Effects of Using Standing Versus Sitting Workstations on the Well-Being at Work of Software Professionals
Although people admittedly are one of the most valuable assets of many software companies, relatively little academic research has been done from the well-being at work aspect of software professionals. This intervention study aims to address this gap in prior research by examining the potential effects of using standing instead of sitting workstations on the well-being at work of software professionals in terms of physical activity, mental alertness, and stress. The two measurements before and after the intervention were conducted in June and September 2015 for 29 employees of a local site of a large Finnish software company by using questionnaires and the Firstbeat Lifestyle Assessment se…
Status of Nordic research on simulation-based learning in healthcare: an integrative review
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Background. Based on common geography, sociopolitics, epidemiology, and healthcare services, the Nordic countries could benefit from increased collaboration and uniformity in the development of simulation-based learning (SBL). To date, only a limited overview exists on the Nordic research literature on SBL and its progress in healthcare education. Therefore, the aim of this study is to fill that gap and suggest directions for future research. Methods. An integrative review design was used. A search was conducted for relevant research published during the period spanning from 1966 to Ju…
Training surgical skills in a simulated and authentic environment : expertise challenges in development of surgical laparoscopy practicing
METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ADULT LEARNING RESEARCH. COMBINING PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN SIMULATION-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
We aim to clarify whether physiological measurement technologies can be used in combination with traditional educational research methods to investigate learning experience. We developed an interdisciplinary research design for multilevel investigation of adult learning experience. We collected data in aviation simulations and forestry simulations, to show both similarities and differences between different learning situations. Both settings utilize high quality virtual simulations allowing learning to occur in near authentic situations. The learning situations were structured pedagogically in a similar way. They involve learner-instructor interaction in a one-on-one setting and follow a tr…
NEW METHODS DEEPENING UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES AND THEIR RELATION TO PHYSIOLOGICAL ALERTNESS VARIATIONS DURING LEARNING
In this study we explored whether physiological measurement technologies could be used in a combination with traditional educational research methods to investigate learning experiences. We aimed, first, to explore individual physiological reactions during learning and how these reactions relate to experiences, emotions and contexts of learning and, second, to test new methodology and its suitability for investigating learning. The data was collected during a teacher education programme in a Finnish university. A total of 14 students participated in the study. The data was collected during two contact periods of three days and the weekends after them, ten days in total. We used a mixed meth…
Effect of a simulation-based workshop on multidisplinary teamwork of newborn emergencies: an intervention study
Background: Video analyses of real-life newborn resuscitations have shown that Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) guidelines are followed in fewer than 50 % of cases. Multidisciplinary simulation is used as a first-rate tool for the improvement of teamwork among health professionals. In the study we evaluated the impact of the crisis resource management (CRM) and anesthesia non-technical skills instruction on teamwork during simulated newborn emergencies. Methods: Ninety-nine participants of two delivery units (17 pediatricians, 16 anesthesiologists, 14 obstetricians, 31 midwives, and 21 neonatal nurses) were divided to an intervention group (I-group, 9 teams) and a control group (C-group…
Reconciliation of Pedagogical Objectives, Technical Opportunities and Stereotypes of Educational Application : Case Perioperative Nursing
In the design of educational applications, expertise in several fields is needed: pedagogy, technology and interaction design, among others. Since the aim of an educational application is to promote learning, there should be a clear hierarchy in the perspectives: pedagogical objectives should be the primary perspective, while others play merely an instrumental role. However, it appears that pedagogy is rarely seen as a separate area of expertise. Learning is considered a mundane concept that most people understand. This setting may cause conflicts within a design group. In this paper we present a typical case study, in which pedagogical expertise was overlooked. The resulting application wa…
To sit or to stand, that is the question : examining the effects of work posture change on the well-being at work of software professionals
Despite the central role of human resources in determining the success of software companies, relatively little academic research has been conducted on the well-being at work aspect of software professionals. This study aims to address the aforementioned gap by examining the effects of using standing instead of sitting workstations on the well-being at work of software professionals in terms of their physical activity, mental alertness, stress, and musculoskeletal strain. An intervention study consisting of two measurements was conducted for 29 employees of a large Finnish software company by using questionnaires and the Firstbeat Lifestyle Assessment service. The findings of the study sugg…
Developing Solutions For Healthcare : Deploying Artificial Intelligence to an Evolving Target
—The pace of deploying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to healthcare has been speeding up. Many of the initiatives have been technology driven aiming at finding problems matching the new technology while systematic, demand driven search for solutions has been limited. Here we describe the process of identifying opportunities for deploying artificial intelligence to healthcare and social services on regional and national levels in Finland. The process includes idea generation and elaboration using a design thinking method complemented with architectural design for identifying required AI capabilities for the 34 best use cases. In this paper, we focus on the development of use case “M…
Activity Theory as a Lens to Identify Challenges in Surgical Skills Training at Hospital Work Environment
In this paper the concepts from activity theory (AT) are applied for identifying the challenges and contradictions emerging in surgical residentâs curriculum based training at hospital. AT is utilised as a lens to identify contradictions that cause disturbances, problems, ruptures, breakdowns, and clashes which emerge while surgical skills training is implemented in a new way at hospital. We especially aim at finding solutions for contradictions which emerge while the new and old working culture are confronted and the workers are required to balance themselves between the patient care demands and workplace learning requirements. We are using the conceptual theoretical approach to describe…
How can learning experiences be explored in simulation-based learning situations?
The aim of our research is to investigate what methods can be used to explore learning experiences. In this case example, we describe how we extracted quantitative and qualitative data reflecting learning experiences from simulation-based learning (SBL) situations. Data collection was conducted in the fields of aviation and forestry. After the SBL situation, the students participated in a stimulated recall interview. The transcribed interview data were analysed using data-driven methods. To capture the dynamics in the (neuro)physiological signals associated with varying states of learning experiences, we recorded activity of the autonomic and central nervous systems. When analysing (neuro)p…