Kirsti Lonka | University of Helsinki (original) (raw)
Papers by Kirsti Lonka
Advances in Health Sciences Education, 2008
Clinical teachers often complain that medical students have forgotten or somehow ''lost'' knowled... more Clinical teachers often complain that medical students have forgotten or somehow ''lost'' knowledge that has been taught at pre-clinical levels at the time of entering the clinical part of education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, whether transfer of knowledge was identified as a problem by the teaching staff of anatomy and surgery, and if so, what strategies they used to overcome it. Semistructured interviews were conducted with ten medical teachers in anatomy and surgery. Most teachers recognised that there was a problem of transfer and some individuals had adopted strategies to address this. However, there was no formal educational strategy suggested to overcome the problem of transfer. The conclusion is that transfer needs to be addressed both by basic science teachers and clinical teachers. There is a need for a mutual educational discourse of the contexts students will face.
Proceedings of the …, 2008
Abstract: The Contextual Activity Sampling System (CASS) research methodology and the CASS-Query ... more Abstract: The Contextual Activity Sampling System (CASS) research methodology and the CASS-Query mobile application have been developed for contextually tracking of participants' object-oriented activities. The method relies on Ecological Momentary ...
Previous studies have examined the neural correlates of receiving negative feedback from peers du... more Previous studies have examined the neural correlates of receiving negative feedback from peers during virtual social interaction in young people. However, there is a lack of studies using platforms adolescents use in daily life. In the present study, 92 participants ages 17 to 20 performed a task that involved receiving positive and negative feedback from peers in a Facebook-like platform, while brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We also studied the effects of real-life habits of social media use on neural sensitivity to negative feedback. Peer feedback was shown to activate clusters in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (STG/STS), and occipital cortex (OC). Negative feedback was related to greater activity in the VLPFC, MPFC, and anterior insula than positive feedback, replicating previous findings on peer feedback and social rejection. Habits of social med...
Higher Education
University students' epistemic beliefs may have practical consequences for studying and success i... more University students' epistemic beliefs may have practical consequences for studying and success in higher education. Such beliefs constitute epistemic theories that may empirically manifest themselves as epistemic profiles. This study examined university students' epistemic profiles and their relations to conceptions of learning, age, gender, discipline, and academic achievement. The participants were 1515 students from five faculties who completed questionnaires about epistemic beliefs, including a subsample who also completed a questionnaire that included conceptions of learning. We measured epistemic beliefs: reflective learning, collaborative knowledge-building, valuing metacognition, certain knowledge, and practical value. First, we analyzed structural validity by using confirmatory factor analysis. Second, we conducted latent profile analysis that revealed three epistemic profiles: Pragmatic (49%), reflective-collaborative (26%) and fact-oriented (25%). Then, we compared the conceptions of learning across the profiles as well as demographic information, credits, and grades. The profiles' conceptions of learning varied: The reflective-collaborative group scored high on conception of learning named "construction of knowledge." Its members were more likely to be females, teachers, and mature students, and they had the highest academic achievement. The fact-oriented group (mostly engineering/science students) scored highest on "intake of knowledge." The pragmatic group scored highest on "use of knowledge:" During the second year, their academic achievement improved. In sum, the epistemic profiles were closely related to conceptions of learning and also associated with academic achievement.
Journal of Writing Research, Oct 1, 2017
responsibi the fact, t ultimately protagonis students' w of the Wri To do this questionn hypothes... more responsibi the fact, t ultimately protagonis students' w of the Wri To do this questionn hypothesi The res knowledg factor. Th suggest th two group as a solita Process Q properties
Frontiers in Psychology
The focus of the current study was to examine teachers' well-being in terms of work engagement an... more The focus of the current study was to examine teachers' well-being in terms of work engagement and burnout by using a person-oriented approach. The participants (n = 149, 70.5% female) were subject-matter teachers from 22 schools from metropolitan Helsinki area in Finland. The first aim was to examine the kinds of profiles we can identify based on work burnout and engagement among teachers. The second aim was to study how the identified profiles differed in job-related demands and resources and personal resources in terms of resilience. Based on the demandsresources model, we expected to find profiles that differ in terms of key resources and demands. The sample was acquired as a convenience sample and the data was collected using online self-report questionnaires. The measures were work engagement, work burnout, work demands/resources (workload and control) and resilience as the personal resource. In addition, changes and effects of the economic circumstances were accounted for with two binary variables assessing the effect on class sizes and material resources. We identified two profiles among teachers: engaged (30%) and engaged-burnout (70%) profiles. We found that those in the engaged profile group had more job and personal resources, such as control and resilience, whereas those in the engaged-burnout profile group experienced more work demands, such as workload.
Higher Education
using a person-centred approach. We also studied differences between profiles in terms of experie... more using a person-centred approach. We also studied differences between profiles in terms of experienced well-being and perceptions of the learning environment. The participants of our study (n = 664) were PhD students from three faculties at the University of Helsinki, Finland. The Writing Process Questionnaire (Lonka et al., 2014) was used to measure writing conceptions and problematic writing. Well-being was measured by MED NORD, adapted to the doctoral context (Lonka et al., 2008; Stubb, Pyhältö & Lonka, 2011) and Perceptions of the learning environment, using specific items from Dahlin et al. (2005). PhD students with similar patterns of writing variables were identified through latent profile analysis (LPA). We conducted one-way ANOVAs to examine group differences with respect to well-being and perceptions of learning environment. We identified three writing profiles: Growth-Transforming (51%), Ambivalent (40%), and Fixed-Blocking (9%) groups. The Fixed-Blocking group reported a lack of interest the most often and also reported receiving the least feedback. The Growth-Transforming group was the most and the Fixed-Blocking group the least satisfied with their studies. It appeared that epistemic beliefs related to research writing were most decisive in differentiation among PhD students. Blocks were related to beliefs in innate ability. We concluded that although problems in writing are quite common, epistemic beliefs may be even more decisive in terms of successful research writing.
Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education
The Engaging Learning Environment (ELE) model was introduced into a company’s work-place to suppo... more The Engaging Learning Environment (ELE) model was introduced into a company’s work-place to support the learning and well-being of the employees. The participants were 107 middle managers: E-learning group (n = 42) and a comparison group (n = 42) as well as a blended ELE intervention group (n = 23) assigned by the company that combined e-learning and face-to-face sessions. All groups participated in pre- and post-tests. The participants’ knowledge was assessed by 16 MCQs and their application skills by the Dealing with Challenging Interaction (DCI) method which consisted of case studies. The descriptions of how to act in case situations were content analysed. A repeated measures GLM was used to determine whether knowledge and skills changed during the leadership training, and whether their belonging to one of the groups had any bearing on this. The analysis showed that the e-learning group improved their performance more than the comparison group and the results of the ELE intervent...
Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education
Töökohal õppimise soodustamiseks ja töötajate heaolu suurendamiseks katsetati ühes ettevõttes kaa... more Töökohal õppimise soodustamiseks ja töötajate heaolu suurendamiseks katsetati ühes ettevõttes kaasava õpikeskkonna (ELE) mudelit. Uuringus osales 107 keskastmejuhti, kes jagati kolme rühma: e-õppe rühma (n = 42), võrdlusrühma (n = 42) ja ettevõtte moodustatud kaasava õpikeskkonna põimõppe rühma (n = 23), milles kasutati nii e-õpet kui ka kontaktõpet. Kõik rühmad osalesid eel- ja järeltestimises. Osalejate teadmisi hinnati 16 valikvastustega küsimuse põhjal ja teadmiste rakenda mise oskusi juhtumitel põhineva keeruliste suhtlusolukordadega toimetuleku meetodi abil. Kirjeldusi selle kohta, kuidas käituda juhtumina esitatud olukordades, analüüsiti sisuanalüüsi põhimõtetest lähtudes. Seda, kas osavõtjate teadmised ja oskused koolituse tulemusena muutusid ja kas kuulumine ühte või teise rühma avaldas muutustele mõju, hinnati kordusmõõtmiste üldistatud lineaarsete mudelitega. A nalüüsist ilmnes, et e-õppe rühma tulemused paranesid enam kui võrdlusrühma omad ning kaasava õpikeskkonna põimõ...
Learning and Individual Differences
The present study investigated the dynamic nature of students' daily experiences and general stud... more The present study investigated the dynamic nature of students' daily experiences and general study engagement using intra-individual assessment. More specifically, we examined individual differences in the relationship between university students' task-specific value and situational emotions and, further, whether first-year study engagement would moderate this association during the first two years of studies. Intra-individual state assessments were conducted via mobile phone-based experience sampling method (ESM) during participants' first (N = 72) and second (N = 56) academic years, resulting in 3089 and 2912 fully completed state questionnaires. In both years, students were asked five times a day over two weeks how important they perceived their current activity and their positive and negative emotions. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, we found that, on average, a higher perception of task-specific value was associated with higher positive emotions and lower negative emotions within individuals. However, individual differences were detected in the value-emotion relations especially during the second academic year. Finally, the findings indicated that overall study engagement, measured at the beginning of the first academic year, predicted between-person differences in these within-person relationships both years.
The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences
'Learning environment' usually refers to the social and pedagogical contexts in which learning oc... more 'Learning environment' usually refers to the social and pedagogical contexts in which learning occurs. However, physical learning environment and its relation to learning are often neglected. The present study explored the relationship between chemistry student perceptions of physical space, social space and mental space regarding learning. Qualitative data were collected among chemistry students by focus-group interviews (n=21). The data showed that the students' experienced competence and sufficiency of guidance, through either social or physical modalities, were strongly related to their sense of safety. This, in turn, may affect cognitive resources available for learning, which should be addressed in pedagogical design.
Learning and Individual Differences, 2016
Entrance to university does not automatically lead to high academic engagement and success, and t... more Entrance to university does not automatically lead to high academic engagement and success, and there may be individual differences in student engagement. In the present study, university students' (N=668) academic engagement and disengagement profiles, and the differences between them in terms of academic achievement, were investigated. Students from introductory courses were classified by Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) into homogenous groups having similar patterns according to the following variables: study engagement, study-related exhaustion, lack of interest, lack of self-regulation, and uncertainty of one's career choice. Four groups of students were identified: engaged, disengaged, undecided, and alienated. Engaged students received the highest grades, with disengaged and undecided students performing most poorly. In addition, the profiles were related to the behavioral indicators of engagement (i.e., ECTS credits). Even after two years of studying, engaged students were performing better than disengaged students. The study's implications for both research and practice are discussed.
Journal of youth and adolescence, Jan 2, 2016
Recent research shows an increased concern with well-being at school and potential problems assoc... more Recent research shows an increased concern with well-being at school and potential problems associated with students' use of socio-digital technologies, i.e., the mobile devices, computers, social media, and the Internet. Simultaneously with supporting creative social activities, socio-digital participation may also lead to compulsive and addictive behavioral patterns affecting both general and school-related mental health problems. Using two longitudinal data waves gathered among 1702 (53 % female) early (age 12-14) and 1636 (64 % female) late (age 16-18) Finnish adolescents, we examined cross-lagged paths between excessive internet use, school engagement and burnout, and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed reciprocal cross-lagged paths between excessive internet use and school burnout among both adolescent groups: school burnout predicted later excessive internet use and excessive internet use predicted later school burnout. Reciprocal paths between scho...
Medical Education, Oct 12, 2001
Context The aim of the national`IT Culture in Medical Education' project in Finland is to enhance... more Context The aim of the national`IT Culture in Medical Education' project in Finland is to enhance the opportunities new technology may provide for medical education. The project focuses on attitudes towards information technology (IT) and on its current use among teachers and students. Method This survey was part of a Finnish nationwide project in medical education. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire designed to gather information about IT use in medical education, sent to teachers and students. The questions were 5-point Likert-type. The participants were medical teachers (n 196) and medical students (n 392) at two medical schools. Results In both universities, it appeared that medical teachers and students had a very positive attitude toward the advances in modern technology. In addition to the favourable attitudes, computer-related technology was also widely applied. Teachers, however, used information technology more in their research work than in teaching. Conclusions The results pose challenges to medical education and underline the importance of educational and psychological knowledge in combination with new technical skills.
British Journal of Educational Psychology, Jun 1, 1989
ABSTRACT . Two samples of essay-type answers in examinations of high school graduate candidates w... more ABSTRACT . Two samples of essay-type answers in examinations of high school graduate candidates were analysed applying a two-way classification scheme. The unit of classification was “a thought”, expressing by one or more sentences a coherent idea. Both the subject matter treated and the way it was treated were taken into account in the classification of thoughts. The treatment in expressions was rated as reproductive or as elaborative. Consistent with previous findings, the length of an essay answer correlated strongly with grades. Here it is also shown that elaborated thoughts were significantly longer than reproduced ones. Accordingly, the well-known correlation between length and grade is not a triviality: it also reflects qualitative properties of essays which are appreciated by teachers. Among these are the amount of elaboration as well as the amount and quality of school knowledge.
Computers in Human Behavior, 2016
Advances in Health Sciences Education, 2008
Clinical teachers often complain that medical students have forgotten or somehow ''lost'' knowled... more Clinical teachers often complain that medical students have forgotten or somehow ''lost'' knowledge that has been taught at pre-clinical levels at the time of entering the clinical part of education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, whether transfer of knowledge was identified as a problem by the teaching staff of anatomy and surgery, and if so, what strategies they used to overcome it. Semistructured interviews were conducted with ten medical teachers in anatomy and surgery. Most teachers recognised that there was a problem of transfer and some individuals had adopted strategies to address this. However, there was no formal educational strategy suggested to overcome the problem of transfer. The conclusion is that transfer needs to be addressed both by basic science teachers and clinical teachers. There is a need for a mutual educational discourse of the contexts students will face.
Proceedings of the …, 2008
Abstract: The Contextual Activity Sampling System (CASS) research methodology and the CASS-Query ... more Abstract: The Contextual Activity Sampling System (CASS) research methodology and the CASS-Query mobile application have been developed for contextually tracking of participants' object-oriented activities. The method relies on Ecological Momentary ...
Previous studies have examined the neural correlates of receiving negative feedback from peers du... more Previous studies have examined the neural correlates of receiving negative feedback from peers during virtual social interaction in young people. However, there is a lack of studies using platforms adolescents use in daily life. In the present study, 92 participants ages 17 to 20 performed a task that involved receiving positive and negative feedback from peers in a Facebook-like platform, while brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We also studied the effects of real-life habits of social media use on neural sensitivity to negative feedback. Peer feedback was shown to activate clusters in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (STG/STS), and occipital cortex (OC). Negative feedback was related to greater activity in the VLPFC, MPFC, and anterior insula than positive feedback, replicating previous findings on peer feedback and social rejection. Habits of social med...
Higher Education
University students' epistemic beliefs may have practical consequences for studying and success i... more University students' epistemic beliefs may have practical consequences for studying and success in higher education. Such beliefs constitute epistemic theories that may empirically manifest themselves as epistemic profiles. This study examined university students' epistemic profiles and their relations to conceptions of learning, age, gender, discipline, and academic achievement. The participants were 1515 students from five faculties who completed questionnaires about epistemic beliefs, including a subsample who also completed a questionnaire that included conceptions of learning. We measured epistemic beliefs: reflective learning, collaborative knowledge-building, valuing metacognition, certain knowledge, and practical value. First, we analyzed structural validity by using confirmatory factor analysis. Second, we conducted latent profile analysis that revealed three epistemic profiles: Pragmatic (49%), reflective-collaborative (26%) and fact-oriented (25%). Then, we compared the conceptions of learning across the profiles as well as demographic information, credits, and grades. The profiles' conceptions of learning varied: The reflective-collaborative group scored high on conception of learning named "construction of knowledge." Its members were more likely to be females, teachers, and mature students, and they had the highest academic achievement. The fact-oriented group (mostly engineering/science students) scored highest on "intake of knowledge." The pragmatic group scored highest on "use of knowledge:" During the second year, their academic achievement improved. In sum, the epistemic profiles were closely related to conceptions of learning and also associated with academic achievement.
Journal of Writing Research, Oct 1, 2017
responsibi the fact, t ultimately protagonis students' w of the Wri To do this questionn hypothes... more responsibi the fact, t ultimately protagonis students' w of the Wri To do this questionn hypothesi The res knowledg factor. Th suggest th two group as a solita Process Q properties
Frontiers in Psychology
The focus of the current study was to examine teachers' well-being in terms of work engagement an... more The focus of the current study was to examine teachers' well-being in terms of work engagement and burnout by using a person-oriented approach. The participants (n = 149, 70.5% female) were subject-matter teachers from 22 schools from metropolitan Helsinki area in Finland. The first aim was to examine the kinds of profiles we can identify based on work burnout and engagement among teachers. The second aim was to study how the identified profiles differed in job-related demands and resources and personal resources in terms of resilience. Based on the demandsresources model, we expected to find profiles that differ in terms of key resources and demands. The sample was acquired as a convenience sample and the data was collected using online self-report questionnaires. The measures were work engagement, work burnout, work demands/resources (workload and control) and resilience as the personal resource. In addition, changes and effects of the economic circumstances were accounted for with two binary variables assessing the effect on class sizes and material resources. We identified two profiles among teachers: engaged (30%) and engaged-burnout (70%) profiles. We found that those in the engaged profile group had more job and personal resources, such as control and resilience, whereas those in the engaged-burnout profile group experienced more work demands, such as workload.
Higher Education
using a person-centred approach. We also studied differences between profiles in terms of experie... more using a person-centred approach. We also studied differences between profiles in terms of experienced well-being and perceptions of the learning environment. The participants of our study (n = 664) were PhD students from three faculties at the University of Helsinki, Finland. The Writing Process Questionnaire (Lonka et al., 2014) was used to measure writing conceptions and problematic writing. Well-being was measured by MED NORD, adapted to the doctoral context (Lonka et al., 2008; Stubb, Pyhältö & Lonka, 2011) and Perceptions of the learning environment, using specific items from Dahlin et al. (2005). PhD students with similar patterns of writing variables were identified through latent profile analysis (LPA). We conducted one-way ANOVAs to examine group differences with respect to well-being and perceptions of learning environment. We identified three writing profiles: Growth-Transforming (51%), Ambivalent (40%), and Fixed-Blocking (9%) groups. The Fixed-Blocking group reported a lack of interest the most often and also reported receiving the least feedback. The Growth-Transforming group was the most and the Fixed-Blocking group the least satisfied with their studies. It appeared that epistemic beliefs related to research writing were most decisive in differentiation among PhD students. Blocks were related to beliefs in innate ability. We concluded that although problems in writing are quite common, epistemic beliefs may be even more decisive in terms of successful research writing.
Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education
The Engaging Learning Environment (ELE) model was introduced into a company’s work-place to suppo... more The Engaging Learning Environment (ELE) model was introduced into a company’s work-place to support the learning and well-being of the employees. The participants were 107 middle managers: E-learning group (n = 42) and a comparison group (n = 42) as well as a blended ELE intervention group (n = 23) assigned by the company that combined e-learning and face-to-face sessions. All groups participated in pre- and post-tests. The participants’ knowledge was assessed by 16 MCQs and their application skills by the Dealing with Challenging Interaction (DCI) method which consisted of case studies. The descriptions of how to act in case situations were content analysed. A repeated measures GLM was used to determine whether knowledge and skills changed during the leadership training, and whether their belonging to one of the groups had any bearing on this. The analysis showed that the e-learning group improved their performance more than the comparison group and the results of the ELE intervent...
Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education
Töökohal õppimise soodustamiseks ja töötajate heaolu suurendamiseks katsetati ühes ettevõttes kaa... more Töökohal õppimise soodustamiseks ja töötajate heaolu suurendamiseks katsetati ühes ettevõttes kaasava õpikeskkonna (ELE) mudelit. Uuringus osales 107 keskastmejuhti, kes jagati kolme rühma: e-õppe rühma (n = 42), võrdlusrühma (n = 42) ja ettevõtte moodustatud kaasava õpikeskkonna põimõppe rühma (n = 23), milles kasutati nii e-õpet kui ka kontaktõpet. Kõik rühmad osalesid eel- ja järeltestimises. Osalejate teadmisi hinnati 16 valikvastustega küsimuse põhjal ja teadmiste rakenda mise oskusi juhtumitel põhineva keeruliste suhtlusolukordadega toimetuleku meetodi abil. Kirjeldusi selle kohta, kuidas käituda juhtumina esitatud olukordades, analüüsiti sisuanalüüsi põhimõtetest lähtudes. Seda, kas osavõtjate teadmised ja oskused koolituse tulemusena muutusid ja kas kuulumine ühte või teise rühma avaldas muutustele mõju, hinnati kordusmõõtmiste üldistatud lineaarsete mudelitega. A nalüüsist ilmnes, et e-õppe rühma tulemused paranesid enam kui võrdlusrühma omad ning kaasava õpikeskkonna põimõ...
Learning and Individual Differences
The present study investigated the dynamic nature of students' daily experiences and general stud... more The present study investigated the dynamic nature of students' daily experiences and general study engagement using intra-individual assessment. More specifically, we examined individual differences in the relationship between university students' task-specific value and situational emotions and, further, whether first-year study engagement would moderate this association during the first two years of studies. Intra-individual state assessments were conducted via mobile phone-based experience sampling method (ESM) during participants' first (N = 72) and second (N = 56) academic years, resulting in 3089 and 2912 fully completed state questionnaires. In both years, students were asked five times a day over two weeks how important they perceived their current activity and their positive and negative emotions. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, we found that, on average, a higher perception of task-specific value was associated with higher positive emotions and lower negative emotions within individuals. However, individual differences were detected in the value-emotion relations especially during the second academic year. Finally, the findings indicated that overall study engagement, measured at the beginning of the first academic year, predicted between-person differences in these within-person relationships both years.
The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences
'Learning environment' usually refers to the social and pedagogical contexts in which learning oc... more 'Learning environment' usually refers to the social and pedagogical contexts in which learning occurs. However, physical learning environment and its relation to learning are often neglected. The present study explored the relationship between chemistry student perceptions of physical space, social space and mental space regarding learning. Qualitative data were collected among chemistry students by focus-group interviews (n=21). The data showed that the students' experienced competence and sufficiency of guidance, through either social or physical modalities, were strongly related to their sense of safety. This, in turn, may affect cognitive resources available for learning, which should be addressed in pedagogical design.
Learning and Individual Differences, 2016
Entrance to university does not automatically lead to high academic engagement and success, and t... more Entrance to university does not automatically lead to high academic engagement and success, and there may be individual differences in student engagement. In the present study, university students' (N=668) academic engagement and disengagement profiles, and the differences between them in terms of academic achievement, were investigated. Students from introductory courses were classified by Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) into homogenous groups having similar patterns according to the following variables: study engagement, study-related exhaustion, lack of interest, lack of self-regulation, and uncertainty of one's career choice. Four groups of students were identified: engaged, disengaged, undecided, and alienated. Engaged students received the highest grades, with disengaged and undecided students performing most poorly. In addition, the profiles were related to the behavioral indicators of engagement (i.e., ECTS credits). Even after two years of studying, engaged students were performing better than disengaged students. The study's implications for both research and practice are discussed.
Journal of youth and adolescence, Jan 2, 2016
Recent research shows an increased concern with well-being at school and potential problems assoc... more Recent research shows an increased concern with well-being at school and potential problems associated with students' use of socio-digital technologies, i.e., the mobile devices, computers, social media, and the Internet. Simultaneously with supporting creative social activities, socio-digital participation may also lead to compulsive and addictive behavioral patterns affecting both general and school-related mental health problems. Using two longitudinal data waves gathered among 1702 (53 % female) early (age 12-14) and 1636 (64 % female) late (age 16-18) Finnish adolescents, we examined cross-lagged paths between excessive internet use, school engagement and burnout, and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed reciprocal cross-lagged paths between excessive internet use and school burnout among both adolescent groups: school burnout predicted later excessive internet use and excessive internet use predicted later school burnout. Reciprocal paths between scho...
Medical Education, Oct 12, 2001
Context The aim of the national`IT Culture in Medical Education' project in Finland is to enhance... more Context The aim of the national`IT Culture in Medical Education' project in Finland is to enhance the opportunities new technology may provide for medical education. The project focuses on attitudes towards information technology (IT) and on its current use among teachers and students. Method This survey was part of a Finnish nationwide project in medical education. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire designed to gather information about IT use in medical education, sent to teachers and students. The questions were 5-point Likert-type. The participants were medical teachers (n 196) and medical students (n 392) at two medical schools. Results In both universities, it appeared that medical teachers and students had a very positive attitude toward the advances in modern technology. In addition to the favourable attitudes, computer-related technology was also widely applied. Teachers, however, used information technology more in their research work than in teaching. Conclusions The results pose challenges to medical education and underline the importance of educational and psychological knowledge in combination with new technical skills.
British Journal of Educational Psychology, Jun 1, 1989
ABSTRACT . Two samples of essay-type answers in examinations of high school graduate candidates w... more ABSTRACT . Two samples of essay-type answers in examinations of high school graduate candidates were analysed applying a two-way classification scheme. The unit of classification was “a thought”, expressing by one or more sentences a coherent idea. Both the subject matter treated and the way it was treated were taken into account in the classification of thoughts. The treatment in expressions was rated as reproductive or as elaborative. Consistent with previous findings, the length of an essay answer correlated strongly with grades. Here it is also shown that elaborated thoughts were significantly longer than reproduced ones. Accordingly, the well-known correlation between length and grade is not a triviality: it also reflects qualitative properties of essays which are appreciated by teachers. Among these are the amount of elaboration as well as the amount and quality of school knowledge.
Computers in Human Behavior, 2016