Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Colour Me…Orange? incorporating aspects of the colourful semantics approach into a TESOL programme at preschool(The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2018) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Walisundara, D.C.Among the challenges faced by Sri Lankan children learning English as an additional or second language is the accuracy of word order and vocabulary knowledge. The Colorful Semantics approach has been used successfully in the UK and in Australia with children experiencing language-learning difficulties, with many programmes devised by Speech and Language Therapists. It uses thematic roles and a colour-coding system to support the development of syntax through a semantic route. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using aspects of Colourful Semantics to develop expressive language skills (accurate responses to target wh questions, sentence length and syntactic complexity) in young learners of English. Twenty-one preschool children in TESL classrooms were included in the study. Key aspects of Colourful Semantics were introduced as a whole-class approach using children’s storybooks, colour-coding and signing with lessons offered thrice a week for a month together with supplementary activities. Pre- and post-intervention measures were undertaken on two expressive language measures of sentence-length and syntax. In this paper we will discuss the programme offered, the pre- and post intervention assessment results, and the benefits of incorporating aspects of the Colourful Semantics approach into the English language teaching classroom.Item Role models and teachers: medical students perception of teaching-learning methods in clinical settings, a qualitative study from Sri Lanka(Biomed Central, 2016) Jayasuriya-Illesinghe, V.; Nazeer, I.; Athauda, L.; Perera, J.BACKGROUND: Medical education research in general, and those focusing on clinical settings in particular, have been a low priority in South Asia. This explorative study from 3 medical schools in Sri Lanka, a South Asian country, describes undergraduate medical students’ experiences during their final year clinical training with the aim of understanding the teaching-learning experiences. METHODS: Using qualitative methods we conducted an exploratory study. Twenty eight graduates from 3 medical schools participated in individual interviews. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. RESULTS: Emergent themes revealed 2 types of teaching-learning experiences, role modeling, and purposive teaching. In role modelling, students were expected to observe teachers while they conduct their clinical work, however, this method failed to create positive learning experiences. The clinical teachers who predominantly used this method appeared to be ‘figurative’ role models and were not perceived as modelling professional behaviors. In contrast, purposeful teaching allowed dedicated time for teacher-student interactions and teachers who created these learning experiences were more likely to be seen as ‘true’ role models. Students’ responses and reciprocations to these interactions were influenced by their perception of teachers’ behaviors, attitudes, and the type of teaching-learning situations created for them. CONCLUSIONS: Making a distinction between role modeling and purposeful teaching is important for students in clinical training settings. Clinical teachers’ awareness of their own manifest professional characterizes, attitudes, and behaviors, could help create better teaching-learning experiences. Moreover, broader systemic reforms are needed to address the prevailing culture of teaching by humiliation and subordination.