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Addressing gender differences on physics assessment tasks
Get PDFTHE PROBLEM
The participation of women in the workforce and education has risen dramatically over the last several decades. However, women are still under-represented in STEM fields, and particularly in physics.
So, why is this the case and what can we do about it? Many reasons have been postulated: school, family and broader societal culture are all believed to be important (see for example Hazari et al., 2007). These external factors influence internal factors such as interest, self-efficacy and motivation. These factors can influence not only a student’s desire to take a subject, but also their ability to succeed in it (Kalendar et al., 2020).
Assessment practices in physics can also contribute to the gender gap in participation. There are two mechanisms by which this can occur. First, there can be a direct impact by the exclusion of girls and women based on assessment results. This is most likely on competitive exams for limited places. This has been observed on university placement exams (among others, Singh & Pathak, 2010), and international and national competitions (Wilson et al., 2016). Second, feedback from assessment tasks in which girls underperform compared to their male peers, can result in reduced self-efficacy and reduced motivation to continue in those subjects.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
We have explored the reasons for gender gaps in physics exams, particularly in competitive examinations. What we have found is that often it is the question structure or even the question wording that is causing the gender gap. We recommend that anyone running assessment tasks in physics look at the results of their assessment to see whether there is a gender gap in performance (or indeed gaps with any other demographic factors). This needs to be done not just at whole-task level, but question by question. We have observed that when there is a small overall gap, it is often due to large gaps in a relatively small number of questions. Investigating these questions can then provide valuable information. It may be that the question itself is the problem – something about the question structure or wording may be causing the gap. In this case, the question can be revised to reduce or eliminate the gap.
We have also observed that some marking schemes, in particular “negative marking” on multiple choice exams, disproportionately penalizes girls. In some instances, it may not be the structure or wording of the question, or the marking scheme, but the content – the gap in performance may be indicating a genuine gap in knowledge or understanding. In this case, where possible, the gap should be addressed through modified teaching and learning practices. We have found that interactive learning activities in which students create multiple representations in different modes support learning for all students and help close gender gaps.
REFERENCES
Hazari, Z., Tai, R.H., & Sadler, P. M. (2007). Gender differences in introductory university physics performance: The influence of high school physics preparation and affective factors, Science Education, 91, 847.
Kalender, Z. Y., Marshman, E., Schunn, C. D., Nokes-Malach, T. J., & Singh, C. (2020). Damage caused by women’s lower self-efficacy on physics learning. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16(1), 010118.
Singh, V. A. & Pathak, P. (2010). Gender asymmetry in selection tests at the pre-college level. Current Science, 98(11), 1432-1433.
Wilson, K., Low, D., Verdon, M., & Verdon, A. (2016). Differences in gender performance on competitive physics selection tests. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(2), 020111
Using electronic health data to inform Continuing Medical Education (CME) for medical practitioners: a scoping review with a consultation exercise with international experts.
No full textBackground: Electronic health data mining is widely used in healthcare research. Unfortunately, there is little knowledge on the role of this type of data in health professions education research, and in particular for the development of CME activities and programs for medical practitioners. Aims: This study aims to identify, select, and synthetize available research evidence on the use of electronic health data analysis as a learning needs assessment tool for CME development.Methods: The scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley Framework. Three bibliographic databases were searched using the PCC Framework recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The initial screening and the full-text review were performed employing rigorous eligibility criteria. While collating the results of database search, a consultation exercise with national and international authors, experts, and researchers identified through the findings of the scoping review was performed. 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted; the interview transcriptions are about to be thematically analysed using the Braun and Clarke's approach.Results: The database search identified 8410 papers published from January 2010 to March 2021. After initial screening, 41 papers were selected for full-text review and only 6 of them were deemed relevant. One additional article was added during the consultation exercise, for a total of 7 articles included in the scoping review. Conclusions:Final considerations will be made at study completion and shared during the conference.
How useful are drug-drug interaction alerts? An interview study with Australian hospital prescribers
No full textBackground: Drug-drug interaction (DDI) alerts have been integrated into Australian hospital electronic medication management systems as a strategy to prevent medication errors and reduce patient harm. Although these alerts are believed to facilitate and improve prescriber behaviour, research suggests that up to 90% of DDI alerts are overridden by prescribers in practiceAims: This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to the optimal use of DDI alerts and explore the experiences and perceptions of Australian hospital prescribers towards these alerts.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted at two hospital sites and participants were recruited using a snowball sampling approach. Prescribers were asked if DDI alerts were useful, how DDI alerts impacted prescriber workflow or decision-making and suggestions to improve DDI alerts. Interviews are audio-recorded and transcribed, and interview data analysed using qualitative content analysis and coded independently by three researchers to reach a consensus on the main themes identified.Results: Although alerts were perceived to be useful in theory, prescribers identified several areas where DDI alerts could be improved, particularly in alert design. DDI alerts were reported to have a mixed impact on patient safety and prescriber workflow, with users identifying particular contexts where DDI alerts might be useful (e.g. complex polypharmacy patients and high risk interactions) and other contexts where alerts were not (e.g. prescribers receiving alerts for drug combinations commonly used in practice).Conclusions: The implementation of DDI alerts in hospital electronic medication management systems is important to help prescribers prevent medication errors. However, these alerts are also associated with many risks, such as alert fatigue. Significant work is needed to tailor DDI alerts to the needs and preferences of prescribers. This way, we can optimise alert usability and effectiveness, as well as improve medication safety and patient outcomes overall
Feasibility of a personalised mental wellbeing web-app to improve help-seeking among Chinese-speaking international students
No full textBackground: International university students are at increased risk of developing mental illness, but they are less likely to seek professional help compared to domestic students. Common barriers to help-seeking among Chinese international students include costs, lack of knowledge of symptoms and treatments, time constraints, not perceiving symptoms as severe enough, and language difficulties. There is encouraging support that providing can significantly improve university students’ attitudes and intentions to use mental health services.Aims: To develop and explore the feasibility of an online psychoeducation and personalised mental wellbeing feedback web-app among Chinese-speaking international students.Methods: We developed a mental wellbeing web-app (MindYourHead) following a user-centred design process, consisting of prototype testing and iterative focus groups with Chinese-speaking international students. This was followed by a feasibility trial to examine the uptake and engagement of the app within a School at the University of Sydney. Results: 130 Chinese international students accessed the app, suggesting an uptake of 13% of the School’s enrolment of Chinese students. There was significant attrition due to a QR code design issue. However, among the 46 students who gained access to the full contents, 72% engaged with the app by competing one or more of the in-app surveys. Participants who selected to use the app in Chinese were significantly more likely to engage with the in-app content. Conclusions: The trial demonstrated promising levels of uptake and engagement with the MindYourHead app. A randomised control trial is now warranted to examine the app’s efficacy on improving Chinese international student’s help seeking
Barriers and facilitators impacting the uptake of computer-based simulation in pharmacy education
No full textBackground: The majority of existing research in computer-based simulation tools in pharmacy education, has little to no focus on understanding barriers and facilitators which impact the practical integration of this technology into curriculum. Despite several products being available, it has been observed that implementation in curriculum remains low, with significant resistance to change. As such, it is beneficial to better understand the various barriers and facilitators that affect the implementation process from the perspective of key stakeholders (educational organisations, educators, and students).Aims: To infer any pre-existing known barriers and facilitators which may impact the uptake of computer-based simulation in pharmacy education.Methods: A systematic narrative review was conducted via searching five major databases, including grey literature sources. This is followed by a systematic thematic analysis approach based on the (Braun and Clarke, 2006) guidelines to extract the barrier and facilitator themes.Results: We identified 50 studies, and four reports that met the inclusion criteria. Forty themes were grouped under four main groups (facilitators; cultural barriers; academic barriers; and process barriers), each theme linked to a particular stakeholder group as reported. The most recurring barrier theme was ‘Resistance to change’ (cultural barrier), while “Realism” was the most frequent facilitator. Conclusions: This review attempts to infer from literature different key stakeholders views regarding barriers and facilitators impacting the implementation of computer-based simulations in pharmacy education. Further investigation will now be undertaken through surveys and interviews to better understand the issues and ultimately help overcome them.
Understanding Engagement: Factors associated with access and use of a healthy lifestyles app among adolescents
No full textBackground: Mobile apps have significant potential to change health behaviours and address service gaps. However, uptake and adherence to these interventions is often poor. Identifying factors associated with engagement is a critical issue for the digital health field. Aims: This study aimed to identify key factors associated with adolescents’ engagement with a healthy lifestyles mobile app (The Health4Life app).Methods: Participants were intervention participants in a large school-based trial who were provided with access to the Health4Life app as a part of this trial. A series of regressions were performed to ascertain the effects of variables that might impact students’ opportunities to access the app (e.g. teacher actions) and individual student variables, on app access and app use (number of days using the app).Results: Of 2489 students, 407 (16.4%) accessed the app. A number of significant predictors of app access, but not app use, were identified. Of note, assigning students to download the app as homework was associated with increased likelihood of app access and psychological distress, socio-economic status and health risk behaviours were not significant predictors app access. Conclusion: These findings are important as they indicate that clinical factors (e.g. psychological distress and health behaviours) and socieo-economic status may not be significant barriers to adolescents engaging with digital health interventions. However, these results do highlight the need for more research to identify what type of factors are strongly associated with digital engagement, particularly ongoing use and engagement with these interventions.
Using mHealth devices to track mental state in young people with severe mental illness: the unWIRED project
No full textBackground: Services with an orientation to early intervention strive to intervene at the earliest opportunity in the onset of mental illness or relapse. However, clinicians remain at a disadvantage as they catch up with the mental state of their clients often days or weeks after a deterioration in a person’s mental state. mHealth provides the possibility of real time tracking of key psychophysiological indices of good mental health such as sleep, arousal and activity. This project is using a mHealth device to track and record these indices with the aim of recognizing signs of early deterioration in mental health.Aims: Assess the effectiveness of integrating a mHealth device in the clinical care of young people with a mental illness.Methods: A randomised controlled trial of the use of the E2 (empatica) device measuring sleep, arousal, and level of activity is being conducted in two youth mental health services. Data is being examined using machine learning to predict significant changes in mental state. Results: Using a Random Forest Classifier we were able to predict clinical deterioration with a high degree of specificity (0.94) but a low sensitivity (0.33). This current project looks to improve upon this accuracy. Conclusion: We have been able to demonstrate the acceptability of wearing a mHealth device over an extended period. While reasonable accuracy was achieved it did not reach an acceptable level for clinical use. The presentation will report on the next iteration of this project in improving the usefulness of the data
Enhancing the social experiences of adults who stutter: how translational eye tracking paradigms can illuminate and guide novel interventions for social anxiety
No full textBackground: With half of People Who Stutter (PWS) experiencing high levels of social anxiety, it is increasingly clear that Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) poses a frequent and grave threat to the wellbeing of stutterers. SAD not only harms quality of life and psychological health, it also erodes the effectiveness of speech therapy. The needs of PWS are nuanced and it remains essential to expand their options for social anxiety treatment. To this end, recent research suggests PWS demonstrate an avoidance of eye contact and positive cues in social situations; information processing biases that play a key role in the maintenance of SAD. Novel psychopharmacological and behavioural methods of ameliorating these attention biases include the neuropeptide Oxytocin and computer-administered Attention Bias Modification Training (ABMT).Aims: Two RCTs were conducted to explore the capacity of Oxytocin and ABMT to ameliorate the attention biases of PWS in social situations, compared to respective placebos. Methods: A novel eye tracking paradigm was employed to monitor the location and duration of eye contact made with the audience during an ecologically authentic ‘live’ speaking situation, followed by an assessment of downstream cognitive processes.Results: No differences were observed between groups on measures of attention, memory, or anxiety. Conclusions: Despite non-significant results, these findings illuminate several significant gaps in the theoretical foundations, functional conceptualization, and practical implementation of Oxytocin, ABMT, and eye tracking technologies in the context of interdisciplinary, translational research. Recommendations are made as to how future research might rectify these issues without abandoning the promise novel treatments for SAD
