Hypermedia on peripheral venipuncture: effectiveness in teaching nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an educational hypermedia in the knowledge of Nursing academics on peripheral venipuncture. METHOD: Quasi-experimental study with pre and post-test design. RESULTS: The mean number of right answers of the 73 individuals who participated in the study, in the pre-test, was 7.7 (DP = 1.05), and 8.3 in the post-test (DP = 0.74). The comparation of pre and post hypermedia mean number of right answers showed significant difference (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Hypermedia is a strategy that increases knowledge and is feasible in the teaching-learning process, being useful as a support tool for teachers and for the development of undergraduate Nursing students.

Hypermedia on peripheral venipuncture: effectiveness in teaching nursing students / Hipermedia sobre punción venosa periférica: la efectividad en la enseñanza de académicos de enfermería / Hipermídia sobre punção venosa periférica: efetividade no ensino de acadêmicos de enfermagem

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an educational hypermedia in the knowledge of Nursing academics on peripheral venipuncture. Method: Quasi-experimental study with pre and post-test design. Results: The mean number of right answers of the 73 individuals who participated in the study, in the pre-test, was 7.7 (DP = 1.05), and 8.3 in the post-test (DP = 0.74). The comparation of pre and post hypermedia mean number of right answers showed significant difference (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Hypermedia is a strategy that increases knowledge and is feasible in the teaching-learning process, being useful as a support tool for teachers and for the development of undergraduate Nursing students.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Evaluar la efectividad de una hipermedia educativa en el conocimiento de académicos de enfermería acerca de la punción venosa periférica. Método: Estudio casi-experimental con diseño pre y pos prueba. Resultados: El promedio de aciertos de los 73 individuos participantes del estudio, en el pre prueba, ha sido de 7,7 (DP = 1,05), y 8,3 en el pos prueba (DP = 0,74). La comparación en los promedios de aciertos pre y pos hipermedia ha presentado diferencia significativa (p < 0,001). Conclusión: La hipermedia es una estrategia que incrementa el conocimiento y es viable en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje, siendo útil como herramienta de apoyo para los profesores y para el desarrollo de los estudiantes de graduación en enfermería.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a efetividade de uma hipermídia educativa no conhecimento de acadêmicos de enfermagem acerca da punção venosa periférica. Método: Estudo quase-experimental com desenho pré e pós-teste. Resultados: A média de acertos dos 73 indivíduos participantes do estudo, no pré-teste, foi de 7,7 (DP = 1,05), e 8,3 no pós-teste (DP = 0,74). A comparação nas médias de acertos pré e pós hipermídia apresentou diferença significativa (p < 0,001). Conclusão: A hipermídia é uma estratégia que aumenta o conhecimento e é viável no processo ensino-aprendizagem, sendo útil como ferramenta de apoio para os professores e para o desenvolvimento de estudantes de graduação em enfermagem.

Interactive knowledge networks for interdisciplinary course navigation within Moodle.

Web-based hypermedia learning environments are widely used in modern education and seem particularly well suited for interdisciplinary learning. Previous work has identified guidance through these complex environments as a crucial problem of their acceptance and efficiency. We reasoned that map-based navigation might provide straightforward and effortless orientation. To achieve this, we developed a clickable and user-oriented concept map-based navigation plugin. This tool is implemented as an extension of Moodle, a widely used learning management system. It visualizes inner and interdisciplinary relations between learning objects and is generated dynamically depending on user set parameters and interactions. This plugin leaves the choice of navigation type to the user and supports direct guidance. Previously developed and evaluated face-to-face interdisciplinary learning materials bridging physiology and physics courses of a medical curriculum were integrated as learning objects, the relations of which were defined by metadata. Learning objects included text pages, self-assessments, videos, animations, and simulations. In a field study, we analyzed the effects of this learning environment on physiology and physics knowledge as well as the transfer ability of third-term medical students. Data were generated from pre- and posttest questionnaires and from tracking student navigation. Use of the hypermedia environment resulted in a significant increase of knowledge and transfer capability. Furthermore, the efficiency of learning was enhanced. We conclude that hypermedia environments based on Moodle and enriched by concept map-based navigation tools can significantly support interdisciplinary learning. Implementation of adaptivity may further strengthen this approach.

Effects of picture amount on preference, balance, and dynamic feel of Web pages.

This study investigates the effects of picture amount on subjective evaluation. The experiment herein adopted two variables to define picture amount: column ratio and picture size. Six column ratios were employed: 7:93,15:85, 24:76, 33:67, 41:59, and 50:50. Five picture sizes were examined: 140 x 81, 220 x 127, 300 x 173, 380 x 219, and 460 x 266 pixels. The experiment implemented a within-subject design; 104 participants were asked to evaluate 30 web page layouts. Repeated measurements revealed that the column ratio and picture size have significant effects on preference, balance, and dynamic feel. The results indicated the most appropriate picture amount for display: column ratios of 15:85 and 24:76, and picture sizes of 220 x 127, 300 x 173, and 380 x 219. The research findings can serve as the basis for the application of design guidelines for future web page interface design.

Modelling data across labs, genomes, space and time.

Logical models and physical specifications provide the foundation for storage, management and analysis of complex sets of data, and describe the relationships between measured data elements and metadata - the contextual descriptors that define the primary data. Here, we use imaging applications to illustrate the purpose of the various implementations of data specifications and the requirement for open, standardized, data formats to facilitate the sharing of critical digital data and metadata.

Desirable attributes of public educational websites.

Certain attributes are particularly desirable for public educational websites, and websites for ethics education in particular. Among the most important of these attributes is wide accessibility through adherence to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for HTML code. Adherence to this standard produces webpages that can be rendered by a full range of web browsers, including Braille and speech browsers. Although almost no academic websites, including ethics websites, and even fewer commercial websites are accessible by W3C standards, as illustrated by the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science , even websites created on limited budgets and with an undergraduate student staff can fulfill these standards. Other desirable attributes, such as provision of annotation for all links and the use of annotated links to give the user alternate ways of ordering and organizing content, are important for making full use of the educational possibilities of hypermedia for websites.

Structure and content of chronic kidney disease information on the World Wide Web: barriers to public understanding of a pandemic.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a pandemic and the need to inform those at risk has never been more important. The World Wide Web (WWW) is no w considered a key source of health information, but the quality and utility of this information has been challenged. In this article, we assess structural, content, and linguistic barriers to accessed CKD information and discuss the implications of limited Internet access to communicating health. Technical (number of hyperlinks), content (number of six core CKD and risk factor information domains included), and linguistic (readability and variation in readability) barriers were assessed for websites offered by 12 kidney disease associations. The Flesch Reading Ease Index method was used to estimate readability scores, and variation in the readability of information was assessed. Eleven websites met inclusion criteria. Six of 11 websites provided information in all 6 domains of CKD information. A mean of 4 hyperlinks (range 3-5) was clicked before CKD information was available and a mean of 6 hyperlinks (range 4-12) was clicked to access all available CKD information. Mean readability scores for all six domains of CKD information exceeded national average literacy skills and far exceeded the 5th grade level readability desired for informing vulnerable populations. Information about CKD and diabetes consistently had higher readability scores. The WWW currently has little utility for informing populations at greatest risk for CKD. Barriers to accessing CKD information on the WWW are socioeconomic, technical, and linguistic. Having lower socioeconomic status, less access to computers and the WWW, multiple website hyperlinks, incomplete information, difficult readability, and significant variation in readability of CKD information on the WWW are social, structural, and content barriers to communicating CKD information. This may contribute to the growing epidemics of diminished public understanding about CKD, and disparities in CKD health status experienced by racial/ethnic minority populations globally.

CellML: its future, present and past.

Advances in biotechnology and experimental techniques have lead to the elucidation of vast amounts of biological data. Mathematical models provide a method of analysing this data; however, there are two issues that need to be addressed: (1) the need for standards for defining cell models so they can, for example, be exchanged across the World Wide Web, and also read into simulation software in a consistent format and (2) eliminating the errors which arise with the current method of model publication. CellML has evolved to meet these needs of the modelling community. CellML is a free, open-source, eXtensible markup language based standard for defining mathematical models of cellular function. In this paper we summarise the structure of CellML, its current applications (including biological pathway and electrophysiological models), and its future development--in particular, the development of toolsets and the integration of ontologies.

Automated optimization of JPEG 2000 encoder options based on model observer performance for detecting variable signals in X-ray coronary angiograms.

Image compression is indispensable in medical applications where inherently large volumes of digitized images are presented. JPEG 2000 has recently been proposed as a new image compression standard. The present recommendations on the choice of JPEG 2000 encoder options were based on nontask-based metrics of image quality applied to nonmedical images. We used the performance of a model observer [non-prewhitening matched filter with an eye filter (NPWE)] in a visual detection task of varying signals [signal known exactly but variable (SKEV)] in X-ray coronary angiograms to optimize JPEG 2000 encoder options through a genetic algorithm procedure. We also obtained the performance of other model observers (Hotelling, Laguerre-Gauss Hotelling, channelized-Hotelling) and human observers to evaluate the validity of the NPWE optimized JPEG 2000 encoder settings. Compared to the default JPEG 2000 encoder settings, the NPWE-optimized encoder settings improved the detection performance of humans and the other three model observers for an SKEV task. In addition, the performance also was improved for a more clinically realistic task where the signal varied from image to image but was not known a priori to observers [signal known statistically (SKS)]. The highest performance improvement for humans was at a high compression ratio (e.g., 30:1) which resulted in approximately a 75% improvement for both the SKEV and SKS tasks.

XML and the VITAL standard: the document-oriented approach for open telemedicine applications.

This paper describes an effort to create a common, document-oriented architecture for the interchange of medical data in healthcare telemedicine applications. Key components are: The VITAL standard specifying a common (medical device independent) representation of Vital Signs Information and the Extensible Markup Language (XML) specifying the document specifications form, an architecture that, in aggregate, define the semantics and structural constraints necessary for the exchange of vital signs and related medical data. The modelling and design technique for the described application has been the Unified Modelling Language (UML). The XMI (XML Metadata Interchange Format) of the Object Management Group (OMG) provided the meta-model for this application, for sharing objects using XML, via the transfer of the application's UML model to XML documents and DTDs.

Patient information systems that tailor to the individual.

The potential of computers in patient education has been well described by Skinner et al. One of their recommendations was for more personalized systems. In this article we discuss how computer-based patient information systems can provide material that is tailored to the individual, giving a number of examples of systems developed in Scotland. We review some of the techniques used in developing tailored systems, and consider the evidence to date as to their efficacy.