ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educators to shift to virtual online classes. Teachers being major stakeholders in the medical teaching-learning process, it becomes important to understand their perception towards this new endeavour. It will make this transition beneficial to the learners. Objectives: To document the process of validation of a new questionnaire devised to study the perception of medical undergraduate teaching faculty towards online classes, using Cronbach’s alpha, and the subsequent pilot for the same. Results: At initial validation, Cronbach’s alpha was not acceptable (0.65) for the questionnaire. One item was scored low by two validators and was removed. Three items were given poor rating for lay out, clarity and feasibility and required editing. The Cronbach’s alpha after revision was 0.92 (acceptable). Pilot study was conducted. Based on the proportion of positive perception (36.4%) regarding ongoing online teaching programme, conducted on 11 teaching faculty with 10% absolute precision and 95% confidence, the minimum sample size for the main study was calculated to be 89. This was feasible from the point of view of total faculty strength. Conclusion: Research work involving a new tool, such as questionnaire, must utilize the statistical tool Cronbach’s alpha for validation, and pilot study for estimating the sample size and testing the content validity.
ABSTRACT
Background: To sustain the standards of quality medical education, the faculty needs to be well trained in the medical education technologies, both traditional and innovative. Students are the real beneficiaries of all training programmes conducted for faculty development and they appreciate good teaching. Their involvement in all possible aspects of teaching and learning will go a long way in achieving the best outcomes. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of an ‘Abridged course in Medical Education Technology’ for entry level teachers based on the students’ evaluation of the (teaching) performance of the teachers.Methods: An interventional study was carried out amongst 447 students, in which an educational intervention was done and the effectiveness of the ‘Abridged course’ was assessed. Teaching by the teacher trained through the ‘Abridged course’ formed the ‘intervention’ in the study. ‘Evaluation of the teaching performance’ by the students was the outcome studied.Results: The performance of teacher as assessed by the students had a higher mean score (61.28, SD 9.8) for residents who underwent training in medical education technology, as compared to other residents (56.81, SD 9.2) with a p-value of <0.001.Conclusions: This study highlights that an abridged course in teaching methodology for entry level medical teachers improves the quality of their teaching