Evaluating Virtual Patient Interaction Fidelity With Advanced Communication Skills Learners

Previous research in educational medical simulation has drawn attention to the interplay between a simulation’s fidelity and its educational effectiveness. As virtual patients (VPs) are increasingly used in medical simulations for education purposes, a focus on the relationship between virtual patients’ fidelity and educational effectiveness should also be investigated. In this paper, we contribute to this investigation by evaluating the use of a virtual patient selection interface (in which learners interact with a virtual patient via a set of pre-defined choices) with advanced medical communication skills learners. To this end, we integrated virtual patient interviews into a graduate-level course for speech-language therapists over the course of 2 years. In the first cohort, students interacted with three VPs using only a chat interface. In the second cohort, students used both a chat interface and a selection interface to interact with the VPs. Our results suggest that these advanced learners view the selection interfaces as more appropriate for novice learners and that their communication behavior was not significantly affected by using the selection interface. Based on these results, we suggest that selection interfaces may be more appropriate for novice communication skills learners, but for applications in which selection interfaces are to be used with advanced learners, additional design research may be needed to best target these interfaces to advanced learners.

Vocabulary usage among Asian EFL learners during speech: a corpus-based quantitative analysis of the effects of L1 type, L2 proficiency and task type

PurposeUsing a newly compiled corpus module consisting of utterances from Asian learners during L2 English interviews, this study examined how Asian EFL learners' L1s (Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Thai), their L2 proficiency levels (A2, B1 low, B1 upper and B2+) and speech task types (picture descriptions, roleplays and QA-based conversations) affected four aspects of vocabulary usage (number of tokens, standardized type/token ratio, mean word length and mean sentence length).Design/methodology/approachFour aspects concern speech fluency, lexical richness, lexical complexity and structural complexity, respectively.FindingsSubsequent corpus-based quantitative data analyses revealed that (1) learner/native speaker differences existed during the conversation and roleplay tasks in terms of the number of tokens, type/token ratio and sentence length; (2) an L1 group effect existed in all three task types in terms of the number of tokens and sentence length; (3) an L2 proficiency effect existed in all three task types in terms of the number of tokens, type-token ratio and sentence length; and (4) the usage of high-frequency vocabulary was influenced more strongly by the task type and it was classified into four types: Type A vocabulary for grammar control, Type B vocabulary for speech maintenance, Type C vocabulary for negotiation and persuasion and Type D vocabulary for novice learners.Originality/valueThese findings provide clues for better understanding L2 English vocabulary usage among Asian learners during speech.

Translating Thoughts Into Action: Optimizing Motor Performance and Learning Through Brief Motivational and Attentional Influences

Skilled motor performance is essential in sports, the performing arts, various occupations, and many daily activities. Scientists and practitioners alike are therefore interested in understanding the conditions that influence the performance and learning of movement skills, and how they can be utilized to optimize training. In OPTIMAL theory, three motivational and attentional factors are key: enhanced expectancies for future performance, the performer’s autonomy, and an external focus of attention. We review recent evidence suggesting that each factor contributes independently to strengthen the coupling of goals to actions. This work has implications ranging from fostering more effective skill development in novice learners, to increasing the efficiency of athletes’ and musicians’ performance, and to facilitating the success of patients in regaining functional capabilities.

Enhancing Situational Willingness to Communicate in Novice EFL Learners through Task-Based Learning

Many studies have investigated the situational nature of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in language learning. However, few studies have explored the possibility that a language teaching approach aimed at fostering communicative language use can effectively influence and thus facilitate L2 WTC development as it emerges in context (situational WTC). This classroom-based study addresses this issue by (a) investigating whether task-based learning (TBL) can foster situational L2 WTC for novice learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), and (b) determining the factors that influence learners’ situational WTC through a mixed-methods approach juxtaposing quantitative and qualitative data. The study focused on Japanese junior high school students (N=135) participating in a four-month exposure to TBL. The findings revealed that, during the TBL period, learners’ L2 WTC improved significantly and that learners reported feelings of enjoyment when participating in authentic L2 social interaction. 第二言語学習におけるsituational willingness to communicate (L2 WTC: 状況ごとに変化する外国語を話す意思)について多くの研究がされてきた。しかしながら、コミュニケーション能力促進のための特定の教授法を用いて、どのようにL2 WTCが出現し変化していくのかを調査した研究例は少ない。本研究では,質的量的研究の両方を使う混合研究法を用いて、(a)タスク中心学習における参加者のsituational L2 WTCは変化するのか、(b)どのような要因が初級EFL学習者のsituational L2 WTCに影響を与えるのか、を調査した。中学生135名を対象として4か月間タスク中心学習によるコミュニケーション活動を行った。結果から、参加者のsituational L2 WTC は有意に伸長した。また英語で友達とソーシャルインタラクションを楽しむことで、タスクへの参加意欲ならびに英語使用の頻度が高まったことが明らかとなった。 Keywords: EFL novice learners; perceived situational task competence; situational Willingness to Communicate; task-based learning

THE USE OF LEARNERS’ DIARIES: DOES IT WORK TO ENGAGE STUDENTS’ METACOGNITION IN LEARNING IF CLAUSES?

Metacognitive strategies are expected as ‘higher order executive skills’ which enable college students to approach learning systematically and effectively by using the elements of planning, monitoring and evaluating. This study is conducted to investigate whether or not metacognitive strategies can affect the development of structural knowledge of students. To reflect how the students use these strategies, learning diary can lead the learners to strategy use. Twenty-one participants of third semester students were involved. Nine of them were selected to be probed intensively for their metacognitive habits in learning If Clauses. Then, they were divided into three groups according to the level of students’ progress and their mid test score. The first group was assumed as novice learners, the second group was categorized as medium level students and the last group was presumed as expert learners. This study revealed that expert learners were better diarist in documenting what they did when learning. The medium level students also indicated that their capability in realizing the use of their cognition was up and down. They were good at evaluating their shortcoming and monitoring some progress, but they were poor at planning and modifying strategies. Meanwhile, the novice learners less reflected how they learned on their documentation. It could be illustrated that they did not have any motivation to plan their learning, evaluate and monitor their learning.

Assessment of OB/Gyn Residents’ Knowledge of Basic Obstetric Sonography and Psychomotor Skills Posttraining on a Computer-Based Simulator

Objective: This study sought to evaluate how a high-fidelity computer-based sonography simulator (FCBSS) can be used in training obstetrics and gynecology residents and evaluate efficacy of high-fidelity CBSS in enhancing resident’s sonographic knowledge, psychomotor skills, and level of confidence in performing sonographic fetal assessments. Materials and Methods: Eleven postgraduate year 1 residents (PGY1s) and ten PGY2s were assessed on sonographic performance by measuring psychomotor skills and evaluating the accuracy of the sonographic images. PGY2s received traditional sonography training while PGY1s received three individualized training sessions on a high-fidelity CBSS. At the conclusion, all residents received feedback and completed a survey to establish their current confidence level in performing and interpreting sonograms. Results: PGY2s scored a median of 33/66 points on the assessment, while PGY1s scored a median of 64/66 points. Statistical analysis performed from motion analysis metrics between cohorts revealed a statistically significant difference, with PGY1s demonstrating higher psychomotor skills. Interquartile ranges of PGY1s’ scores were smaller than PGY2s’, revealing consistency in knowledge and skills among the PGY1 cohort. Conclusion: Findings suggests that high-fidelity CBSS can be used effectively in training residents. It also demonstrates that implementation of formalized sonography training, using a high-fidelity CBSS, can be achieved and potentially expedite and enhance the learning of novice learners.

Building Clinical Skills Teaching Materials: A Study of Cognitive Task Analysis Versus Free Recall Instruction to Teach Canine Indirect Ophthalmoscopy

Ophthalmoscopy is a core component of a complete ophthalmic examination. Due to its complex technical aspects and patients becoming uncooperative if the procedure is prolonged, it can be a difficult skill for a novice to learn and develop proficiency in. Skills instruction is typically provided by subject matter experts (SMEs) through free recall without an agreed-upon instructional framework. This can lead to unintentional omission of essential steps and knowledge required to perform skills correctly. Cognitive task analysis (CTA) allows for construction of standardized instructional protocols that encompass the knowledge and skills experts apply when performing tasks. The objectives of this study were to (a) develop a CTA-based teaching protocol for canine indirect ophthalmoscopy and (b) compare the steps verbalized or demonstrated by SMEs during free recall instruction versus those ultimately identified by CTA. Four SMEs participated in free recall instructional sessions and interviews used for the development of a CTA-based teaching protocol for novice learners. The CTA-based protocol identified 66 steps and sub-steps considered essential for successfully performing canine indirect ophthalmoscopy. During instructional sessions, SMEs on average failed to verbalize 57.1% of clinical knowledge steps, did not verbalize or demonstrate 68.3% and 9.5% of action steps and did not verbalize or demonstrate 73.2% and 40.4% of decision steps, respectively. This study demonstrates that SMEs teaching indirect ophthalmoscopy by free recall may unintentionally omit important steps, suggesting that compared with free recall, CTA may generate more comprehensive and thus potentially more effective instructional materials for teaching technical skills in veterinary medicine.

Collaborative Writing in EFL Classroom: Comparison on Group, Pair, and Individual Writing Activities in Argumentative Tasks

This study focused on comparing the effects on 32 students’ argumentative writing qualities when they worked alone or collaborated in pairs and groups and explored the students’ opinions towards critical thinking across different writing activities. The 32 students were divided into groups of four (n=8), pairs (n=16) and individuals (n=32). Their papers were rated in terms of content, language use, and organization by three raters. The research employed argumentative writing rubrics, semi-structured interview, and observation. From the total of 15 points, the novice learners gained the highest scores when writing in groups (X ̅ = 11.22), followed by pairs (X ̅ = 10.19) and individuals (X ̅ = 8.98). The intermediate learners also gained the highest scores in group work (X ̅ = 11.50), followed by pairs (X ̅ = 10.32), and individual work (X ̅ = 9.04), respectively. Similar to the advanced level, they had the highest scores when working in groups (X ̅ = 11.95), followed by pairs (X ̅ = 10.45), and individuals (X ̅ = 9.45). The findings indicated that group work led to the highest scores in all proficiency levels and in groups, the students’ critical thinking improved regarding analyzing, evaluating and creating information when they brainstormed, shared and discussed all information. In pairs, the students also demonstrated that their critical thinking developed but only in analyzing from sharing information with a partner. In individuals, all proficiency levels reported that critical thinking was not developed as no interaction with peers.