Development and Implementation of DIGEST: The Digital Interactive Gastroenterology Education Suite for Trainees

ABSTRACT Introduction Clinical clerkship curricula should exist to provide rotating learners on subspecialty rotations with consistent exposure to specific topics geared toward the discipline of interest, such as pediatric gastroenterology (GI). We aim to describe our experience developing and implementing DIGEST: the Digital Interactive Gastroenterology Education Suite for Trainees, a novel, online GI curriculum delivered to virtual, rotating learners during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stay-at-home order. Materials and Methods A general needs assessment in 2019 identified a lack of standardized educational experience amongst the rotating learners on pediatric GI service. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled us to transition our curriculum from our institution’s secure share drive to the GOOGLE classroom. A program evaluation was undertaken and included learner responses to content and confidence questionnaires and a health care professions education (HPE) expert’s response to a course quality assessment rubric. Results Feasibility—the final DIGEST product was free of charge to create but incurred direct and indirect costs of time and training on behalf of the authors. Acceptance—7 possible learners participated and responded to the questionnaires (100% response rate). Learners reported a superior learning experience and increased confidence with DIGEST. An HPE expert reported that the course design of DIGEST met or exceeded expectations in all categories. Conclusions DIGEST is a novel pediatric GI curriculum for rotating learners that could be rapidly deployed, or adapted, for a wide range of clinical disciplines within the Military Health System.

ESL/EFL Learners' Responses to Teacher Written Feedback: Reviewing a Recent Decade of Empirical Studies

Teacher written feedback (TWF) has long been regarded as a necessary pedagogical tool for improving the writing proficiency of ESL/EFL learners, while student responses to this feedback can often reflect its effectiveness. This paper reviews 64 articles appearing in high-ranking journals during 2010–2021 in terms of research methodology, theoretical framework and main findings. Analysis of these articles reveals few studies adopted any theoretical frameworks to examine learner responses to TWF and suggests a need for longitudinal naturalistic studies adopting mixed methods and some theoretical framework such as sociocultural theory of mind (SCT) to better explain learners' dynamic engagement in response to TWF. The main findings of these previous studies reveal the diverse responses among learners at different language proficiency levels and in various sociocultural contexts. The results of the review indicate that future research could take classroom-based mixed-method research design to investigate learner variables.

LEARNER ACUMENS OF ONLINE EFL CLASSES AT THE PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN BANGLADESH

This study intended to evaluate the English as Foreign Language (EFL) learner responses to online classes during the covid-19 pandemic. It focused on the learner's insights rather than the teachers' views because the purpose is how the large population deals with technology during this pandemic. Though teachers are the real fighters, they are in a vacuum without the students' engagement. Therefore, this study showed EFL learners' readiness of using technology in attending online classes and what barriers they face during assessment and classes. It examined whether students can participate in group discussions, pair work, online assessment, respond to class, build their rapport, and get proper feedback or not. Data were collected randomly using a google form questionnaire having five elementary questions, fifteen Likert-type questions from 92 students of five private universities in Bangladesh. Besides, five questions were finally added to have an overview of multiple response analyses. Some imperative variables of flexibility, reliability, availability, and integrity regarding online classes were brought into light with descriptive analysis. Finally, the data were analysed in a qualitative approach. It shows that learners attending online courses and assessments are diverse regarding the availability of required facilities, and the students are having difficulties participating in online examinations. The result further implicates ensuring an intelligent learning environment in the 'new normal period' with more efficacy. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0796/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

“I played a song with the help of a magic banana”: assessing short-term making events

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how learners describe their experiences with short-term, introductory maker experiences and to test a method for assessing learners’ experiences authentic to short-term learning. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected written responses from participants at a two-day event, STEM Center Learning Days. Through an analysis of 707 unique instances of learner responses to participation in drop-in maker activities, they examined how participants describe their short-term learning experiences. Findings The authors found that although some activities appear to onlookers to create passive experiences for learners, these seemingly passive moments have a significant impact on learners. In addition, some learners described themselves as working in tandem with tools to make something work and other learners viewed the tools as working autonomously. They found that the assessment method allowed them to gain an understanding of how learners describe their experiences offering important implications for understanding short-term learning events. Originality/value The findings provide researchers studying short-term learning in its natural setting a new method to understand how learners make sense of their individual experience. Further, designers of short-term learning experiences may gain insights into their unique activities and indications of where additional guidance and scaffolds will improve small learning moments.

Animated patient’s guide to lung cancer enables shared decisions and improves health outcomes.

e18634 Background: Informed patients have better health outcomes. In a study of 1,057 patient encounters with 3,552 clinical decisions, only 9% resulted in informed medical decisions.The complexity of treatments and patients' limitations in health literacy (especially common in underserved communities) make it difficult for patients to engage in SDM. In 2017, A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation introduced An Animated Patient’s Guide to Lung Cancer (APG), an online resource aimed at improving patient knowledge. Methods: APG consists of animations, expert FAQ videos, slide shows, infographics, patient-experience videos, knowledge-assessment tools, and learner feedback. Video views, duration of use, and learner responses to multiple-choice questions on the APG website were collected for 33 months – through August 2020. Total APG views, most frequently viewed animations and expert videos were monitored on the website and on YouTube, to measure learner responses to outcome-based questions, and learner intent-to-implement changes. Results: 212,336 total views: 142,998 unique visitors: 59% from U.S. and 41% from 50 other countries. Unique U.S. visitors: 43,872 patients, 16,030 caregivers, and 7,593 health providers. 94% reported they will ‘use new information to better self-manage their lung cancer’ (n = 277); 98% ‘will discuss information learned with their doctor’ (n = 455), and 93% ‘plan to discuss treatment options with their doctor’ (n = 272). Conclusions: Multimedia ‘animated’ formats of learning tailored to the needs and learning styles of lung cancer patients provides effective learning, informed patients, increased management skills, and improved engagement in shared decision making.

Enabling design: a case of maker workshops as a method for including special educators in creating digital interactions for learners with profound disabilities

Purpose This purpose of this paper is to present findings from three workshops that aimed to enable learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities to have a richer, more meaningful experience of a digital curriculum and to bolster a more meaningful creative exchange than currently offered by off the shelf products. Design/methodology/approach Informed by the maker culture and participatory action research, this workshop method focussed on making prototypes and creating concepts that encourage a dialogic approach for envisioning future technologies. As a process of enabling design, this approach placed participants at the heart of iterative methods that support imaginative ideation and improvisation, rather than the production of marketable products. Findings A thematic analysis of post-workshop discussions revealed that participants felt inspired and supported to envision learner responses to stimuli as novel interactions, without prior knowledge of designing and coding. The collaborative approach provoked the articulation of narratives on learner ability and a reconsideration of “digital” with a contemporary curriculum for learners with profound disabilities. Practical implications Running a maker workshop requires a time and resource commitment from all parties. The emphasis is on easy-to-follow, direct teaching together with low cost electronics and non-digital materials, ensured that these demands were kept to a minimum. However, the gains of participation can only be maintained when support exists both in and out of the workshop environment through the provision of resources and communication channels. Originality/value The originality of the workshops lies in the focus on basic electronics, coding and prototyping as a means to think about digital futures. As a method of enabling technologies to tap into learner ability, this process fostered design dialogues through the social act of making, sharing and learning without the need for prerequisite skills.

Improving Understanding of MDS Using an Animated Patient's Guide to Benefit Patient Health Outcomes

Background: Patients with MDS continue to report gaps in knowledge, particularly where understanding of disease risk, prognosis and treatment options are concerned.1 A recent online social media survey on experiences in myelodysplastic syndromes revealed that patients/caregivers' (n=127) have a general lack of information about MDS and insufficient knowledge regarding treatment options and are unable to make fully informed decisions.2 Efforts to improve patient and caregiver understanding of MDS, including treatment options, are critical to individualized treatment planning and shared decision-making. MDS patients commonly use multimedia and online resources to seek disease information.3 The MDSF introduced an online 'animated,' visual format educational program in July 2018 aimed at improving patient and caregiver knowledge.4 Evaluation of this project, including determining changes in patient knowledge and intent-to-implement a change in behavior are described as parameters of advancing and benefiting health outcomes. Methods: An Animated Patient's Guide to MDS (APG), a multimedia educational initiative was launched globally in July 2018. Recruitment was conducted via search engine marketing, social media promotions and email campaigns to MDS patients, caregivers and oncology provider audiences. Video views, duration of use, and learner responses to questions on the APG website were collected from July 2018 to July 2020 (24 months). Total APG views, most frequently viewed MDS animations and MDS expert videos were monitored on the website and on You Tube, to measure learner responses to outcome-based questions, and learner intent-to-implement changes. Results: A total of 151,231 views, including 58,947 unique visitors visited the APG online resource. Of these, 81% were from the U.S. and 19% from other countries (&gt; 50 countries). Unique visitors from U.S. consisted of 28,171 patients, 15,279 family/caregivers, and 1,910 health providers. Among responses indicating a 'commitment to change', 96% reported they will 'use new information learned to better self-manage their MDS' (n = 917), 93% reported they 'will discuss information learned with their doctor' (n = 355), and 97% reported they 'plan to discuss MDS treatment options with their doctor' (n = 734). Patients who reported they 'learned new information about MDS' identified that they 'learned new general information about MDS' (95%, n = 193), 'learned new information about the diagnosis of MDS' (86%, n = 195), 'learned about new treatment options for MDS' (89%, n = 195), 'learned about new information related to bone marrow transplant in MDS' (85%, n = 177) and intended to 'ask their doctor about how to take part in healthcare decisions' (96%, n = 187). Conclusion: Multimedia education, including visual 'animated' formats, tailored to the needs of MDS patients has the potential to provide effective learning, increase knowledge and improve engagement in shared decision-making. Ongoing monitoring and further analysis of this multimedia educational resource for MDS patients will be necessary to understand how tailored education provided via this format impacts and benefits patient health outcomes. References: 1. Kurtin, S., Chang, E., & Bently, T. (2015). MDS patient characteristics associated with use of disease-modifying therapy: results of a patient survey. The International MDS Symposia, Washington, D.C. 2. Booth, A., Bell, T., Halhol, S., Pan, S., Welch, V., Merinopoulou, E., Lambrelli, D., Cox, A. Using Social Media to Uncover Treatment Experiences and Decisions in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome Who Are Ineligible for Intensive Chemotherapy. J Med Internet Res 2019 Nov; 21(11) e-14285 3. Kurtin, S., Harrison, L., Iraca, T., Hassan, A., Nichols, A. Health Technology Engagement and Communicative Health Literacy in Older Adults MDS Patients. Myelodysplastic Syndromes, 15th International Symposia on Myelodysplastic Syndromes. Copenhagen. May 8-1, 2019. Poster presentation. 4. MDS Foundation, Inc. and Mechanisms in Medicine Inc. (2019-06-26). You And MDS: An Animated Patient's Guide to Myelodysplastic Syndromes. www.YouAndMDS.com Disclosures Sallman: Agios, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celyad Oncology, Incyte, Intellia Therapeutics, Kite Pharma, Novartis, Syndax: Consultancy; Celgene, Jazz Pharma: Research Funding. Iraca:MDS Foundation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Bejar:Celgene/BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding; Forty-Seven/Gilead: Honoraria; Genoptix/NeoGenomics: Honoraria; AbbVie/Genentech: Honoraria; Daiichi-Sankyo: Honoraria; Aptose Biosciences: Current Employment; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Astex/Otsuka: Honoraria. Kurtin:MDS Foundation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Senpai: Learner Responses to a Near-Peer Role Modeling Intervention

Though Japanese learners often express a preference for so-called “native” English teachers, a growing body of research indicates that their development of multilingual identity is more positively influenced by those with whom they readily identify—other successful Japanese learners. This mixed methods study, conducted in tandem with an existing communication strategy curriculum, explored university students’ responses to a “near-peer role modeling” intervention combining prerecorded video with reflective practice. Participants included two groups, both majoring in Japanese, enrolled in a compulsory 1st-year English conversation tutorial course. Results indicate that less confident students may experience positive belief changes and increased classroom participation following exposure to near-peer role models. More confident learners did not exhibit these changes to a significant degree. Moreover, following this intervention, lower-performing students responded more positively to statements expressing self-efficacy. Participants’ use of Japanese respect language may illuminate to what extent near-peers are valued as role models. 日本の学習者達は「英語母語話者」である英語教師から指導を受ける事が理想的だという意見をよく示すが、近年の研究調査では、学習者にとって最もお手本となる人物は自身の身近に存在する英語を使いこなす日本人英語学習者(NPRM)であると主張されている。本研究では、混合研究法を用い1学期間のNPRM活動を通して学習者の信念の変化を探究した。映像と反省的実践を用いた実験的手法は、既存の会話手法習得の為のカリキュラムと並行して導入された。結果として、英語能力に自信のない学習者達は模範的な日本人から受ける自己効力感について肯定的な変化を示し、学習活動への参加が増加した。一方で、英語能力に自信のある学習者達は明確な変化を示さなかった。量的な結果は面談調査と映像を見た後の学習者による感想文を用いた質的データにより解釈が可能となった。参加者たちが使用する日本語の尊敬語である先輩という表現はどの級友がロールモデルであると理解されているかの程度を示している。本研究は独特な教育環境によって行われた為、更なる詳細な研究調査が必要となるだろう。