Feasibility of Wearable Sensors to Assess Cognitive Load During Clinical Performance: Lessons Learned and Blueprint for Success.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive load (CogL) is increasingly recognized as an important resource underlying operative performance. Current innovations in surgery aim to develop objective performance metrics via physiological monitoring from wearable digital sensors. Surgeons have access to consumer technology that could measure CogL but need guidance regarding device selection and implementation. To realize the benefits of surgical performance improvement these methods must be feasible, incorporating human factors usability and design principles. This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of using wearable sensors to assess CogL, identify the benefits and challenges of implementing devices, and develop guidance for surgeons planning to implement wearable devices in their research or practice. METHODS: We examined the feasibility of wearable sensors from a series of empirical studies that measured aspects of clinical performance relating to CogL. Across four studies, 84 participants and five sensors were involved in the following clinical settings: (i) real intraoperative surgery; (ii) simulated laparoscopic surgery; and (iii) medical team performance outside the hospital. RESULTS: Wearable devices worn on the wrist and chest were found to be comfortable. After a learning curve, electrodermal activity data were easily and reliably collected. Devices using photoplethysmography to determine heart rate variability were significantly limited by movement artifact. There was variable success with electroencephalography devices regarding connectivity, comfort, and usability. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to use wearable sensors across various clinical settings, including surgery. There are some limitations, and their implementation is context and device dependent. To scale sensor use in clinical research, surgeons must embrace human factors principles to optimize wearability, usability, reliability, and data security.

The extent of interruptions to primary care medical officers' consultations in the Western Cape.

BACKGROUND:  Administrative tasks are an increasing burden for primary care doctors globally and linked to burnout. Many tasks occur during consultations. They cause interruptions with possible effects on patients' and doctors' experiences and care. The burden and typology of interruptions of doctors in primary care consultations have not been studied in South Africa. Given the link between administrative loads and burnout, describing the extent of these interruptions would help. This study's aim was to assess the extent of interruptions on primary care doctors in the Western Cape. METHODS:  This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Doctors from rural and urban primary care clinics in the Western Cape answered an online self-administered survey on the types of interruptions experienced during consultations. Interruptions were categorised and their prevalence calculated. Clinical and non-clinical interruption categories were compared. RESULTS:  There were 201 consultations from 30 doctors. Most interruptions were from retrieving and recording the current patient's information (93.0%), paperwork for other patients (50.7%), and telephone calls about the current patient (41.8%). Other prevalent interruptions were for emergencies (39.8%) and acquiring consumables (37.3%). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) of four (2-4) interruption types per consultation was higher than global settings. CONCLUSION:  Doctors experienced many interruptions during consultations. Their wide range included interruptions unrelated to the current patient.Contribution: This study adds insights from the global south on clinicians' administrative burden. It elaborates on the types of activities that interrupt consultations in an upper-middle income primary care setting. Exploration of interventions to decrease this burden is suggested.

Multimodal data for behavioural authentication in Internet of Things environments.

Identifying humans based on their behavioural patterns represents an attractive basis for access control as such patterns appear naturally, do not require a focused effort from the user side, and do not impose the additional burden of memorising passwords. One means of capturing behavioural patterns is through passive sensors laid out in a target environment. Thanks to the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), sensing devices are already embedded in our everyday surroundings and represent a rich source of multimodal data. Nevertheless, collecting such data for authentication research purposes is challenging, as it entails management and synchronisation of a range of sensing devices, design of diverse tasks that would evoke different behaviour patterns, storage and pre-processing of data arriving from multiple sources, and the execution of long-lasting user activities. Consequently, to the best of our knowledge, no publicly available datasets suitable for behaviour-based authentication research exist. In this brief article, we describe the first multimodal dataset for behavioural authentication research collected in a sensor-enabled IoT setting. The dataset comprises of high-frequency accelerometer, gyroscope, and force sensor data collected from an office-like environment. In addition, the dataset contains 3D point clouds collected with wireless radar and electroencephalogram (EEG) readings from a wireless EEG cap worn by the study participants. Within the environment, 54 volunteers conducted 6 different tasks that were constructed to elicit different behaviours and different cognitive load levels, resulting in a total of 16 h of multimodal data. The richness of the dataset comprising 5 different sensing modalities, a variability of tasks including keyboard typing, hand gesturing, walking, and other activities, opens a range of opportunities for research in behaviour-based authentication, but also the understanding of the role of different tasks and cognitive load levels on human behaviour.

Predicting cognitive load with EEG using Riemannian geometry-based features.

OBJECTIVE: We show that EEG-based cognitive load prediction using Riemannian geometry features outperforms existing models. The performance is estimated using Riemannian Procrustes Analysis (RPA) with a test set of subjects unseen during training. Approach: Performance is evaluated by using the Minimum Distance to Riemannian Mean model trained on cognitive load classification. The baseline performance is established using spatial covariance matrices of the signal as features. Various novel features are explored and analyzed in depth, including spatial covariance and correlation matrices computed on the EEG signal and its first-order derivative. Furthermore, each RPA step effect on the performance is investigated, and the generalization performance of RPA is compared against a few different generalization methods. Results: Performances are greatly improved by using the spatial covariance matrix of the first-order derivative of the signal as features. Furthermore, this work highlights both the importance and efficiency of RPA for cognitive load prediction: it achieves good generalizability with little amounts of calibration data and largely outperforms all the comparison methods. Significance: Cognitive load prediction using RPA for generalizability across subjects is an approach worth exploring further, especially for real-world applications where calibration time is limited. Furthermore, the feature exploration uncovers new, promising features that can be used and further experimented within any Riemannian geometry setting. .

Alone but not isolated: social presence and cognitive load in learning with 360 virtual reality videos.

Introduction: This study aimed to identify any differences in social presence and cognitive load among three types of 360 virtual reality (VR)-based videos lectures. We hypothesized that social presence would be higher when interactions among peers are visible in a 360 VR video lectures while the cognitive load would be also increased. Methods: A total of 48 college students were randomly assigned to one of the three study groups to view an assigned 360 VR video lecture. The three groups were: (1) an instructor-only video viewing group, (2) a classroom lecture video viewing group, and (3) a classroom lecture and activity video viewing group. The video lectures were differently designed depending on the levels of peer visibility and the interactions between the instructor and peers. The participants watched one of the three types of assigned video lecture and subsequently completed two sets of questionnaires regarding social presence and cognitive load. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted with a planned contrast analysis for the type of video lectures. Results: We found that, contrary to the hypotheses, students in the group 1 (instructor-only video) showed higher social presence scores than students in the groups 2 and 3. However, no significant differences were found in the cognitive load scores. Discussion: The results show that 360 VR video lectures with an instructor-only are more effective at enhancing users' social presence than 360 VR video lectures with both the instructor and class-peers. We suggest creating 360 VR video lectures with the presence of the course instructor to offer learners the sense of actually participating in a lecture.

Food Safety Exam Phrasing for Food Service Employees.

In many jurisdictions, foodservice workers are required to obtain food handler certification via written examination before being able to work. This study investigated the effect of the readability, or the ease in which one can read and comprehend written text, of food handler exam questions on exam performance. It was hypothesized that the reduction in cognitive load by improving the readability of exam questions would lead to improved scores. Participants received training in personal hygiene and basic food safety and were tested on their knowledge using questions that were worded using the traditional phrasing and updated phrasing that has improved readability. The results indicate that improved readability had a significant difference in the personal hygiene section but not on the basic food safety section. These results are due, in part, to the types of cognitive load (intrinsic vs. extraneous) that are required to solve different types of problems.

Research on identification of flight cadets' cognitive load based on multi-source physiological data and CGAN-DBN model.

Modern aircraft cockpit system is highly information-intensive. Pilots often need to receive a large amount of information and make correct judgments and decisions in a short time. However, cognitive load can affect their ability to perceive, judge and make decisions accurately. Furthermore, the excessive cognitive load will induce incorrect operations and even lead to flight accidents. Accordingly, the research on cognitive load is crucial to reduce errors and even accidents caused by human factors. By using physiological acquisition systems such as eye movement, ECG, and respiration, multi-source physiological signals of flight cadets performing different flight tasks during the flight simulation experiment are obtained. Based on the characteristic indexes extracted from multi-source physiological data, the CGAN-DBN model is established by combining the conditional generative adversarial networks (CGAN) model with the deep belief network (DBN) model to identify the flight cadets' cognitive load. The research results show that the flight cadets' cognitive load identification based on the CGAN-DBN model established has high accuracy. And it can effectively identify the cognitive load of flight cadets. The research paper has important practical significance to reduce the flight accidents caused by the high cognitive load of pilots.

In our study, a highly accurate cognitive load identification model for flight cadets was established by using multi-source physiological data. Moreover, it provides a theoretical basis for identifying the cognitive load of pilots through wearable physiological devices. Our intent is to catalyse further research and technological development.

Reasoning More Efficiently with Primary Knowledge Despite Extraneous Cognitive Load.

Geary's evolutionary approach in educational psychology differentiates between primary (low cognitive costs and motivational advantage) and secondary knowledge (high cognitive costs and no motivational benefit). Although these features have been well demonstrated in previous work, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate it, in a reasoning task, the present study varies (i) the content of the problems (primary knowledge vs. secondary; e.g., food vs. grammar rules), (ii) the intrinsic cognitive load (conflict or non-conflict syllogism, the former requiring more cognitive resources to be properly processed than the latter) and (iii) the extraneous cognitive load (via a Dot Memory Task with three modalities: low, medium and high cognitive load). Analyses assessed the influence of these variables on performance, problem solving speed and perceived cognitive load. Results confirmed the positive impact of primary knowledge on efficiency, particularly when intrinsic cognitive load was high. Surprisingly, the extraneous cognitive load did not influence the performance in secondary knowledge content but that in primary knowledge content: the higher the additional load was, the better the performance was, only for primary knowledge and especially for syllogisms with high intrinsic load. Findings support evolutionary theory as secondary knowledge would overload cognitive resources, preventing participants from allocating sufficient resources to solve problems. Primary knowledge would allow participants to process the additional load and to increase their performance despite this. This study also raises the hypothesis that a minimum cognitive load is necessary for participants to be invested in the task.

Debriefer cognitive load during Traditional Reflective Debriefing vs. Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice interdisciplinary team training.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive load impacts performance of debriefers and learners during simulations, but limited data exists examining debriefer cognitive load. The aim of this study is to compare the cognitive load of the debriefers during simulation-based team training (SbTT) with Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) debriefing and Traditional Reflective Debriefing (TRD). We hypothesize that cognitive load will be reduced during RCDP compared to TRD. METHODS: This study was part of a large-scale, interdisciplinary team training program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston Pediatric Emergency Department, with 164 learners (physicians, nurses, medical technicians, paramedics, and respiratory therapists (RTs)). Eight debriefers (main facilitators and discipline-specific coaches) led 28 workshops, which were quasi-randomized to either RCDP or TRD. Each session began with a baseline medical resuscitation scenario and cognitive load measurement using the NASA Task Load Index (TLX), and the NASA TLX was repeated immediately following either TRD or RCDP debriefing. Raw scores of the NASA TLX before and after intervention were compared. ANOVA tests were used to compare differences in NASA TLX scores before and after intervention between the RCDP and TRD groups. RESULTS: For all debriefers, mean NASA TLX scores for physical demands and frustration significantly decreased (- 0.8, p = 0.004 and - 1.3, p = 0.002) in TRD and mean perceived performance success significantly increased (+ 2.4, p < 0.001). For RCDP, perceived performance success increased post-debriefing (+ 3.6, p < 0.001), time demands decreased (- 1.0, p = 0.04), and frustration decreased (- 2.0, p < 0.001). Comparing TRD directly to RCDP, perceived performance success was greater in RCDP than TRD (3.6 vs. 2.4, p = 0.04). Main facilitators had lower effort and mental demand in RCDP and greater perceived success (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RCDP had greater perceived success than TRD for debriefers. Main facilitators also report reduced effort and baseline mental demand in RCDP. For less experienced debriefers, newer simulation programs, or large team training sessions such as our study, RCDP may be a less mentally demanding debriefing methodology for facilitators.

Exploring the responses of preclinical medical students and professors to flipped learning for the development of clinical reasoning.

PURPOSE: This study developed and implemented case-based flipped learning using illness script worksheets and investigated the responses of preclinical students and professors to the intervention in terms of its effectiveness, design, and implementation. METHODS: The study was conducted at a medical school in Korea, where the "clinical reasoning method" course, originally a lecture-oriented course, was redesigned into a flipped learning. In total, 42 second-year medical students and 15 professors participated in this course. After the class, online surveys were conducted, and a focus group interview was held with seven students to explore the students' experiences in more detail. RESULTS: In total, 37 students and seven professors participated in the survey. The mean score for all items is 3.12/4 for the student survey and 3.43/4 for the professor survey. The focus group interview results were categorized as the beneficial aspects and challenges for the development of clinical reasoning. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that their responses to the intervention were generally positive, and it is thought to be an effective instructional method for fostering clinical reasoning skills in preclinical medical students.

Understanding The Role of Cognitive Load In Paramedical Contexts: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Cognitive load refers to the working memory resources required during a task. When the load is too high or too low this has implications for an individual's task performance. In the context of paramedicine and emergency medical services (EMS) broadly, high cognitive load could potentially put patient and personnel safety at risk. This systematic review aimed to determine the current understanding of the role of cognitive load in paramedical contexts.Methods: To do this, five databases were searched (Elsevier Embase, ProQuest Psychology, CINAHL, Ovid Medline, and Ovid PsychINFO) using synonyms of cognitive load and paramedical contexts. Included articles were full text, peer reviewed empirical research, with a focus on cognitive load and EMS work. Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full text using a traffic light system against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE framework. This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022384246). No funding was received for this research.Results: The searches identified 73 unique articles and after title/abstract and full text screening, 25 articles were included in the final review. Synthesis of the research revealed 10 categories of findings in the area. These are clinical performance, cognitive processes, emotional responses, physical expenditure, physiological responses, equipment and ergonomics, expertise and experience, multiple loads, cognitive load measures, and task complexity.Conclusions: From these findings it was determined that there is agreement in terms of what factors influence cognitive load in paramedical contexts, such as cognitive processes, task complexity, physical expenditure, level of experience, multiple types of loads, and the use of equipment. Cognitive load influences clinical task performance and has a bi-directional relationship with emotion. However, the literature is mixed regarding physiological responses to cognitive load, and how they are best measured. These findings highlight potential intervention points where cognitive load can be managed or reduced to improve working conditions for EMS clinicians and safety for their patients.

Does a Video-Based and 3D Animation Hybrid Learning System Improve Teaching Outcomes in Orthopedic Surgery? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the instructional efficacy of a 3D Surgical Training System (3DSTS), which combines real surgical footage with high-definition 3D animations, against conventional surgical videos and textbooks in the context of orthopedic proximal humerus fracture surgeries. DESIGN: Before the experiment, 89 participants completed a pre-educational knowledge assessment. They were then randomized into 3 groups: the 3DSTS group (n = 30), the surgical video (SV) group (n = 29), and the textbook group (n = 30). After their respective teaching courses, all participants took a posteducational assessment and completed a perceived cognitive load test. The 3DSTS group also filled out a satisfaction survey. Once all assessments were finished, the SV and textbook groups were introduced to the 3DSTS course and subsequently completed a satisfaction survey. All statistical analyses were executed using IBM SPSS version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). For data fitting normal distribution, we employed one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) and Tukey HSD tests, whereas, for non-normally distributed data, we used Kruskal-Wallis H tests and Dunn's tests. The significance level for all tests was set at p < 0.05. SETTING: Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China. PARTICIPANTS: About 89 doctors who undergoing standardized residents training. RESULT: The initial assessment scores among the three groups were comparable, showing no significant statistical difference. Post-education revealed a marked difference in the scores, with the 3DSTS group outperforming both the SV and textbook groups. Specifically, the 3DSTS group exhibited statistically greater improvement in areas such as procedural steps, and specialized surgical techniques compared to the SV and textbook groups. During the 3DSTS teaching process, participants reported the least perceived cognitive load and expressed strong satisfaction, highlighting that the instructional materials are well-prepared, and considering this teaching method superior and more innovative than previous courses they had encountered. CONCLUSION: The 3D Surgical Training System, integrating real videos with 3D animations, significantly enhances orthopedic surgery education over conventional methods, providing improved comprehension, lower cognitive load, and standardized learning outcomes. Its efficacy and high participant satisfaction underscore its potential for broader adoption in surgical disciplines. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials. gov ID: ChiCTR2300074730.

WheelSimPhysio-2023 dataset: Physiological and questionnaire-based dataset of immersive multisensory wheelchair simulator from 58 participants.

This data paper presents a unique multimodal dataset collected from a comprehensive experiment using a wheelchair training simulator. The dataset consists of quantitative and qualitative data that represents the user's experience and performance. Participants engaged in a series of navigational tasks in a simulated environment under two distinct system configuration conditions: a. a conventional monitor display and b. a virtual reality (VR) headset. The monitor group has a total of 24 participants data while using the simulator with a standard display and then other two groups of 18 and 16 respectively using the VR headset with a different wheelchair's speed profile. It was collected data from total of 58 participants. The dataset includes physiological data - Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Electrodermal Activity (EDA), Acceleration (ACC), Skin Temperature, Heart Rate (HR), and Blood Volume Pulse (BVP) - collected during both experiments. Additionally, for the standard display condition, more detailed data comprising Electroencephalography (EEG) and eye-tracking metrics were recorded to provide insights into cognitive load and visual attention patterns. System metrics captured from the simulator provide an objective performance report, including task completion times, error rates (collision of the virtual wheelchair), number of joystick commands. Also, the navigation efficiency data is complemented by post-experiment questionnaires, which gathered subjective responses on user experience, perceived difficulty, the user immersive levels, arousal, and simulator sickness symptoms. This dataset is valuable for researchers and practitioners in the fields of assistive technology, human-computer interaction, and rehabilitation. It offers metrics to a comprehensive view of how different display technologies influence the user experience in wheelchair simulation training. The data allows for in-depth analysis of physiological responses, cognitive engagement, and subjective perceptions, providing a foundation for future research on effective wheelchair training methodologies and the potential benefits of VR in rehabilitation settings.

Concept mapping - increased potential as a retrieval-based task.

Concept mapping is a practical task for enhancing learning performance. Learners usually construct concept maps while studying the learning material or after studying. In the first case, the learning material is available during construction, and learners are less involved in retrieval practice from memory (study-based concept mapping; SCM). In the second case, the learning material is absent during construction, and the learners rely on retrieving information from memory (retrieval-based concept mapping, RCM). RCM is assumed to be associated with lower concept map quality and higher cognitive load but better elaboration and learning performance than SCM. This study investigated how the availability of the learning material influenced these variables in biology classrooms. Unlike other studies, this study provided learners with an authentic learning environment and prior concept mapping training. After the concept mapping training, n = 129 secondary school students were assigned to an SCM or RCM condition in a quasi-experimental design. As expected, students in the RCM condition constructed concept maps of lower quality but outperformed SCM students concerning elaboration activities and learning performance. The perceived intrinsic cognitive load was higher in the RCM condition. The results indicate that using concept mapping as a retrieval practice could support students' learning in biology.

Identifying and Exploring the Cognitive Nature of Threshold Concepts in Pharmacology to Improve Medical Students' Learning.

Phenomenon: Pharmacology is a fundamental healthcare discipline, but it can be difficult and counterintuitive for learners to learn. Navigation toward understanding pharmacology can be troublesome, but once the threshold to comprehension is crossed, learners can experience a transformative shift in their ways of thinking and practicing. We conducted an in-depth examination of threshold concepts within pharmacology, aiming to identify and prioritize their learning to improve the medical curriculum and enhance medical treatment and patient safety. Approach: We carried out a consensus generation process using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to identify potential threshold concepts in pharmacology. Participant groups of pharmacology experts and medical students considered, identified, reviewed, and ranked potential pharmacology threshold concepts within their own group. Then, using a logical, step-by-step approach, we combined the final ranked data from these multiple NGT sessions. We further analyzed these data using an abductive analysis approach; data were coded, categorized, reorganized, and conceptually mapped after critical evaluation. Conceptual themes were established corresponding to different phases of cognitive schema development. Findings: Six comprehensive conceptual themes were identified: Drug Mechanism of Action; Pharmacotherapeutics; Pharmacokinetics; Drug Receptor Interactions; Drug Terminology and Nomenclature; and Signaling Pathways. These concepts align with many of the key attributes of threshold concepts (e.g., troublesome, integrative and transformative). The cognitive schematic themes generated were (i) acquisition-troublesome; (ii) acquisition-transformative; (iii) automation-troublesome; (iv) automation-transformative. Insights: Transformative learning involves different stages of cognitive schema evolution, including acquisition, elaboration, and automation, and is influenced by both the inherent challenges of the concepts and limitations of human cognition. The high interactivity of these troublesome concepts challenge schema acquisition and automation. Troublesome concepts underpinning procedures or skills, while not easily explained by cognitive rules, can lead to slow, awkward, error-prone performance, creating additional barriers for practice. Integrating concepts into a coherent structure leads to the irreversible assimilation of knowledge and the transferability of both knowledge and skills, influencing learners' epistemological transitions and ontological transformations at theoretical and professional levels. Further work on designing instructional models around assisting and automating schemas around identified troublesome knowledge, while addressing the impact of cognitive load, has the potential to promote transformational learning.

Cognitive load theory in workplace-based learning from the viewpoint of nursing students: application of a path analysis.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to test the relationship between the components of the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) including memory, intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load in workplace-based learning in a clinical setting, and decision-making skills of nursing students. METHODS: This study was conducted at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in 2021-2023. The participants were 151 nursing students who studied their apprenticeship courses in the teaching hospitals. The three basic components of the cognitive load model, including working memory, cognitive load, and decision-making as the outcome of learning, were investigated in this study. Wechsler's computerized working memory test was used to evaluate working memory. Cognitive Load Inventory for Handoffs including nine questions in three categories of intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load was used. The clinical decision-making skills of the participants were evaluated using a 24-question inventory by Lowry et al. based on a 5-point scale. The path analysis of AMOS 22 software was used to examine the relationships between components and test the model. FINDINGS: In this study, the goodness of fit of the model based on the cognitive load theory was reported (GIF = 0.99, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03). The results of regression analysis showed that the scores of decision-making skills in nursing students were significantly related to extraneous cognitive load scores (p-value = 0.0001). Intrinsic cognitive load was significantly different from the point of view of nursing students in different academic years (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The present results showed that the CLT in workplace-based learning has a goodness of fit with the components of memory, intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and clinical decision-making skill as the key learning outcomes in nursing education. The results showed that the relationship between nursing students' decision-making skills and extraneous cognitive load is stronger than its relationship with intrinsic cognitive load and memory Workplace-based learning programs in nursing that aim to improve students' decision-making skills are suggested to manage extraneous cognitive load by incorporating cognitive load principles into the instructional design of clinical education.

Harnessing open science practices to teach ecology and evolutionary biology using interactive tutorials.

Open science skills are increasingly important for a career in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) as efforts to make data and analyses publicly available continue to become more commonplace. While learning core concepts in EEB, students are also expected to gain skills in conducting open science to prepare for future careers. Core open science skills like programming, data sharing, and practices that promote reproducibility can be taught to undergraduate students alongside core concepts in EEB. Yet, these skills are not always taught in biology undergraduate programs, and a major challenge in developing open science skills and learning EEB concepts simultaneously is the high cognitive load associated with learning multiple disparate concepts at the same time. One solution is to provide students with easily digestible, scaffolded, pre-formatted code in the form of vignettes and interactive tutorials. Here, we present six open source teaching tutorials for undergraduate students in EEB. These tutorials teach fundamental ecological concepts, data literacy, programming (using R software), and analysis skills using publicly available datasets while introducing students to open science concepts and tools. Spanning a variety of EEB topics and skill levels, these tutorials serve as examples and resources for educators to integrate open science tools, programming, and data literacy into teaching EEB at the undergraduate level.

Acute effect of complexity in basketball on cognitive capacity.

Background: Executive functions, notably inhibition, significantly influence decision-making and behavioral regulation in team sports. However, more research must be conducted on individual player characteristics such as experience and motor skills. This study assessed how accumulated practical experience moderates inhibition in response to varying task difficulty levels. Methods: Forty-four university students (age: 20.36 ± 3.13 years) participated in this study with two sessions: one followed standard 1 × 1 basketball rules ("Regular Practice"), while the other imposed motor, temporal, and spatial restrictions ("Restriction Practice"). Functional difficulty was controlled by grouping pairs with similar skill levels. Flanker and Go-Nogo tasks were used. Results: Increasing complexity worsened cognitive performance (inhibition). "Restriction Practice" showed a significantly slower and less accurate performance in both tests than "Regular Practice" (p < 0.001). Experience positively impacted test speed and accuracy (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In sports, acute cognitive impacts are intrinsically linked to the task's complexity and the athlete's cognitive resources. In this sense, it is essential to adjust individually the cognitive demands of the tasks, considering each athlete's specific cognitive abilities and capacities.

Lights, Sirens, and Load: Anticipatory emergency medical treatment planning causes cognitive load during emergency response driving among paramedicine students.

Paramedics face various unconventional and secondary task demands while driving ambulances, leading to significant cognitive load, especially during lights-and-sirens responses. Previous research suggests that high cognitive load negatively affects driving performance, increasing the risk of accidents, particularly for inexperienced drivers. The current study investigated the impact of anticipatory treatment planning on cognitive load during emergency driving, as assessed through the use of a driving simulator. We recruited 28 non-paramedic participants to complete a simulated baseline drive with no task and a cognitive load manipulation using the 1-back task. We also recruited 18 paramedicine students who completed a drive while considering two cases they were travelling to: cardiac arrest and infant seizure, representing varying difficulty in required treatment. The results indicated that both cases imposed considerable cognitive load, as indicated by NASA Task Load Index responses, comparable to the 1-back task and significantly higher than driving with no load. These findings suggest that contemplating cases and treatment plans may impact the safety of novice paramedics driving ambulances for emergency response. Further research should explore the influence of experience and the presence of a second individual in the vehicle to generalise to broader emergency response driving contexts.

Parallel translation process in consecutive interpreting: Differences between beginning and advanced interpreting students.

This study examines the parallel translation process of 30 beginning and 30 advanced consecutive interpreting students (BISs and AISs). It investigates the characteristics and efficiency of parallel translation processing employed during the comprehension phase across proficiency levels. Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal AISs demonstrated superior information reformulation capabilities, particularly for high-density content, along with more efficient note-taking and utilization compared to BISs. A key finding is that AISs interpreted more propositions than they recorded in their notes, reflecting stronger encoding and memory retention. In contrast, BISs relied heavily on external notation instead of internal memory retrieval, only interpreting a portion of their notes while failing to decipher the rest. These findings uncover complex yet differentiated parallel processing approaches across skill levels, with more successful comprehension-to-production strategies utilized by AISs. Enhancing students' metacognitive awareness regarding parallel processing techniques may improve information processing efficiency during source language comprehension, ultimately enhancing target language reformulation accuracy and completeness.