Undergraduate Research and the Enrollment Crisis in English Literature

Declines in undergraduate enrollments in English literature are well documented, and departments need to develop a coherent set of productive, practical responses to enrollment pressures. Drawing on studies of undergraduate research in STEM disciplines, this article explores how undergraduate research experiences in English literature can be envisioned not as unique, one-on-one experiences for motivated and interested students but as a curricular intervention that spans the undergraduate academic experience, fosters scholarly identity, and promotes inclusivity in scholarly training. Rather than functioning “by arrangement,” undergraduate research in English should be a coordinated enterprise that is established as an expectation for incoming students and a feature of every level of the major.

Learning Computational Thinking Development in Young Children With Bee-Bot Educational Robotics

It is widely known that when used intentionally and appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and development. In recent years, there has been a push to introduce coding and computational thinking in early childhood education, and robotics is an excellent tool to achieve this. This chapter presents some results obtained in the development of a learning experience in computational thinking using Bee-Bot educational robotics. The experience involved 47 preschoolers of a kindergarten in Crete, Greece during the period 2019-2020. The study reports statistically significant learning gains between the initial and final assessment of children's computational thinking skills. It was found that children in the treatment group who engaged in the robotic curricular intervention performed better on CT tests. This finding shows that an enhanced teaching experience using robots was beneficial for improving young children's computational thinking skills. The implications for designing appropriate curricula using robots for kindergarteners are addressed.

Using simulation to increase resident comfort discussing social determinants of health

Background Social determinants of health (SDoH) play an important role in pediatric health outcomes. Trainees receive little to no training on how to identify, discuss and counsel families in a clinical setting. The aim of this study was to determine if a simulation-based SDoH training activity would improve pediatric resident comfort with these skills. Methods We performed a prospective study of a curricular intervention involving simulation cases utilizing standardized patients focused on four social determinants (food insecurity, housing insecurity, barriers to accessing care, and adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]). Residents reported confidence levels with discussing each SDoH and satisfaction with the activity in a retrospective pre-post survey with five-point Likert style questions. Select residents were surveyed again 9–12 months after participation. Results 85% (33/39) of residents expressed satisfaction with the simulation activity. More residents expressed comfort discussing each SDoH after the activity (Δ% 38–47%; all p < .05), with the greatest effect noted in post-graduate-year-1 (PGY-1) participants. Improvements in comfort were sustained longitudinally during the academic year. More PGY-1 participants reported engaging in ≥ 2 conversations in a clinical setting related to food insecurity (43% vs. 5%; p = .04) and ACEs (71% vs. 20%; p = .02). Discussion Simulation led to an increased resident comfort with discussing SDoH in a clinical setting. The greatest benefit from such a curriculum is likely realized early in training. Future efforts should investigate if exposure to the simulations and increased comfort level with each topic correlate with increased likelihood to engage in these conversations in the clinical setting.

The Multimethod Evaluation of a Curricular Intervention Intended to Reduce Sexual Violence on a College Campus: A Synthesis of Findings and Lessons Learned

Sexual violence is a major problem on college campuses, and innovative solutions are needed. Our university created a semester-long, credit-bearing, academic course as a curricular intervention intended to reduce sexual violence on campus. In this article, we describe the multiple methods used to evaluate the course, including a pre–post online survey with a quasi-experimental design, a qualitative content analysis of student reflection papers, and semistructured interviews with previously enrolled students conducted by a peer interviewer 3 months after course completion. The synthesis of evaluation findings indicated that an academic course has the potential to positively affect campus climate around sexual violence. Furthermore, using multiple methods enabled us to create a theory of change that illustrates how key course components shaped students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about sexual violence, thereby ideally generating campus change. Results have been used by various stakeholders for both practice-based and scholarly purposes. We provide lessons learned and implications for practice that are transferable to other multimethod curricular intervention evaluations regardless of topical focus, including the many ways in which using multiple methods added value to the study; the considerable investment of time and resources needed when using multiple methods; the challenges that can arise when integrating findings across methods; the major benefits of having a multidisciplinary research team consisting of faculty and students; and the need to engage in critical reflexivity.

“I had a big bias”: disrupting children's biases, stereotypes through studying cultures

PurposeThis article describes a study examining the influence of a curricular intervention on 25 third-graders' stereotypes and biases related to world cultures and the people who embody them.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative study focused on privileging student voice through an inductive analytical approach. Triangulated data sources include focus group and paired interviews, recorded lessons, student and teacher curricular documents, as well as field notes.FindingsResults—primarily reported through the children's own thoughts and voices—describe students' initial ideas about world cultures and people prior to experiencing the curriculum, and afterward, documenting shifts in stereotypical beliefs and biased attitudes. Findings indicate many students made positive changes, altering incorrect assumptions about other cultures and people. In addition, some children became able to recognize stereotypes and biases, generalize what they learned to other situations beyond those addressed in the curriculum and identify their own bias.Originality/valueThis study provides insight into an understudied topic and population in social studies education. It presents evidence that young children are capable of successfully engaging with the complex topics of bias and stereotypes in meaningful ways, thus providing a rationale for addressing stereotypes and bias concerning world cultures in elementary classrooms.

Mensural Hygiene Management in Schools of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Background: Management of menstruation as a biological occurrence for women of reproductive age and men’s role is determined by socio-cultural factors. There is dearth of evidence on men in general and boys support on menstrual hygiene and management. This study aims to identify school based menstrual hygiene and management interventions and the role of boys in Oromia region, Ethiopia.Method: The study was carried out in 2017-18 academic year in eight Oromia Development Association (ODA) supported public schools with sport for life interventions. Schoolboys and girls aged 12-15, parents and school teachers participated in the study. Focus Group Discussion with boys, girls, and key informant interviews with parents were completed. Data were transcribed and translated into English and themes were developed following the objectives. Interpretation and presentation of the findings were substantiated with quoted shared opinions. Result: Finding shows that after two years of school based sport for life intervention, study participants invariably recognized menstruation as a natural occurrence and is a blessing rather than a curse. Girls who used to shy and abstain from school for fear of bullying and teasing attended their classes regularly and became competitors in their academic performance. Common arguments by all participants alike show that ‘We learnt that menstruation is a mark of healthy growth of girls. The absence of it that should be the source of concern’ . With dedicated room and availability of water and sanitary napkin; and support from boys and schoolteachers and management of menstrual hygiene has improved at school level. Boys not only stopped teasing girls but also started contributing money to purchase sanitary napkins. Liaising such school level intervention with parents has extended support to girls at home level. Conclusion: School level non-curricular intervention that has involved not only students but also the school community and parents have brought fundamental change to the way menstruation was understood and its implications. Menstruation is no more a source of shame and reason to tease and bully girls with its far reaching implication on the school performance of girls. Further study using mixed method may help document specific changes and sustainability.

End-of-Life Skills and Professionalism for Critical Care Residents in Training: The ESPRIT Survey

End-of-life (EOL) care is a key aspect of critical care medicine (CCM) training. The goal of this study was to survey CCM residents and program directors (PDs) across Canada to describe current EOL care education. Using a literature review, we created a self-administered survey encompassing 10 CCM national objectives of training to address: (1) curricular content and evaluation methods, (2) residents’ preparedness to meet these objectives, and (3) opportunities for educational improvement. We performed pilot testing and clinical sensibility testing, then distributed it to all residents and PDs across the 13 Canadian CCM programs. Our response rate was 84.3% overall (77 [81.1%] for residents and 13 [100%] for PDs). Residents rated direct observation, informal advice, and self-reflection as both the top 3 most utilized and perceived most effective teaching modalities. Residents most commonly reported comfort with skills related to pain and symptom management (n = 67, 94.3%; score > 3 on 5-point Likert scale), and least commonly reported comfort with donation after cardiac death skills (n = 26-38; 44.8%-65.5%). Base specialty and time in CCM training were independently associated with comfort ratings for some, but not all, EOL skills. With respect to family meetings, residents infrequently received feedback; however, most PDs believed feedback on 6 to 10 meetings is required for competence. When PD perceptions of teaching effectiveness were compared with resident comfort ratings, differences were most apparent for skills related to pain and symptom management, cultural awareness, and ethical principles. By the end of their first subspecialty training year, PDs expect residents to be competent at most, but not all, EOL skills. In summary, trainees and programs rely on clinical activities to develop competency in EOL care, resulting in some educational gaps. Transitioning to competency-based medical education presents an opportunity to address some of these gaps, while other gaps will require more specific curricular intervention.