condition using mixed-effects model repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools. Discussion: This is the first trial of a universal depression prevention intervention delivered to school students in advance of a specific, significant stressor. If found to be effective, this program may offer schools a new approach to preparing students for their final year of schooling. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12614000316606. Registered 25 March 2014.

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Application of the ubiquitous game with augmented reality in Primary Education

Comunicar ◽

10.3916/c61-2019-06 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (61) ◽

pp. 71-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

José-Manuel Sáez-López ◽

María Luisa Sevillano-García-García ◽

María de los Ángeles Pascual-Sevillano

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Augmented Reality ◽

Information Search ◽

Sixth Grade ◽

School Students ◽

Educational Environments ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

Educación Primaria ◽

The Impact

Augmented reality (AR) immersion enables virtual objects and real environments to coexist and encourage experimentation with phenomena that are not possible in the real world. Augmented reality is generating new opportunities for the development of ubiquity within educational environments. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact that the integration of ubiquitous game approaches with augmented reality has on learning. A quasi-experimental study was carried out with 91 sixth-grade primary school students; the learning scenario was designed and the augmented reality application “WallaMe” was selected for use in five sessions of a didactic unit in Art Education. Through pretest and posttest procedures, academic performance and information search skills were evaluated, and, a Likert scale analyzed the motivation and collaboration variables among the students. The results showed that the experimental group obtained statistically significant improvements in the academic performance of the subject, motivation, in the search for, and analysis of, information, level of fun and collaboration. The conclusion is that the dynamic activities managed in the intervention, which made use of augmented reality and localization, benefit teaching-learning processes, and encourage innovation and improvement through educational technology. La inmersión de la realidad aumentada (RA) propicia la coexistencia de objetos virtuales y entornos reales que permiten la experimentación con fenómenos que no son posibles en el mundo real. La realidad aumentada está generando una nueva oportunidad de crecimiento de la ubicuidad en los entornos educativos. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el impacto que tiene sobre el aprendizaje la integración educativa de los enfoques de juego ubicuo con realidad aumentada. Se realizó un estudio cuasi experimental con 91 alumnos de sexto curso de Educación Primaria, se diseñó el escenario de aprendizaje y se seleccionó la aplicación de realidad aumentada «WallaMe», que fue utilizada en cinco sesiones de una unidad didáctica del área de Educación Artística. Mediante el procedimiento de pretest y postest se evaluaron el rendimiento académico y las habilidades de búsqueda de información, y una escala Likert analizó las variables motivación y colaboración entre los estudiantes. Los resultados mostraron que el grupo experimental obtiene mejoras estadísticamente significativas en la motivación hacia el aprendizaje, el rendimiento académico de la materia y en la competencia digital. En definitiva, se concluye que las actividades dinámicas manejadas en la intervención, que hacen uso de realidad aumentada y localización, aportan beneficios en los procesos de enseñanza aprendizaje, y propician una innovación y mejora educativa con el uso de la tecnología educativa.

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Trial for the Prevention of Depression (TriPoD) in final-year secondary students: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

10.26686/wgtn.12331289 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Y Perry ◽

AL Calear ◽

A Mackinnon ◽

PJ Batterham ◽

J Licinio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

School Level ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

School Students ◽

Cluster Randomised ◽

The Impact

© 2015 Perry et al. Background: Evidence suggests that current treatments cannot fully alleviate the burden of disease associated with depression but that prevention approaches offer a promising opportunity to further reduce this burden. Adolescence is a critical period in the development of mental illness, and final school examinations are a significant and nearly universal stressor that may act as a trigger for mental health difficulties such as depression. The aim of the present trial is to investigate the impact of SPARX-R, an online, gamified intervention based on cognitive behavioural principles, on the prevention of depression in secondary school students before their final examinations. Methods/Design: Government, independent and Catholic secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited to participate in the trial. All students enrolled in their final year of high school (year 12) in participating schools will be invited to participate. To account for possible attrition, the target sample size was set at 1600 participants across 30 schools. Participating schools will be cluster randomised at the school level to receive either SPARX-R or lifeSTYLE, an attention-controlled placebo comparator. The control intervention is an online program aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The primary outcome will be symptoms of depression, and secondary outcomes will include symptoms of anxiety, suicidal ideation and behaviours, stigma and academic performance. Additional measures of cost-effectiveness, as well as process variables (e.g., adherence, acceptability) and potential predictors of response to treatment, will be collected. Consenting parents will be invited to complete measures regarding their own mental health and expectations for their child. Assessments will be conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 6- and 18-month follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in levels of depressive symptomatology for the intervention group relative to the attention control condition using mixed-effects model repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools. Discussion: This is the first trial of a universal depression prevention intervention delivered to school students in advance of a specific, significant stressor. If found to be effective, this program may offer schools a new approach to preparing students for their final year of schooling. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12614000316606. Registered 25 March 2014.

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