Interprofessional education in gross anatomy: Experience with first‐year medical and physical therapy students at Mayo Clinic

Interprofessional education (IPE) in clinical practice is believed to improve outcomes in health care delivery. Integrating teaching and learning objectives through cross discipline student interaction in basic sciences has the potential to initiate interprofessional collaboration at the early stages of health care education. Student attitudes and effectiveness of IPE in the context of a combined gross anatomy course for first‐year students in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees curricula were evaluated. Integrated teams of MD and DPT students participated in part of the gross anatomy dissection course at Mayo Medical School. A survey was administered to 42 MD and 28 DPT students that assessed their attitudes toward IPE and cooperation among health care professionals. Pre‐ and post‐experience surveys were evaluated. Positive comments were related to opportunities for developing a better understanding of the nature and scope of each other's programs, encouraging teamwork and communication, mutual respect, and reducing the perceptual divide between disciplines. Ninety‐two percent of the students agreed that interprofessional learning would help them in becoming a more effective member of the health care team. This initial experience with IPE in gross anatomy provides a basis for continued development of interdisciplinary educational strategies. Anat Sci Ed 1:258–263, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.     

Students’ engagement in first‐year university

This paper reports on seven calibrated scales of student engagement emerging from a large‐scale study of first year undergraduate students in Australian universities. The analysis presents insights into contemporary undergraduate student engagement, including online, self‐managed, peer and student‐staff engagement. The results point to the imperative for developing a broader understanding of engagement as a process with several dimensions. These must be acknowledged in any measurement and monitoring of this construct in higher education. The paper calls for a more robust theorising of the engagement concept that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative measures. It considers implications for pedagogy and institutional policy in support of enhancing the quality of the student experience.     

Roll out the computer,then the presses!

No school can afford to lose parents into the cracks. An early education teacher must perform double duty, teaching the students and at the same time communicating with parents in such a way that they become involved in their child's education. An easy way to communicate with parents is with a weekly, biweekly, or monthly newsletter. This can be accomplished with the computer and a desktop publishing program. No longer do you need to spend hours typing or handwriting a newsletter. You can invest in a desktop publishing program that meets your needs.Lillian Krause has taught public kindergarten for the past 15 years, presently at the Federal Way, Washington, Public Schools.     

The University Essay Writing Experience: A pathway for academic integration during transition

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which students' experiences during the writing process can contribute to their academic integration. Students ( n = 46) were surveyed on their experiences before, during and after completion of their first major writing assignment. They were also interviewed in focus groups. Data indicate that students perceived several factors that may potentially inhibit their academic integration—some within the broader university context and others pertaining to completion of the written assignment. Findings suggest that interactions with staff and peers during the assignment writing process can provide significant opportunities for integration, provided these interactions are supportive. The study has implications for those who plan, support and deliver first year university courses, particularly those courses involving academic writing assignments.     

Entscheidungsverhalten im Gesundheitssport

In search of determinants of decision- making, cognitive aspects for years have been predominating in scientific discussions for years, whereas recently emotional aspects have increasingly became the focus of scientific consideration. In view of the frequently occurring, and not only philosophically relevant, discussion about the free will and the architecture of our spirit, the question arises whether these approaches reach far enough. In the decision-making process different, more deeply lying and unconsciously working structures appear to be decisive, whose modes of function we can neither comprehend introspectively nor can be easily approached on a scientific basis. As a consequence, to knowledge of these parameters is of great importance for any discussion about possible influences on determinants of decision -making, which on the other hand are generally considered to be the fundamental principles in the promotion of healthy sports.     

Use of individual feedback during human gross anatomy course for enhancing professional behaviors in doctor of physical therapy students

Medical professionals and public consumers expect that new physical therapy graduates possess cognitive, technical, and behavioral skills required to provide safe and high‐quality care to patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if a repertoire of ten professional behaviors assessed at the beginning of doctorate of physical therapy education and before the first significant clinical internship could be enhanced in a semester course in gross human anatomy using individual formative feedback. During the human anatomy course, 28 first‐year physical therapy students completed six biweekly, anonymous self‐ and peer assessment surveys that targeted ten professional behaviors important to physical therapists. All professional behaviors were assessed using a five‐point Likert scale. Feedback reports occurred at week eight (mid‐semester) and week 16 (end‐of‐semester) and comprised the direct intervention components of this study. At the midpoint of the semester, professional behavior scores and narrative comments from weeks two, four, and six were compiled and shared with each student by one of three faculty members in a feedback session. Students then submitted biweekly self‐and peer professional behavior assessments (weeks 10, 12, and 14) for the remainder of the human anatomy course. Differences between preintervention and postintervention scores for each of the ten professional behaviors were compared using the Wilcoxon signed‐ranks test. Upon receiving mid‐semester individual feedback, students demonstrated significant improvement in each of the ten professional behaviors. Results from this study indicated a gross anatomy laboratory dissection experience during the first academic semester provided an effective opportunity for teaching and assessing professional behaviors of doctoral students in physical therapy. Anat Sci Educ 6: 324–331. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

The effects of cooperative learning and feedback on e-learning in statistics

This study examined whether cooperative learning and feedback facilitate situated, example-based e-learning in the field of statistics. The factors “social context” (individual vs. cooperative) and “feedback intervention” (available vs. not available) were varied; participants were 137 university students. Results showed that the feedback intervention clearly supported learning. Feedback proved especially beneficial for students with little prior knowledge. Cooperation did not promote learning outcomes; however, group performance in the learning phase was superior to individual performance. Also, cooperative learning enhanced perceived performance and perceived competence. Probably, collective efficacy had a halo effect on self-efficacy.     

Enhancing skill transfer in tennis using representative learning design

ABSTRACT

Representative Learning Design advocates that practice should simulate the demands of competition. The effectiveness of increased task representativeness to improve serving skill of junior tennis players was assessed after a six-week intervention. Thirty-three participants (15.4 ± 1.9 years of age) were assigned to one of the three groups; “serve only” (participants served to no opponent), “serve return” (participants served to an opponent and hit no extra shots) or “serve +3^rd” (participants served to an opponent and hit one extra shot). Using the validated representative practice assessment tool (RPAT) tasks were considered to be low, moderate and high in task representativeness, respectively. Participants hit 56 serves, twice weekly for 6-weeks. Pre and post serving performances were assessed via a skill test and in-situ matchplay using SportsCode and HawkEye ball tracking, respectively. Serve speed, landing locations, serve angle and positional advantage was obtained for 1^st and 2^nd serves. The relationship between increasing representativeness and increased skill acquisition was not linear, rather different behaviours emerged. For example, when hitting 2^nd serves in matchplay, the low and moderate representative groups prioritised speed over placement while the high representative group prioritised placement over speed. Coaches therefore need to carefully individualise representativeness to an athletes’ specific needs.