conclusions the findings of this study indicated that all tpb variables are useful tools for prediction of the smoking behaviors among students. particularly, students’ perceived behavioral control and attitudes towards smoking were found to be important determinants of smoking intentions. thus, the findings could be used for planning effective tobacco control programs targeting university stud...

Purpose: To apply educational models of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and approaches to assisted performance to existing knowledge about surgical skill acquisition, and thus provide a framework for potentially enhancing surgical education. Summary: The stages of the ZPD appear to be consistent with existing psychomotor theories of skill acquisition. The fourth phase of the ZPD, where t...

Games are often designed to shape player behavior in a desired way; however, it can be unclear how design decisions affect the space of behaviors in a game. Designers usually explore this space through human playtesting, which can be time-consuming and of limited effectiveness in exhausting the space of possible behaviors. In this paper, we propose the use of automated planning agents to simula...

Games are often designed to shape player behavior in a desired way; however, it can be unclear how design decisions affect the space of behaviors in a game. Designers usually explore this space through human playtesting, which can be time-consuming and of limited effectiveness in exhausting the space of possible behaviors. In this paper, we propose the use of automated planning agents to simula...

Science teachers can lack pedagogic skill and confidence in handling multifaceted socio-scientific issues. This project has explored the development, implementation and evaluation of a ‘cross-curricular’ day as a suitable vehicle in 8 different schools for both engaging 14-16 year old pupils in active consideration of social aspects of genetics and enabling science and humanities teachers to co...

Whether studying for your professional examinations or planning the care of your patients, critical appraisal is a vital skill for healthcare professionals. Evidence based healthcare involves the integration of the best available evidence, clinical experience and patient preference when making decisions related to patient care. Research papers provide information on current practice and new dev...

A novel skill learning approach is proposed that allows a robot to acquire human-like visuospatial skills for object manipulation tasks. Visuospatial skills are attained by observing spatial relationships among objects through demonstrations. The proposed Visuospatial Skill Learning (VSL) is a goal-based approach that focuses on achieving a desired goal configuration of objects relative to one ...