Online teaching tool simplifies faculty use of multimedia and improves student interest and knowledge in science

Mapping Neuroscience in the Field of Education through a Bibliometric Analysis

This study aimed to explore the core knowledge topics and future research trends in neuroscience in the field of education (NIE). In this study, we have explored the diffusion of neuroscience and different neuroscience methods (e.g., electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, eye tracking) through and within education fields. A total of 549 existing scholarly articles and 25,886 references on neuroscience in the field of education (NIE) from the Web of Science Core Collection databases were examined during the following two periods: 1995-2013 and 2014-2022. The science mapping software Vosviewer and Bibliometrix were employed for data analysis and visualization of relevant literature. Furthermore, performance analysis, collaboration network analysis, co-citation network analysis, and strategic diagram analysis were conducted to systematically sort out the core knowledge in NIE. The results showed that children and cognitive neuroscience, students and medical education, emotion and empathy, and education and brain are the core intellectual themes of current research in NIE. Curriculum reform and children's skill development have remained central research issues in NIE, and several topics on pediatric research are emerging. The core intellectual themes of NIE revealed in this study can help scholars to better understand NIE, save research time, and explore a new research question. To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the earliest documents to outline the NIE core intellectual themes and identify the research opportunities emerging in the field.

The enhanced effect of a twitter intervention on Pell grant recipients 6-year STEM graduation rates

This study evaluates the long-term impact of a randomized controlled study which utilized Twitter as an educational intervention to extend the course beyond the physical and time constraints of face-to-face instruction. Participants included 125 undergraduates from a mid-sized midwestern doctoral granting university in the United States. Outcomes previously published include increased engagement and grades for the intervention group (Twitter) compared to the control group. In the longitudinal study presented here, interaction effects were analyzed between GPA, ACT, gender, and socio-economic status with first-to second year retention rates, 6-year graduation rates and 6-year graduation rates in STEM fields. A statistically significant interaction effect was found between socio-economic status and the intervention (Twitter), resulting in an increased likelihood of graduating in STEM compared to students with low-socioeconomic status (SES) in the control group. This finding indicates that low cost or free technology has the potential to expand the face-to-face classroom in meaningful ways, can increase access to faculty, can increase access to peer-support and ultimately enhance 6-year STEM graduation among low SES students.

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in South Africa: Clinical Training and Service in the Era of COVID-19

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) presented new and unanticipated challenges to the provision of clinical services, from student training to the care of patients with speech-language and hearing (SLH) disorders. Prompt changes in information and communication technologies (ICT), were required to ensure that clinical training continued to meet the Health Professions Council of South Africa's regulations and patients received effective clinical care. The purpose of this study was to investigate online clinical training and supervision to inform current and future training and clinical care provision in SLH professions.

METHODOLOGY

A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework. The electronic bibliographic databases Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and ProQuest were searched to identify publications about online clinical training and supervision and their impact on clinical service during COVID-19. Selection and analysis were performed by three independent reviewers using pretested forms.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The findings revealed important benefits of teletraining and telepractice with potential application to South African clinical training and service provision. Five themes emerged: (1) practice produces favorable outcomes, (2) appreciation for hybrid models of training and service delivery, (3) cost effectiveness is a "big win" (4) internationalization of remote clinical training and service provision, and (5) comparable modality outcomes. These findings may have significant implications for teletraining and telepractice in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) in the COVID-19 era and beyond, wherein demand versus capacity challenges (e.g., in human resources) persist. Current findings highlight the need for SLH training programmes to foster a hybrid clinical training model. Few studies were conducted in LMICs, indicating a gap in such research.

The Effective Use of Information Technology and Interactive Activities to Improve Learner Engagement

Student engagement in the learning process is the key to successful delivery of teaching and learning. Teachers face several challenges to engage learners in different disciplines, including computer science. This research conducts a review of BSc (Computer Science) programmes and introduces interactive activities to enhance learner engagement. The study was conducted using a repeated measure design involving 24 participants. The findings revealed that the use of technology, and collaborative and interactive activities in groups may positively influence learner engagement. The participants’ feedback before and after introduction of group tasks and interactive activities showed a significant (p < 0.001) and increasing trend in response to questions-related learner engagement. The participants agreed that their learning experience and engagement enhanced with the use of technology and interactive and collaborative activities.

Development and psychometric properties of student perceptions of an online course (SPOC) in an RN-to-BSN program

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Despite the rapid growth in offering online RN-to-BSN programs, limited information is available on student perception of online courses. The aims were to develop and to evaluate Student Perceptions of an Online Course (SPOC) scale.

METHODS

A quantitative study using a two-phase methodological design was applied. A convenience sample of 201 RN-to-BSN students was used to establish internal consistency and evidence of validity including exploratory factor analyses.

RESULTS

Three factors of student engagement, organization, and resources were verified. The overall SPOC had high reliability with Cronbach's alpha =0.98.

CONCLUSIONS

The SPOC is valid and reliable. It can be used in research and quality assurance/improvement work on the delivery of online nursing education.