Transfer of knowledge, skills, and experience is critical in an increasingly competitive knowledge-based global economy. Research indicates major issues relating to transfer of learning, including (a) the complex nature of transfer, (b) the multiple variables affecting transfer, and (c) the limited knowledge of instructional methodologies for facilitating transfer across disciplines and learning environments. An integrative literature review was conducted to analyze the conceptualizations of transfer of learning across disciplines, as well as to examine the traditional and contemporary models along with taxonomies of transfer. This article proposes a new Integrative Transfer of Learning (ITL) model that aggregates four broad transfer dimensions, specifically (a) task, (b) personal, (c) context, and (d) pedagogical dimensions. This ITL model provides a comprehensive conceptual framework for researchers, instructors, and instructional designers interested in transfer of learning across learning environments, including online, blended, and onsite, for preparing a diverse higher education student population for a complex and advancing workforce.

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of task-related variables, such as the difficulty level, problem scenario, and experiment week, on performance and mental workload of 27 healthy adult subjects during problem solving within the spatial navigation transfer (SNT) game. The study reports task performance measures such as total time spent on a task (TT) and reaction time (RT); neurophysiological measures involving the use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS); and a subjective rating scale for self-assessment of mental workload (NASA TLX) to test the related hypothesis. Several within-subject repeated-measures factorial ANOVA models were developed to test the main hypothesis. The results revealed a number of interaction effects for the dependent measures of TT, RT, fNIRS, and NASA TLX. The results showed (1) a decrease in TT and RT across the three levels of difficulty from Week 1 to Week 2; (2) an increase in TT and RT for high and medium cognitive load tasks as compared to low cognitive load tasks in both Week 1 and Week 2; (3) an overall increase in oxygenation from Week 1 to Week 2. These findings confirmed that both the behavioral performance and mental workload were sensitive to task manipulations.

Purpose: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of worldwide childhood blindness with increasing incidence in low and middle income countries (LMICs) due to advances in neonatal care. There are insufficient numbers of healthcare professionals specialized in ROP management and few local training opportunities in LMICs. Social media platforms provide a promising solution to enable interactive medical education across geographic and logistic barriers. As an adjunct to an ROP training program for ophthalmologists in Armenia, we implemented a Facebook Virtual Examination Room (VER) for case discussion with a global community of collaborators and preceptors. To evaluate training through VER, we operationalized engagement as a multilayer meta-construct that includes cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional domains. Methods: A concurrent mixed methods approach was taken to collect and analyze data from comments and activities within VER. Quantitative data was analyzed for descriptive statistics on group utilization, participant activity, and clinical metrics. Qualitative data was analyzed by conducting thematic analysis involving initial and pattern coding. Results: Ten participants (7 trainees and 3 preceptors) interacted in the Facebook group across 153 unique cases, with 218 threads, 414 comments, and 216 likes. Of the 120 unique cases eligible for consensus evaluation, treatment was mentioned most frequently (87), followed by location (68), staging (65), and plus disease (31), with agreement ranging from 67% to 97%. Based on the qualitative analysis, the most common themes of discussion were clinical management, dilemma resolution, knowledge growth, and gratitude. Conclusion: A closed Facebook group for case-based discussions can be a useful adjunct to an existing ROP training program by engaging learners across social-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive domains. For international training partnerships, the financial and logistical advantages can be significant, though focus should remain on the primary curriculum and training modality.

BACKGROUND Good health and quality education are important preconditions to sustainable development and capacity building in global health partnerships. Research shows that there is a need for exploring and documenting the process of organizing online medical education programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and developing new conceptual models for enhancing learning and engagement for healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE The goal of this qualitative study was to explore multidisciplinary team experiences with developing multiplatform continuing medical education training programs for healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically focusing on the Republic of Armenia, an LMIC located in the southern Caucasus region METHODS A qualitative study with semi-structured focus group interviews was conducted with 10 multidisciplinary experts involved in the development of the program. The qualitative data was analyzed using the NVivo 12 qualitative data analysis software. The thematic analysis involved two cycles of coding to identify the emergent themes and related sub-themes. RESULTS The analysis of the qualitative data from the focus groups resulted in four major themes and related sub-themes. The major themes included Lessons Learned, Challenges, Recommendations, and Future Directions. CONCLUSIONS This work can serve as a model for healthcare education program managers that focus on the development of asynchronous virtual medical training for LMICs thus contributing to sustainable development and capacity building in global health partnerships. CLINICALTRIAL N/A