Realism, authenticity, and learning in healthcare simulations: rules of relevance and irrelevance as interactive achievements

Because simulators offer the possibility of functioning as authentic representations of real-world tasks, these tools are regarded as efficient for developing expertise. The users’ experience of realism is recognised as crucial, and is often regarded as an effect of the similarity between reality and the simulator itself. In this study, it is argued that simulation as a realistic and relevant activity cannot be predesigned but emerges in the interaction between the participants, the simulator, and the context. The study draws on interaction analysis of video data from medical training. The aim is to contrast the use of two different simulators to explore the requirements needed to establish and maintain simulations as authentic representations of clinical practice. Irrespective of the realism of the simulator, glitches in the understanding of the simulation as work-related activity appear and are bridged by participants. This regularly involves an orientation to the relevant similarities with work and, simultaneously, the ruling out of irrelevant dissimilarities. In doing so, the participants rely on established professional practices to construe the situation. Moreover, the realism of the simulation is maintained through the participants’ mutual orientation to the moral order of good clinical practice and a proper simulation. It is concluded that the design of simulation activities needs to account for the possibilities of participants understanding the specific conditions of the simulation and the work practices that the simulation represents. Learning to simulate is thus something that needs further attention in its own right.     

亦有仁义:近代西方来华传教士与西北地区的医疗卫生事业

近代西方来华传教士在尽力播撒"上帝福音"的同时,对西北地区的医疗卫生事业颇为关注.他们积极兴建医院、诊疗所,培育地方医疗人才,治病救人不遗余力,甚而一些传教士为医疗事业献出了生命.传教士的行为多少改善了近代西北地区缺医少药的状况,减轻了民众痛苦,且一批西式医院和医疗人才的出现,将新的医疗技术和医患理念输入西北,为构建近代西北地区的新型医疗卫生体系作出了一定贡献.不可否认,传教士积极参与医疗事业有笼络人心,扩大教会影响,劝导民众入教之目的,但传教士秉持基督博爱惠施精神,努力治病救人所取得的成效应予以肯定.     

The knowledge triangle, European higher education policy logics and policy implications

While it is common to claim that university reforms are based on universal and standardised ideas about ‘modernising’ the university, few studies have examined in a more coherent way how the combined external pressure for change with respect to the areas of education, research and innovation has affected the university. In this paper it is argued that one can identify three different sets of logics concerning the current external reform agenda, and that these logics together create new challenges as to how knowledge is created, diffused and governed by the university. In the conclusion, it is discussed whether the current pressure for reform might change the university as we know it, or whether new institutional translations might emerge from the process renewing the university while maintaining its identity.     

Understanding and influencing teaching and learning cultures at university: a network approach

Academic cultures might be perceived as conservative, at least in terms of development of teaching and learning. Through a lens of network theory this conceptual article analyses the pattern of pathways in which culture is constructed through negotiation of meaning. The perspective contributes to an understanding of culture construction and maintenance with a potential to aid academic developers and others in the endeavour to influence teaching and learning cultures in academia. Throughout the discussion the importance of supporting the weak links between clusters of individuals stands out as a feature to focus upon. We propose that the sheer complexity of culture construction and maintenance in academic organisations is likely to cause any single, isolated attempt for change to fail Instead, we argue that a multitude of inter-related initiatives over a long period of time is likely to distinguish strategies that are successful in influencing academic teaching and learning cultures.     

Coping Styles and Psychological Distress among Hong Kong University Students: Validation of the Collectivist Coping Style Inventory

This study examined the factorial structure of the Collectivist Coping Style inventory (Heppner et al. Journal of Counseling Psychology 53:107–125, 2006) and investigated how the effects of stress-related events on psychological distress are mediated through coping strategies. Three hundred and five Hong Kong university students participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-factor structure of the original inventory. Although family support was widely used as a means to cope with stressful events, students with specific relationship-related stress reported greater use of avoidance strategies. The mediating effect of coping strategies on the relationship between stress-related events and psychological distress was generally small. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.     

Are we exacerbating students’ learning disabilities? An investigation of preservice teachers’ attributions of the educational outcomes of students with learning disabilities

While claims of the importance of attribution theory and teachers’ expectations of students for student performance are repeatedly made, there is little comprehensive research identifying the perceptions preservice teachers have of students with learning disabilities (LD). Accordingly, 444 Australian preservice primary school teachers were surveyed using vignettes and Likert-scale questions, to ascertain their responses to students with and without LD. It was found that preservice primary school general education teachers held a negative attribution style towards students with LD. Preservice primary teachers perceived students with LD as a lacking ability in comparison to others in the class. Recommendations for research and training programmes conclude the paper.     

Studying the Professional Lives and Work of Faculty Involved in Community Engagement

Community engagement is one of the major innovations that has occurred in higher education over the last 20 years. At the center of this innovation are faculty members because of their intimate ties to the academic mission. This article examines the progress that has been made in understanding this critical area of faculty work. It builds on past research to consider how the conceptualization of faculty community engagement influences the kinds of questions we ask about it and the kinds of recruitment, support, and professional growth we provide. Implications of the study and for the practice of faculty community engagement are provided for researchers, administrators, and faculty members.     

Core Knowledge Confusions Among University Students

Previous studies have demonstrated that university students hold several paranormal beliefs and that paranormal beliefs can be best explained with core knowledge confusions. The aim of this study was to explore to what extent university students confuse the core ontological attributes of lifeless material objects (e.g. a house, a stone), living organisms (e.g. plants), and mental states (e.g., thoughts); whether some core knowledge confusions are more common than others; whether the confusions differ between students from different fields of study, and to replicate the finding that paranormal beliefs increase together with core knowledge confusions. The results showed that half of the participants considered at least four, and one quarter of the participants considered 8?C30 confusion statements to be literally true and that the confusions were strongly and positively associated with the amount of paranormal beliefs. The findings indicate that university education does not abolish the misconceptions that characterize children??s thinking.