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Results for “skill learning”

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PubMed1994

When implicit learning fails: amnesia and the problem of error elimination.

We propose that one of the major functions of explicit memory is the elimination of learning errors. The hypothesis is explored by means of a stem completion task in which subjects are presented with stems having many potential completions, and in the initial phase are either encouraged to guess, the "errorful" procedure, or are provided with the correct completion, the "errorless" condition. Learning is then tested over a sequence of nine trials. The performance of amnesic subjects who are assumed to have good implicit but bad explicit learning is compared with that of normal elderly subjects, who are assumed to have an intermediate level of explicit learning skill, and young controls who are expected to be high in both implicit and explicit learning capacity. As predicted, errorless learning is beneficial, with the effect being particularly marked for the amnesic group. A detailed analysis of the intrusion errors supports an interpretation of the results in terms of the relative contribution to the three groups of implicit learning, which is assumed to be particularly vulnerable to interference. Implications for the analysis of normal learning, and for the rehabilitation of brain damaged patients are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1969

Visually discriminated behavior in a "blind" adolescent retardate.

A 16-yr-old retarded male, diagnosed organically blind and treated by those around him as a blind person, was given practice in discriminating visual stimuli. After training, he responded with significantly better than chance accuracy in a choice situation in which stimuli were as small as 18 pt Futura Medium type. In addition, he was trained to look at the experimenter's eyes when instructed to do so. Control procedures revealed that it was the reinforcement contingency that functioned to establish and maintain eye contact. Eye contact with the experimenter generalized in a limited way to situations in which this behavior was not reinforced, though not to a neutral individual. When the boy was required to use visual cues to help himself in a cafeteria line, he soon emitted the necessary behaviors, where formerly he had been assisted by others. Resumption of assistance markedly decreased self-help, suggesting that continued use of any newly learned skills would depend on the response of the individuals in his environment. The boy also learned eating behavior that appeared to require the use of visual cues.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Team approach to teaching participatory group process involving natural resources and agriculture.

Contemporary issues are defined by people who share diverse and often strongly defended views about the topic. In Oregon, citizens are increasingly being asked or expected to participate in complex decisions that require a consensus. Rather than teach one professor's synthesis of a contemporary natural resource issue, faculty from six disciplines coach group process, interactive learning skills, and systems thinking as a way to address complex issues from multiple perspectives. Students learn by grappling with a natural resource issue of their choice within groups based on a diversity among majors, degree status, and gender. Students define situation (S), brainstorm new or different targets (T), and analyze two or more pathways (P), using an STP learning and action process. Exploring potential pathways involves defining possible consequences, stakeholder views, feasibility (ecological, social, economic, and political), and planning that includes expected behavior of the improved system over time. Students present their topics and improvements showing systemic relationships, systematic analysis, and integration of scientific facts and secondary data at midterm and during finals. Reflective learning is fostered throughout the course with prompted questions in a journal notebook. Grading criteria promote meaningful inquiry and participation in group process combined with integration of scientific facts and reflective learning.

Agriculture↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship between serum testosterone and visuomotor learning in hand skill in right-handed young women.

The relationship between serum testosterone level and motor learning in hand skill was studied in right-handed young women. Hand skill was assessed by a peg moving task. Subjects were required to shift 25 pegs from one of two parallel rows to the corresponding holes as fast as possible, first with right and then with left hand. One trial consisted of the time elapsed to move 25 pegs with one hand. Ten trials were performed by each hand. Peg moving times for the right and left hands linearly decreased at each successive trial (visuomotor learning). Subjects were divided into two subgroups as those having serum testosterone concentrations below and above the mean. The right hand skill and its motor learning was found to be better in subjects with low testosterone than those with high testosterone. The left hand skill was better in subjects with low testosterone than those with high testosterone; there was no significant difference in the left-hand learning in subjects with low and high testosterone (parallel regression lines). Motor learning linearly decreased with testosterone for the right hand, not for the left hand. These results seem to be in accord with the testosterone theory of cerebral lateralization (Geschwind & Behan, 1982).

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Effects of long-term practice and task complexity in musicians and nonmusicians performing simple and complex motor tasks: implications for cortical motor organization.

Motor practice induces plastic changes within the cortical motor system. Whereas rapidly evolving changes of cortical motor representations were the subject of a number of recent studies, effects of long-term practice on the motor system are so far poorly understood. In the present study pianists and nonmusicians were investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Both groups performed simple and complex movement sequences on a keyboard with the right hand, the tasks requiring different levels of ordinal complexity. The aim of this study was to characterize motor representations related to sequence complexity and to long-term motor practice. In nonmusicians, complex motor sequences showed higher fMRI activations of the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and the rostral part of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) compared to simple motor sequences, whereas musicians showed no differential activations. These results may reflect the higher level of visuomotor integration required in the complex task in nonmusicians, whereas in musicians this rostral premotor network was employed during both tasks. Comparison of subject groups revealed increased activation of a more caudal premotor network in nonmusicians comprising the caudal part of the PMd and the supplementary motor area. This supports recent results suggesting a specialization within PMd. Furthermore, we conclude that plasticity due to long-term practice mainly occurs in caudal motor areas directly related to motor execution. The slowly evolving changes in M1 during motor skill learning may extend to adjacent areas, leading to more effective motor representations in pianists.

Adult↗

PubMed2007

Social skills training for adolescents with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism.

The effectiveness of a social skills training group for adolescents with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism (AS/HFA) was evaluated. Parents of six groups of adolescents (n = 46, 61% male, mean age 14.6) completed questionnaires immediately before and after the 12-week group. Parents and adolescents were surveyed regarding their experience with the group. Significant pre- to post-treatment gains were found on measures of both social competence and problem behaviors associated with AS/HFA. Effect sizes ranged from .34 to .72. Adolescents reported more perceived skill improvements than did parents. Parent-reported improvement suggests that social skills learned in group sessions generalize to settings outside the treatment group. Larger, controlled studies of social skills training groups would be valuable.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Improvement of Memory by Means of Ultra-Low Doses of Antibodies to S-100B Antigen.

Antigen S-100B of nervous tissue, according to the data of numerous studies, affects the mechanisms of nervous system plasticity and memory. The influence of ultralow doses of antibodies to S-100B (6C dilution, according to the homeopathic pharmacopoeia) has been studied on three learning behavioral models on Wistar rats, which were inhibitory avoidance, choosing of bowls with sucrose and feeding behavior cessation after auditory signal. For all three tasks, parameters of reproduction of the learned skills improved after per oral administration of potentiated antibodies to S-100B antigen immediately after learning. Possible mechanisms of the anti-S-100B antibodies influence on memory formation are discussed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Using problem-based learning to redesign nursing administration masters programs.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is offered as an appropriate pedagogy to prepare nurse managers for the uncertainties of future administrative practice. It is a student-centered, experiential learning strategy aimed at developing clinical reasoning, structuring knowledge in real-life contexts, motivating learning, and developing self-learning skills. Health professions and business schools report positive feedback from their stakeholders after adopting this new learning paradigm.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗

PubMed1980

The training characteristics of severely head-injured patients: a preliminary study.

It is argued that an important aspect of rehabilitation after severe head injury lies in training or retraining victims in skills required for independent living. Despite this, very little is known about the training characteristics of head injured patients. It is shown that in the acquisition of a psychomotor skill severely head injured subjects have very poor starting levels as compared to normal controls. They show impressive learning to the extent that they considerably close the gap between themselves and the controls. They also show appreciable transfer of the learned skill from one version of the task to another. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for further understanding of the training process in head injured subjects in ways that could reflect upon clinical practice in rehabilitation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Clinical anatomy and surgical skills training (CASST): development of a multicenter, multidisciplinary program.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this program was to develop a multicenter, multidisciplinary anatomy and surgical skills training program for junior residents in obstetrics and gynecology and urology. STUDY DESIGN: After administering a needs assessment, we developed a collaborative clinical anatomy and surgical skills training program for junior residents in obstetrics and gynecology and urology at 3 academic medical centers in Chicago. RESULTS: Thirty-two residents participated in the program. Needs assessment results indicated that all residents felt they could benefit by more formal training in basic surgical skills. Learning objectives were developed for each of the 5 3-hour sessions that dealt with basic surgical skills, anterior abdominal wall anatomy, opening and closing the abdomen, female pelvic anatomy, and perineal anatomy and laceration repair. The cost of training each of the residents was approximately 600 dollars. Forty-five percent of the costs were one-time "start-up" costs for abdominal trainers and surgical instruments. CONCLUSION: By including multiple centers and disciplines, we were able to reduce costs of teaching basic surgical skills and anatomy and maximize faculty teaching time and effort.

Abdomen↗

PubMed2005

Neuroplasticity, learning and recovery after stroke: a critical evaluation of constraint-induced therapy.

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) has been hailed as a radical new approach to stroke rehabilitation. The guiding theory is that impairment of hand function is exacerbated by learned non-use and that this in turn leads to a loss of cortical representation of the upper limb. It is claimed that these processes can be reversed by two weeks of constraint of the unaffected limb combined with intensive practice in use of the paretic hand, and numerous small-scale studies have suggested that CIMT can lead to large improvements in function more than a year after stroke. However, the theory of learned non-use is open to question and there is uncertainty about the nature of the improvements induced by CIMT. The greatest effect seems to be increased spontaneous use of the hand, either through reduction of learned non-use or by overcoming the sense of effort during movement. There is also evidence of some improvement on dexterity tests but no studies have analysed in detail whether this reflects reduction of basic motor impairment or learning of compensatory movement strategies. The current weight of evidence is in favour of compensatory learning. Cortical changes detected by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or functional imaging may reflect this compensatory motor skill learning rather than restoration of representations lost due to the infarct or non-use of the limb. If future studies confirm this then the clinical implication is that direct teaching of unimanual or bimanual compensatory strategies might be a more productive approach than constraint.

Brain↗

PubMed2005

Nursing research committee makes plans for the coming year.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) enhances the care of patients and families by guiding nurses in their patient care. Nursing leaders, health care administrators and policy-makers are increasingly requiring that nursing practice be based on the best available evidence. Murdoch (2004) stated that a review and synthesis of existing research is essential to identify the best available evidence. Koop (2002) further reflected on the challenges faced by oncology nurses when there are clinical situations for which there is little or no empirical evidence on which to base nursing decisions. A need to learn skills and gain confidence in identifying the best available evidence frequently motivates staff nurses and clinicians to learn more about critical appraisal of the research literature. At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) these needs have prompted nurses to enrol in the research utilization (RU) course that the health centre offers. This column will outline the context and components of the RU course and summarize feedback from participants. Challenges and limitations of this strategy and its relationship to oncology nursing practice are highlighted.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗

PubMed2005

A research course to promote evidence-based nursing practice.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) enhances the care of patients and families by guiding nurses in their patient care. Nursing leaders, health care administrators and policymakers are increasingly requiring that nursing practice be based on the best available evidence. Murdoch (2004) stated that a review and synthesis of existing research is essential to identify the best available evidence. Koop (2002) further reflected on the challenges faced by oncology nurses when there are clinical situations for which there is little or no empirical evidence on which to base nursing decisions. A need to learn skills and gain confidence in identifying the best available evidence frequently motivates staff nurses and clinicians to learn more about critical appraisal of the research literature. At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), these needs have prompted nurses to enrol in the research utilization (RU) course that the health centre offers. This column will outline the context and components of the RU course and summarize feedback from participants. Challenges and limitations of this strategy and its relationship to oncology nursing practice are highlighted.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗

PubMed1996

Social skill deficits and learning disabilities: a meta-analysis.

Over the past 15 years, increased attention has been directed at social skills and their relationship to learning disabilities. Using the methods of meta-analysis, this investigation explores the nature of social skill deficits among students with learning disabilities. Across 152 studies, quantitative synthesis shows that, on average, about 75% of students with learning disabilities manifest social skill deficits that distinguish them from comparison samples. Approximately the same level of group differentiation is found across different raters (teachers, peers, self) and across most dimensions of social competence. Although social skill deficits appear to be an integral part of the learning disability experience, a number of questions about the relationship between learning disability and social skill deficits remain unanswered. Until these questions are answered, social skill deficits are best viewed as one among many elements of the learning disability constellation, and no significant definitional changes related to social skill deficits appear warranted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Processing abilities associated with phonologic and orthographic skills in adult learning disability.

Measures of orthographic and phonologic skills were related to co-normed Woodcock Johnson-Revised (WJ-R) cognitive measures in 138 college age, learning problem adults. Only orthographic deficits were associated with a processing disorder (p<.001). Selective processing abilities were associated with phonologic (p<.001, Delta adj R(2)=.053) and orthographic (p<.001, Delta adj R(2)=.047) skills after removal of variance associated with general intelligence. Analyses found common processing abilities across both phonologic and orthographic skills for WJ-R visual processing (-Gv) and short-term memory processing factors (Gsm) (p<.001). Cluster analysis established a phonologic deficit and a double deficit (phonologic and orthographic) group. Discussion relates results to the differences between adult and child reading decoding deficits, the lack of a selective orthographically impaired subtype of dyslexia, and the evidence of visual processing compensation for reading problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Learning and utilization of generic skills by practitioners in the field of clinical laboratory science/medical technology.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether and to what extent generic skills that are learned by practitioners are used on their clinical laboratory science/medical technologist (CLS/MT) jobs; and to determine if there are any significant differences in learning and/or using these skills by practitioners who were CLS/MT vs. Other BA/BS degree majors. DESIGN: In the field (ITF) laboratory practitioners were surveyed as to whether or not they: 1) were CLS/MT program graduates; 2) utilized the following generic skills in their jobs: analytical reasoning, communication, computer use, data correlation, decision making, precision studies, problem solving, quality assessment, supervision, teaching, technical writing, troubleshooting, research and utilization review; 3) learned these skills as students or practitioners. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from 515 CLS/MT ITF participants who were part of an ongoing longitudinal study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were asked if they were CLS/MT program graduates; whether they used the skills frequently, sometimes, rarely or never; and whether they initially learned the skills as students or developed them on the job (OTJ). Chi square analyses were performed to test for differences among groups. RESULTS: The response rate was 44%. Frequencies for using the skills were generally over 90% with three exceptions reported as rarely or never used by the majority of the respondents, and two exceptions reported as being approximately equally used or not used by the respondents. A sizable minority (23% to 45%) of the sample reported never learning six of the skills. Significant (p < 0.05) chi square results occurred between learning and utilizing the following skills: computer use, participation in research, problem solving, supervision, technical writing and utilization studies. Although a consistently higher proportion of the CLS/MT graduates reported learning the skills as students and Other BA/BS graduates reported learning them OTJ, no significant differences between these sub-groups were observed for either learning or using these skills. CONCLUSION: For this sample group, most generic skills learned as CLS/MT students and/or practitioners are applied to the ITF jobs and are generally congruent with what is being taught in CLS/MT programs. However, there are some notable exceptions.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2006

Elephant brain. Part I: gross morphology, functions, comparative anatomy, and evolution.

We report morphological data on brains of four African, Loxodonta africana, and three Asian elephants, Elephas maximus, and compare findings to literature. Brains exhibit a gyral pattern more complex and with more numerous gyri than in primates, humans included, and in carnivores, but less complex than in cetaceans. Cerebral frontal, parietal, temporal, limbic, and insular lobes are well developed, whereas the occipital lobe is relatively small. The insula is not as opercularized as in man. The temporal lobe is disproportionately large and expands laterally. Humans and elephants have three parallel temporal gyri: superior, middle, and inferior. Hippocampal sizes in elephants and humans are comparable, but proportionally smaller in elephant. A possible carotid rete was observed at the base of the brain. Brain size appears to be related to body size, ecology, sociality, and longevity. Elephant adult brain averages 4783 g, the largest among living and extinct terrestrial mammals; elephant neonate brain averages 50% of its adult brain weight (25% in humans). Cerebellar weight averages 18.6% of brain (1.8 times larger than in humans). During evolution, encephalization quotient has increased by 10-fold (0.2 for extinct Moeritherium, approximately 2.0 for extant elephants). We present 20 figures of the elephant brain, 16 of which contain new material. Similarities between human and elephant brains could be due to convergent evolution; both display mosaic characters and are highly derived mammals. Humans and elephants use and make tools and show a range of complex learning skills and behaviors. In elephants, the large amount of cerebral cortex, especially in the temporal lobe, and the well-developed olfactory system, structures associated with complex learning and behavioral functions in humans, may provide the substrate for such complex skills and behavior.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Ethical and educational considerations in minimally invasive surgery training for practicing surgeons.

There is an opportunity to improve the training of practicing surgeons in minimal access techniques. Such improvement is desirable because it would allow for the introduction of innovation in a way that maximizes the benefit for patients while minimizing the harm that can result from the introduction of new techniques after inadequate training. This goal is consistent with basic biomedical principles that govern the behavior of surgeons. Individuals who place themselves in the role of a teacher of surgeons accept another level of responsibility and are governed not only by biomedical ethics but also by the ethics of teaching. Adherence to these two different governing ethical principles compels these teachers to apply the best educational principles in the development of educational courses. Review of motor skill learning theory would suggest that effective feedback and adequate practice opportunities are essential for the acquisition of motor skill and should be integrated into all skills-type continuing medical educational courses. The present trend is toward more objectivity in skill evaluation although evidence that this actually improves evaluation is lacking. Curriculum development and evaluation of this specific type of training course should follow those general principles proposed for the development of effective continuing medical education.

Clinical Competence↗