Dyad pedagogy in practical anatomy: A description of the implementation and student perceptions of an adaptive approach to cadaveric teaching

Prior to the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, anatomy practical sessions at Trinity College Dublin involved eight to 10 students per donor station, rotating between digital learning, anatomical models/osteology, and dissection activities for three hours weekly. To maintain cadaveric participation in the anatomy laboratory while adhering to distancing guidelines, a transition to dyad pedagogy was implemented. This mode of delivery allowed two students per donor station to spend one hour per week in the anatomy laboratory with all digital learning elements transferred to the virtual learning platform Blackboard as pre- and post-practical session learning activities. Dyad pedagogy has been explored in clinical settings and simulation procedural-based training but is yet to be fully verified in anatomy education. To determine the effectiveness of hybrid practical sessions and reduced donor to student ratios, the opinions of first year medical students were examined using an online questionnaire with a 51% response rate. Although students recognized the merits of more time in the anatomy laboratory, including opportunities for self-directed study and exposure to anatomical variation, they felt that having two students per station enabled sufficient hands-on time with the donor body and fostered learning opportunities that would not be possible with larger groups. Strong preferences for quality time with the donor body supported by online resources suggests this modality should be a key consideration in course design for anatomy curricula and emphasizes the importance of gauging students' preferences to optimize satisfaction and learning output when pivoting to blended learning strategies in anatomy education.     

On homogeneity and its application in sliding mode control

The paper is reviewing the tools to handle high-order sliding mode design and robustness. The main ingredient is homogeneity which can be checked using an algebraic test and which helps us in obtaining one of the most desired properties in sliding mode control that is finite-time stability. This paper stresses some recently obtained results about homogeneity for differential inclusions and robustness with respect to perturbations in the context of input-to-state stability. Lastly within this framework, most of the popular high-order sliding mode control schemas are analysed.     

Situational interest impacts college students’physical activity in a design-based bike exergame

Background:Active videogames or exergames have been used as an innovative way to promote physical activity(PA)among various populations.A player’s interest in active videogames is associated with the fun and entertaining nature of the games and may trigger situational interest,thus increasing engagement.The goal of this study was to examine the impact of situational interest dimensions on college students’PA when playing the design-based bike exergame Greedy Rabbit(Vescape,Berlin,Germany).Methods:Sixty undergraduate students(age:20.8±1.3 years,mean±SD,18-25 years old;51.7%males)were recruited from the kinesiology department of a university located in the southern region of Belgium.The participants were assigned to an experimental group(n=41)or a control group(n=19)based on an incremental cycling test.Students in the experimental group engaged in 1 session of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape)while students in the control group engaged in 1 session of a placebo version of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape).The length of the sessions ranged from 24 min to 31 min.Results:Results for the control group indicated that the players’PA metrics(cadence:F(19,360)=1.43,p=0.11;heart rate:F(19.360)=1.16,p=0.29;oxygen consumption:F(19,360)=0.83,p=0.67)were stable during the exergame.Results for the experimental group demonstrated the effects of time on the players’PA metrics and revealed significant associations between the change in the players’situational interest dimensions and PA metrics(cadence:F(19,800)=26.30,p<0.01;heart rate:F(19,800)=19.77,p<0.01;oxygen consumption:F(19,800)=10.04,p<0.01).Conclusion:An approach using a design-based exergame may be a relevant strategy for promoting levels of PA that yields positive health-related outcomes among college students.     

A Case Study of Changing the Learning Environment in Law: Introducing Computer-Supported Collaborative Activities

This article reports on a 3-year case study of the introduction of computer-supported collaborative activities in a previously traditional lecture-based law course at a large North American research university. The evolving design of the activities is described, as well as the students' and professor's reactions to the new learning environment. Results show that students perceived that the new emphasis on skills was valuable, and that the collaborative learning activities contributed to their learning of content and technical skills as well as teamwork. Implications for design of such activities as well as factors to consider are presented, for instance, any changes must be considered systemically, with evaluation and workload being key components.     

探析ICT环境下的信息素养

信息与通信技术（ICT）的迅猛发展和广泛运用改变了传统的知识媒介和人类的读写基础。新的读写环境要求社会个体具备新的信息素养。信息素养是一个统一连贯的有机整体,至少应包括信息搜索能力、信息读取能力、信息评估能力、信息组织能力和信息再使用能力等五种基本能力。信息素养对社会个体提出了新的认知要求,改变了社会个体的学习模式和知识积累过程,开辟了教育教学的新思路和新的科研领域。本文从观察信息与通信技术的表现形式及其影响入手,深入探对了信息素养的构成要素、认知要求及影响。