The problem of this study was to investigate the effects of massed and distributed practice upon the learning and retention of a novel gross motor task. The motor task was a soccer dribble around three evenly-spaced standards.

MA, School of Human and Community Development, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2003

Learning maps have been used to represent student knowledge for many years. These maps are usually hand made by experts in a given domain. However, these hand-made maps have not been found to be predictive of student performance. Several methods have been proposed to find bet-ter fitting learning maps. These methods include the Learning Factors Analysis (LFA) model and the Rule-space method. In this thesis we report on the application of one of the proposed operations in the LFA method to a small section of a skill graph and develop a greedy search algorithm for finding better fitting models for this graph. Additionally an investigation of the factors that influence the search for better data fitting models using the proposed algorithm is reported. We also present an empirical study in which PLACEments, an adaptive testing system that employs a skill graph, is modified to test the strength of prerequisite skill links in a given learning map and propose a method for refining learning maps based on those findings. It was found that the proposed greedy search algorithm performs as well as an original skill graph but with a smaller set of skills in the graph. Additionally it was found that, among other factors, the number of unnecessary skills, the number of items in the graph, and the guess and slip rates of the items tagged with skills in the graph have an impact on the search. Further, the size of the evaluation data set impacts the search. The more data there is for the search, the more predictive the learned skill graph. Additionally, PLACEments, an adaptive testing feature of ASSISTments, has been found to be useful for refining skill graphs by detecting the strengths of prerequisite links between skills in a graph.

This research applies a survey investigation method and uses students from case schools as samples. The research background variables are ¡§a teacher¡¦s leadership skill,¡¨ ¡§students¡¦ notion of class management efficiency,¡¨ and ¡§the difference among administrations¡¦ evaluation of class management efficiency.¡¨ The association between a teacher¡¦s leadership skill and a class¡¦s management efficiency is studied. This research applies a survey investigation method and uses a vocational school from the southern part of Taiwan as the research subject. The participants are 1,569 students from a vocational school and a stratified sampling method is applied. The usage of research tools includes the following: In terms of a teacher¡¦s leading skill, Mu Jin, Chen¡¦s (1999) ¡§the self testing table of evaluating a teacher¡¦s leading skill in a classroom¡¨ is adapted. In terms of the evaluation of students¡¦ notion of class management efficiency, Chen Zong, Shen¡¦s (2006) ¡§the scale table of a class¡¦s management efficiency survey¡¨ and Jin Tang, Qiu¡¦s (2002) ¡§the scale table of a junior high school student¡¦s opinion response¡¨ are adapted. In terms of the evaluation of an administration¡¦s class management efficiency evaluation, the evaluation outcome of a related class¡¦s management efficiency announced by the studied school is used. The research showed that to male, married, long working experience, and natural science teachers, students have the notion of better leading skills. Second-year male senior high school students have a notion that teachers have better leading skills. Both male, married, professional subjects, and teachers from the National Normal University and first year and senior high school classes have better classes¡¦ management efficiency evaluated by administrations. As far as students¡¦ notion of classes¡¦ management efficiency is concerned, male, married, long working experience, and social science teachers have better conditions. Male and second-year senior high school students have better notion of classes¡¦ management efficiency. There is a significant relationship between students¡¦ notion of teachers¡¦ leading skills and classes¡¦ management efficiency and the explanation power is 44.1%. But, the explanation power of students¡¦ notion of teachers¡¦ leading skills to administrations¡¦ evaluation of class characteristics is only 2.6%. Therefore, it is inferred that under the same research subjects, there is an association between teachers¡¦ leading skills and classes¡¦ management efficiency, but it might be over-evaluated.

No description available.

The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a novel dysphagia rehabilitation approach: skill training on swallowing in individuals who have dysphagia secondary to Parkinson’s disease. The secondary objective was to assess skill retention following treatment termination. This within-subject study involved 10 patients with Parkinson’s disease who met the inclusionary criteria. All participants underwent two baseline data collection sessions, conducted two weeks apart. Data collected included the water swallow test, Test of Mastication and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS), ultrasound measurement of hyoid movement and cross-sectional area of submental muscles, surface electromyography (sEMG) of submental muscles, and swallowing-related quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL). Patients then underwent 10 sessions over two weeks of skill training therapy using custom-designed sEMG software. The focus of the treatment was producing swallowing tasks with defined and adjustable temporal and amplitude precision. The skill training treatment phase was followed by an immediate post-intervention assessment session and two weeks later by a retention assessment session. All outcome measures were administered at each data collection point. The study consisted of a total of 14 laboratory sessions, conducted over a six-week period per subject. Results revealed significant improvements in swallowing efficiency for liquids, reduced durational parameters on sEMG, such as pre-motor time (PMT), pre-swallow time (PST), and duration of submental muscle contraction. There was a functional carry-over effect seen from dry swallows, which were the focus of training, to water swallows, which were not directly trained. Additionally, improvements in swallowing-related quality of life were demonstrated. In conclusion, the skill training approach evaluated in this research is able to produce functional, biomechanical, and swallowing-related quality of life improvements in patients with Parkinson’s disease. This indicates the potential effectiveness of this novel approach for dysphagia rehabilitation in this population. However, replication with a larger number of patients with Parkinson’s disease is needed before findings can be generalised to the larger population

It is essential for surgeons to have their skill evaluated prior to entering the oper- ating room. Most evaluation methods currently in use are subjective, relying on human judgment to assess trainees. Recently, sensors have been used to track the positions of instruments and the forces applied to them by surgeons, opening up the possibility of automated skill analysis. This thesis presents a newly developed recording system, and novel methods used to automatically analyze surgical skill within the context of laparoscopic procedures. The evaluation methods are tested using an empirical study involving a number of participants with a wide range of surgical skill.

This main objectives of this study were to examine human aspects of machining and to obtain an understanding of the issues within the broad context of manufacturing. Emphasis was placed on operator mismatches and the relationships of these to basic human characteristics and the preferred levels of automation from the operators' perspective with regard to turning operations.

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Interprofessional education and practice is a collaborative approach in equipping health professional students with the skills to become effective team members to improve patient outcomes. This research study used a grounded theory approach to identify the communication characteristics and behaviors that influenced a team’s communication effectiveness. Two-hundred and twenty-two students participated in an interprofessional simulation at a Midwestern university. Ninety-two standardized patients assessed the students’ communication skills and their ability to collaborate as a team using a CARE Patient Feedback form, which served as data for the study. The study found four characteristics of effective interprofessional team experiences: aware of the patient’s situation, participate in the interaction equally, create a safe space, and nurture and strengthen a relationship. Students demonstrated an increase in communication effectiveness between encounter one and two; teams worked collaboratively rather than individually; students demonstrated five of the eight IPEC communication competencies; and negative and positive behaviors had a significant impact on patient outcomes. This study informs educators the need for repeated exposure of interprofessional practice experiences, such as simulation activities. These opportunities allow students to practice, learn, and refine their communication skills before entering their clinical practice.