A Holistic Approach to Enhance FRCS General Surgery Examination Training Using Adult Learning Model: A Non-Profit Initiative

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of adult learning and simulation-based learning (SBL) on surgical trainees’ learning experiences and Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) Section 2 General Surgery examination pass rate. Methods: This was a cross-sequential study involving 148 surgical candidates (72 UK trainees, 75 non-UK trainees) who had attended our revision course (Phoenix FRCS Course) from June 2017 until 2023. Each course comprised a two-day weekend preparation with dedicated sections for clinical, viva, and academic reading, incorporating SBL as its key learning style. We maintained a prospective database of candidate and course details, examination results, and feedback since the course inception. Results: We found that 97% of candidates passed the FRCS examination after their first attempt. The course was attended once by 89% of candidates, and only 3 of the 148 candidates exhausted all four attempts at the examination. Candidate feedback for the course and its style of learning was positive, with simulation-based table viva sessions and virtual clinical sessions proving the most popular learning sessions (95% and 80% of candidates attending courses run in December 2017, April 2018, and May 2021 rated them “Excellent” respectively). Conclusions: The course is centered around shared adult learning and mindfulness tools to encourage candidates to learn from each other and develop confidence and mastery in all domains of surgical practice. These methods have been shown to be effective in achieving high success rates in the Intercollegiate and International FRCS examinations for UK and overseas surgeons.

面向成人教育的E-learning系统中学习动机的激发与维持策略研究

分析国内外学习动机激发与维持策略的现状,针对成人学习者时间零散、地域分散,自我监督能力不强,学习动机难于维持等特征,提出面向成人教育的E-learning环境中学习动机激发与维持策略的设计方案,以经典TC动机设计模型为理论基础,将每个学习序列,依据时间的连续性,分为学习初始阶段、学习中期阶段和学习后期阶段。每个阶段分别对应态度和需求、刺激和情感、能力和强化等影响学习动机的因素。针对各阶段的学习动机影响因素应采取相应的策略,以激发和维持E-learning环境下成人学习者的学习动机。

E-learning与成人学习方法的改革

从E-learning发展起因出发,探讨E-learning的特点,可见基于信息资源的学习(Resource-Based Learning)是E-learning的重要特征,可在此基础上根据成人教育的特点,对成人学习方法改革的意义及如何改革进行思考。

A Comparison of the lexical processing in Children's Word Acquisition and in Adults' Word Learning

Children can acquire knowledge of their mother tongue easily in a relatively short time,whereas adults are too inferior to bear the comparison in learning a second language.This paper sets out to study the background and process of children's and adults' language learning,make comparison and contrast,and find out an effective way to promote adults' second language learning.

Aspiring for competence in a multifaceted everyday life:A qualitative study of adult students’experiences of a blended learning master programme in Norway

Aim:To gain knowledge of how adult students experienced the first year of a blended learning master programme to better understand their learning process.Methods:A qualitative,exploratory,descriptive study based on data from two focus group interviews with students attending a blended learning Master programme.Qualitative content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman’s procedures was applied.Findings:Our analyses revealed one main theme:aspiring for competence in a multifaceted everyday life and four main categories:acquiring professional competence,struggling to manage diverse forms of communication,demanding task juggling and confused student role.Conclusions:The participants experienced that the programme enabled them to acquire professional competence relevant to practice.Despite the challenges,the programme is recommended for prospective students who live in both urban and rural areas,who are working and also responsible for children and other family tasks.

An Empirical Study on the Effectiveness of Language Learning Strategy Training for Chinese Adult English Learners

This paper explores how to implement effective strategy training for part-time Chinese adult English learners in a tertiary FLT （Foreign Language Teaching） classroom. Through a study of threx~ semesters during which six sessions of learner training workshops and constant, integrated task-based instruction were carried out, empirical evidence was collected via the instrument of questionnaires, interviews, learners＇ regular written reports, and the findings indicate that： （1） The students reported a statistically significant increase of the overaU average frequency of language strategy use over all SILL （The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning） items with 2.95 at the beginning and 3.61 at the end; and （2） Well-organized, explicit, and discrete leaner training workshops combined with frequent, explicit, and integrated task-based strategy instruction are an effective and helpful way to improve learners＇ awareness, selection, and frequency of strategy use, which can further foster learner autonomy.

The analysis of adult English vocabulary learning strategies based on network

The article which is on the basis of English learning and adult learning characteristics, propose adult English vocabulary learning strategies based on network, and it thinks that adult learners are based on making full use of network to provide boundary, it overcomes the flaws of adult English and resist the temptation of other information network, and it takes the right vocabulary memory strategies, cognitive strategies, vocabulary learning metacognitive strategies, affective strategies of vocabulary learning and vocabulary learning society strategy ,then it can achieve good vocabulary learning effect.

Innovation in Adult Language Learning Programs: A Case Study of "Livemocha" Online Language Learning Community

Due to the increasing broadband Internet access, VOIP adoption as well as the Web 2.0 concepts, online language learning communities have gained great popularity among adult language learners. Based upon Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory, this paper analyzes the innovation that online language learning communities have brought to adult language learning programs. At the same time, the limitations of such programs have been pointed out.

A Survey into the Motivations of Adult English Learning

Adult English learners have their own unique characteristics. This research adopts a questionnaire consisting of 9 dimensions to explore their English learning motivations, which turn out to be mainly instrumental ones. And the author has postulated suggestions about adult English teaching.

Feature selection and machine learning approach for carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic adults

Objective:The presence of carotid atherosclerosis reflects the overall atherosclerotic load and may predict cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents.Studies have reported risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis.However,few practical models have been established to predict carotid atherosclerosis risk.Thus,this study was conducted to investigate important features of carotid atherosclerosis and to propose a machine learning-based method for predicting carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic adults.Methods:Cross-sectional study was conducted using routine medical check-up data of individuals from January 2019 to January 2020.Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to correlate the features.Then,features were selected by python’s feature-selection library and analyzed through three algorithms.Multiple machine learning algorithms,including Decision Tree,Random Forest and Logistic Regression(LR)were used to predict the risk of carotid atherosclerotic plaques and compared their precision,accuracy,recall,F1-score and area under the curve.Results:A total of 150 individuals were enrolled in this study,30(20%)of them were found with carotid atherosclerotic plaques.Sex,age,body mass index,total cholesterol,Systolic blood pressure(SBP),and carbohydrate antigen 724(CA724)were independently correlated to carotid atherosclerosis.Pepsinogen Ⅰ and pepsinogen Ⅱ serum levels had no correlations with Carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity.SBP,diastolic blood pressure age,low-density lipoprotein,Pepsinogen I,pepsinogen II,body mass index,Waist,CA724,and Uric Acid contribute to the cumulative importance of 0.9,and SBP was the most crucial feature for carotid atherosclerosis.LR algorithm has the precision(0.92),values of recall(0.91),F1(0.9),and area under the curve(0.95),and showed the optimal performance to predict the presence or absence of carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic adults.The code for analysis in this article was uploaded to GitHub(https://github.com/ganbingliangyi/machine-learning).Conclusions:SBP was the most crucial feature in ranking features,the LR algorithm showed the optimal performance to predict the presence or absence of carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic adults.

The Analysis of the Impact of Two Factors—Motivation and Attitude in Adult Foreign Language Learning

This paper is mainly about how the two affective factors—motivation and attitude influence adults' foreign language learning. The topic is discussed from the aspect of some factors which indirectly influence adults' language learning through influencing their learning motivation. Also positive attitude will promote adult foreign language learning.

Is There an Optimum Age For Foreign Language Learning?

Age is one of the factors which influnce foreign language learning, but not the most important one. Comparision on the effect of foreign language learning between adults and children cannot rely merely on age. So the question of an optimum age for foreign language learning is not a simple one which is only related to age. There are different optimum ages for different aims and demands of learning foreign language.

A Reflection on the Critical Period Hypothesis in Second Language Learning

This paper reviews the second language (hereafter L2) acquisition hypothesis and theories, examines the Critical Period Hypothesis, and, taking English as an example, briefly discusses the problems confronting Chinese adult L2 learners.

Age in Relation to Second Language Learning

In the research field of the second language learning, age has been the focus for the linguists. This paper first reviews the researchon age by linguists, then analyzes age differences in different learning situations, and discusses the preferable age in second language learning inChina.

指向教师核心素养提升的转化学习

教师核心素养是教师在特定社会与时代背景下,围绕人才培养目标,以教书育人为根本,从事教育教学所需要的价值观念、必备品格、专业知识和关键能力。教师核心素养可以通过转化学习得到培养和提升。教师转化学习指教师在学习的过程中,通过同化或顺应的方式,将所学内容纳入自己的经验体系,实现已有经验体系的变化,从而不断提高自身素养的过程。教师可以通过转化学习的反思性策略、对话性策略、行动性策略等三大自主策略,提升自身的政治素养、精神素养、文化素养、专业素养、思维素养、创新素养等核心素养。

ChatGPT背景下成人高等教育变革的多维审视

ChatGPT以其强大的自然语言生成和对话交互技术强势崛起,成为颠覆性的新一代生成式人工智能系统。该系统蕴藏着变革、创新成人高等教育的巨大潜力。以生成式人工智能模型赋能成人高等教育进行根本性、系统性变革,是实现成人高等教育高质量发展的关键举措和必由之路。本研究聚焦生成式人工智能背景下的成人高等教育场域,在技术迭代的浪潮中,对成人高等教育变革进行预判和省思。以个性化教育理念、终身教育理念、人文主义教育理念为引领,重构学科专业和人才培养重心,推进科学研究和知识资源整合开放,促使教学、学习模式转型升级,推动治理模式科学优化,构建超域协同的智慧化成人高等教育制度,是新一代生成式人工智能赋能成人高等教育变革的应然路向。

终身学习理念下高校成人教育自主学习绩效提升路径研究

在积极倡导终身学习和构建学习型社会的时代背景下,成人需要终身自主学习已经成为共识,但高校成人教育低参与度、低持续性、高辍学率等自主学习绩效偏低的现象突出。观照成人自主学习具有动机功利、关联经验和实用导向的特点和规律,采取引导专业入门、科学细化目标、设计有效策略、多元学生评价、创设外部环境等措施,优化高校成人教育自主学习绩效提升路径,加快推进成人高等教育高质量转型发展。

大学成教英语课程移动学习有效性探究——基于成教学生自我效能感的视角

随着“互联网+教育”的不断发展,移动学习融合到大学成教英语课程已经成为一种必然。通过对40名成教学生持续一学期的问卷调查、数据收集和访谈来研究移动学习对成教学生英语学习自我效能感的影响具有重要意义。研究发现,移动学习在一定程度上能提高成教学生的英语学习自我效能感,对英语学习有积极的促进作用。但是,要充分发挥出移动学习的作用,还需要进一步改善学习资源的设计和推送,增加师生及学生间的互动,提升学生的自我驱动力和积极主动的学习投入。

有氧运动对阿尔茨海默症小鼠成年海马神经发生的影响

背景:运动有助于改善阿尔茨海默症、痴呆症以及与年龄相关的认知能力,运动与这些健康益处之间的一个潜在中介可能是成年海马神经发生。因此,探索运动如何影响阿尔茨海默症小鼠的成年海马神经发生过程具有重要意义。目的:观察有氧运动对阿尔茨海默症小鼠成年海马神经发生的影响,探究有氧运动能否促进其成年海马神经发生。方法:将3月龄野生型(C57BL/6Jnju)及APP/PS1双转基因阿尔茨海默症小鼠随机分为4组:野生对照组、野生运动组、阿尔茨海默症对照组、阿尔茨海默症运动组,每组20只。对照组小鼠不进行运动,运动组小鼠进行5个月的有氧运动干预。运动干预结束后,采用Real-time PCR、免疫荧光及Western blot检测各组小鼠海马组织DCX、Ki67、βⅢ-tubulin及NeuN的表达。结果与结论:阿尔茨海默症对照组小鼠海马齿状回区DCX、βⅢ-tubulin及NeuN表达均显著低于野生对照组小鼠(P<0.05);阿尔茨海默症运动组小鼠海马齿状回区DCX、Ki67、βⅢ-tubulin及NeuN表达显著高于阿尔茨海默症对照组(P<0.05)。提示:长期有氧运动干预后,可以促进阿尔茨海默症小鼠成年海马神经发生过程中神经元增殖、迁移分化,显著增加神经元前体细胞、新生神经元数量。