The purpose of this study was to describe the relationships between the learning styles and demographic characteristics of student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) clinical instructors in nurse anesthesia education programs (NAEPs). The demographic characteristics of age, gender, highest degree held, years of registered nurse experience, registered nurse specialty, years of critical care nursing experience, months of nurse anesthesia training, and number of anesthesia cases completed were analyzed for the students. The demographic characteristics of age, gender, highest degree held, years of registered nurse experience, registered nurse specialty, years of critical care nursing experience, years of nurse anesthesia experience, and years of nurse anesthesia teaching experience were analyzed for the instructors. The participants of the study consisted of a purposive sampling of 221 students and 216 instructors. Data were collected by mailing the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and the demographic information sheet to the program directors of each NAEP who agreed to participate in the study. The response rate was 56.12% for the students and 42% for the instructors. The number of usable responses was 124 student nurse anesthetists and 90 nurse anesthesia instructors. Frequency distribution tables were used to display the number of students and instructors having each of the four learning styles. The mean and standard deviations were calculated in order for the learning dimension scores to describe the overall learning styles of both students and instructors. The relationships between the learning styles and demographic characteristics were measured by the Chi-square and Phi correlation statistics. The overall learning styles were assimilator and converger for the students and assimilator for the instructors. No statistically significant relationship were identified between learning styles and each of the eight demographic characteristics for both the students and instructors. Thus, the researcher recommends a longitudinal study of the learning styles of SRNAs and CRNA clinical instructors using a larger, more representative group in different geographical locations to enhance learning in the clinical setting. / Ph. D.

Individuals have unique ways of perceiving and organising information, which are referred to as learning styles. By becoming informed about individual learning styles the educator is in a better position to support the learner in the learning process. A descriptive correlational study was done to investigate the learning styles of nursing students at Unisa. In this research project a postal questionnaire was used to determine their learning styles. Research data were gathered on the demographic and academic profile of Unisa nursing students in order to determine their specific needs. Learning styles were correlated with various constructs (academic achievement, distance teaching, home language). It was concluded that awareness of individual learning styles is important to assure quality improvement in nursing education. Both learner and educator need to be knowledgeable of learning styles and therefore a course in learning styles was designed. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Αντικείμενο της συγκεκριμένης εργασίας αποτελεί η μελέτη των χαρακτηριστικών του μοντέλου εκπαιδευόμενου, ο καθορισμός των απαιτούμενων εξ' αυτών για ένα προσαρμοστικό σύστημα ηλεκτρονικής μάθησης καθώς και ο αποδοτικότερος τρόπος αναπαράστασής τους. Επίσης μελετώνται οι τρόποι συλλογής δεδομένων για την δημιουργία και συνεχή ανανέωση του μοντέλου (μοντελοποίηση) καθώς και οι αλγόριθμοι που χρησιμοποιούνται, με σκοπό την υλοποίηση του καταλληλότερου και αποδοτικότερου εξ' αυτών. Η διπλωματική στοχεύει στη δημιουργία ενός μοντέλου χρήστη-εκπαιδευόμενου συνοδευόμενο από τους αντίστοιχους αλγορίθμους μοντελοποίησης το οποίο θα συγκεντρώνει την απαραίτητη πληροφορία για την αυτοματοποιημένη και προσαρμοσμένη επιλογή κατάλληλου εκπαιδευτικού υλικού προς τον συγκεκριμένο χρήστη, με ευκολία και αφαιρετικότητα προς τον χρήστη. / In the present thesis we are studying the characteristics that can be represented in a user model, we define those that are essential in a student model and we propose an efficient way of representation. We also study the different ways of constructing and updating a student model and the algorithms that can be used in order to implement the most appropriate and efficient of them. The main purpose of the thesis is the development of a student model, with the suitable algorithms, that will support the automated process of adapted educational material provision in an easy and abstract way.

Individuals have unique ways of perceiving and organising information, which are referred to as learning styles. By becoming informed about individual learning styles the educator is in a better position to support the learner in the learning process. A descriptive correlational study was done to investigate the learning styles of nursing students at Unisa. In this research project a postal questionnaire was used to determine their learning styles. Research data were gathered on the demographic and academic profile of Unisa nursing students in order to determine their specific needs. Learning styles were correlated with various constructs (academic achievement, distance teaching, home language). It was concluded that awareness of individual learning styles is important to assure quality improvement in nursing education. Both learner and educator need to be knowledgeable of learning styles and therefore a course in learning styles was designed. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Gymnasieskolor har fått kritik av Skolinspektionen (2010) för avsaknad av individanpassning av matematikundervisningen och det saknas tid för elever till reflektion över olika matematikfenomen och inlärningssätt. Det här Syftet med detta examensarbete är att sammanställa aktuell forskningslitteratur som behandlar elevers individuella inlärningsstilar (här kallad lärstilar) för att öka kunskapen hos lärare och blivande lärare huruvida lärstilar har betydelse för elevers inlärning och lärastilars betydelse för organisation av matematikundervisningen. Följande frågeställningar analyseras utifrån litteraturen: Hur kan olika lärstilar klassificeras? Vilka tester används för att fastställa olika lärstilar? På vilket sätt kan olikhet i lärstilar få konsekvenser för hur lärare bör planera och organisera matematikundervisningen? Mina resultat pekar på att det finns en mängd av konkurreande lärstilsteorier men visar trots det på att det går att hitta gemensamma nämnare för klassificering av de olika teoriernas lärstilar. De tester som har identifierats är LSI (Kolb´s lärstilsteori) och PEPS (Dunn´s lärstilsteori), vilkas validitet kritiseras och kontinuerliga omarbetningar av testerna utförs. Lästilsteorierna baserar sig på att elever lär sig bäst genom undervisning anpassad efter elevernas olika lärstilar, vilket betyder att läraren behöver ta hänsyn till anpassning i form av olika faktorer såsom miljöfaktorer, emotionella faktorer, sociala faktorer osv. En klass består oftast av elever med olika lärstilar och en konsekvens är att läraren behöver använda olika undervisningsmetoder och matematikundervisningen kan i och med det bli mer omväxlande och därigenom öka lusten för matematikstudier. Min studie pekar också på att lärstilsteorierna ger matematiklärare möjlighet att reflektera över individanpassning av matematikundervisningen.

This work is cross-examining of thinking pupils in an environment of numbers, perceived through their eye movements, hands and other gestural expressions associated with an accompanying oral commentary. First personal contact with the detection of numerical relationships through the eyes of children I made at work with pupils. Later I analyzed the video where such work is recorded. And I watched not only pupils, but also myself as teacher while working with them. Support for me was also my individual work on similar tasks, which approached me of thinking pupils. Closer analysis of the video I conducted with two pupils. This analysis allowed me to record a detailed description of pupils' work and gradually revealing their gestural expressions, which were for me hidden information needed to analyze their individual practices. The experience gained from analyzes of both students' will serve me as pedagogical diagnostic tools.

Quem tem medo da matemática? Essa pergunta me intrigou a vida inteira, eu que sou uma amante dos números. Mas, para além de meu interesse pessoal, estudos anteriores apontam que a dificuldade em lidar com conceitos matemáticos tem se refletido de forma expressiva nos erros conceituais cometidos pelos estudantes de Ciências Contábeis (Sanchez, 2013) em exames de suficiência do Conselho Federal de Contabilidade (CFC). Na formação em áreas de negócio, como Administração e Contabilidade, a carga das disciplinas obrigatórias da grade curricular do curso de graduação que envolvem matemática, pode alcançar 42% em Contabilidade e 29% em Administração na instituição estudada. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é investigar o impacto que a atitude em relação à matemática tem sobre estudantes de áreas de negócios, ao buscar identificar e entender os mecanismos de compensação que adotam para sobrepujar suas dificuldades ao longo da sua formação. A estratégia de pesquisa adotada foi qualitativa interpretativista. Para isso, foi selecionado um grupo de estudantes de uma disciplina introdutória de contabilidade, de uma instituição pública de ensino. Para esse grupo, apliquei um questionário que mede a atitude em relação à matemática, usando o modelo adaptado e validado por Brito (1998), além de questões adicionais para compreender o perfil de cada estudante e sua relação precedente com a matemática. O questionário permitiu obter, em uma escala de atitudes em relação a matemática, o nível de aversão ou afinidade matemática do respondente. A partir do cruzamento entre os resultados da aplicação do questionário de atitude em relação à matemática e do rendimento acadêmico do estudante na disciplina, classifiquei-os em seis grupos. Em um segundo momento, alguns dos estudantes foram entrevistados de forma a aprofundar a compreensão de sua relação com a matemática e as estratégias adotadas para obter aprovação nas disciplinas do primeiro e segundo semestres do curso, identificadas como tendo maior grau de conceitos matemáticos. As entrevistas realizadas permitiram ilustrar, exemplificar e corroborar os conceitos apresentados no referencial teórico diretamente ligados à manifestação da afinidade ou aversão à Matemática, que são: o reforço da percepção de ser um bom ou mau aluno de acordo com o rendimento acadêmico; a reprodução na forma de crenças de que a aptidão matemática é inata e que a matemática é exata; a associação de questões emocionais a situação adversas durante os estudos da matemática; o consenso entre os respondentes de que a repetição de exercícios é a forma mais eficaz de aprendizado em temas que envolvem a matemática; o entendimento de que as atuações profissionais futuras, bem como as possibilidades de escolhas de carreira, são limitadas pelo rendimento pregresso em matemática, e outras disciplinas; e uma falta de consenso sobre o curso de administração ser restrito ao desenvolvimento de capacidades instrumentais em detrimento do ato de pensar. O estudo dá subsídios para trabalhos futuros que buscarão formas de auxiliar os estudantes no processo de aprendizagem de conceitos matemáticos necessários para minimizar a ocorrência de erros conceituais em sua formação e, depois e como decorrência, em sua atuação profissional. Assim, quem sabe um dia, todos poderão amar matemática tanto quanto eu. / Who is afraid of mathematics? This question puzzled me all my life, I who am a lover of numbers. But, beyond my personal interest, previous studies (Sanchez, 2013) have pointed out that the difficulty in dealing with math concepts has been reflected in the conceptual errors made by Accounting students in the Brazilian Accounting Professional Body (Conselho Federal de Contabilidade [CFC]) professional accreditation exam. In business graduation, such as Administration and Accounting, a large load subjects at compulsory curriculum involves math, it may reach 42% at Accounting and 29% at Administration at the institution which is object of this study. The objective of this work is to investigate the impact that Mathophobia has on business students, in seeking to identify and understand the compensation mechanisms that the students use to overcome their difficulties throughout their formation. It applies a questionnaire to measures each student\'s attitude towards math, using the model adapted and validated by Brito (1998), and additional questions to understand the profile of each student and their previous relationship with math. This research adopted an interpretative qualitative strategy. The questionnaire allows to obtain, on a scale of attitudes towards mathematics, the highest level of mathematical anxiety of the student. From the results obtained by questionnaire, the student\'s academic performance at accounting discipline of the first semester is used to classify him/her into six groups. Next, some of the students are interviewed for understanding of their relationship with math and which strategies are adopted to obtain approval in the first and second semester courses identified with some level of math knowledge requirement. The interviews allowed to illustrate, to exemplify and to corroborate with the concepts presented in the theoretical framework that are directly related to the manifestation of affinity or aversion to Mathematics, such as: reinforcing of the perception of being a good or bad student according to academic achievement; reproduction in the form of beliefs, that mathematical aptitude is innate and that mathematics is accurate; emotional association with adverse situations during mathematics studies; consensus among respondents that repetition of exercises is the most effective form of learning in subjects involving mathematics; that future professional performances as well as the possibilities of career choices, are limited by the previous achievement in mathematics, and other disciplines; and a lack of consensus about the course of administration being restricted to the development of instrumental abilities rather than the act of thinking. The study provides insights for future work that will seek ways to assist students in the process of learning mathematical concepts necessary to minimize the occurrence of conceptual errors in their training and, consequently, in their professional performance. So, maybe someday, everyone can love math as much as I do.

As experienced fighter pilots leave the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), there is a need to develop new competent pilots to meet national defense requirements. Fighter training programs are expensive for taxpayers, and the USAF and RAAF face significant resource problems developing and implementing these programs. Using policy feedback theory and punctuated equilibrium theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this comparative, multi-case study of current USAF F-16 and RAAF F-18 fighter pilot training policies was to inform training policy development and efficacy of future USAF and RAAF fighter pilot training programs. Data were gathered from training policy documents and 12 interviews with F-16 and F-18 pilots. Data were deductively coded and analyzed using policy feedback and punctuated event themes. Findings indicate that policy feedbacks and punctuated events influence fighter pilot training policy. Best practices for training include optimum stress management, appropriate academic course timing, and phase-based training techniques. Optimal instructional approaches included a servant leadership philosophy and a need for improved kinesthetic flight preparation tools and procedures. The USAF and RAAF approach fighter pilot training differently. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to the USAF and RAAF that may improve fighter pilot training policy at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to produce five in-depth case studies of University of Georgia, USA, students who studied abroad for one semester in Spring of 2006. These case studies describe and analyze the students’ self-identified goals and motivations for participating in this study abroad experience. Utilization of Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) naturalistic inquiry method was used to explore the student experiences. In addition to qualitatively analyzing the goals and motivations of these specific cases, descriptive statistics of the student Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) pre- and post-test questions and answers (Intercultural Communication Institute, 2003), taken in Spring 2006 and two years later in Spring 2008, were compared for the purpose of measuring changes in worldview orientations over time. This provided the establishment of convergence or triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data. Further exploration of preferred student learning styles by use of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, v. 3.1 (Kolb, 1999) was initiated in order to analyze whether the study abroad program design matched the students’ learning style. A study abroad preparatory model, Adapt, Adopt, Adept: A Preparatory Model for Study Abroad, is proposed that increases student active engagement abroad, thereby increasing the potential for accomplishing the stated goal of the University of Georgia (UGA) study abroad program, namely to develop “global citizens.” Inquiry into these areas and the results obtained are directly relevant to study abroad program specialists, interested faculty, upper administrators in university policy making, and future students who might desire to participate in an international learning experience. This particular study, in contrast to those discussed in the literature review, indicates a unique approach by focusing on the following: • one specific, experiential study abroad program; • using naturalistic inquiry as the method of obtaining such data; • using IDI scores to triangulate results of qualitative data; • incorporating information measured by the KLSI. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Qualitative data were obtained via Blackboard, email, chat interviews via the internet, face to face interviews, and by means of journal entries. By using naturalistic inquiry, the specific form of data provided and its content was left largely to the students to choose via the options listed above in order to best represent their voices. Scores on the IDI provide the quantitative data used to assess qualitative findings. The intention was that this study would provide an in-depth investigation of the students’ experiences in order to be used by individuals who find the information to be practical, functional, and helpful in improving the learning and cultural environment of study abroad students.