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The profession of pharmacy is complex and diverse, encompassing a wide range of necessary practice skills. Decisions regarding which skills are essential for students are made by faculty of skills-based laboratory courses, who also determine how these skills are taught and assessed. This commentary aims to further the discussion regarding how the essential skills taught and assessed in skills laboratory curricula are identified, with the intention of preparing student pharmacists for both current and future pharmacy practice. Guidance on essential skills is provided by various organizations and documents, but ultimately each institution has the autonomy to decide what to teach. As such, this piece discusses the importance of frequent curriculum evaluation to determine how to train pharmacists of the future so they will practice at the top of their license rather than simply meet competency with historical skills.

In the present time, tourism education has become a highly demanded discipline as a professionally-oriented course. The aim of this work is to determine the status of tourism education in India and to find out the lacuna between tourism educations, and the essential skills/ knowledge required by tourism industry from tourism graduates. This study attempts to investigate the perception of both ‘tourism academicians’ and ‘industry professionals’ about the nature of tourism education in India and assess if they feel same or differently about the quality of tourism education being imparted in the country. The study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted on 129 academic respondents and 129 travel trade professionals. The results suggest that as per academic respondents, the tourism institutions are providing ‘moderate’ tourism education. However, the industry professionals are of an opposite view and believe that amongst tourism graduates being produced, there is a ‘considerable lack in knowledge and skills’ required by the industry. The study suggests that tourism education in India can be strengthened through integration between the tourism course curriculum and required orientation in skill enhancement as desired by the industry. Since tourism is one of the keystone in generating revenue and employment, the industry requires a good number of graduates with significant academic merit and requisite trade skills to solve tourism management problems and run the industry. The areas identified for improvement in tourism education include, introduction of specialization courses in tourism and hospitality, improving digital skills, communication skills and strengthening of linkages of academia-industry collaboration among others. The study also suggests that the creation of an Indian Tourism Service (ITS) Cadre, on the lines of Administrative Services, catalyst to enhance the quality of tourism education being provided by institutions.

Background We aimed to use the Wide-range Assessment of Vision-related Essential Skills (WAVES) to evaluate the visual perception of Japanese schoolchildren born weighing < 1500 g, who did not need support class and had a normal IQ score. Methods The very-low birth weight infant group (VLBWI group) included 38 (17 male, 21 female) first-grade elementary schoolchildren born between April 2009 and March 2013 at Osaka Medical College Hospital and Saiseikai Suita Hospital. The scores for the 10 subtests and 4 indices of WAVES were calculated for all participants and compared to the WAVES normative database of schoolchildren in the same grade (C group). We assessed whether clinical history was associated with WAVES score in the VLBWI group. Results Compared with the C group, the participants in the VLBWI group had significantly lower scores for form tracing (success and rate scores), figure-ground speed, discrimination accuracy, visual memory, copying, and the indices of WAVES, except for the eye-hand coordination general index. The scores for line tracing (ratio) and eye-hand coordination accuracy index were significantly lower in participants who were born at gestational age < 28 weeks than in those born at gestational age ≥ 28 weeks. Copying performance was significantly lower in participants with than without chronic lung disease. Conclusion This is the first study to evaluate the visual perception of schoolchildren born weighing < 1500 g in Japan. We report lower scores of WAVES’ subtests on processing speed in these children, implying they might have increased risk of poor school performance and learning disabilities.

While many calls have been made to support the development of women leaders in global health, few resources have been developed and evaluated to meet this goal. We developed and evaluated a one week online short course on the essential skills for women’s leadership in global health, offered in June 2021 to 22 students from 4 countries (Australia, Ethiopia, Thailand, and the United States). The course covered the state of women’s leadership in global health and influencing factors; leadership theories models and frameworks; self-awareness and self-assessments; organizations and enabling environments; communication; and negotiation, and was designed to promote skills via practice, discussion, and debrief. Students rated the course highly and enjoyed the skills-building components, diversity of voices presented throughout the course, and embedded networking opportunities. Future iterations of the course, particularly those held in low-and middle-income countries, should contextualize materials, co-create with local instructors and amplify local voices, and consider incorporating shadowing, coaching, mentorship, and communities of practice.

BackgroundThis study investigated the impact of socio-economic variables influencing the provision of basic skills for navigating the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).ObjectivesThe study aims to describe the variables underpinning this study, using statistical analysis and quantitative measurement as displayed in Table 1. It also investigates the role of socio-economic variables, using a Chi-Square test and Multinomial Logistic Regression techniques, in the provision of basic skills for handling direct and indirect challenges of the 4IR. Further, it attempts to provide recommendations, based on research findings, on strategies for ensuring that long-distance truck drivers are well-equipped with the necessary skills for meeting the demands of the 4IR.MethodThe study utilised a quantitative research method. A multinomial regression model was used to describe long-distance truck driver data collected in South Africa. A total of 314 participants completed the questionnaire.ResultsResults revealed that variables such as driver’s education level, frequency of route usage, company type, and driver’s work location are significant predictors in predicting whether a given truck driver possesses basic skills for handling the challenges of the 4IR. This finding holds significant practical implications, as it allows for targeted interventions and tailored strategies aimed at effectively addressing the identified predictors to encourage the desired response of having long-distance truck drivers equipped with essential 4IR skills.ConclusionThis study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding factors affecting long-distance truck drivers in getting basic 4IR skills essential for them to properly implement new technologies arising in the haulage trucking industry.ContributionIt documents the experiences of long-distance truck drivers in the face of newly emerging technologies in the transport industry.

The basic aim of any education system is the development of overall personality of a child but major focus of school education remains on the intellectual development of students. Mathematics is a compulsory subject in the school curriculum and is very effective in cognitive development, but, it does so if taught and assessed properly. SSC exams are very important for students as they are gauged on the basis of their results in these exams. Due to the importance of these exams, the major focus of teaching/learning process in the schools remains on achieving the highest possible grades in the exams. It is therefore, very important to have a deep investigation of the exam papers in order to know weather the items of these papers are measuring essential mathematical skills or not. To achieve the purpose, this study has scrutinized the papers of SSC (Grade-10) for the years 2014/2015, set by Board of Secondary Education Karachi. Items used in these papers were examined and categorized according to the levels of Mathematical Assessment Task Hierarchy (MATH) taxonomy. These items were then compared with the items of GCE (O-Level) mathematics papers, serving as benchmark papers in this study, to highlight the shortcomings. The results of the study revealed that the items of SSC papers are highly biased towards A1 (Factual Knowledge) and A2 (Routine Procedures) categories of the taxonomy. The study concluded that these items assess knowledge of facts and algorithms only and do not measure essential mathematical skills (involvement of higher levels of thinking processes) of students. As, the papers of board exams highly affect teaching/learning process, it is recommended to improve the items of papers so that essential mathematical skills can be measured. The study recommends focusing on application and problem solving skills rather than the capacity of memorization because with this practice thinking habits can not be inculcated among students which are necessary to compete with other nations in this era of globalization.

This book investigates trends in skills demand and supply over the past two decades for insights into ways to build (and use) the critical skills needed to sustain competitiveness of the Philippine economy. Part one of the book investigates trends in demand for skills in the country overall and by sectors, explores its possible determinants, and attempts to identify emerging skills gaps. Part two turns to the analysis of the supply of skills in the country with a focus on the ability of education and training to provide highly skilled labor, keeping workers' skills updated, and providing skills development opportunities for the unskilled. It explores employers' perceptions on the quality of institutions and provides detailed analysis of the main characteristics, outcomes, and challenges in four key (or growing) subsectors of the provision of skills in the country: higher education, postsecondary technical-vocational education, non-formal secondary education, and postemployment training. It concludes with a summary of policy recommendations.

Previous studies have designed educational methods to cultivate digital citizenship behavior and support the construction of knowledge. However, these methods have not well incorporated personalized feedback mechanisms for enhancing digital citizenship knowledge. Therefore, this study proposed an algorithm that combines concept-effect propagation, fuzzy logic, and decision tree methods to address this drawback and create a personalized, contextual gaming experience. This personalization ensures an engaging and contextually relevant learning experience, addressing learning challenges related to digital citizenship scales. The game was tailored to individual learning experiences and decision-making patterns, with fuzzy logic interpreting nuanced student responses and decision trees guiding learning paths. A digital citizenship knowledge test and an affection questionnaire measured the game's impact. Moreover, eye tracking was used to ensure attention in the experimental group. Therefore, a quasi-experimental design was conducted to evaluate the influence of a digital citizenship game on 110 students. ANCOVA and the Chi-square tests were performed to analyze students' knowledge of digital citizenship. Moreover, eye-tracking metrics were used to gain deeper insights into students' visual attention and engagement. The experimental results reveal that the proposed game enhanced the students' digital citizenship achievement and promoted their perceptions. Additionally, eye-tracking data showed that the proposed gaming environment positively influenced students' engagement. Findings indicate that using fuzzy logic and decision trees in educational games significantly promotes affection and alters attention in learning digital citizenship. This study contributes to educational technology by showcasing the potential benefits of personalized educational experiences. The insights gained are valuable for educators and educational game developers focused on digital citizenship education.

Increasingly, professional bodies expect doctors to not only provide patient care but also educate students, trainees and patients. Few medical students, however, receive formal tuition in terms of the theory and practice of medical education. A curriculum restructure from an MBBS to a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program provided an opportunity to develop three Masters streams: Clinical research, Capstones and educational Professional Projects. This submission describes how one Australian medical school is preparing some students for their future roles as medical educators through MD Professional Projects. Framed by the 12 roles of the medical 'teacher', most students undertaking these projects take on Resource Developer (including simulation) and Assessor roles. For those choosing resource development (excluding simulation) or assessment, the Association for Medical Education (AMEE) Student Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) Course is compulsory. For those choosing educational research, the ESME Course is optional. By December 2020, four MD cohorts will have graduated with 69 students having undertaken educational MD Professional Projects, with fifty-one completing the ESME Course. MD students have created a range of resources for the curriculum, their colleagues and the local healthcare community. In addition to the expected learning we identified additional value-added outcomes for learners (e.g. skill development), the curriculum (e.g. areas of difficulty), academic supervisors' roles (e.g. role-modelling) and for the health care community (e.g. as expert reviewers). Engaging in scholarly activities such the ESME Course and developing learning resources not only provided MD students with a more in-depth theoretical knowledge in a range of clinical areas, but also developed skills that would prepare them for their future roles as medical educators. As supervisors, we identified the value these projects add to the broader health community as well as personal and professional benefits for ourselves.

Importance Standardized examinations assess both learners and training programs within the medical training system in Japan. However, it is unknown if there is an association between clinical proficiency as assessed by the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) and pursuing specialty. Objective To determine the relative achievement of fundamental skills as assessed by the standardized GM-ITE based on pursuing career specialty among residents in the Japanese training system. Design Nationwide cross-sectional study. Setting Medical residents in Japan who attempted the GM-ITE in their first or second year were surveyed. Participants A total of 4,363 postgraduate years 1 and 2 residents who completed the GM-ITE were surveyed between January 18 and March 31, 2021. Main measures GM-ITE total scores and individual scores in each of four domains assessing clinical knowledge: 1) medical interview and professionalism, 2) symptomatology and clinical reasoning, 3) physical examination and treatment, and 4) detailed disease knowledge. Results When compared to the most pursued specialty, internal medicine, only those residents who chose general medicine achieved higher GM-ITE scores (coefficient 1.38, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.68, p  = 0.038). Conversely, the nine specialties and “Other/Not decided” groups scored significantly lower. Higher scores were noted among residents entering general medicine, emergency medicine, and internal medicine and among those who trained in community hospitals with higher numbers of beds, were more advanced in their training, spent more time working and studying, and cared for a moderate but not an extreme number of patients at a time. Conclusions Levels of basic skill achievement differed depending on respective chosen future specialties among residents in Japan. Scores were higher among those pursuing careers in general medical fields and lower among those pursuing highly specialized careers. Residents in training programs devoid of specialty-specific competition may not possess the same motivations as those in competitive systems.