Lived Experiences of Educators Engaged in Continuing Professional Development in the New Normal: Insights from Seven Countries

This study focused on exploring and capturing the essence and meaning of the lived experiences of educators engaged in continuing professional development in the new normal. The study followed a qualitative research design and used the transcendental phenomenological processes. Based from the testimonies gathered from the participants from seven different countries- Philippines, USA, Panama, Peru, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Morocco they revealed that as a result of the Continuing Professional Development during pandemic, they have manifested adaptability and innovation to meet the demands of the current situation. With the force transition from face to face interaction to remote learning, they have tried their best to maintain a balance of digital and life skills. Participants also engaged in CPD in order to achieve creativity and resourcefulness to deliver and meet students’ quality learning amidst pandemic. They also considered as blessings and great opportunity the connection and collaboration established with educators around the world during this time of Covid-19. They also achieved the passion for ever-learning mindset and satisfaction through CPD. Participants expressed that mindfulness and wellbeing of teachers should be set as priorities for their engagement to CPD in the new normal. The researcher recommends that the policy makers review and revisit their program for CPD training of the teachers during this period. Heads of the education sectors may also benchmark the CPD Training plan of this study and conduct needs analysis to provide the most appropriate trainings for the teachers based on their needs, skills and interests.

Novel use of a sequential standardized oral board exam to assess PGY1 resident progression

Purpose A standardized oral board exam was created to longitudinally assess postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residents in key domains. Summary We provide a descriptive review of a novel oral board exam administered quarterly to our PGY1 pharmacy residents. Preceptors from our core rotations (internal medicine/infectious diseases, adult critical care, oncology, pediatrics, and administration/health policy and outcomes) developed questions based on situations commonly encountered by PGY1 residents to assess residents’ communication; the content of their response, assessment, and plan; and coachability. Over the 4-year history of this assessment, scoring has matured to consider whether a resident has or has not met or has exceeded expectations for a PGY1 resident at a given stage in their training. Our comprehensive feedback and action planning approach included residents’ self-assessment, feedback from the exam committee, development and implementation of a customized training plan for execution, and dissemination to our preceptors. Systematically assessing our PGY1 residents with this innovative method provided a process for tracking their performance and served as a baseline for those who completed additional training at our institution. Conclusion A standardized quarterly oral board exam was developed to identify residents’ strengths and areas for improvement at established periods during the PGY1 residency training program. This standardized assessment, paired with individualized action plans and open communication with key stakeholders, stimulated development in residents’ performance, communication, and interpersonal skills. We aim to expand this system’s application to identify predictors of success for candidates we interview for our postgraduate training programs.

A training plan to implement lung ultrasound for diagnosing pneumonia in children

Background Lung ultrasound (LUS) for critical patients requires trained operators to perform them, though little information exists on the level of training required for independent practice. The aims were to implement a training plan for diagnosing pneumonia using LUS and to analyze the inter-observer agreement between senior radiologists (SRs) and pediatric intensive care physicians (PICPs). Methods Prospective longitudinal and interventional study conducted in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary hospital. Following a theoretical and practical training plan regarding diagnosing pneumonia using LUS, the concordance between SRs and the PICPs on their LUS reports was analyzed. Results Nine PICPs were trained and tested on both theoretical and practical LUS knowledge. The mean exam mark was 13.5/15. To evaluate inter-observer agreement, a total of 483 LUS were performed. For interstitial syndrome, the global Kappa coefficient (K) was 0.51 (95% CI 0.43–0.58). Regarding the presence of consolidation, K was 0.67 (95% CI 0.53–0.78), and for the consolidation pattern, K was 0.82 (95% CI 0.79–0.85), showing almost perfect agreement. Conclusions Our training plan allowed PICPs to independently perform LUS and might improve pneumonia diagnosis. We found a high inter-observer agreement between PICPs and SRs in detecting the presence and type of consolidation on LUS. Impact Lung ultrasound (LUS) has been proposed as an alternative to diagnose pneumonia in children. However, the adoption of LUS in clinical practice has been slow, and it is not yet included in general clinical guidelines. The results of this study show that the implementation of a LUS training program may improve pneumonia diagnosis in critically ill patients. The training program’s design, implementation, and evaluation are described. The high inter-observer agreement between LUS reports from the physicians trained and expert radiologists encourage the use of LUS not only for pneumonia diagnosis, but also for discerning bacterial and viral patterns.

Computer Digital Technology-Based Educational Platform for Protection and Activation Design of Ming Furniture

Chinese Ming-style furniture is the first of the three major furnitures in the world, which has high artistic value and complete structural system. The protection of Ming-style furniture and making its design show vitality that has always been a research topic in China and even in the world. Based on 3D virtual simulation technology, this paper uses 3D scanning reverse data acquisition technology and intelligent operation of computer engine to realize big data simulation and develops the design software of Ming furniture. By means of computer information technology, we interpret and present the structural thinking and design concept of Ming furniture and transform it into design program software. This has formed a system-wide educational software operation platform for knowledge reserve, thinking training, design and application, and achievement transformation. By applying the mechanism strategy of production and teaching to the talent training plan of colleges and universities, the underlying logic of talent training, technical management, and production management that can open up the innovative industry of Ming furniture is also constructed. After experimenting with the platform software, students are able to understand the relationship between the structure and form of Ming furniture and can design new styles that fit the logic of Ming furniture shapes as they prefer.

The influence of the highlands on the performance of athletes in freestyle men’s and women's wrestling at the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo

The article analyzes the performance of participants and winners in men's and women's freestyle wrestling at the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo after the training camp in the highlands during the 2nd final stage of preparation for these competitions, which took place in Ivano-Frankivsk region . at the educational and sports base "Zaroslyak" taking into account the age and qualifications of athletes. The base is located at an altitude of 1330 m above sea level. Tokyo, the host of the Olympic Games, is located at an altitude of 40 meters above sea level. The meeting was held from June 17 to July 4, 2021 (17 days) for the men's team and from June 12 to July 3, 2021 (21 days) for the women's freestyle wrestling team. The duration of the meeting and the period of time after it when returning to the plain and the immediate days of the competition were also taken into account. The topical of training athletes also lies in the fact that this is the first Olympic Games after the coronavirus pandemic. The training plan was changed from the usual four-year training cycle to a five-year one. And the next games will take place in three years in Paris. Analysis of the results of the study indicates that the best result and, accordingly, the peak of functionality and endurance at the Olympic Games showed athletes who underwent a training camp lasting 21 days and in which competitive fights came on the 30-32nd day after descending from the mountains. Each sport has its own optimal range of heights for training before the main start, the duration of the training camp and the day the body reaches the peak of functionality and efficiency.

Teaching CAD/CAM/CAE tools with project-based learning in virtual distance education

Computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering technologies (CAD/CAM/CAE) are a mainstay in today’s industry and therefore they should be an important part in the current training plan of the graduate engineers. However, their implementation in the university environment presents certain barriers that make it difficult. In this work, we study the feasibility of the teaching proposal of the management of this type of tools through a Project-Based Learning method in a distance learning environment. The methodology has been implemented transversally in two Master’s degree subjects related to advanced design and manufacturing and has been carried out thanks to the operation of the product lifecycle management platform software by virtual machines. The practice has given very good pedagogical results in the work of skills related to the field of industrial design and manufacturing. The virtual system has demonstrated high efficiency and students have shown a satisfactory evolution in their professional training.

Citizen Science for Marine Litter Detection and Classification on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Images

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV, aka drones) are being used for mapping macro-litter in the environment. As drone images require a manual processing task for detecting marine litter, it is of interest to evaluate the accuracy of non-expert citizen science operators (CSO) in performing this task. Students from Italian secondary schools (in this work, the CSO) were invited to identify, mark, and classify stranded litter items on a UAV orthophoto collected on an Italian beach. A specific training program and working tools were developed for the aim. The comparison with the standard in situ visual census survey returned a general underestimation (50%) of items. However, marine litter bulk categorisation was fairly in agreement with the in situ survey, especially for sources classification. The concordance level among CSO ranged between 60% and 91%, depending on the item properties considered (type, material, and colour). As the assessment accuracy was in line with previous works developed by experts, remote detection of marine litter on UAV images can be improved through citizen science programs, upon an appropriate training plan and provision of specific tools.

The Way of Integrating Art Appreciation Course into the Talent Cultivation of Tobacco Profession

Integrating the art appreciation course into the talent cultivation plan of tobacco profession has become the major way for colleges and universities to implement aesthetic education. This is also one of the reform measures of public curriculum in colleges and universities in the new era. By clarifying the concept connotation and policy requirements of the art appreciation course, and combining the talent training characteristics of tobacco profession, the construction of tobacco profession can be promoted. By doing this, on the one hand, it is conducive to consolidating the talent training plan of tobacco profession. On the other hand, it can cultivate the artistic ability of students majoring in tobacco, expand their artistic knowledge, and effectively build up their aesthetic quality and artistic level. As the consequence, the talent training quality of tobacco profession can be improved.

The acute effect of different specific warm-up intensity on one repeat maximum squat performance on basketball players

Background and Study Aim. Squat exercises have some advantages in terms of time, practice and energy costs. It is also an exercise method used in training plan in terms of development of jumping ability in basketball players. Squat performance may vary depending on warm-up types and intensity. It was aimed to determine the effect of different specific warm-up intensities on 1-maximum repetition squat performance (1-RM) on basketball players. Materials and Methods. The sample group of the study consisted of 10 men (age: 22.90 ± 1.44 years, height: 188.10 ± 8.06 cm, body weight: 77.92 ± 13.41 kg, BMI: 21.70 ± 2.83), who played basketball regularly for at least 3 years. This group performed 3 different specific warm up intensities on non-consecutive days. Warm up protocols were determined as follows: light jogging for only 5 minutes (NSW), light jogging and % 40 intensity specific warm up (LISW), light jogging and % 80 intensity specific warm up (HISW). Results. Participants' 1-RM squat performance was found to be statistically different between NSW (91.10 kg), LISW (95.00 kg), HISW (100,50 kg) respectively (p<0.05). Additionally, 1-RM squat performance values were observed highest after HISW. Rate perceived exertion (RPE) and body temperature (BT) were found highest after HISW. Conclusion. As a result of this study, HISW are recommended to basketball coaches and basketball players in order to get more performance before the squat movement.