Relationships among perceived learning, challenge and affect in a clinical context

Abstract

Background Challenge, sometimes perceived as stress, may be beneficial or detrimental to learning but the circumstances when it may be beneficial are not clear. This study looks at the association of challenge with perceived learning and how this might be influenced by affect, context or the type of learning. Method The participants, medical students in their first years of experiential clinical exposure, rated specified learning episodes (LEs) on the perceived learning (low to high), challenge (low to high) and affect (feeling positive to negative). Such learning episodes were self-identified or identified by course organisers. Correlations, using Kendall’s tau-b test, were conducted to explore the associations among learning, challenge and affect. In the second stage the types of LEs were then thematically classified in order to determine those that were positive for learning and challenging and/or associated with positive affect. Result There were positive correlations between perceived learning and challenge, and between perceived learning and affect for both types of LEs. The circumstances in which challenge (stress) promoted learning were authentic environments, authentic tasks and simulated clinical activities; most requiring a degree of social interaction. Conclusion Challenge and positive affect are beneficial in the perception of discrete learning, but are two separate constructs. Ideally both challenge and affect need to operate alongside authentic supportive clinical activities, that by their nature involve others, to maximise perceived learning.

Moderating Role of Coping Style on the Relationship between Stress and Psychological Well-Being in Hong Kong Nursing Students

“…Unlike other studies which reported that clinical learning aggravated distress [ 3 , 18 , 35 , 36 ], in our study, the nursing students identified clinical learning stress levels as moderate (mean = 3.13; SD = 0.50), while their levels of psychological distress were relatively low. It is possible that stressors related to clinical learning are eustresses [ 37 ]. The use of positive coping strategies, such as support-seeking and problem-solving, to cope with the stress in clinical learning might also contribute to relieve the distress.…”

Visuospatial ability and student approach to learning as predictors of academic performance on written versus laboratory‐based assessments in human anatomy

“…It is possible that a potential relationship between VA and cognitive load could result in a decreased perception of difficulty for high VA students when studying for the course; however, perceived difficulty does not necessarily correlate with SAL. In fact, tasks with higher perceived difficulty can actually have a positive effect on students' motivation to learn (Rudland et al, 2021), which would theoretically increase their reliance on deep approaches to learning. In future studies, it would be interesting to delve further into the potential relationships between VA, SAL, and cognitive load through studies using neurofeedback approaches such as electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or other electrophysiological measurement techniques.…”

Inserting an Erroneous Element in the Answer Key of Grouped Team Readiness Assurance Test in Team-Based Learning: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Clinical Toxicology

“…Rudland et al reported positive correlations between perceived learning and challenges within certain circumstances. 13 A challenge is defined as “Something that needs skills, energy and or determination to deal with or achieve”. 14 Positive challenges are eustress, a form of positive emotions that result in better cognitive tasks performance like hypothesis testing.…”