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PubMed1984

Effects of lecture information density on medical student achievement.

With the virtual explosion of biomedical information, the medical educator regularly faces a quandary regarding how much to include in the medical curriculum. Opinions differ regarding how much of the available information on a particular topic should be presented in a medical school lecture. To understand better the effect of lecture information density on learning by medical students, one of the authors gave a basic clinical lecture only or clinical lectures with varying amounts of semirelated information. Tests which measured only retention of the basic material were given before lecture attendance, immediately after the lecture, and 15 days later. The results indicated that increasing the information density of a lecture reduced retention of the basic information. The memory loss apparently was due to information presented late in the lecture displacing facts learned by the students earlier in the same hour. The data suggest that lectures to medical students are more effective aids to learning when the information density is limited to a few main points that are "essential to know."

Achievement↗
PubMed1998

A neural network classifier with disjunctive fuzzy information.

This paper presents a neural network classifier that learns disjunctive fuzzy information in the feature space. This neural network consists of two types of nodes in the hidden layer. The prototype nodes and exemplar nodes represent cluster centroids and exceptions in the feature space, respectively. This classifier automatically generates and refines prototypes for distinct clusters in the feature space. The number and sizes of these prototypes are not restricted, so the prototypes will form near-optimal decision regions to meet the distribution of input patterns and classify as many input patterns as possible. Next, exemplars will be created and expanded to learn the patterns that cannot be classified by the prototypes. Such a training strategy can reduce the memory requirement and speed up the process of non-linear classification. In addition, on-line learning is supplied in this classifier and the computational load is lightened. The experimental results manifest that this model can reduce the number of hidden nodes by determining the appropriate number of prototype nodes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Path information effects in visual and proprioceptive spatial learning.

Objects in an environment are often encountered sequentially during spatial learning, forming a path along which object locations are experienced. The present study investigated the effect of spatial information conveyed through the path in visual and proprioceptive learning of a room-sized spatial layout, exploring whether different modalities differentially depend on the integrity of the path. Learning object locations along a coherent path was compared with learning them in a spatially random manner. Path integrity had little effect on visual learning, whereas learning with the coherent path produced better memory performance than random order learning for proprioceptive learning. These results suggest that path information has differential effects in visual and proprioceptive spatial learning, perhaps due to a difference in the way one establishes a reference frame for representing relative locations of objects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

How learning one category influences the learning of another: intercategory generalization based on analogy and specific stimulus information.

We investigated the effect of learning one category structure on the learning of a related category structure. Photograph-name combinations, called identifiers, were associated with values of four demographic attributes. Two problems were related by analogous demographic attributes, common identifiers, or both to examine the impact of common identifier, related general characteristics, and the interaction of the two variables in mediating learning transfer from one category structure to another. Problems sharing the same identifier information prompted greater positive transfer than those not sharing the same identifier information. In contrast, analogous defining characteristics in the two problems did not facilitate transfer. We computed correlations between responses to first-problem stimuli and responses to analogous second-problem stimuli for each participant. The analogous characteristics produced a tendency to respond in the same way to corresponding stimuli in the two problems. The results support an alignment between category structures related by analogous defining characteristics, which is facilitated by specific identifier information shared by two category structures.

Generalization, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Learning-related development of context-specific neuronal responses to places and events: the hippocampal role in context processing.

Contextual information plays a key role in learning and memory. Learned information becomes associated with the context such that the context can cue the relevant memories and behaviors. An extensive literature involving experimental brain lesions has implicated the hippocampus in context processing. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms of context coding are not known. Although "context" has typically been defined in terms of the background cues, recent studies indicate that hippocampal neurons are sensitive to subtle changes in task demands, even in an unchanging environment. Thus, the context may also include non-environmental features of a learning situation. In the present study, hippocampal neuronal activity was recorded while rats learned to approach different reward locations in two contexts. Because all of the training took place in the same environment, the contexts were defined by the task demands rather than by environmental stimuli. Learning to differentiate two such contexts was associated with the development of highly context-specific neuronal firing patterns. These included different place fields in pyramidal neurons and different event (e.g., reward) responses in pyramidal and interneurons. The differential firing patterns did not develop in a control condition that did not involve a context manipulation. The context-specific firing patterns could modulate activity in extrahippocampal structures to prime context-appropriate behavioral responses and memories. These results provide direct support for a context processing role of the hippocampus and suggest that the hippocampus contributes contextual representations to episodic memories.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2004

Skill learning: putting procedural consolidation in context.

Information acquired during skill learning continues to be processed long after practice has ceased. An important aspect of this processing is thought to be the transformation of a memory from a fragile to a stable state: a concept challenged by a recent study.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Pacific's experience with Web-based instruction: bats in the belfry or Webs in the classroom?

BACKGROUND: There is a revolution underway in education that involves a shift from the traditional lecture style of information presentation toward a more active style of learning. Many educators now believe that students must actively participate in the learning process for information to be truly understood and retained. Coincident with this revolution, there is an increased understanding that the body of knowledge in most professions has become too large to retain in the brains of individuals. These concepts have opened the door to innovative, computer-based educational techniques. METHODS: Pacific University College of Optometry has used a variety of Web-based educational methodologies in selected classes. These have ranged from shifting classes totally to the Web, to using the Web for pre-class preparation. RESULTS: Initial student acceptance of Web-based courses has been good. However, an undesirable trend has emerged--the tendency for students to print out Web-presented material rather than reading from the computer screen. Other concerns with shifting material from lecture to the Web include peer and administrator acceptance of this teaching style and issues associated with evaluation of professors who no longer give stand-up lectures. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in educational theory are making their way into the Schools and Colleges of Optometry. These changes will place greater reliance on active learning, reduced student memorization, and increased use of computers as information storage and retrieval devices. This will change the fundamental way in which students are educated, and this, in turn, will change the way in which future doctors, patients, and computers interact in clinical settings.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗
PubMed1998

The recruitment and participation of Hispanic women in nursing research: a learning process.

Limited information is available regarding the selection of culturally appropriate methods for obtaining data from the Hispanic population, which is currently the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States. Due to this lack of knowledge which would guide the investigator in the recruitment and retention of Hispanics in research studies, the Hispanic population remains understudied and underserved. This article describes the numerous challenges that were encountered in the actual process of recruiting Hispanic women into a research study which examined adjustment among breast cancer survivors. The rate of refusal to participate was unexpectedly high, which necessitated additional recruitment strategies, including a renewed emphasis on the importance of the study and the option of meeting with other members of the community in a group. Women who refused to participate in the study stated concerns related to a loss of health benefits, the influence of family members, and a recurrence of emotional stress. Instrument issues are also addressed. This learning process of developing, refining, and testing effective methods for recruiting Hispanic women in research studies remains an ongoing endeavor; through these efforts it is hoped that culturally competent health care can become a reality.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Research report: learning styles of biomedical engineering students.

Examining students' learning styles can yield information useful to the design of learning activities, courses, and curricula. A variety of measures have been used to characterize learning styles, but the literature contains little information specific to biomedical engineering (BMEN) students. We, therefore, utilized Felder's Index of Learning Styles to investigate the learning style preferences of BMEN students at Tulane University. Tulane BMEN students preferred to receive information visually (preferred by 88% of the student sample) rather than verbally, focus on sensory information (55%) instead of intuitive information, process information actively (66%) instead of reflectively, and understand information globally (59%) rather than sequentially. These preferences varied between cohorts (freshman, sophomore, etc.) and a significantly higher percentage of female students preferred active and sensing learning styles. Compared to other engineering student populations, our sample of Tulane BMEN students contained the highest percentage of students preferring the global learning style. Whether this is a general trend for all BMEN students or a trait specific to Tulane engineers requires further investigation. Regardless, this study confirms the existence of a range of learning styles within biomedical engineering students, and provides motivation for instructors to consider how well their teaching style engages multiple learning styles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Autobiographical recollection and frontal damage.

A neuropsychological experiment on autobiographical retrieval of incidental past events, checked by means of a standardized enquiry, was carried out on a series of 16 patients with CT-assessed frontal lobe lesions. Of 16 patients, six were impaired on autobiographical retrieval. Moreover, eight were impaired on supraspan verbal learning. Impairment on both resulted in three patients, whereas in five there was no impairment on either test. Concordance between autobiographical and learning impairment was far from significant. Poor autobiographical retrieval correlated significantly with "executive" test performances and with the CT-verified bilaterality of the frontal damage. Poor learning of new information did not correlate significantly with "executive" performances, nor did it appear to be related to the hemispheric side or to the bilaterality of the frontal lesion. We propose that the relationship between the attentional system of retrieving from remote memory and of learning new information is qualitatively different.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

The neural basis of perceptual learning.

Perceptual learning is a lifelong process. We begin by encoding information about the basic structure of the natural world and continue to assimilate information about specific patterns with which we become familiar. The specificity of the learning suggests that all areas of the cerebral cortex are plastic and can represent various aspects of learned information. The neural substrate of perceptual learning relates to the nature of the neural code itself, including changes in cortical maps, in the temporal characteristics of neuronal responses, and in modulation of contextual influences. Top-down control of these representations suggests that learning involves an interaction between multiple cortical areas.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2005

New semantic learning and generalization in a patient with amnesia.

New learning of semantic information is impaired in amnesia. Several reports have demonstrated that "errorless" learning techniques have allowed patients with amnesia to acquire at least some form of new semantic information, although this information appears to be relatively inflexible. Using insights and principles from connectionist modeling of cortical and medial temporal lobe memory systems, the authors describe why errorless learning procedures act as a poor proxy for the medial temporal lobe, suggesting that they artificially eliminate the variability that defines semantic information. The authors trained a patient with severe amnesia on new semantic sentences both with and without variance and then tested him on both repeated and related novel sentences to assess generalization. He successfully learned new semantic information in both conditions but demonstrated better generalization of semantic concepts following training with variance.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Using information contained in the curriculum management information tool (CurrMIT) to capture opportunities for student learning and development.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how West Virginia University Medical School used the AAMC Curriculum Management Information Tool (CurrMIT) to map the undergraduate medical school curriculum. Information gleaned from this analysis identified what students are expected to learn, how they learn and how they are assessed. Information about the curriculum was entered into CurrMIT, creating a comprehensive picture of the curricular landscape. Learning outcomes were parceled out according to a competence-based framework. In addition, learning methods and assessment measures were identified. A total of 639 learning outcomes were identified across several competences. A total of 13 learning methods and 13 assessment measures were also identified in the undergraduate curriculum. The results suggest that students are expected to acquire varied knowledge, skills and attitudes. Further, students are presented with diverse learning methods and assessment measures. The curriculum map ascertains whether the program's components, such as learning outcomes, learning approaches and assessment methods, are designed and linked to further students' learning. This analysis will lead to curricular improvements. The implications of this work can help faculty, students and other academic stakeholders shift tacit expectations of learning and development to a curricular reality and, in turn, help prepare future physicians for the changing field of medicine.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2000

Methods used to interpret the 12-lead electrocardiogram: Pattern memorization versus the use of vector concepts.

This article extols the value of using Grant's approach to the interpretation of electrocardiograms (ECGs). The essay includes a discussion on how people learn and emphasizes the difference in memorizing information, thinking, and learning. Simply stated, the brains of most people are not designed to memorize countless numbers of ECG patterns. Accordingly, the essay supports the view that a method of interpretation must be used, and the reader is encouraged to use basic principles of electrocardiography, including vector concepts, to interpret each ECG.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed2005

Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta: lessons learned.

BACKGROUND: Available information on outcome and best strategies for thoracic endovascular repair is somewhat limited and unclear. We sought to gain a better understanding of these issues through a retrospective review of our 8-year clinical experience in the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 186 patients undergoing stent-graft repair of thoracic aortic lesions at our institution during the 92-month period ending on December 31, 2004 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the indication for treatment; group A had thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and group B had type B aortic dissections (TBAD). Both groups were analyzed for outcome variables including technical success, mortality, major morbidity, endoleak rate and type, secondary endovascular interventions, and long-term survival. Mean follow-up was 40 months (range, 1 to 92 months). RESULTS: Compared to group B, group A patients were older and had a higher incidence of peripheral vascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sixty percent of all patients were American Society of Anesthesiologists class III and the remainder were class IV (38.3%) and V (1.7%). The procedure was completed in 180 patients (96.7%), with all 6 failures being access-related. The average procedure time was 149 minutes (range, 72 to 405). The 30-day mortality was 4.7% (9 patients), and serious morbidity was 19.9% (37 patients). Eight patients (4.3%) developed spinal cord ischemia, 4 immediately after the procedure and 4 delayed (1 to 3 days). Total hospital length of stay averaged 6.7 days. Secondary endovascular interventions were successful in 17 patients with angiographically confirmed endoleaks (type I and III). At an average follow-up of 40 months, freedom from all-cause mortality was 62.5% in group A and 58.1% in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Stent-graft repair for TAA and TBAD can be achieved with high technical success and comparatively low rates of morbidity and mortality. Midterm survival appears to be favorable. Further refinements in device technology and procedural techniques are needed.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Genome data: what do we learn?

Genome sequence information has continued to accumulate at a spectacular pace during the past year. Details of the sequence and gene content of human chromosome 22 were published. The sequencing and annotation of the first two Arabidopsis thaliana chromosomes was completed. The sequence of chromosome 3 from Plasmodium falciparum, the second sequenced malaria chromosome, was reported, as was that of chromosome 1 from Leishmania major. The complete genomic sequences of five microbes were reported. Approaches to using data from completely sequenced microbial genomes in phylogenetic studies are being explored, as is the application of microarrays to whole genome expression analysis.

Animals↗