Game On!

Today, there is growing interest in digital game-based learning (DGBL) due to the increase in the variety of educational and commercial games available. Literature indicates that video games in general have entertaining, motivational, and educational benefits. Despite this, there is a lack of research comparing game types to assess their value for learning. Typically, DGBL approach may include a variety of game types, like those designed for educational purposes such as digital education games (DEGs), as well as those created for entertainment and commercial reasons, such as massively multiplayer online games (MMOs). Digital games do possess a significantly high capacity to keep users engaged, which is a potential that can be used to motivate learners to interact more deeply with their learning environments, and consequently enhance their performances. This study supports the hypothesis that both DEGs and MMOs can be instrumental in improving engagement and learning versus traditional teaching methods. The article shares the results of the mixed methods study that examined the use of one DEG and four MMOs in undergraduate courses within a community college. The results suggest that learner performance and engagement are enhanced when using DGBL for both types of games, versus the traditional teaching methods. Additionally, practitioner and future research implications are also discussed.

Focused educational intervention improves intern knowledge of perioperative patient blood management principles

A perioperative patient blood management (PBM) educational intervention was implemented for first year postgraduate doctors (interns) at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) following identification of a perioperative PBM training requirement. This quality improvement activity evaluated the effectiveness of this educational intervention in improving intern knowledge of perioperative PBM principles.A 15-question perioperative PBM focused multiple choice questionnaire developed from information attained from comprehensive, evidence and consensus-based guidelines regarding PBM practice was distributed to interns immediately before a compulsory perioperative PBM educational intervention and then again 5 weeks later. The perioperative PBM educational intervention was delivered every 10 weeks (five interventions in total) to a different group of interns each time. Statistical analysis determined significance between mean questionnaire score before and after the intervention.The mean pre-intervention score for correctly answered questions was 7/15 (SD 2.73) and mean post-intervention score was 9/15 (SD 2.99) (p=0.02). Categorisation of questions into core domains of perioperative PBM demonstrated intern scores for correctly answered questions improved in all domains following the educational intervention.Perioperative PBM education delivered through a dedicated intervention aimed to improve knowledge is associated with objective evidence of educational benefits for interns at RBWH. It is an effective strategy to enact PBM governance and bestow clinical guideline knowledge. This is important given the global health sector’s challenge to improve patient outcomes despite increasingly restricted funding and pressure on doctors to devote more time to service and less to teaching.

One Hundred Years of the Pathology Medical Student Fellowship

Context.— The Pathology Medical Student Fellowship (PSF) is a unique, year-long immersive educational experience. Review of institutional archives describes a medical student “Fellowship in Pathology” founded in 1919. Objective.— To characterize the impacts of this 100-year-old program. Design.— We determined subsequent medical specialty of each PSF graduate in our department and surveyed those with available contact information. Results.— Of 145 pathology student fellows graduating between 1924 and 2020, a total of 50 (34.4%) matched into pathology; medical, surgical, and radiology subspecialties were also well-represented career choices. Between 2001 and 2020, of 36 students who matched into pathology from our institution, 19 (52.8%) had completed the fellowship. Survey respondents (n = 42) indicated that before the PSF, 11 of 42 students (26.2 %) were undecided in specialty, with only 6 (14.3%) identifying pathology as their primary field of interest. Of survey respondents who had completed training, 26 (61.9%) practice in academic settings. Nonpathology physicians reported frequent utilization of skills gained during the PSF year, with 5 of 23 (21.7%) responding “daily,” and 9 (39.1%) responding “weekly.” The most useful skills included knowledge of pathophysiology of disease and anatomy, improved communication with multidisciplinary teams, and/or interpretation of pathology results (each selected by 17 to 20 students, 73.9%–87.0%). Free-text responses on impacts of the PSF described enhanced knowledge of disease pathobiology and diagnostic complexity and increased confidence and autonomy. Conclusions.— We describe the program structure, educational benefits, graduate specialty choices, and career impacts of 100 years of the PSF at our institution. Although undecided before pathology exposure, many PSF graduates subsequently enter pathology careers. Regardless of specialty choice, PSF graduates have a high rate of subsequently pursuing academic medical careers.

Coming up trumps: A student music therapist supports young people with high or very high complex special needs to develop the key competencies

<p>This exploratory study aimed to discover and highlight the techniques and strategies that supported young people with high or very high complex special needs to develop the key competencies during music therapy sessions at a special school. Music therapy was carried out on an individual basis in a naturalistic manner and clinical notes were produced to record details that seemed important in each session. This data was then reviewed retrospectively in a process known as secondary analysis, employing both deductive and inductive modalities to search for and draw out links to the key competencies. A process of coding data within each key competency category revealed emerging themes and found that a number of musical, verbal and/or physical techniques and strategies supported the five key competencies during therapy. The categories, themes and codes have been defined and described with examples from the data, and a clinical vignette is included for further explanation. The data demonstrated the holistic nature of music therapy in that many techniques and strategies worked to support all five key competencies, even when the focus was a single competency. The findings are discussed with reference to, and in light of, current literature and suggested that the techniques and strategies used within my music therapy practice strongly relate to the key competencies and provide a unique context for their development. It is noted that the findings cannot be generalised to other settings and populations. However, this in-depth study may provide insight into the potential educational benefits and links between music therapy practice and the key competencies for those working with young people who have high or very high complex special needs.</p>

Coming up trumps: A student music therapist supports young people with high or very high complex special needs to develop the key competencies

<p>This exploratory study aimed to discover and highlight the techniques and strategies that supported young people with high or very high complex special needs to develop the key competencies during music therapy sessions at a special school. Music therapy was carried out on an individual basis in a naturalistic manner and clinical notes were produced to record details that seemed important in each session. This data was then reviewed retrospectively in a process known as secondary analysis, employing both deductive and inductive modalities to search for and draw out links to the key competencies. A process of coding data within each key competency category revealed emerging themes and found that a number of musical, verbal and/or physical techniques and strategies supported the five key competencies during therapy. The categories, themes and codes have been defined and described with examples from the data, and a clinical vignette is included for further explanation. The data demonstrated the holistic nature of music therapy in that many techniques and strategies worked to support all five key competencies, even when the focus was a single competency. The findings are discussed with reference to, and in light of, current literature and suggested that the techniques and strategies used within my music therapy practice strongly relate to the key competencies and provide a unique context for their development. It is noted that the findings cannot be generalised to other settings and populations. However, this in-depth study may provide insight into the potential educational benefits and links between music therapy practice and the key competencies for those working with young people who have high or very high complex special needs.</p>

Ways to Success in Education: Students’ Behavioral Strategies in Regional Universities of Russia

The article discusses the behavioral strategies of students of regional Russian universities, focused on achieving educational success. The situation of uncertainty in modern higher education is shown as a social context that determines the variability of students’ behavioral strategies. A factor that has a significant impact on the phenomenon under study is the change in the views of the main educational communities (teachers and students) about educational success: the expansion of the range of its components, differentiation among different groups of students, orientation to non-educational benefits and values that can be obtained by university graduates in the future at the expense of educational capital. Based on the data of an empirical study conducted in the universities of the Sverdlovsk region in 2019-2021, the characteristic of behavioral strategies for achieving educational success implemented by students of Ural universities is given. It is noted that strategies for achieving success in education begin to be formed in the pre-university period, as part of the transition from school to university. It is concluded that during the university period, in response to new goals and learning difficulties, different groups of students develop four types of behavioral strategies – traditional, innovative, imitation, and «withdrawal» strategies.

Educational Benefits of Kahoot! in Enhancing Skills: Investigating Students’ Perspectives

This study focuses on exploring the contribution of Kahoot! to students’ skill enhancement. We set out to determine students’ perceived judgments on how much their skills have improved as a result of using Kahoot! inside classrooms. Deviating from several related research, we not only looked at the effects of playing Kahoot! games but also of creating Kahoot! games. Using a survey that takes Bloom’s taxonomy as its theoretical foundations, we elicited judgments from 95 university freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Students’ self-reports were analyzed using a series of one-way repeated measures ANOVA, which reveals a number of interesting results. First, students reported significant skill improvement when they played Kahoot! during class and even more so when they themselves were involved in the creation of Kahoot! games. Second, not all of the examined skills are subject to the same degree of improvements, leaving some room for educators to ponder how they can use gamification to effectively develop students’ comprehensive skill set. Thirdly, freshmen and juniors reported the highest amount of skill improvements, indicating that certain game-based applications might be helpful for only certain groups of students. Taken together, we suggest that Kahoot! games can be utilized in classrooms for both knowledge enhancement and effective skill improvement.

Educational Benefits of Study Tours for the Students of Architecture

Among educational elements, the main element is study tours that are considered as a crucial instrument for learning. These tours are not only a source of providing valuable educational opportunities to the students but also give them pleasure. They benefit the entire life of students in different ways. The main focus of this research is to know how study tours are beneficial for students of architecture. This study explores the need and importance of study tours that add the learning experience throughout the life of students at the university level and in practical life. For collecting data, a qualitative research method is used. The study carried out by taking the architectural students of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology Karachi on study tours, because of being a part of the faculty of the Architecture department of this university. The research tool was a questionnaire that was filled online by the students who joined the tours, collected data was analyzed by a simple percentage method. The findings indicated that the majority of respondents get pleasure and knowledge from study tours. The tours provide education to students to explore things personally in an eloquent way. They not only boost collaboration among teachers and students but also support to cope with teaching problems that occurred in the classrooms. The study has demonstrated that study tours are essential in order to give practical tactics for the curriculum and are helpful in enhancing the learning experience and understanding of the students. Tours bring enjoyment and escapade to learning and trained students for getting success in the hardships of life.

STEM Teachers’ Professional Development through Scientist-Teacher-Students Partnership (STSP)

Teachers are one of the most fundamental sources for the latest scientific information. However, many feel that teachers lack sufficient knowledge and skills to play this role, particularly in STEM, as STEM is related to more than one discipline. This study explores Scientist-Teacher-Students’ Partnership (STSP) as a professional development programme to enhance teachers’ understanding and conceptualization of the cutting-edge STEM knowledge and real-life applications of the STEM concepts. This study employed a qualitative research methodology, and it involved nine science teachers from four secondary schools and ten scientists from a university situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were collected through observations made during activities and interviews. The collected data were analyzed using constant comparative data analysis techniques. Overall, the findings suggested that the tripartite collaboration brings educational benefits to all groups. From the perspective of teachers’ professional development, it was found that the partnership: (i) enhanced the teachers’ understanding of cutting-edge STEM knowledge; (ii) elevated their confidence and enthusiasm in STEM; and (iii) provide opportunities for information exchange and support through school-university networking. This study had promoted a more significant articulation of STSP as a mechanism for professional development in STEM education.