Sensing the Intentions to Speak in VR Group Discussions.

While virtual reality (VR) technologies enable remote communication through the use of 3D avatars, it is often difficult to foster engaging group discussions without addressing the limitations to the non-verbal communication among distributed participants. In this paper, we discuss a technique to detect the intentions to speak in group discussions by tapping into intricate sensor data streams from VR headsets and hand-controllers. To this end, we developed a prototype VR group discussion app equipped with comprehensive sensor data-logging functions and conducted an experiment of VR group discussions (N = 24). We used the quantitative and qualitative experimental data to analyze participants' experiences of group discussions in relation to the temporal patterns of their different speaking intentions. We then propose a sensor-based mechanism for detecting speaking intentions by employing a sampling strategy that considers the temporal patterns of speaking intentions, and we verify the feasibility of our approach in group discussion settings.

Detecting Leadership Opportunities in Group Discussions Using Off-the-Shelf VR Headsets.

The absence of some forms of non-verbal communication in virtual reality (VR) can make VR-based group discussions difficult even when a leader is assigned to each group to facilitate discussions. In this paper, we discuss if the sensor data from off-the-shelf VR devices can be used to detect opportunities for facilitating engaging discussions and support leaders in VR-based group discussions. To this end, we focus on the detection of suppressed speaking intention in VR-based group discussions by using personalized and general models. Our extensive analysis of experimental data reveals some factors that should be considered to enable effective feedback to leaders. In particular, our results show the benefits of combining the sensor data from leaders and low-engagement participants, and the usefulness of specific HMD sensor features.

How to Get to Where They Are: Notes From an Open Group With Unhoused LGBTQIA2S+ Youth.

Mental health professionals aim to engage our clients with "accurate empathy": a nonjudgmental understanding of each person's starting point and experiences that is in tune with their perspective. This article explores the challenges and importance of developing this type of engagement in complex contexts, using the lens of group work with a disparate set of LGBTQIA2S+ young adults whose identities, backgrounds, and experiences differed from one another and from the facilitator. The author reflects on experiences from a grant-based position creating and running a trauma-informed support group in an emergency shelter for unhoused LGBTQIA2S+ young adults in a major U.S. city, including the impact of common issues in the field such as staff turnover, confusion about roles and needs, and support. The article describes lessons learned about the importance of language choice, self-reflection, and the need to confront and build on differences to create a shared process of support.

Encouraging Student Attendance and Engagement in Lectures & Workshops in the Pre- and Post-Covid World.

In the post-Covid era, second year chemistry lectures are fully flipped with all content being online. All the live lecture sessions are used for group work and are fully interactive. Students have agency in the lectures by directing what is taught in these student-led sessions. Students find the sessions very engaging and respond positively. In particular they value the agency they are given. In a second study that took place pre-Covid, workshops are changed from 1-hour to 2-hour sessions but with half the number and a much simplified timetable for students. Group work and peer-assessment with marking criteria help make the sessions engaging for students and more useful. The increased level of attendance from less than 20% to more than 70% (in the best case) is evidence of increased value to the students and success of the new format.

Evaluation of Student Engagement, Communication, and Collaboration during Online Group Work: Experiences of Fourth Year Veterinary Medicine Students.

Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, online teaching has become widely established in higher education in recent years. However, little is known about the influence of the online environment on collaborative student activities which are an integral part of veterinary education. This study explored engagement, collaboration, and communication among fourth-year veterinary students working in groups on online case-based learning (CBL) activities. Data were collected by questionnaire (93/135) and anonymous peer assessment (98/135) at the end of the trimester. While most students (67%) enjoyed group work and 75% considered it of benefit to their learning, the results indicated that the students' interaction was mainly limited to task management and collating individual answers on shared documents. Rather than meeting online, students communicated by chat and messenger apps. Agreement of roles, rules, and the group contract were largely treated as box-ticking exercises. The conflict was the only factor that affected group work satisfaction and was largely avoided rather than addressed. Interestingly lack of student engagement in group work was not related to overall academic performance and had no impact on their end-of-term exam results. This study highlights high student satisfaction and engagement with online group CBL activities even when collaboration and communication was limited. Achieving higher levels of collaborative learning involving co-regulation of learning and metacognitive processing of learning content may require more specific, formal training in relevant skill sets from an early stage of the veterinary curriculum.

Teaching english using mobile applications to improve academic performance and language proficiency of college students.

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of mobile applications in conjunction with the students' online collaboration in the educational environment of Chinese colleges (the context of learning English). The students were selected from all those who study English in their educational programs. At the first stage, they passed a test on the level of language knowledge and among 423 students 140 were selected who had a level of B2 and below. Then they were divided into control and experimental groups. Each had 70 people. The experimental group was trained using the following mobile applications: Busuu, Lingoda, LinguaLeo, BBC Learning English. The results showed that the participants in the experimental group scored higher on the final test (74.71) than the control group participants (65.9). It suggests that mobile learning technologies can improve student achievement. The preliminary test determined the level of knowledge of the experimental group students in this way: 85% of students know English at the B2 level, 14% - B1, and 1% - A2. These figures improved significantly in the second test: the number of students who reached the C2 level was 7%, C1-79%, and 14% of all students remained with the B2 level. For the control group students, these indicators remained unchanged. Most of the students found this format of education suitable and interesting for online collaboration. These results may be useful for teaching practice, because they provide evidence base with the experimental research for the introduction of mobile technologies in the modern educational process. It solves the problem of using the certain mobile applications (Busuu, Lingoda, LinguaLeo, BBC Learning English) that have not been explored before.

The implementation of active learning practices in a South African physiology class: a follow-up study.

Although there is increased uptake of active learning approaches in especially developed countries, this is still lagging within the African context. The current study therefore focused on the implementation of group learning at Stellenbosch University, with several modifications versus our earlier, pilot study. Students freely formed small groups at the start of a 5-wk cardiovascular physiology lecture series and were apportioned three separate assignments to complete over this period. This included three in-class group-learning sessions, while students also completed group work outside class times. The active learning element was embedded within a constructive alignment framework. Our data revealed that 75% of the students felt that the in-class sessions was a good use of their time and that they progressively improved their assignment scores, i.e., 67.5 ± 9.3%, 72.4 ± 9.8%, and 76.1 ± 9.5% for the first, second, and final ones, respectively (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the average class score for their final test (68 ± 15.1%) was higher when compared with the average class score (57.5 ± 19.4%) calculated for the previous 3 yr (P < 0.0001). This study revealed two major findings: i.e., 1) students displayed a strong positive response regarding the adoption of in-class collaborative group work, and 2) the introduction of such active learning elements correlated with improved student assignment and test scores. Based on these findings, we propose additional modifications (including a shift to more formative assessments) to ensure even greater success with the roll-out of such active learning elements within the African context.

Structured Worksheets: Simple Active Learning Strategies to Increase Transparency and Promote Communication.

There are varied pedagogical approaches that promote active learning in the classroom, many of which have been shown to have positive impacts on student outcomes. Simple active learning techniques that do not require costly resources or extensive time investment for faculty may increase the likelihood of instructor adoption and decrease student anxiety or skepticism about such approaches. In two upper-level Neuroscience electives, scaffolded worksheets were utilized to increase transparency in instructor expectations and subsequent assessment, and to support student contributions to learning and group work. Scaffolded worksheets that presented practice questions were provided in a Behavioral Neuroscience course; students completed the worksheets alone or in teams, and course time was used for review and additional clarification. Shared group worksheets were used to support a group project in a mid-level Cognition course. These worksheets delineated expectations for the assignment and gave a timeline for in-class and out-of-class meetings with required individual, graded contributions to support group progress. Worksheets also enabled instructor feedback throughout the project. When surveyed, students responded positively to the worksheets for their ability to support learning and alleviate some of the common concerns associated with group work. This approach was also easily expanded during the pandemic to provide more time for active learning, and to maintain communication and ensure support of student learning during periods of remote learning due to Covid-19. Active learning techniques, particularly those that promote transparency and metacognition, are likely to benefit students and create a more inclusive classroom. Yet care must be used in the implementation of these approaches. In addition, barriers exist to the utilization of active learning, including a lack of support for such work at the institutional level. Greater institutional investment in these approaches will likely broaden their use and extend their impact.

Developing a "dry lab" activity using lower body negative pressure to teach physiology.

In this paper we assessed how lower body negative pressure (LBNP) can be used to teach students the physiological effects of central hypovolemia in the absence of the LBNP and/or a medical monitor using a "dry lab" activity using LBNP data that have been previously collected. This activity was performed using published LBNP papers, with which students could explore LBNP as an important tool to study physiological responses to central hypovolemia as well as consider issues in performing an LBNP experiment and interpreting experimental results. The activity was performed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, with 31 graduate students and 4 teachers of physiology. Both students and teachers were provided with a set of questionnaires that inquired about aspects related to the structure of the activity and how this activity integrated research and knowledge, as well as aspects related to motivation of the students and teachers to perform the activity. Our results from student and teacher surveys suggest that a "dry lab" activity using LBNP to teach physiology can be an important tool to expose students to the basics of systems physiology as well as to provide useful insights into how research is performed. Providing insight into research includes formulating a research question and then designing (including taking into account confounding variables), implementing, conducting, and interpreting research studies. Finally, developing such an activity using LBNP can also serve as a basis for developing research capacities and interests of students even early in their medical studies.

Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse within the Family System: Guidelines for an Educational Social Group Work Program.

Children have the right to be brought up in safe environments. However, this right is often infringed by people who are supposed to provide love, care, and protection to children. These people can include biological fathers, step-fathers, brothers, cousins, aunts, mothers, and uncles. Violation of children takes place in a variety of ways, however, for the purpose of this paper, the focus is on child sexual abuse within the family system. A literature review is adopted as the methodology for the discussions in this paper. The purpose of this paper is firstly to demonstrate that child sexual abuse happens within the family system in South Africa, and secondly, to argue that the prevention of child sexual abuse should start within the family system and this can be achieved by conducting educational social group work sessions on child sexual abuse with the family members.

The Neuroscience Classroom Remodeled with Team-Based Learning.

As neuroscience faculty we strive to have students be invested in their learning and be engaged in the process. However, these attributes are difficult to promote using a lecture-based format. Flipping the classroom so that students prepare before coming to class obliges them to take responsibility for their learning. This, combined with having them work in Teams with their classmates - across the entire semester - provides incentive and support. This article describes how I applied a method called Team-Based Learning (TBL) to my Neurobiology course. TBL requires that students read the assigned text before class and demonstrate their knowledge through quizzes called Readiness Assurance Tests (RATs) that are completed first individually (iRAT) then by each Team (tRAT). This process uncovers the most challenging material and identifies student misconceptions that the instructor addresses through mini-lectures. In subsequent classes, students work in Teams solving content-specific application questions (ungraded) and complete four written Team assignments (graded) that require critical thinking and collective decisions. Teams represent a safe space for students to share knowledge, ask questions, learn from and teach one another. Placing students in Teams promotes regular attendance and ensures preparation before class. Students report that working in Teams helps them to remember content and how to use the group's knowledge to solve problems. They also note the benefits of hearing multiple perspectives, diverse arguments, and different ways to reason. Scores on hourly exams and course grades show that TBL is an effective means for students to learn Neurobiology.

What makes a 'good group'? Exploring the characteristics and performance of undergraduate student groups.

Group work forms the foundation for much of student learning within higher education, and has many educational, social and professional benefits. This study aimed to explore the determinants of success or failure for undergraduate student teams and to define a 'good group' through considering three aspects of group success: the task, the individuals, and the team. We employed a mixed methodology, combining demographic data with qualitative observations and task and peer evaluation scores. We determined associations between group dynamic and behaviour, demographic composition, member personalities and attitudes towards one another, and task success. We also employed a cluster analysis to create a model outlining the attributes of a good small group learning team in veterinary education. This model highlights that student groups differ in measures of their effectiveness as teams, independent of their task performance. On the basis of this, we suggest that groups who achieve high marks in tasks cannot be assumed to have acquired team working skills, and therefore if these are important as a learning outcome, they must be assessed directly alongside the task output.

Mobile Applications Improve Quality of Life on Citizens with Disorientation: The 'NeverLost App' Paradigm.

Mobile technology has been evolved as an important tool in healthcare. Mobile applications are being designed in order to assist patients in their everyday life and also to play a vital role on the improvement of their everyday activities and quality of life. Meanwhile students use advanced techniques in order to design and implement high quality applications that aim to introduce them to the advantages of the mobile technology. In this paper we present the steps for the creation of the application NeverLost that was inspired, designed, created and tested by students of the Secondary Education. NeverLost is an Android application that helps individuals (mainly children) with disabilities, as well as older patients with lack of orientation manage their day-to-day activities. A research of the general benefits that students using this app is presented, as well as their future proposals for the evolution of the app in other aspects of healthcare and quality of life of senior citizens or patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Using peer review to distribute group work marks equitably between medical students.

BACKGROUND: Although peer assessment has been used for evaluating performance of medical students and practicing doctors, it has not been studied as a method to distribute a common group work mark equitably to medical students working in large groups where tutors cannot observe all students constantly. METHODS: The authors developed and evaluated a mathematical formulation whereby a common group mark could be distributed among group members using peer assessment of individual contributions to group work, maintaining inter-group variation in group work scores. This was motivated by community health projects undertaken by large groups of year four medical students at the National University of Singapore, and the new and old formulations are presented via application to 263 students in seven groups of 36 to 40 during the academic year 2012/2013. RESULTS: This novel formulation produced a less clustered mark distribution that rewarded students who contributed more to their team. Although collusion among some members to form a voting alliance and 'personal vendettas' were potential problems, the former was not detected and the latter had little impact on the overall grade a student received when working in a large group. The majority of students thought the new formulation was fairer. CONCLUSIONS: The new formulation is easy to implement and arguably awards grades more equitably in modules where group work is a major component.

Don't Believe the Gripe! Increasing Course Structure in a Large Non-majors Neuroscience Course.

Active teaching is increasingly accepted as a better option for higher education STEM courses than traditional lecture-based instruction. However, concerns remain regarding student preferences and the impact of increased course structure on teaching evaluations. Undergraduates in a non-majors neuropharmacology course were enrolled in an enriched blended course format, providing online case-based learning opportunities in a large lecture hall setting. Students working in small assigned groups solved weekly case studies developed to teach basic neuropharmacology concepts. All case study assignments were peer reviewed and content was further reinforced with a weekly online quiz. A comparison of scores on equivalent midterm and final exam questions revealed that students enrolled in the High-Structure course scored better than students from the previous year that took a more traditional Low-Structure lecture-based course. Student performance increased significantly for exam questions that required Bloom's level understanding. When surveyed, students in the High-Structure course reported some regret for the lack of traditional lecture and revealed some disapproval towards the extra work required for active teaching and peer review. Yet, we saw no change in quantitative instructor evaluation between sections, challenging the idea that student resistance towards increased work lowers course evaluation scores. Future instructors using active learning strategies may benefit from revealing to students the value of increased course structure on performance outcomes compared with traditional lecture courses.

Experiential group work for cancer patients shaped by experiences of participants during group intervention.

Cancer tends to have an impact on a person's psychological and social well-being. Group work is one approach that can help manage the psychosocial impact of cancer. Group interventions for people living with cancer have existed for a number of decades with a majority of them adopting the cognitive-behavioral approach. While this approach has been found to be efficacious, it may be limited for people who prefer acts of service and metaphors. This article describes an experiential approach to group intervention, an alternative to cognitive-behavioral groups. The group intervention featured is designed for participants of Enreach Retreat, a retreat for people living with cancer and their caregivers, by the Department of Psychosocial Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Uncovering students' misconceptions by assessment of their written questions.

BACKGROUND: Misconceptions are ideas that are inconsistent with current scientific views. They are difficult to detect and refractory to change. Misconceptions can negatively influence how new concepts in science are learned, but are rarely measured in biomedical courses. Early identification of misconceptions is of critical relevance for effective teaching, but presents a difficult task for teachers as they tend to either over- or underestimate students' prior knowledge. A systematic appreciation of the existing misconceptions is desirable. This explorative study was performed to determine whether written questions generated by students can be used to uncover their misconceptions. METHODS: During a small-group work (SGW) session on Tumour Pathology in a (bio)medical bachelor course on General Pathology, students were asked to write down a question about the topic. This concerned a deepening question on disease mechanisms and not mere factual knowledge. Three independent expert pathologists determined whether the content of the questions was compatible with a misconception. Consensus was reached in all cases. Study outcomes were to determine whether misconceptions can be identified in students' written questions, and if so, to measure the frequency of misconceptions that can be encountered, and finally, to determine if the presence of such misconceptions is negatively associated with the students' course formal examination score. A subgroup analysis was performed according to gender and discipline. RESULTS: A total of 242 students participated in the SGW sessions, of whom 221 (91 %) formulated a question. Thirty-six questions did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the 185 questions rated, 11 % (n = 20) was compatible with a misconception. Misconceptions were only found in medical students' questions, not in biomedical science students' questions. Formal examination score on Tumour Pathology was 5.0 (SD 2.0) in the group with misconceptions and 6.7 (SD 2.4) in the group without misconceptions (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that misconceptions can be uncovered in students' written questions. The occurrence of these misconceptions was negatively associated with the formal examination score. Identification of misconceptions creates an opportunity to repair them during the remaining course sessions, in advance of the formal examination.

A goal-directed woodwork group for men in community rehabilitation--A pilot project.

AIMS: Male clients who attend community rehabilitation programs often have low engagement in meaningful occupations and thus suffer a disconnect with their community. The primary aim of this mixed methods study was to explore the feasibility of using a therapeutic woodwork group to engage male clients in community rehabilitation. METHOD: In the context of a community rehabilitation setting, fourteen clients attended an 8-week woodwork group to engage in meaningful projects developed with an occupational therapist to achieve specific goals. The group also aimed to encourage male peer support and interaction in an outpatient group setting. Clients identified three rehabilitation goals which guided their rehabilitation intervention. Goal achievement was rated pre- and post-group using the Goal Attainment Scale; one of two Quality of Life scales were administered to measure change in self-reported quality of life. Participants were interviewed pre- and post-group to measure woodwork experience and the group process. RESULTS: Results from the pilot project indicate that 85.7% of clients attained their expected level of goal achievement or higher on set rehabilitation goals. Consistent positive feedback was received from those who attended the group, particularly in the area of skill development and socialisation, although patients reported minimal changes in quality of life from baseline to end-of-group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There remains an unmet need for meaningful engagement for men in the community who are not currently engaged in paid work. Community-based occupational therapy programs have the opportunity to play an important role in engaging clients in meaningful occupations, including woodwork, which was shown to increase socialisation and lead to goal attainment in our small sample. Future research should explore if rehabilitation woodwork groups can assist people to transition to participate in community-based Men's Sheds.

'It's made all of us bond since that course ' - a qualitative study of service users' experiences of a CBT anger management group intervention.

BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are rarely asked about their experiences as users of psychological services and little is known about the views of clients with ID who have undergone cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This study aimed to gather the views of adults with ID who had recently taken part in a cluster randomised control trial (RCT) of a staff-delivered manualised CBT anger management group intervention. METHOD: A qualitative method, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was employed and eleven participants were interviewed. The interviews took place after the intervention, within two weeks of the end of the group, to gain an understanding of service users' experiences of participating in a CBT group. RESULTS: IPA of the interview transcripts indicated that the intervention was experienced as effective and enjoyable and a number of themes were identified including: 'the importance of relationships', 'a new me', 'new and improved relationships', 'presenting myself in a positive light' and 'what the group didn't change'. CONCLUSIONS: The results will be discussed in the context of applying group CBT for adults with ID and implications for service development.

Students integrate knowledge acquisition and practical work in the laboratory.

The aim of the present work was to transfer a wider concept of teamwork and self-learning to the laboratory, encouraging students' capabilities when seeking, acquiring, and processing knowledge. This educational innovation was carried out with a total of 38 students (fourth year of degree in Biology) in the area of physiology (Advances in Reproduction course) at University of Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain. The design of the project's application methodology consisted of establishing a way in which problems would be tackled in the practical classes. For this purpose, the different tasks were set up so that students could relate them to the concepts learned in the theory classes. On the first day of class, the project was presented to the students. Groups of two to three students worked in the laboratory and set up an outline of the protocol of the practical work that they had done. This outline was performed individually and sent to the lecturers through a learning management system (Moodle). The teachers gave feedback and assessed student submissions. Upon finishing the course, students completed a survey. The project-based learning method promotes practical self-learning on the part of students. This methodology demonstrated to us that it stimulates a critical and self-critical capacity in students, both individually and in groups, and that writing didactic practical material helped students to enhance their theory knowledge. The experiment was a success in view of the scores obtained upon finishing the subject.