Teacher training for medical faculty and residents.

Since 1984 the University of British Columbia''s School of Medicine has offered teaching improvement project systems (TIPS) workshops on effective teaching techniques; two workshops a year are given for medical faculty members and two a year for residents. The faculty members who conduct the workshops have received training on how to present them. The most powerful learning experience offered by TIPS is the opportunity for participants to present 10-minute teaching segments that are videotaped and later viewed privately by the participants. Eight workshops have been attended by 166 faculty members, and two others have been attended by 42 residents. This project demonstrates faculty development for both the participants and the people who teach the workshops.     

Community Care Workers,Poor Referral Networks and Consumption of Personal Resources in Rural South Africa

Although home-based care (HBC) programs are widely implemented throughout Africa, their success depends on the existence of an enabling environment, including a referral system and supply of essential commodities. The objective of this study was to explore the current state of client referral patterns and practices by community care workers (CCWs), in an evolving environment of one rural South African sub-district. Using a participant triangulation approach, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 CCWs, 32 HBC clients and 32 primary caregivers (PCGs). An open-ended interview guide was used for data collection. Participants were selected from comprehensive lists of CCWs and their clients, using a diversified criterion-based sampling method. Three independent researchers coded three sets of data – CCWs, Clients and PCGs, for referral patterns and practices of CCWs. Referrals from clinics and hospitals to HBC occurred infrequently, as only eight (25%) of the 32 clients interviewed were formally referred. Community care workers showed high levels of commitment and personal investment in supporting their clients to use the formal health care system. They went to the extent of using their own personal resources. Seven CCWs used their own money to ensure client access to clinics, and eight gave their own food to ensure treatment adherence. Community care workers are essential in linking clients to clinics and hospitals and to promote the appropriate use of medical services, although this effort frequently necessitated consumption of their own personal resources. Therefore, risk protection strategies are urgently needed so as to ensure sustainability of the current work performed by HBC organizations and the CCW volunteers.     

Workshops Without Walls: broadening access to science around the world

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astrobiology Institute (NAI) conducted two "Workshops Without Walls" during 2010 that enabled global scientific exchange--with no travel required. The second of these was on the topic "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." Scientists from diverse disciplines and locations around the world were joined through an integrated suite of collaborative technologies to exchange information on the latest developments in this area of origin of life research. Through social media outlets and popular science blogs, participation in the workshop was broadened to include educators, science writers, and members of the general public. In total, over 560 people from 31 US states and 30 other nations were registered. Among the scientific disciplines represented were geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and evolution, and microbial ecology. We present this workshop as a case study in how interdisciplinary collaborative research may be fostered, with substantial public engagement, without sustaining the deleterious environmental and economic impacts of travel.     

生物化学教学实用技巧和策略

生物化学是生命科学中最重要的基础专业课程之一。欲使教师讲好它,学生学好并非易事。在学生中经常流传着一句“生理生化,必有一挂”的口头禅,足见学生学习生物化学的难度。本文结合笔者在南京大学讲授生物化学25年多的实践及成功经验,与同行们分享生物化学的教学技巧和策略,如何上好第一次课,如何激发学生学习生物化学的兴趣,如何在教学中培养学生的科学思维,如何把传统课堂教学的手段与其他新型的教学方式结合,如何开展和组织“第二课堂”活动等,希望它们对同行们的生物化学教学有所启发和帮助。     

生物化学教学实用技巧和策略

生物化学是生命科学中最重要的基础专业课程之一。欲使教师讲好它,学生学好并非易事。在学生中经常流传着一句“生理生化,必有一挂”的口头禅,足见学生学习生物化学的难度。本文结合笔者在南京大学讲授生物化学25年多的实践及成功经验,与同行们分享生物化学的教学技巧和策略,如何上好第一次课,如何激发学生学习生物化学的兴趣,如何在教学中培养学生的科学思维,如何把传统课堂教学的手段与其他新型的教学方式结合,如何开展和组织“第二课堂”活动等,希望它们对同行们的生物化学教学有所启发和帮助。     

A curriculum on physician-patient sexual misconduct and teacher-learner mistreatment. Part 2: Teaching method.

Medical educators have become increasingly aware of the need for health care professionals to receive more training about the causes and consequences of physician-patient sexual misconduct and teacher-learner mistreatment and harassment. A curriculum in use at the University of Toronto includes a didactic component, consisting of lectures, and an experiential component, consisting of a workshop. This article concerns how, by discussing case vignettes designed to illustrate salient points, the participants have an opportunity to consider their responses in actual clinical and teaching situations. Evaluation of the course by 373 participants shows that the curriculum is considered acceptable and is likely to be of benefit. Of the course participants, 54% (15/28) of those attending the course for faculty and 39% (133/345) of those at subsequent courses stated that they would change their clinical and teaching practices in positive ways as a result of attending. A further 38% (130/345) stated that they already practised in a manner congruent with the model discussed.     

Preparing faculty to teach in a problem-based learning curriculum: the Sherbrooke experience.

Over the last 6 years Sherbrooke Medical School has undertaken a major reform of its undergraduate curriculum. A new student-centred, community-oriented curriculum was implemented in September 1987. Problem-based learning (PBL) is now the main educational method. To adequately prepare teachers for the curriculum a series of faculty development programs in pedagogy were offered: first, a 2-day introductory workshop to initiate teachers into educational principles and their application in the new program; second, a 1-year basic training program in medical pedagogy; third, a 1-day workshop on PBL; and fourth, a comprehensive 3-day training program in PBL tutoring. Over 60% of all full-time teachers attended the introductory program and 80% the tutor training program. The 1-year basic training program was completed by 33% of the faculty members. The implementation of these programs, coupled with a high participation rate, resulted in a more student-centred educational philosophy and a greater interest in medical education. This had a significant impact when the new curriculum was instituted. Lessons learned from the experience are discussed.     

Resources and practices to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows write statements of teaching philosophy

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows currently encounter requests for a statement of teaching philosophy in at least half of academic job announcements in the United States. A systematic process for the development of a teaching statement is required that integrates multiple sources of support, informs writers of the document's purpose and audience, helps writers produce thoughtful statements, and encourages meaningful reflection on teaching and learning. This article for faculty mentors and instructional consultants synthesizes practices for mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members as they prepare statements of teaching philosophy. We review background information on purposes and audiences, provide writing resources, and synthesize empirical research on the use of teaching statements in academic job searches. In addition, we integrate these resources into mentoring processes that have helped graduate students in a Health Sciences Pedagogy course to collaboratively and critically examine and write about their teaching. This summary is intended for faculty mentors and instructional consultants who want to refine current resources or establish new mentoring programs. This guide also may be useful to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members, especially those who lack mentoring or who seek additional resources, as they consider the many facets of effective teaching.     

A participatory learning approach to biochemistry using student authored and evaluated multiple-choice questions

A participatory learning approach, combined with both a traditional and a competitive assessment, was used to motivate students and promote a deep approach to learning biochemistry. Students were challenged to research, author, and explain their own multiple-choice questions (MCQs). They were also required to answer, evaluate, and discuss MCQs written by their peers. The technology used to support this activity was PeerWise--a freely available, innovative web-based system that supports students in the creation of an annotated question repository. In this case study, we describe students' contributions to, and perceptions of, the PeerWise system for a cohort of 107 second-year biomedical science students from three degree streams studying a core biochemistry subject. Our study suggests that the students are eager participants and produce a large repository of relevant, good quality MCQs. In addition, they rate the PeerWise system highly and use higher order thinking skills while taking an active role in their learning. We also discuss potential issues and future work using PeerWise for biomedical students.     

Science-policy interfaces for biodiversity: dynamic learning environments for successful impact

To address the pressing problems associated with biodiversity loss, changes in awareness and behaviour are required from decision makers in all sectors. Science-policy interfaces (SPIs) have the potential to play an important role, and to achieve this effectively, there is a need to understand better the ways in which existing SPIs strive for effective communication, learning and behavioural change. Using a series of test cases across the world, we assess a range of features influencing the effectiveness of SPIs through communication and argumentation processes, engagement of actors and other aspects that contribute to potential success. Our results demonstrate the importance of dynamic and iterative processes of interaction to support effective SPI work. We stress the importance of seeing SPIs as dynamic learning environments and we provide recommendations for how they can enhance success in meeting their targeted outcomes. In particular, we recommend building long-term trust, creating learning environments, fostering participation and ownership of the process and building capacity to combat silo thinking. Processes to enable these changes may include, for example, inviting and integrating feedback, extended peer review and attention to contextualising knowledge for different audiences, and time and sustained effort dedicated to trust-building and developing common languages. However there are no ‘one size fits all’ solutions, and methods must be adapted to context and participants. Creating and maintaining effective dynamic learning environments will both require and encourage changes in institutional and individual behaviours: a challenging agenda, but one with potential for positive feedbacks to maintain momentum.     

基于BOPPPS的混合式教学模式在生物化学中的应用

随着互联网时代的到来,大规模开放式在线课程(慕课,MOOC)为教育改革提供了新的研究思路和方向。为了提高生物化学的学习效果,本文结合该课程知识点杂而多、理论性强和学生学习兴趣不高的特点,设计了一种基于BOPPPS教学的线上线下混合式教学模式,并在生物化学课程中进行了实践。BOPPPS中的情景案例激发了学生的学习兴趣,逐层递进的课堂练习让学生沉醉其中。研究结果表明,体验过混合式学习的学生与通过传统学习方式学习的学生相比,实验组学生对知识的理解深度明显好于对照组,在学习效果上也存在显著差异(P<0.05),试验组学生的平均成绩(81.13)比对照组学生的平均成绩(76.21)提升5分左右。问卷调查结果显示,与传统教学模式相比,学生更愿意接受新的教学模式,并愿意在未来的学期里支持继续使用新型的教学模式。学生认为,能从新的教学模式学到比传统的授课形式要多的知识,而且新的教学模式还促进了团队合作能力,提高了学生的学习兴趣,学生课前愿意花费较长时间自主预习。该方法激发了学生的学习主动性,促进了学生更好地学习。     

Project-based learning in a collaborative group can enhance student skill and ability in the biochemical laboratory: a case study

ABSTRACT

Experimental courses for undergraduate students majoring in biochemistry or related subjects often do not provide students with systematic and research-based experiences. To help students develop abilities related to laboratory techniques, data analysis, and systematic thought in biology, we performed an exploratory program that employs project-based learning in collaborative groups. The participants (total of 18 students) organized themselves into groups of 2–4 students, and each group researched an enzyme that had not been described previously. The program began with a literature survey of enzyme and bioinformatics analysis. The students cloned the gene encoding the enzyme, purified the enzyme, and, finally, analyzed the enzyme’s catalytic characteristics. The students explained the catalytic mechanism, integrating their experimental data and other knowledge. An instructor provided support and training during the process to support effective teamwork and to cultivate a habit of independence that is believed to be useful for the students’ future careers. The assessment showed that the pilot program yielded an improvement in the participant’ laboratory skills, scientific presentation ability, and experimental design ability. These analyses indicated that the small-scale practice in this study provided benefits to the students and the methods may be popularized to a large extent.     

Risk and Decision-Making: A Workshop for Environmental Professionals

In the early 1990s, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 developed a training workshop for environmental professionals. It was successfully taught throughout Region 9 in collaboration with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. We have updated the workshop's manual to incorporate current practices including: vapor intrusion into indoor air, benchmark dose, cancer guidelines, inhalation guidance, ecological and screening risk assessments, conceptual site models, and data quality objectives. We maintained the popular workshop format, with participants evaluating information and drawing conclusions in an interactive hands-on approach. We kept the case study approach to simulate realistic environmental issues. After a case study introduction, participants plan a sampling strategy. Principles of toxicology are introduced, and participants develop toxicity criteria using hypothetical animal study results. Participants then identify exposure pathways, and calculate exposure and risk and hazard estimates. Finally, participants develop remedial alternatives and practice risk communication through role playing exercises. The workshop has been an effective tool for training new employees and providing continuing education for experienced employees from consulting, military, and regulatory agencies. The format provides a dynamic learning environment, fostering exchanges among professionals with a wide range of skills and backgrounds (project managers, toxicologists, geologists, engineers, public participation experts).     

“See One,Sim One,Do One”- A National Pre-Internship Boot-Camp to Ensure a Safer "Student to Doctor" Transition

Introduction

The transition for being a medical student to a full functioning intern is accompanied by considerable stress and sense of unpreparedness. Simulation based workshops were previously reported to be effective in improving the readiness of interns and residents to their daily needed skills but only few programs were implemented on a large scale.

Methods

A nationally endorsed and mandated pre-internship simulation based workshop is reported. We hypothesized that this intervention will have a meaningful and sustained impact on trainees'' perception of their readiness to internship with regard to patient safety and quality of care skills. Main outcome measure was the workshop’s contribution to professional training in general and to critical skills and error prevention in particular, as perceived by participants.

Results

Between 2004 and 2011, 85 workshops were conducted for a total of 4,172 trainees. Eight-hundred and six of the 2,700 participants approached by e-mail, returned feedback evaluation forms, which were analyzed. Eighty five percent of trainees perceived the workshop as an essential component of their professional training, and 87% agreed it should be mandatory. These ratings peaked during internship and were generally sustained 3 years following the workshop. Contribution to emergency care skills was especially highly ranked (83%).

Conclusion

Implementation of a mandatory, simulation-based, pre-internship workshop on a national scale made a significant perceived impact on interns and residents. The sustained impact should encourage adopting this approach to facilitate the student to doctor transition.     

Training in the laboratory animal science community: strategies to support adult learning

The essence of learning is change; learning is the process by which learners customize new information to make it personally meaningful and relevant. Training is the process of helping students make those changes. Research indicates that adults learn differently than children or adolescents and that adults consistently use the following six learning strategies: prior experiences; conversations; metacognition; reflection; authentic experiences; and images, pictures, or other types of visuals. Each of these learning strategies can be combined with the other strategies and often build upon each other. A recent study on how health care professionals learn indicated that the learning strategy they used most often was reflection, which supports learning before, during, and after training. Numerous examples are provided in this article describing how to integrate each of the six adult learning strategies into laboratory animal science training. While lectures and other types of direct instruction are appropriate, they are inadequate and ineffective unless they are integrated with and support adult learning strategies. Both the US Department of Agriculture regulations and the Public Health Service Policy mandate that research institutions must ensure that all personnel involved in animal care, treatment, or use are qualified to perform their duties. Applying adult learning strategies to training for the laboratory animal science community will enhance learning and improve both the science and the humane care of the animals, which is a goal our community must continuously strive to achieve.     

Evaluating the impact of physical renovation, computerization, and use of an inquiry approach in an undergraduate, allied health human anatomy and physiology lab

This paper describes and evaluates a major renovation of a human anatomy and physiology lab for allied health students. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute award funded an extensive collaboration between faculty involved in teaching the course and faculty with expertise in industrial and furniture design. The resulting physical lab has unique features designed to improve work in groups, student movement, and integration of computers with wet laboratories. The anatomy curriculum was switched from fetal pig dissections to the use of human cadavers, computer animations, and plastic models. An inquiry approach was integrated into the physiology curriculum. Student attitude surveys suggest that the physical and curricular changes resulted in a significant increase in student learning. An experiment designed to specifically test the effect of new vs. old equipment did not support a benefit to new equipment independent of changes in the lab physical environment and curriculum. Because the improvements in student attitude surveys occurred in the physiology but not the anatomy labs, we suggest that at least a portion of the increase is due to the institution of the inquiry approach.     

Development and Two-Year Follow-Up Evaluation of a Training Workshop for the Large Preventive Positive Psychology Happy Family Kitchen Project in Hong Kong

Evidence-based practice and capacity-building approaches are essential for large-scale health promotion interventions. However, there are few models in the literature to guide and evaluate training of social service workers in community settings. This paper presents the development and evaluation of the “train-the-trainer” workshop (TTT) for the first large scale, community-based, family intervention projects, entitled “Happy Family Kitchen Project” (HFK) under the FAMILY project, a Hong Kong Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society. The workshop aimed to enhance social workers’ competence and performance in applying positive psychology constructs in their family interventions under HFK to improve family well-being of the community they served. The two-day TTT was developed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team in partnership with community agencies to 50 social workers (64% women). It focused on the enhancement of knowledge, attitude, and practice of five specific positive psychology themes, which were the basis for the subsequent development of the 23 family interventions for 1419 participants. Acceptability and applicability were enhanced by completing a needs assessment prior to the training. The TTT was evaluated by trainees’ reactions to the training content and design, changes in learners (trainees) and benefits to the service organizations. Focus group interviews to evaluate the workshop at three months after the training, and questionnaire survey at pre-training, immediately after, six months, one year and two years after training were conducted. There were statistically significant increases with large to moderate effect size in perceived knowledge, self-efficacy and practice after training, which sustained to 2-year follow-up. Furthermore, there were statistically significant improvements in family communication and well-being of the participants in the HFK interventions they implemented after training. This paper offers a practical example of development, implementation and model-based evaluation of training programs, which may be helpful to others seeking to develop such programs in diverse communities.     

Recent novel approaches for population genomics data analysis

Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technology is revolutionizing the fields of population genetics, molecular ecology and conservation biology. But it can be challenging for researchers to learn the new and rapidly evolving techniques required to use NGS data. A recent workshop entitled ‘Population Genomic Data Analysis’ was held to provide training in conceptual and practical aspects of data production and analysis for population genomics, with an emphasis on NGS data analysis. This workshop brought together 16 instructors who were experts in the field of population genomics and 31 student participants. Instructors provided helpful and often entertaining advice regarding how to choose and use a NGS method for a given research question, and regarding critical aspects of NGS data production and analysis such as library preparation, filtering to remove sequencing errors and outlier loci, and genotype calling. In addition, instructors provided general advice about how to approach population genomics data analysis and how to build a career in science. The overarching messages of the workshop were that NGS data analysis should be approached with a keen understanding of the theoretical models underlying the analyses, and with analyses tailored to each research question and project. When analysed carefully, NGS data provide extremely powerful tools for answering crucial questions in disciplines ranging from evolution and ecology to conservation and agriculture, including questions that could not be answered prior to the development of NGS technology.     

Intrinsic Motivations Drive Learning of Eye Movements: An Experiment with Human Adults

Intrinsic motivations drive the acquisition of knowledge and skills on the basis of novel or surprising stimuli or the pleasure to learn new skills. In so doing, they are different from extrinsic motivations that are mainly linked to drives that promote survival and reproduction. Intrinsic motivations have been implicitly exploited in several psychological experiments but, due to the lack of proper paradigms, they are rarely a direct subject of investigation. This article investigates how different intrinsic motivation mechanisms can support the learning of visual skills, such as “foveate a particular object in space”, using a gaze contingency paradigm. In the experiment participants could freely foveate objects shown in a computer screen. Foveating each of two “button” pictures caused different effects: one caused the appearance of a simple image (blue rectangle) in unexpected positions, while the other evoked the appearance of an always-novel picture (objects or animals). The experiment studied how two possible intrinsic motivation mechanisms might guide learning to foveate one or the other button picture. One mechanism is based on the sudden, surprising appearance of a familiar image at unpredicted locations, and a second one is based on the content novelty of the images. The results show the comparative effectiveness of the mechanism based on image novelty, whereas they do not support the operation of the mechanism based on the surprising location of the image appearance. Interestingly, these results were also obtained with participants that, according to a post experiment questionnaire, had not understood the functions of the different buttons suggesting that novelty-based intrinsic motivation mechanisms might operate even at an unconscious level.     

一种Vc二步发酵伴生菌的初筛方法

目的：建立一种Vc二步发酵高效伴生菌的快速初筛方法。方法：通过测定OD650,以伴生菌进入对数期的早晚和对数期持续长短为判断菌株伴生潜力的依据。结果：10h前进入对数期,对数期持续时间约12h的菌株具有高效的促进小菌生长和发酵产古龙酸的潜力。概率为71%。结论：以伴生菌进入对数期的早晚和对数期持续长短为判断依据的新的菌株快速初筛方法,简便、高效,利于大规模初筛应用。