Search Results (129)

Background: Pharmacy technicians are increasingly involved in immunization services, enhancing vaccine accessibility and reducing pharmacies’ workload. This scoping review aims to (1) provide a comprehensive overview of pharmacy technicians’ involvement in immunization services across various healthcare settings and countries, and (2) conduct a comparative analysis of training curricula for pharmacy technicians on immunization. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Scopus databases was performed using keywords and MeSH terms such as “pharmacy technician(s)”, “immunization”, “vaccination”, “role”, and “involvement”. Studies included assessed pharmacy technicians’ roles in vaccine administration, training, and public health outcomes. Descriptive and thematic analyses were used to synthesize the findings. In addition, a supplementary analysis of immunization training curricula was conducted, reviewing programs from different countries to identify similarities, differences, and gaps in course structure, content, and delivery formats. Lastly, a comprehensive toolkit was developed, offering guidelines intended to facilitate the implementation of immunization training programs. Results: A total of 35 articles met the inclusion criteria, primarily from the United States of America (n = 30), Canada (n = 2), Ethiopia (n = 1), Denmark (n = 1) and United Kingdom (n = 1). The findings indicate that pharmacy technicians contribute significantly to vaccine administration, patient education, and workflow optimization, particularly in community pharmacies. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated their involvement in immunization programs. Key challenges include regulatory barriers, a lack of standardized training, and resistance from other healthcare professionals. Facilitators include legislative support (e.g., the PREP Act), structured training programs, and collaborative pharmacist–technician models. Conclusions: Pharmacy technicians can play a vital role in expanding immunization services, improving vaccine uptake, and reducing pharmacist workload. Addressing regulatory inconsistencies, enhancing training, and fostering interprofessional collaboration are crucial for their effective integration of immunization programs. Since immunization by pharmacy technicians is not yet allowed in many EU countries, this review will provide a foundational basis to address their potential to support the healthcare workforce and improve access to immunization services. Full article

This study proposes a non-semantic multimodal approach to predict segment access frequency (SAF) in lecture archives. Such archives, widely used as supplementary resources in modern education, often consist of long, unedited recordings that are difficult to navigate and review efficiently. The predicted SAF, an indicator of student viewing behavior, serves as a practical proxy for student engagement. The increasing volume of recorded material renders manual editing and annotation impractical, making the automatic identification of high-SAF segments crucial for improving accessibility and supporting targeted content review. The approach focuses on lecture archives from a real-world blended learning context, characterized by resource constraints such as no specialized hardware and limited student numbers. The model integrates multimodal features from instructor’s actions (via OpenPose and optical flow), audio spectrograms, and slide page progression—a selection of features that makes the approach applicable regardless of lecture language. The model was evaluated on 665 labeled one-minute segments from one such course. Experiments show that the best-performing model achieves a Pearson correlation of 0.5143 in 7-fold cross-validation and 61.05% average accuracy in a downstream three-class classification task. These results demonstrate the system’s capacity to enhance lecture archives by automatically identifying key segments, which aids students in efficient, targeted review and provides instructors with valuable data for pedagogical feedback. Full article

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched by the United Nations in 2015, outline 17 interconnected objectives designed to promote human well-being and sustainable development worldwide. Education is recognized by the United Nations as a key factor in promoting sustainable development. To cultivate students with both global perspectives and local engagement, it is essential to integrate sustainability education into elementary curricula. Accordingly, this study aimed to enhance elementary school students’ understanding of the SDGs by designing a structured instructional activity and developing a hybrid digital-physical board game. The game was implemented as a supplementary review tool to traditional classroom teaching, leveraging the motivational and knowledge-retention benefits of physical board games while incorporating digital features to support learning process monitoring. To address the limitations of conventional review approaches—such as reduced student engagement and increased cognitive load—the instructional model incorporated the board game during review sessions following formal instruction. This was intended to maintain student attention and reduce unnecessary cognitive effort, thereby supporting learning in sustainability-related content. A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional intervention and the board game system, focusing on three outcome variables: learning motivation, cognitive load, and learning achievement. The results indicated that students in the game-based Sustainable Development Goals group achieved significantly higher delayed posttest scores (M = 72.91, SD = 15.17) than the traditional review group (M = 61.30, SD = 22.82; p < 0.05). In addition, they reported significantly higher learning motivation (M = 4.40, SD = 0.64) compared to the traditional group (M = 3.99, SD = 0.69; p < 0.05) and lower cognitive load (M = 1.84, SD = 1.39) compared to the traditional group (M = 2.66, SD = 1.30; p < 0.05), suggesting that the proposed approach effectively supported student learning in sustainability education at the elementary level. Full article

Workaholism and perfectionism have increasingly been identified as significant obstacles to effective lifelong learning and skills development, ultimately undermining long-term career adaptability and organizational resilience. This study explores the predictive role of perfectionism and professional workaholism, with a particular focus on their implications for continuous education and occupational sustainability—defined as employees’ ability to remain adaptable and resilient over time. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 105 participants (54 IT professionals and 51 nurses) who completed standardized measures of perfectionism and workaholism and reported their cognitive–emotional readiness for further training. Four regression models were employed to assess the impact of the three perfectionism dimensions and profession on overall workaholism and its subcomponents (excessive work, compulsive work, supplementary work). Socially prescribed perfectionism emerged as a strong predictor, accounting for over one-third of the variance in workaholism (β = 0.37; R²_adj = 0.368; p < 0.001), while self-oriented perfectionism significantly predicted excessive work (β = 0.25; p = 0.015). Professional domain had no significant effect, indicating the trans-professional nature of these psychological barriers. Additionally, workaholism was associated with reduced cognitive–emotional availability for ongoing training, highlighting its detrimental effects on lifelong learning. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and reliance on convenience sampling. From a practical perspective, the findings support interventions targeting maladaptive perfectionism, aiming to enhance engagement in continuous professional education and foster sustainable work environments, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 and SDG 8). Full article

The last decade has seen a transformative advancement in computational technologies, enabling the precise creation, evaluation, visualization, and reproduction of high-fidelity three-dimensional (3D) models of archaeological sites and artefacts. With the advent of 3D printing, both small- and large-scale objects can now be reproduced with remarkable accuracy and at customizable scales. Artefacts composed of organic materials—such as wood—are inherently susceptible to biological degradation and thus require extensive, long-term conservation employing costly methodologies. These procedures often raise environmental concerns and lead to irreversible alterations in the wood’s chemical composition, dimensional properties, and the intangible essence of the original artefact. In the context of public education and the dissemination of knowledge about historical technologies and objects, 3D replicas can effectively fulfill the same purpose as original artefacts, without compromising interpretative value or cultural significance. Furthermore, the digital data embedded in 3D surface and object models provides a wealth of supplementary information that cannot be captured, preserved, or documented through conventional techniques. Waterlogged wooden objects can now be thoroughly documented in 3D, enabling ongoing, non-invasive scientific analysis. Given these capabilities, it is imperative to revisit the philosophical and ethical foundations of preserving waterlogged wood and to adopt innovative strategies for the conservation and presentation of wooden artefacts. These new paradigms can serve educational, research, and outreach purposes—core functions of contemporary museums. Full article

Background: It is generally well-known that narration of care is critically important to high-quality nursing care. Narration of care is loosely defined as a nurse’s ability to describe to patients and families the clinical purpose behind nursing practice, what is hoped to be achieved, and the “why” (or clinical rationale) behind nursing activities. Despite the importance of narration of care, there is little practical guidance given to nurses about how to narrate care—what makes for effective or ineffective narration of care. Objective: Our aim was to develop a framework for teaching nurses and patient care assistants (PCAs) on how to effectively narrate care. In this article, we provide a practical framework for teaching nurses and PCAs how to narrate care. We describe the process of developing the framework as part of quality improvement efforts and implementing a course for eight hospitals based on the framework. Methods: Consistent with a Plan-Do-Study Act (PDSA) quality improvement approach, we developed the framework by first conducting a data and literature review, then convening a taskforce, discussing with patients on our existing committees, and finally formulating a framework. We then drafted supplementary cases and course material and implemented a course to teach nurses and PCAs how to narrate care. Results: The narration of care framework (NOC) that we developed and implemented consisted of the following five principles, which can be called RECAP as an acronym: 1. The “R” in RECAP stands for removing uncertainty. 2. The “E” in RECAP stands for explaining the environment. 3. The “C” in RECAP stands for being calm and sincere. 4. The “A” in RECAP stands for assume nothing. 5. The “P” in RECAP stands for personal connection. As for the course developed based on the RECAP principles, there was a total of 276 course offerings conducted by 30 facilitators, and 7341 nurses and PCAs completed the course. The evaluations reflected that 99% of learners believed their learning was improved by the course. Discussion: There are several multifaceted benefits to NOC: nurses’ and PCAs’ capability to narrate care well shows empathy and compassion to patients; it strengthens patient understanding and education that can lead to improved patient outcomes; and it helps allay patients’ uncertainties and anxieties. In essence, narrating care in an effective manner cultivates a strong nurse–patient therapeutic relationship. Yet, in the absence of any practical guidance, nurses and PCAs are left to develop narration skills on their own, learning by trial and error, and, in doing so, perhaps failing to meet patients’ needs and failing to fully derive the many benefits that the NOC is designed to achieve. Our hope is that, if hospital systems adopt our work, nurses and PCAs can comfortably and confidently enter the profession knowing the purpose or narrating care, its many benefits, and how to practically conduct sufficient narration, and what would constitute insufficient narration. Hospitals, in turn, can specify and clearly articulate their expectations for nurses and PCAs narrating with patients—what would make for a strong, compassionate process and what would be inadequate. For more experienced nurses, they can use the RECAP framework to reflect on their own practices and perhaps strengthen or refreshen existing skills. Conclusions: NOC is acknowledged, somewhat implicitly, as being critical to nursing and PCA practice, yet practical instruction and specified principles are lacking. We aimed to fill this gap by developing, implementing, and teaching a practical framework, armed with many tools nurses can use. Full article

Shadow education refers to supplementary educational activities outside of the formal school system, typically provided by private institutions to enhance students’ academic performance. This phenomenon has become increasingly prominent worldwide, drawing significant attention from both scholars and the public. While shadow education is often associated with improved academic outcomes, its potential mental health implications for adolescents remain underexplored. Based on four large-scale surveys conducted in China from 2016 to 2022, this study examines the association between the duration of shadow education and adolescent depressive symptoms, with particular attention being paid to differences across family backgrounds and policy environments. Utilizing multilevel regression models that incorporate individual, family, and community factors, as well as inverse probability weighting regression adjustment and sensitivity analyses, this study yields three main findings. First, the relationship between shadow education duration and adolescent depressive symptoms demonstrates a U-shaped pattern: moderate engagement is associated with lower depressive symptoms, while both limited and excessive participation are linked to higher symptom levels. Second, adolescents from higher-income families are more likely to maintain shadow education participation within an optimal range and report fewer depressive symptoms. Third, following the implementation of regulatory policies on shadow education in China after 2021, the duration of shadow education among adolescents has generally shifted toward a more balanced level, accompanied by a decrease in depressive symptoms. These results underscore the need to consider the nonlinear mental health effects of shadow education in both research and policymaking. In particular, contextual factors, such as socioeconomic background and policy interventions, should be taken into account when formulating and regulating supplementary educational activities. By addressing these dimensions, policymakers can better balance the academic benefits of shadow education with its potential risks for adolescent mental health. Full article

Medical students face cognitive overload and disengagement due to the rigorous demands of their education. This study evaluates the impact of Medimon Learning Cards, a mnemonic-based trading card game, on engagement, satisfaction, and knowledge retention among students in a medical immunology course. These cards incorporate visual and linguistic mnemonics, coupled with strategic gameplay, to create an interactive learning experience. This study was conducted on 39 first-year medical students enrolled in an immunology course, divided into experimental Learning Card and control groups. The Learning Card group received the Medimon Learning Cards and participated in a structured play session, while both groups received identical in-class instruction. The results from the Situational Interest Survey for Multimedia revealed high engagement and satisfaction among the Learning Card group, with students expressing enthusiasm for expanding the scope of the cards to other topics. However, no significant differences were observed in knowledge retention or exam performance between the groups. These findings suggest that Medimon Learning Cards can serve as a valuable supplementary tool with which to enhance motivation and interest, though their impact on cognitive outcomes requires further investigation. These findings suggest that incorporating mnemonic-based card games such as Medimon Learning Cards can enhance learner motivation and interest, although their impact on cognitive outcomes warrants further study. Full article

Background: Infection control is fundamental in dental practice, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the variability in students’ adherence to disinfection protocols. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the fifth-year dental students at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens regarding antisepsis and infection control, and to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention. Methods: A pre-post interventional study was conducted involving two in-person seminars, supplementary e-learning material, and a structured questionnaire administered before and after the intervention. The survey assessed the knowledge, clinical practices, and attitudes toward infection control, including vaccination history and prior exposure incidents. Results: The intervention led to statistically significant improvements in infection control knowledge, especially in risk-based sterilization strategies, disinfectant classification, and PPE use. Students with prior hepatitis B vaccinations and antibody testing demonstrated higher baseline scores and more significant knowledge gains. However, some misconceptions, particularly regarding surface disinfection and prosthetic care, persisted after the intervention. Conclusions: The findings support the effectiveness of structured educational interventions in improving infection control awareness among dental students. Practical, simulation-based training and earlier curriculum integration are recommended to enhance compliance and ensure safe clinical practice. Full article

Mobile technology advancements have led to cellphone bans in some school jurisdictions. The basis of these bans is judging their utilization by students as unhealthy, antisocial, and educationally controversial. Banning student cellphones neglects the positive mental health of cellphone use that comes from self-directed learning in students using them in the co-creation of virtual worlds through online communities. This scoping review examines peer-reviewed research from 2021–2025 demonstrating positive mental health value in self-directed mobile technology use through co-creating virtual worlds. The searches are of seven primary databases and one supplementary database, using the keywords “self-directed learning AND mobile technology AND co-creation AND virtual worlds”. Excluded are reviews, book chapters, abstracts, and conference proceedings. The assessment of the findings is that cellphone use promotes a combination of self-directed learning and consensus decision-making, and provides mental health benefits when virtual worlds are co-created by students permitted their use. Appraising these results—regarding self-directed learning, consensus decision-making, and student mental health—the conclusion is that in contemplating the school cellphone use of mobile technology, educators rethink banning their classroom use. The aim would be to support the co-creation of virtual worlds to promote increased self-direction, consensus decision-making, and positive mental health. Full article

Current policy recommendations for initial teacher education encourage teaching code-related literacy (phonics, phonological awareness, and phonemic awareness) over pedagogical knowledge, and engaging practice in learning to read. To enhance early childhood pre-service teacher (PST) practices, this mixed-methods pilot study investigated a tool to support PSTs studying birth-to-eight years teaching, pedagogical practice, and knowledge to teach code-related literacy and supplementary vocabulary in conjunction with quality children’s literature. The Non-Scripted Intentional Teaching (N-SIT) tool was developed and then trialled with early childhood PSTs (n = 24) in Queensland, Australia. The participants planned phonics learning experiences using the N-SIT and picture books (e.g., Pig the Pug; Snail and the Whale). Survey data gathered participants’ code-related literacy knowledge before and after the N-SIT training. The data revealed most PSTs felt well-to-somewhat prepared to teach beginning reading and vocabulary and less-to-somewhat prepared to teach phonics. The data further revealed that all participants could define phonics but reported mixed conceptual understandings of phonological and phonemic awareness. The PSTs’ knowledge of phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and planning for phonics-focused teaching through children’s literature improved post-N-SIT activity. Planned direct systematic phonics instruction strategies through the intentional shared reading of children’s literature and the potential benefits of the N-SIT tool in early childhood initial teacher education are discussed. Full article

Background: With increasing work pace and stress, sedentary office habits and insufficient physical activity (PA) pose significant threats to employee health and organizational productivity. Physical activity-led workplace health interventions (PAWHIs) have gained attention due to their multifaceted benefits for employees’ physical and mental health. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PAWHIs and examine the success rates of PA combined with various supplementary intervention approaches in improving employee health. Methods: This study was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 statement guidelines. A systematic search was performed across four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Scopus) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2013 and 2023. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Results: After screening, 40 studies meeting the criteria were finally identified and subjected to quality assessment. The primary intervention measures of PAWHIs focused on education, physical activity, and dietary interventions. Fifty percent of the studies adopted multimodal combined intervention schemes involving two or more types of interventions. The most common intervention durations were 12 weeks (9 studies) and 24 weeks (24 studies). An analysis of the various intervention effects of PAWHIs revealed that the most successfully improved outcomes were increased physical activity levels (26/32), reduced psychological stress (4/5), and improved dietary habits (12/19), with over 60% of the related studies reporting positive effects. Additionally, improvements were also commonly observed in body composition (16/29) and clinical health outcomes (15/27). Conclusions: PAWHIs have positive effects on improving employee health status and promoting healthy behaviors, particularly in increasing PA levels and reducing psychological stress. However, interventions need to be contextualized and further optimized to achieve more comprehensive and sustainable health outcomes. Full article

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that affects numerical comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, and problem-solving skills, significantly impacting academic performance and daily life activities. Traditional teaching methods often fail to address the unique cognitive challenges faced by students with dyscalculia, highlighting the need for innovative educational approaches. Recent studies suggest that educational robotics and game-based learning can provide engaging and adaptive learning environments, enhancing numerical cognition and motivation in students with mathematical difficulties. The intervention was designed to improve calculation skills, problem-solving strategies, and overall engagement in mathematics. The study involved 73 secondary students, divided into three classes, among whom only a specific group had been diagnosed with dyscalculia. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention assessment evaluating improvements in numerical accuracy, processing speed, and support motivation. Preliminary findings indicate that robotics and gamification create an interactive, less anxiety-inducing learning experience, facilitating conceptual understanding and retention of mathematical concepts. The results suggest that these tools hold promise as supplementary interventions for children with dyscalculia. Future research should explore long-term effects, optimal implementation strategies, and their integration within formal educational settings. Full article

This study explores current and potential connections between museums, schools, and universities. It is based on 18 expert interviews with representatives from 19 institutions, conducted between 2015 and 2024, to assess feasibility and gather ideas for improving communication and collaboration between these educational institutions. Of the 19 participating institutions, 17 are Hispanic. The study is further enriched by interviews with two experts from Brazil and France, who collaborate within the Spanish university sector. This qualitative research uses interviews to analyze the key opinions of its participants, from both an analytical and propositional perspective. Five analytical categories are defined to extract and organize the final results: museum conceptualization, institutional relationships, collaboration strategies, pedagogical and methodological approaches, and transformation and development. The findings underscore the importance and feasibility of interinstitutional cooperation. The value of creating convergent narratives and developing collaborative and egalitarian projects is highlighted. The study suggests viewing museum as spaces with high educational potential, social function, and research capacity. The key lies in mediating cognitive/esthetic proposals; and educational approaches, fostering new perspectives and interconnections. This seeks to create a network of relationships that strengthens the bond between these three institutions, enhancing their joint educational impact. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite the rising tendency to depend on ChatGPT for medical counselling, it is imperative to evaluate ChatGPT’s capacity to address sensitive subjects that patients often hesitate to discuss with their physicians. The objective of this study was to evaluate the recommendations provided by ChatGPT for sexual activity subsequent to total hip arthroplasty (THA) by orthopaedic surgeons with varying degrees of experience, as well as using standardized scoring systems. Methods: Four patient scenarios were developed, reflecting different ages and indications for THA. Twenty-four questions were asked to ChatGPT 4.0, and responses were evaluated by three different orthopaedic surgeons. All responses were also scored using defined standardized scales. Results: No response was found to be ‘faulty’ or ‘partial’ by any of the observers. While the lowest mean score was attributed by the orthopaedic surgeon with less than five years of experience, the highest mean score was attributed by the orthopaedic surgeon with more than 15 years of experience but not actively working in the field of arthroplasty. An analysis of the data across scenarios revealed that in general, the scores decreased in the more specialized scenarios (p > 0.05). Conclusions: ChatGPT shows potential as a supplementary resource for addressing sensitive postoperative questions such as sexual activity after THA. However, its limitations in providing nuanced, patient-specific recommendations highlight the need for further refinement. While ChatGPT can support general patient education, expert clinical guidance remains essential for addressing complex or individualized concerns. Full article