Hung-Cheng Tai

In traditional nursing education, brain science is often limited to physiology, anatomy, and pathology, with little emphasis on advanced diagnostic tools like fMRI or the brain’s functional processes, such as language learning and handwriting. This study developed an English for Medical Purposes (EMP) course to teach university nursing students about fMRI technology and brain science related to handwriting, highlighting the importance of interprofessional education. The study aimed to (a) assess the course’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ knowledge in fMRI, brain science, and handwriting; and (b) evaluate the students’ satisfaction and perceptions toward the course. A single-group quasi-experimental design with pre/post-tests involved 49 nursing students. Data were collected using the Brain Science Related Knowledge Test (BSKT), assignments, and a Course Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ). Results showed significant improvements in students’ knowledge of fMRI and brain science in handwriting, with high assignment scores and overall course satisfaction. Students also reported increased awareness of reading professional English journals and learned about fMRI safety issues. This pioneering EMP course effectively introduced nursing students to fMRI technology and brain science in handwriting, potentially enhancing their understanding of normal brain function and its contrast with brain injury cases.

For nursing students in the vocational education system in Taiwan, English-language writing skills, whether for general or specific purposes, have long been ignored, which may jeopardize their success in medical-oriented courses and their future careers. This study designed a nursing note-writing course (NNWC) for university nursing students and explored the teaching outcomes of its implementation. The three main objectives were to (a) examine the effectiveness of the NNWC in enhancing learners’ competencies; (b) survey learners’ satisfaction with the NNWC, and (c) investigate learners’ perceptions of the NNWC. In this action research, 49 students practiced five writing tasks while guided with five teaching tools, namely an online writing platform, multiple revisions, peer-review activities, and direct and indirect teacher feedback, for a semester. External examiners included a language teacher and a nursing professional, and the data-collection instruments used included a writing competence scale and a course satisfaction questionnaire. The results showed that the learners’ writing competence significantly improved after the NNWC. They also demonstrated a fair level of satisfaction toward the NNWC. A total of 90% of the learners preferred online writing compared to traditional handwriting. The learners also indicated a preference for feedback from the teacher rather than from peers, and they perceived vocabulary capability to be crucial. ESP/ENP teachers are advised to consider the implementation of the NNWC when designing syllabi.

Professional nursing core values are important for nursing education and clinical practice. Among the core values, communication is a crucial one, and learning languages is especially beneficial to this skill. However, core values in learning a language are rarely discussed in the field. This study attempts to explore the core values perceived by university nursing students when learning English as a foreign language. A cross-sectional survey of students’ construal levels and perceptions of their core values was designed. Two instruments of Behavior Identification Form and English Learning Construal Scale were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were conducted to analyze quantitative and qualitative data respectively. In total, 200 participants were randomly recruited from a nursing university in Taiwan. The results show the BIF (M = 15.02; SD = 4.02) corresponded to the previous research, although the scores implied an improvement opportunity. Four themes—career development, university studies, self-responsibly, and personal well-beings—were illustrated, and 13 codes of core values of learning English were further categorized. An alternative perspective of high vs. low construal levels was suggested to view the professional core values. Teaching implications were then discussed.

To test the scaffolding theory when applied to the teaching and learning of writing English as a foreign language, this cross-sectional study was conducted to collect physiological data. A total of 53 participants were randomly assigned into two groups, and brain activity was investigated during a guided-writing task using storytelling pictures. The writing task was further divided into four parts using graded levels of difficulty. The experimental group performed tasks in sequence from easy to difficult, whereas the comparison group performed the tasks at random. Outcomes included handwriting assessments and fMRI measurements. Writing outcome assessments were analyzed using SPSS, and scanned images were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software. The results revealed a positive learning effect associated with scaffolding instruction. The experimental group performed better during the writing tasks, and the fMRI images showed less intense and weaker reactions in the language processing region than were observed in the comparison group. The fMRI results also presented the experimental group with reduced motor and cognitive functions when writing in English. This study provides insight regarding brain activity during writing tasks in humans and may have implications for English-language instruction.

This study conducts a guided writing practice inside the fMRI machine and investigates differences of neural correlations in the brains between the participants’ native language (traditional Chinese) and English as a foreign language (EFL). This is a cross-sectional study adapts a 2X2 clusters time-series experimental design. 27 subjects were sampled and grouped by their English proficiency level (high vs. low). Each subject did four writing tasks and received fMRI scanning during 40 minutes writing periods, which generates large amounts of spatial temporal data. Results showed: (1) the lower level group had significantly higher activation in the right insula when doing English writing; (2) activations were observed in areas associated with motor, visual, and language circuits in the brain; (3) learners had stronger brain activations on relevant areas when doing familiar tasks. Teaching implications suggest that the learning effects may help reduce learners’ risk-taking perceptions and anxiety, and handwriting activities deserve more attention from the teachers and educators. Moreover, novice writers are advised to establish stronger brain networks through drill practices to become more proficient in performing writing skills.

Objectives To examine the prevalence of and the factors associated with a number of remaining teeth (NRT) Design A community-based, cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting This study was part of a health promotion programme designed for community-dwelling adults with disabilities. Participants A total of 549 adults with disabilities, aged 20–80 years, living in the community in Chiayi County in Taiwan. Outcome measures Various parameters, including NRT, oral health behaviours (ie, oral hygiene, dietary habits and substance use), comorbidities, disability classification and capability for performing activities of daily living, were measured. Data were statistically analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results The mean NRT was 18.1 (SD=10.9); 44.8% of participants had NRT Conclusions An NRT <20 and edentulism were highly prevalent among adults with disabilities, who displayed poor oral hygiene behaviours. Adults with intellectual disabilities had a greater likelihood of having an NRT <20 than did those with physical disability. In addition to unmodifiable factors, the poor use of dental floss was significantly associated with an NRT <20.

This study explored the effects of collaborative writing instruction on undergraduate nursing students’ writing performance and self-efficacy beliefs within an online learning system. A single-group experimental study utilized two instruments, the NCEEC (National College Entrance Examination Center) writing grading criteria (the SRCT) and a modified writing self-efficacy questionnaire (the WSQ), was conducted. The intervention was applied in the context of a four-month freshmen semester at the beginning of a two-year vocational education program conducted in fall 2010. Two hundred and nine learners were recruited through convenience sampling from four classes at a nursing vocational university in southwestern Taiwan. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated measures MANOVA, explorative factor analysis (EFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that this instructional method effectively improved the learners’ writing performances and also influenced the latent structures of the learners’ self-efficacy from theoretical constructs toward pedagogical meanings, with the learners’ writing self-efficacy beliefs being altered by the instruction and becoming consistent with the assessment criteria. In addition, both the learners’ pre- and post-test self-efficacy levels had significant causal relationships with their individual learning progressions. These correlations between self-efficacy and writing performance suggest further teaching implications.