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User experiences of a remote monitoring program during COVID-19
No full textBackground: Virtual care has gained traction during COVID-19 as it allows patients to be remotely monitored while reducing the risk of infection for patients and healthcare professionals. RPA Virtual Hospital (rpavirtual), launched in February 2020, was the first service in NSW to introduce remote monitoring and follow-up for stable COVID-19 patients in quarantine or isolating at home. Patients received a pulse oximeter (PO) to monitor their oxygen saturation levels, critical to identifying signs of health deterioration. Although preliminary patient experience data have been collected, user perceptions of the intervention have not been fully explored.
Aims: Explore the utilisation, performance and acceptability of the PO by patients and clinicians in COVID-19 remote monitoring.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients ≥18, monitored by rpavirtual with PO, and rpavirtual clinicians who monitored those patients. Interviews were coded using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability.
Results: Twenty-one patients and 15 clinicians completed the interview. All participants described the key benefits of the PO as allowing patients to be monitored at home and detection of early deterioration. All participants had a good understanding of the device’s purpose and knowledge about its use and the device was found to be easy to use. However, users also identified factors negatively impacting the accurate use of the PO (e.g. patient age).
Conclusions: The use of the PO for COVID-19 remote monitoring was described as easy and highly acceptable to patients and clinicians. Additional education may be necessary for some patient cohorts
Co-design of a digital workplace wellness intervention in Malaysia
No full textBackground: Malaysia is currently experiencing high, and growing, rates of chronic disease. Lifestyle risk factors, such as obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, and poor diet all contribute to the onset of these conditions and to worse outcomes. Previous studies suggest that workplace wellness initiatives can benefit both individuals and employers (e.g., through lower healthcare costs and reductions in absenteeism).
Aims: This abstract outlines phase one of the study, which aims to co-design a socially-driven digital health intervention to promote healthy behavior in a workplace in Malaysia.
Methods: In this co-design phase, a total of 12 interviews were completed with employees to understand the barriers and facilitators to healthy behaviors in the workplace, including social factors (drawing on social cognitive theory and other social influence theories). Next, co-design workshops were developed, based on the findings from the interviews, and conducted with employees to design workplace wellness activities that fit the company culture and constraints.
Results: The employee interviews uncovered barriers to healthy behaviors, such as limited availability of healthy food options, and facilitators, such as co-workers participating together in activities. Co-design workshops explored how these factors could be leveraged or addressed in the design of wellness activities for the company. While not an initial focus of the study, an additional theme that emerged from both interviews and co-design workshops was the need for more mental health support for employees.
Conclusions: The co-design process uncovered important barriers, facilitators, and ideas while designing a culturally-relevant digital workplace wellness intervention in Malaysia
Offering disadvantaged adolescents hope for a better future through eHealth interventions targeting poor diet, alcohol use, tobacco smoking and vaping: Findings from a systematic review
No full textIntroduction: Chronic disease burden disproportionately affects disadvantaged adolescent populations. Preventing chronic disease risk behaviours including poor diet, alcohol use, tobacco smoking and vaping in adolescence is critical. Universal eHealth interventions provide effective prevention, and are a potentially viable option to reach disadvantaged adolescents. However, it is unclear whether they adequately serve disadvantaged adolescents, including those from lower socioeconomic and geographically remote contexts.
Aims: We aimed to synthesise evidence for the effectiveness of eHealth interventions targeting disadvantaged adolescents in preventing poor diet, alcohol use, tobacco smoking and vaping.
Methods: Seven electronic databases were systematically searched. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials of eHealth interventions targeting diet, alcohol use, tobacco smoking and vaping among adolescents, that reported at least one marker of socioeconomic status or geographical remoteness. Two reviewers screened, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias.
Results: 3278 articles were identified and fifteen were included for extraction. Nine trials were among adolescents of low socioeconomic status (targeting poor diet [n=6]; alcohol use [n=2], and tobacco smoking [n=1]), four were among adolescents living in geographically remote areas (targeting poor diet [n=3], and alcohol use [n=1]), and one study focused on adolescents of low socioeconomic and geographically remote backgrounds (targeting alcohol and tobacco smoking). No studies targeted vaping.
Conclusions: There is a lack of eHealth interventions targeting adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds in preventing poor diet, alcohol use, tobacco smoking and vaping. Addressing these risk behaviours among disadvantaged adolescents has the potential to improve future health and narrow health inequities
Exploring inclusive education (IE) research in Tonga through Tongan cultural lenses and methodologies
Full text linkThis article explores my PhD research into Tongan family practice, looking at how Tongan families support and care for their member with siva-tu‘amelie's (special needs) education. The article discusses the layered approach of both Pacific and non-Pacific methodologies that I used during the study to ensure a safe space for participants. This allowed for rich, high quality stories to be collected. The article also outlines how the approach used promoted a strength-based perception and lens towards a subject that is often associated with negative connotations. My study highlighted the positive, strength-based aspirations and care Tongan families have for their members with siva-tu‘amelie that contradicts common notions of Tongan families viewing their siva-tu‘amelie members through a medical or religious lens. A brief background of siva-tu‘amelie in Tonga is also given, outlining the importance of my study in creating a shift in the way individuals with siva-tu‘amelie are perceived
How, Where, And When Do Students Experience Meaningful Learning?
Full text linkMeaningful learning occurs when learners actively connect new information to prior knowledge, leading to benefits in engagement and knowledge retention and transfer. Consequently, STEM courses increasingly seek to employ such practices in their programs. Currently, little is known about students’ beliefs regarding the value of meaningful learning and which formats promote it. However, insight into the student perspective is essential to effectively (re)design courses to support this type of learning. We surveyed a large cohort of biosciences students (N = 321) to determine which class formats (lectures, workshops, practicals) and delivery modes (online, face-to-face) they believe maximise opportunities for meaningful learning. Likert scale questions and inductive thematic analysis of open-ended questions showed students believe meaningful learning is most likely during in-person workshop or practical sessions, mainly through knowledge application, problem solving, and interaction with peers and educators. By contrast, students view inadequate opportunities to check understanding, lack of engagement or challenge, and difficulty interacting with peers and educators as barriers to meaningful learning. These findings provide a framework for educators to increase opportunities for students to engage in meaningful learning in their courses
Commercially available industry-relevant software in the education of genome variant curation
Full text linkBACKGROUND
Genome analytics is a drastically expanding field, and there is an increasing demand for individuals with the necessary skillset to analyse the genome data that is being generated. A new Masters by coursework was developed to train individuals in genome analytics. Institutions analysing genomes commonly utilise in-house analysis tools, but increasingly commercial software packages that integrate AI are being considered in the research and diagnostic space (De La Vega et al., 2021).
AIMS
Evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available software as a tool for teaching variant analysis, classification and curation, enabling the analysis of real-world case examples for the teaching, training and assessment of students in the field of diagnostic genome analysis.
Assess students’ perspectives on work readiness after using commercially available tools in the educational environment.
DESIGN AND METHODS
Students were exposed to the use and limitations of a commercial software package for Human genome curation during two core units of the course. This software was used as part of both in-class training and in their assessment case studies. Students were invited to voluntarily complete an online survey including qualitative and quantitative components featuring Likert scale questions, both pre and post exposure to the software. Paired data from 23 individuals (73% response rate), most aged between 18 and 25, were recorded and anonymised prior to analysis. Qualitative data were thematically coded blind by two individuals independently using emergent coding (Charmaz, 2008).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
This project indicates that after the completion of the units that integrated commercially available industry software, we measured increased student confidence (increase in percentage reporting fairly confident or higher) in joining the genetic analysis workforce (significant change from 37% to 70%) and in completing job-specific tasks (significant increase in 7 out of 9 tasks of between 28% to 39%). The aspects of their studies the students valued in relation to these changes and their perception of the usefulness of integration of the commercial software were elucidated from qualitative theming, and can inform others looking to integrate commercially available software within their tertiary degree.
REFERENCES
Charmaz, K. (2008). Grounded theory as an emergent method. In S. N. Hesse-Biber & P. Leavy (Eds.), Handbook of emergent methods. (pp. 155-170). The Guilford Press.
De La Vega, F.M., Chowdhury, S., Moore, B., Frise, E., McCarthy, J., Hernandez, E.J., Wong, T., James, K., Guidugli, L., Agrawal, P.B., Genetti, C.A., Brownstein, C.A., Beggs, A.H., Löscher, B.S., Franke, A., Boone, B., Levy, S.E., Õunap, K., Pajusalu, S., … Kingsmore, S.F. (2021). Artificial intelligence enables comprehensive genome interpretation and nomination of candidate diagnoses for rare genetic diseases. Genome Med, 13(1), 153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13073-021-00965-
The role of the STEM Video Game Challenge in the pipeline to tertiary STEM education
Full text linkRapid recent advances in the technology underpinning STEM careers in addition to growth in key STEM sectors, such as the gaming industry, necessitates some, if not commensurate, change in the STEM education pipeline.
The STEM Video Game Challenge (STEM VGC) is a free, annual video game design challenge that aims to scaffold and enrich students and teachers via an authentic and engaging application of STEM principles and practices. As tools to increase teacher and student self-efficacy with technology and improve students’ self-concept in STEM disciplines, initiatives such as STEM VGC are positioned to help increase the flow in the talent pipeline into tertiary STEM education and careers.
This presentation: describes the redevelopment and evaluation of the STEM VGC rubric with respect to the position of the challenge and evolving industry requirements, and; identifies key narrowing and leakage points in the pipeline to tertiary STEM education that can be targeted by STEM VGC initiatives
Advanced organic chemistry laboratory curricula in Australian universities: Investigating the major topics and approaches to learning
Full text linkA key goal of tertiary education is to prepare graduates with the training, skills, and knowledge necessary to thrive in the workforce. In chemistry, 50% of undergraduate students from Australia, New Zealand and the UK plan to pursue a career that uses chemistry (Ogunde et al., 2017). However, it has also been noted that there is a mismatch in the skills desired by industry when compared with what is taught to undergraduates (Martin et al., 2011; Yasin & Yueying, 2017). Laboratory work is an essential part of undergraduate programs with the objective of developing practical and interpersonal skills with ‘real world’ engagement in chemistry. It is therefore concerning to note the perception among industry stakeholders that the laboratory skills of high-achieving chemistry graduates do not meet the desired standard (Kirton et al., 2014).
To extend our understanding regarding the importance and value of undergraduate laboratory skills, techniques, and equipment usage; semi-structured interviews were conducted with key external stakeholders, academics, and post-graduate teaching staff. This presentation will discuss the key findings from our perspectives analysis interviews with various organic chemistry experts across the country from both industry and academia. Key findings include the belief: the purpose of second-year laboratory courses is to teach and developing competency with laboratory skills, whilst third-year laboratory courses should build on this with student application of learned skills whether through lab project design or problem-solving tasks/challenges.
REFERENCES
Kirton, S. B., Al-Ahmad, A., & Fergus, S. (2014). Using Structured Chemistry Examinations (SChemEs) As an Assessment Method To Improve Undergraduate Students’ Generic, Practical, and Laboratory-Based Skills. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(5), 648-654.
Martin, C. B., Schmidt, M., & Soniat, M. (2011). A Survey of the Practices, Procedures, and Techniques in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Teaching Laboratories. Journal of Chemical Education, 88(12), 1630-1638.
Ogunde, J. C., Overton, T. L., Thompson, C. D., Mewis, R., & Boniface, S. (2017). Beyond graduation: motivations and career aspirations of undergraduate chemistry students [10.1039/C6RP00248J]. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18(3), 457-471.
Yasin, N. Y. B. M., & Yueying, O. (2017). Evaluating the Relevance of the Chemistry Curriculum to the Workplace: Keeping Tertiary Education Relevant. Journal of Chemical Education, 94(10), 1443-1449
How interactive workshops shape women and non-binary students’ sense of belonging in physics
Full text linkSENSE OF BELONGING IS A PREDICTOR OF RETENTION IN STEM MAJORS
Researchers have identified students’ sense of belonging as an important factor in whether or not they persist in STEM majors (Rainey et al., 2018), yet women can report lower senses of belonging than men in their classes (Lewis et al., 2016).
A MIXED-METHOD STUDY OF STUDENTS’ RETENTION IN PHYSICS
At Monash University, we have begun a longitudinal, mixed-methods study of students’ experience in physics and astrophysics major units. In semester 1, 2023, students in our first-semester unit in the physics major sequence completed pre and post surveys addressing sense of belonging alongside other measures linked to retention (including physics identity, self-efficacy, and demographic factors). Among students responding to the first survey, 23.2% identified as women, 72.1% as men, and 4.7% as non-binary and other gender identities (response rate was 79% of enrolled students, students could identify as more than one gender and did not have to select a gender). 16 students participated in two interviews, one near the beginning of the semester and one near the end. Of these, eleven did not identify as men, including seven who identified as women and four who identified as non-binary or genderfluid. In the second interview, participants were asked about their sense of belonging in the interactive physics workshops and labs.
WOMEN AND NON-BINARY STUDENTS REPORT WORKING WITH OTHER NON-MALE STUDENTS IS ASSOCIATED WITH FEELINGS OF BELONGING
In interviews, most women and non-binary students reported they felt like they belonged and were welcomed by their peers. Furthermore, most described opting to sit at tables with mostly other women and non-binary people when the choice was available. Multiple students cited greater comfort in sharing their ideas and expressing uncertainty when in discussion with other “non-men.” This was true both among students who attended all-girls high schools and those who attended co-educational high schools. At the time of abstract submission, survey analysis was ongoing.
INTERACTIVE SETTINGS WHERE STUDENTS SELF-SELECT GROUPS MAY SUPPORT WOMEN AND NON-BINARY STUDENTS’ BELONGING IN PHYSICS
The streams of this unit were large enough (70-100 students each) that there were substantial numbers of women and at least two non-binary students in all sections. These initial results suggest that interactive instructional settings where students can self-select their groups may support sense of belonging among gender minorities in physics, including women and non-binary people.
REFERENCES
Lewis, K. L., Stout, J. G., Pollock, S. J., Finkelstein, N. D., & Ito, T. A. (2016). Fitting in or opting out: A review of key social-psychological factors influencing a sense of belonging for women in physics. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(2), 020110.
Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E., & Moller, S. (2018). Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM. International Journal of STEM Education, 5, 1-14
Supporting novice research students in learning to write literature reviews
Full text linkBACKGROUND
Students who are beginning to write about research (their own and others’) need to develop capability to create a literature review. This new type of task for them is challenging because of the high-level intellectual demands of critiquing and synthesising, as well as an unfamiliar genre and its conventions. The work described here supports Science Honours research students by giving them
opportunities to practise on manageable chunks of the process involved in creating a literature review, and builds on the surprisingly-few relevant learning resources, e.g., Greetham (2021), and Davis and Morley (2018).
ACTION
Learning activities, contextualised within the Physics discipline, have been developed and implemented to assist students in writing literature reviews. First is some familiarisation through exposure to samples of literature review text, then structuring a review document is considered. Students have difficulties moving from a collection of notes on research papers to a cohesive, logical summary and critique of a research field. An annotated bibliography is a useful link. Students were given an example annotated bibliography for an accessible physics topic. I created this by “reverse-engineering” a published review article. Students were asked to organise the summarised ideas into a feasible structure for a literature review. We discussed their responses, then I revealed published reviews on that topic (including the reverse-engineering source). We dissected how ideas were structured, and signposted, by the authors; students were asked to identify how logical transitions were communicated.
REFLECTION
Students engaged with the tasks, producing a notable range of variations for possible structure of the literature review. These variations prompted useful discussions of communication strategies. A by-product of the process of reverse-engineering a published literature review was an articulation of what is valued in the discipline’s research. Explicitly acknowledging a discipline’s research values gives clarity about what students should focus on when critiquing research literature. How common are these research values across sciences? Further work is exploring how the strategy of these discipline-contextualised learning activities could transfer across the sciences and mathematics.
REFERENCES
Davis, M. & Morley, J. (2018). Facilitating learning about academic phraseology: teaching activities for student writers. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Special Edition: 2018 ALDinHE Conference, ISSN: 1759-667X
Greetham, B. (2021) How to write your literature review. London: Macmillan Education