Waiting to inhale: how to unhurry the moment of birth

A doula and expectant mother's view of birth is forever changed when she sees a midwife simply place a newly born child below her mother at the moment of birth. The pause that the mother experiences in this moment as she studies, touches, and claims her child prompts the author to reflect in this guest editorial on ways we might be disturbing the natural sequence of birth as we deliver babies directly to their mothers' chests.     

Conceptual change through vicarious learning in an authentic physics setting

Recent research on principles of best practice for designing effective multimedia instruction has rarely taken into account students’ alternative conceptions, which are known to strongly influence learning. The goal of this study was to determine how well students of quantum mechanics could learn ‘vicariously’ by watching a student-tutor dialogue based on alternative conceptions. Two video treatments were created to summarize key aspects of quantum tunneling, a fundamental quantum mechanical phenomenon. One video depicted a student-tutor dialogue, incorporating many of the common alternative conceptions on the topic, and resolving inconsistencies in reasoning through discussion. The other presented the same correct physics material in an expository style without alternative conceptions. Second year physics students were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments and were tested before and after watching the video during a lecture. Results show a statistically significant (p < .01) advantage for the learners in the dialogue treatment (d = 0.71). Follow-up interviews of students yielded insight into the affective and cognitive benefits of the dialogue video.     

Celebrate Birth!—The Empowered Pregnancy That Changed My Life

Midwifery led care transforms the experience of Naima Beckles, a Black woman who gave birth for the first time over a decade ago. Here she describes how an empowered birth laid the groundwork for a career as a birth worker.     

Dissecting through Barriers: A Follow-up Study on the Long-Term Effects of Interprofessional Education in a Dissection Course with Healthcare Professional Students

Several studies have shown significant improvements in the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare professional students toward interprofessional education (IPE) immediately following intervention with IPE courses. However, there remains little evidence on the lasting effects of IPE courses and the long-term influences of these IPE experiences are poorly documented. The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term effects of an intensive, ten-week interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course at McMaster University. Attitudes and perceptions of past participants towards interprofessional learning were evaluated, now that they have started working with other healthcare professionals outside of the IPE course setting. Thirty-four past participants who have clinical experience working in interprofessional settings or are currently working in the healthcare field completed a follow-up questionnaire consisting of a modified Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and open-ended questions. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant decrease in their attitude towards teamwork and collaboration and respect for other health professions, but a significant improvement in their understanding of roles and responsibilities compared to their results immediately after the IPE intervention. Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions revealed several themes such as developing interprofessional competencies, developing relationships, and remembering the strengths of the IPE dissection course. The results of this study indicate that the IPE experience in anatomy was highly valued by the students and that past participants maintain a clear understanding of their scope of practice, but the reality of clinical practice may have eroded gains made in the program. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.     

Helpful Resources for Childbirth Educators and Parents

In this column, reviewers offer perspectives and comments on a variety of books and CDs that address topics related to the politics of midwifery in the United States, preparing expectant parents for childbirth, babywearing techniques, breastfeeding guides, and a child''s perspective of home birth.     

苏格拉底式教学法的现代应用

苏格拉底式教学法是教师以讽刺为武器,在使学生认识真理以前,首先创设矛盾情境,唤起学生的求知欲望,再与学生进行探讨,通过频频发问,刺激诱导,让他们自觉地探求真理。苏格拉底式教学法与多媒体网络教学相结合,借助各种教学传媒和教育技术,将学习过程变成学生主动探索知识、培养创新能力的过程。     

构建“三位一体”助产专业人才培养模式的探索

随着"二孩政策"的全面放开,对助产士的需求日益增加,助产专业人才已成为紧缺型专科技能型人才之一。为适应社会需求,围绕助产专业人才紧缺的现状,构建以岗位胜任力培养为核心,以强化知识、能力与素质培养"三位一体"的助产专业人才培养模式,通过顶层设计培养目标、完善人才培养方案、加强创新创业素质培养、实践教学体系和平台建设、加强师资队伍建设等,开展多种教学方法和教学手段,改进评价人才培养质量体系,不断完善人才培养方案,培养高素质的助产学专业人才,进一步提升助产专业的办学水平和办学质量。     

A contribution to the history of assessment: how a conversation simulator redeems Socratic method

Assessment in education is a recent phenomenon. Although there were counterparts in former epochs, the term assessment only began to be spoken about in education after the Second World War; and, since that time, views, strategies and concerns over assessment have proliferated according to an uncomfortable dynamic. We fear that, increasingly, education is assessment-led rather than learning-led and ‘counter to what is desired’ in an ugly judgemental spirit whose moral underpinnings deserve scrutiny. In this article, we seek to historicise assessment and the anxieties of credentialising students. Through this longer history, we present a philosophy of assessment which underlies the development of a new method in assessment-as-learning. We hope that our development of a conversation simulator helps restore the innocence of education as learning-led, while still delivering on the incumbencies of assessment.     

Finding a Socratic Method for Information Literacy Instruction

ABSTRACT

Librarians can find techniques for improving information literacy in Plato's Socratic dialogs. The Socratic Method is an effective tool that can help engage students in critical thinking about their research, guide students to reveal flaws in their reasoning, and prepare them to learn new research skills. Examples of information literacy instruction drawn from Socratic dialogs are given in this article along with tips for avoiding pitfalls associated with the Socratic Method.