The effects of manipulated augmented sensory feedback on error detection when using a touch screen

The purpose of the present study was to determine which augmented sensory modality would best develop subjective error-detection capabilities of learners performing a spatial-temporal task when using a touch screen monitor. Participants were required to learn a 5-digit key-pressing task in a goal time of 2550 ms over 100 acquisition trials on a touch screen. Participants were randomized into 1 of 4 groups: 1) visual-feedback (colour change of button when selected), 2) auditory-feedback (click sound when button was selected), 3) visual-auditory feedback (both colour change and click sound when button was selected), and 4) no-feedback (no colour change or click sound when button was selected). Following each trial, participants were required to provide a subjective estimate regarding their performance time in relation to the actual time it took for them complete the 5-digit sequence. A no-KR retention test was conducted approximately 24-hours after the last completed acquisition trial. Results showed that practicing a timing task on a touch screen augmented with both visual and auditory information may have differentially impacted motor skill acquisition such that removal of one or both sources of augmented feedback did not result in a severe detriment to timing performance or error detection capabilities of the learner. The present study reflects the importance of multimodal augmented feedback conditions to maximize cognitive abilities for developing a stronger motor memory for subjective error-detection and correction capabilities.

The Lived Experience of Nursing Students With Formative Assessment Formally Embedded in Clinical Courses: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study

The potential of formative assessment (FA) for informing learning in classroom-based nursing courses is clearly established in the literature; however, research on FA in clinical courses remains scarce. This inquiry explored the lived experience of nursing students using transcendental phenomenology and described the phenomenon of being assessed in clinical courses. The research question guiding the study was: How is the phenomenon of assessment experienced by nursing students when FA is formally embedded in clinical courses? Inherent in this question were the following issues: (a) the meaning of clinical experiences for nursing students, (b) the meaning of being assessed through FA, and (c) what it is like to be assessed when FA is formally embedded within clinical experiences. The noematic themes that illuminated the whatness of the participants’ experience were (a) enabled cognitive activity, (b) useful feedback, (c) freedom to be, (d) enhanced focus, (e) stress moderator, and (f) respectful mentorship. The noetic themes associated with how the phenomenon was experienced were related to bodyhood, temporality, spatiality, and relationship to others. The results suggest a fundamental paradigm shift from traditional nursing education to a more pervasive integration of FA in clinical courses so that students have time to learn before being graded on their practice. Furthermore, this inquiry and the literature consulted provide evidence that using cognitive science theory to inform and reform clinical nursing education is a timely option to address the repeated calls from nursing leaders to modernize nursing education. This inquiry contributes to reduce our reliance on assumptions derived from research on FA in nursing classrooms and provides evidence based on the reality of using formative assessment in clinical courses. Recommendations for future research are presented.

Pelham Cares Inc. fonds, 1980-2015

The beginnings of Pelham Cares occurred in 1982 when the Mayor of Pelham, Eric Bergenstein, received a letter from Janet Hassall, a social worker with Niagara Regional Home Care. Hassall requested that a Social Service Committee be established in Pelham to address gaps in community services, a practice that several other communities in the Region had adopted. Such committees were commonly composed of church parishioners, so Bergenstein contacted Canon J. Nowe of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, who expressed an interest in participating in such a committee. Bergenstein arranged a meeting in June, 1982 at the United Church Hall in Fonthill, for any interested parties to learn more about the existing Social Service Committees in the Region. The meeting was not part of a Town Council project, but rather an initiative undertaken by Mayor Bergenstein in a personal capacity. Subsequent meetings chaired by Eric Bergenstein were held throughout the remainder of that year, during which the name of Pelham Cares was decided, a steering committee established, and services to be offered were determined. These initially included “visits with the lonely, the shut-ins, at home, hospital or on an outing ; run errands for those who are “stuck”; step in, in emergencies, or regularly, to free a parent or spouse who can’t otherwise get a “break”; in emergencies, provide food, clothing, furniture, medicine and other necessities”. The first official meeting of Pelham Cares occurred in January 1983. Currently, the main services offered by Pelham Cares are a food bank; transportation services to medical appointments; and sponsorship programs to allow youth with limited financial means to participate in sports, recreational and educational activities. The organization also provides emergency food, supplies or short term accommodation due to fire or other catastrophic loss, as well as providing referrals to appropriate organizations or agencies. Pelham Cares is dependent on the funding from community partners such as service clubs, citizens, local businesses, financial institutions and churches. These services are provided by volunteers and one part-time employee. A permanent location for Pelham Cares was established in 2014 with the purchase of a property on Highway 20 East in Fonthill, after a 30 years search for a permanent facility.