Learner control modes and incentive variations in computer-delivered instruction

Basic perinatal education to increase parental knowledge of neonatal illnesses (such as respiratory distress, sepsis, complications of prematurity) could be a feasible way to reduce high neonatal mortality rates in limited-resource nurseries. To assess the efficacy of antenatal education in increasing mothers' knowledge of basic newborn care in a limited-resource nursery, and to determine whether the knowledge is retained postpartum. In March to April 2008, we implemented a 10-min educational program on basic neonatal care for women receiving prenatal care in a maternal child hospital in Vientiane, Laos. The educational intervention was a structured, face-to-face interactive module taught by Lao providers using pictographic and written materials about temperature control, umbilical cord care and signs of neonatal illness. We assessed knowledge before and immediately after the module using a standardized interview tool. When possible, we reassessed knowledge postpartum to determine whether they retained information after the training. We recruited 101 women (average age=26.3 years), and the majority (53%) were primigravidas. Participants were well educated by local standards; 57% of women had >8 years and 28% had >12 years of education. Women's knowledge of neonatal care increased by 10% on immediate posttest (P<0.0001), especially regarding knowledge of umbilical cord care and temperature control (normal temperature ranges, thermometer use). Maternal education (P=0.025) and previous births (P=0.037) correlated positively with higher pretest scores. Higher maternal education correlated with higher posttest scores (P=0.01); however, less-educated women increased their scores as much as did women with more education. Nulliparous women also increased their posttest scores to comparable levels in women with previous deliveries. Women retested after delivery retained the educational message, achieving similar posttest and postdelivery scores (P=0.08). Brief antenatal education increases mothers' understanding of basic newborn care. Mothers retain this knowledge into the early postpartum period and during early infancy when it might help reduce morbidity and mortality. The education was efficacious for women with little education. Brief antenatal educational modules seem a feasible, sustainable means of improving mothers' knowledge of newborn care. We speculate that similar programs could improve neonatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries.

Learner-control strategies for selecting problem context and the level of instructional support were examined separately and in combination on a computer-based mathematics unit on the metric system. Subjects were 240 sixth-grade students assigned to 15 treatments formed by crossing five context conditions (animals, sports, clothing, nocontext, and learner control) with three instructional support conditions (minimum, maximum, and learner control). As hypothesized, comparisons of instructional support conditions on posttest achievement showed performance to be lowest under learner control. Subjects opted to view very few items and to decrease the amount they selected over the course of the instruction. No effects were associated with the context variable, although on one of the three lessons, learner-control subjects made significantly fewer on-task errors than did no-context subjects. Further analyses showed a strong tendency by learner-control context subjects to vary their selection of contexts across lessons. Subjects in the context and instructional support learner-control strategies indicated positive attitudes toward the strategies.

With the introduction of integrated approach in the medical curriculum, there is a need to teach basic sciences in a way relevant to real clinical scenarios. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of case-based learning (CBL) for teaching of medical biochemistry to a large number of medical students. It also evaluates both the students’ and faculty members’ perception of this approach. CBL was introduced in teaching medical biochemistry in the Neuroscience block for the second-year medical students. This study’s students were from two consecutive academic years (n = 721 and 769). Four clinical cases were prepared. Students were divided into subgroups, each having one CBL session every 2 weeks. Students were encouraged to work together to understand the given clinical scenario by building on past knowledge obtained through other teaching modalities and new knowledge acquired during the session. A pretest was administered at the beginning of the session, and an identical posttest administered at the end of the session. Perception of both the students and facilitators of the CBL-teaching approach was evaluated using end-of-block questionnaires. In both studied academic years, students got higher scores in posttest compared to pretest scores with a statistically significant difference of the paired scores (P < 0.001). Analysis of the students’ questionnaire demonstrated that most students positively perceived the CBL approach, with a feeling that CBL has helped them learning the biochemistry concepts. Likewise, analyzing staff questionnaire revealed staff’s positive attitude toward the impact of CBL in teaching biochemistry on the students and on themselves. The current work suggests that CBL is both feasible and efficient to be applied for teaching medical biochemistry on a large scale. It is positively perceived by both students and teaching staff. Future work is still needed to solve certain challenges such as increasing work load on the faculty members and to test the impact of this teaching modality on long-term retention of knowledge.

Cognitive theorists believe that students should be active in organizing their learning. Thus learner control may assist learning directly and promote good strategies.A teaching programme is described that offers to the student control over content, style and level of difficulty. The material was delivered by PET microcomputer and the subject was binary arithmetic. Four groups of young secondary schoolchildren were exposed to different treatments of the same material.The treatments were: learner control; learner control with advice; random program control; adaptive program control. The effect of advice on pupil's choices was clearly evident. The random group performed less well than the other groups but no differences were observed between learner and adaptive control.

The problem of this study was: “Is there a significant difference between the students who taught by PowTega strategy and those who are not to the tenth grade students of the Senior High School PGRI 2 of Palembang?”. The objective of the study was to find out whether or not there is there a significant difference between the students who taught by Pow-Tega strategy and those who are not to the tenth grade students of the Senior High School PGRI 2 of Palembang. This study applied an experimental control group design with two classes. the prettest-posttest group design. The population of the study was all of the tenth grade students of Senior High School PGRI 2 of Palembang consisting of 8 classes with 228 students as the whole number. The sample was 72 students divided into two classes: experimental and control groups. The sample was taken by using cluster random sampling. In collecting the data, the writer used speaking or oral tests. The tests were given to the students about descriptive text which focus about describing country. Based on the result of the data analysis, the findings of the study showed that the speaking scores of the tenth grade students taught through Power Teaching Game (Pow-Tega) Strategy were higher than those of the ones taught through conventional method of Senior High School PGRI 2 of Palembang. In experimental group, the highest post-test score was 74, the lowest post-test score was 66, and the average was 66.91 while 70 was the highest score in control group, the lowest post-test score was 64, and the average was 67.19 Ho was rejected and Ha was accepted. It means that there was significant difference in teaching speaking skill to the tenth grade students of Senior High School PGRI 2 of Palembang who are taught by using Pow-Tega strategy and those who are not. Besides, proved that the students’ scores in post-test were higher than in the pre-test. It implies that the use of Pow-Tega strategy brought improvement to students’ speaking skill and it could be used as an alternative strategy in teaching speaking.

Computer-aided instruction is used increasingly in medical education and anatomy instruction with limited research evidence to guide its design and deployment. To determine the effects of (a) learner control over the e-learning environment and (b) key views of the brain versus multiple views in the learning of brain surface anatomy. Randomised trial with 2 phases of study. Participants Volunteer sample of 1st-year psychology students (phase 1, n = 120; phase 2, n = 120). Interventions Phase 1: computer-based instruction in brain surface anatomy with 4 conditions: (1) learner control/multiple views (LMV); (2) learner control/key views (LKV); (3) programme control/multiple views (PMV); (4) programme control/key views (PKV). Phase 2: 2 conditions: low learner control/key views (PKV) versus no learner control/key views (SKV). All participants performed a pre-test, post-test and test of visuospatial ability. A 30-item post-test of brain surface anatomy structure identification. The PKV group attained the best post-test score (57.7%) and the PMV group received the worst (42.2%), with the 2 high learner control groups performing in between. For students with low spatial ability, estimated scores are 20% lower for those who saw multiple views during learning. In phase 2, students with the most static condition and no learner control (SKV) performed similarly to those students in the PKV group. Multiple views may impede learning, particularly for those with relatively poor spatial ability. High degrees of learner control may reduce effectiveness of learning.

This study (N = 98) randomly placed participants in either a higher protein or American Heart Association diet group with each group initiating an aerobic exercise program. Body composition (BC) was measured using four different methodologies (DEXA, BIA, skinfold, BMI) along with height and weight, while Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) changes were measured using the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36). There were no significant time/diet interactions in HRQOL scores, body fat measures, and weight with the exception of Role-Physical scores (p = .006) with posttest scores higher in participants in Diet 1. Role-Physical scores changed significantly in participants in Diet 1 (p = .0001) and Diet 2 (p = .026) with higher posttest scores in each group. Social functioning had a significant main effect for time in both groups with pretest scores in both diet groups lower than their respective posttest scores (p = .015). HRQOL pretest scores were not significantly different between groups at baseline (p = .56). ANOVA revealed no significant differences in average calories between groups (p = .88). Analysis revealed no differences in exercise in minutes (p = .66) nor statistically significant changes in BC or weight (p = .65). Conclusions: Improvements in HRQOL were demonstrated in two subscales related to physiological and psychological functioning. These novel findings add to literature suggesting that HRQOL, at least concerning social functioning, work and other daily activities (Role-Physical) may improve by initiating an exercise and dietary program even when weight loss or BC improvements have been unsuccessful.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on the achievement, option use, attitudes, and interactions of college students of instructional method (cooperative vs. individual) and learner control of options during computer-based instruction. The students worked alone or with a partner to complete a computer lesson that provided either a full program with the option to bypass instruction (full-minus condition) or a lean program with the option to select additional instruction (lean-plus condition). The students in the full-minus condition used significantly more optional practice items and spent more time on practice than the students in the lean-plus condition did. The cooperative dyads spent significantly longer on practice items and selected significantly more elaborative feedback items during selected-response practice than the students working alone did. However, no significant achievement differences were found for instructional method or learner-control mode. The results suggest that the achievement benefits of cooperative learning found in previous research may not apply to situations in which mature students are provided with an instructional environment with many learner-controlled options.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was a significant difference in understanding the concept of variable and in attitudes toward mathematics among sixth-grade students who programmed LOGO graphics, students who used textbook-based activities, and students who received no instruction on the concept of variable. The subjects were 89 sixth-grade students (47 female, 42 male) from two middle schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. The Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT), Robustness Semantic Differential (RSD), and Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) were administered as pre-treatment tests. The study was conducted in two phases, pre-treatment and treatment. The pre-treatment phase consisted of five fifty-minute lessons designed to teach all students the LOGO basic primitive commands. After there lessons were completed, the students were randomly assigned to either the computer, textbook, or control group. The treatment phase consisted of two approaches for teaching the concept of variable: computer programming and textbook-based. The computer programming approach consisted of five fifty-minute lessons in which students used variables in their graphic procedures (programs). The textbook-based approach consisted of five fifty-minute lessons on the use of variables. The control group worked on mathematics activities during the treatment time but did not receive instruction on the concept of variable. The data were analyzed using univariate analysis of variance procedures. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between computer and textbook groups' posttest scores, textbook and control groups' posttest scores and control and textbook groups' retention test (given three weeks after treatment) scores. Also, no significant difference was found among students' attitudes toward mathematics at the end of treatment. There were significant differences between computer and control groups' posttest scores, computer and textbook groups' retention test scores and computer and control groups' retention test scores. The significant differences favored the computer group. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between students' posttest and retention test scores and their CTBS, TOLT and computer-related RSD scores. The results are discussed with respect to the effect of computer programming instruction on sixth-grade students' understanding of the concept of variable.

This study investigated the effects of learner control and program control on the achievement and continuing motivation of high school students. The influence of the availability of computer-delivered instruction on student motivation was also examined. Continuing motivation was measured by student choice of learner control or program control as the mode for a second instructional program after subjects completed an initial program under their randomly assigned mode. Results revealed a highly significant difference in continuing motivation favoring learner over program control. The differences in posttest performance and performance during instruction between learner and program control were not significant. The data also revealed significant preferences to study both science and an alternative subject when they are presented by computer over when they are not.

In this paper, we review the literature on learner control and discuss the implications that increased control may have for training in e-learning environments. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the learner control literature, focusing on adults and workplace training. We begin by reviewing the literature on learner control, focusing on the positive and negative effects associated with providing adult learners with control in e-learning environments. We organize our review into instructional design factors that have been manipulated to provide learners with control and person issues that moderate the relation between learner control and outcomes. Then, we summarize developments in training research and in adult learning that relate to learner control in order to provide a theoretical context for understanding learner control in adult workplace e-learning.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of occupational therapy classes given to students on their attitudes toward the older adults and their levels of compassionate communication as a quasi-experimental study based on a single-group pretest-posttest model. Sixty-four students enrolled in the second year of the Elderly Care Program and receiving the occupational therapy course in the spring semester of 2023–2024 participated in the study. Pretest data were collected from students using the Socio-Demographic Information Form, Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (KAOPS), and Compassionate Communication Scale (CCS). At the end of the 14-week course period, the final test data were collected from the students, and the results of the study were analyzed. After completing a 14-week occupational therapy course for elderly care students, a significant increase was observed in the students’ attitudes toward the older adults and their level of compassionate communication. The pretest total mean score for the CCS was 85.93 ± 17.35, while the posttest mean score was 92.53 ± 17.65. Regarding the KAOPS results, the mean pretest score was 115.24 ± 15.57, while the mean posttest score was 155.84 ± 25.40. These differences between pretest and posttest scores were found to be statistically significant (p < .005). In particular, higher levels of compassionate communication and positive attitudes were observed in situations where students lived with older adults for long periods of time and communicated with them frequently. This finding reveals that the training provided had a positive effect on students’ attitudes toward the older adults and communication styles with older individuals. In this regard, it is of great importance to develop not only the knowledge level but also the attitudes and communication skills of students who work or will work with older people in order to improve their quality of life.

Introduction Ebolaviruses are negative-stranded RNA viruses in the Filoviridae family. They are transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or animals, and they cause severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever, with mortality rates ranging from 25% to 90%, depending on the outbreak and available healthcare resources. These viruses cause severe systemic disease with high mortality rates. Given the infectious nature of Ebola and the critical role of healthcare providers in managing outbreaks, educating nursing students on the virus's transmission, prevention, and treatment is essential. Enhancing the knowledge of future healthcare professionals can improve healthcare system preparedness, ensuring effective response during outbreaks and reducing the virus's impact. Methodology A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was utilized to assess the effectiveness of a planned teaching program on Ebola virus knowledge among nursing students. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select participants from nursing colleges in Navi Mumbai. The teaching program, which covered Ebola virus transmission, prevention, and treatment, was administered to the selected students. A pre-test was conducted to assess baseline knowledge, followed by the teaching intervention, and a post-test was performed to measure knowledge gains. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage distribution and paired t-tests to compare pre-test and post-test scores. Results A study was conducted with 50 second-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students from MGM College of Nursing, Navi Mumbai, to assess the impact of an educational intervention. Participants included 41 females (82%) and nine males (18%), with most living in nuclear families (38 (76%)) and urban areas (45 (90%)). Before the intervention, the pre-test showed that participants' knowledge levels varied: 10 (20%) had average knowledge, eight (16%) had poor knowledge, and 32 (64%) had good knowledge. After the intervention, there was a marked improvement: 32 participants (64%) exhibited excellent knowledge, 16 (32%) had good knowledge, and only two (4%) remained at the average level. This shift highlights the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing participants' understanding. Statistical analysis using paired t-tests confirmed a significant increase in knowledge, with no notable associations between demographic variables and pre-test scores. Conclusion The study concluded that the planned teaching program significantly enhanced the knowledge of nursing students regarding Ebola virus infection. A notable improvement was observed in the post-test, with most students demonstrating excellent and good knowledge compared to average and poor knowledge levels in the pre-test. These results suggest that targeted educational interventions are effective in improving healthcare students' understanding of critical infectious diseases like Ebola. Furthermore, no significant associations were found between demographic variables and pre-test knowledge scores, indicating that the teaching program effectively reached all students. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating such teaching programs into nursing curricula to prepare students for managing future public health challenges.

Background: Primary health care providers, who cater to the basic health care needs in urban and rural areas, ought to have the basic knowledge and a positive attitude in relation to the services they deliver. This cross-sectional, complete-enumeration, before-and-after study was conducted to determine the outcome of refresher training on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), and link workers (LWs) in an urban area in Western India . Methods: Each willing participant answered a structured pre-test questionnaire containing 25 questions in the local language (Marathi), following which, Government-approved refresher training (3 days for ANMs and 1 day for LWs) was conducted in the same language. The participants took the same questionnaire after the refresher training (post-test). The pre- and post-test scores were tabulated and statistically analysed. Results: In case of ANMs (n=60), the post-test scores (mean=20.7; SD=1.8) improved over the pre-test scores (mean=17.5; SD=2.76). The LWs (n=170) also bettered their post-test scores (mean=20.9; SD=2.52), over their pre-test scores (mean=14.4; SD=4.41). The degree of improvement in scores varied from marginal to statistically significant. Conclusions: Though the post-test results were encouraging, sustained efforts would be required to bring about the desired attitudes and practices. As a consequence of the widespread use of mobile phones, it is possible to conduct periodic refresher training through mobile phones at a much lower cost.

The effectiveness of financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review