Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology.

Increasing the diversity of students choosing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is an area of intense focus across the USA, especially in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12)-focused pipeline programs in medical schools. A diverse STEM workforce contributes to better problem-solving and equity in health care. Two of the many major barriers for rural students are the lack of sufficient STEM role models and limited access to technology in the classroom. Medical schools often serve as an important resource for students in the local community who can easily gain access to STEM professionals and modern technology through on-campus, sponsored events and STEM outreach to the local classrooms. However, underrepresented minority (URM) students often live in socioeconomically distressed parts of rural states such as Arkansas, where access to STEM role models and technology is limited. Virtual learning in the COVID-19 era has proven that the imaging technology resources of a medical school can be harnessed to reach a wider audience, especially students living in rural areas far from the medical school campus.

The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Medical Students’ Academic Performance and Stress Levels Based on their Gender and Age

The COVID-19 academic interruption caused emergency pedagogical transformation of medical school curricula in the Spring of 2020 when the country went into lockdown. This transformation included changes in students? contact hours, the use of technologies in classroom and laboratories, and the implementation of active self-directed learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of these pedagogical changes on students? academic and mental states. To achieve this goal, we proposed two questions: First question was to examine whether there was a difference between male and female students? exam grades in the brain and behavior module during the COVID-19 lockdown. In the second question, we examined whether there was a difference between students? stress level in all age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above during the pandemic lockdown. This study employed a between-subject design and utilized convenience sampling technique to include 79 first-year medical students. The present study included the following variables: students module final exam grades, students? perception about their stress levels during COVID-19 and their age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above. We first used a comparison design between male and female students? academic performance during COVID-19. Further, we used a comparison design to compare between students? stress level in all age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above during the pandemic lockdown. In the first question, the result of the one-way between subject's ANOVA found that there was no statistically significant difference between male and female student? grades in the brain and behavior module during the pandemic lockdown. These findings suggest that both male and female students were able to overcome many of the challenges triggered by the COVID-19 in the learning environment and succeed in this module. In the second question, the one-way between subject's ANOVA found that there was no statistically significant difference between students? stress level in all age groups (22-24), (25-28) and 29 and above during the pandemic lockdown. These findings suggest that students in all ages felt the same level of stress during the COVID-19 lockdown. We concluded that there was no difference in students? final grades during pandemic, regardless of their gender, where all students maintained a high level of academic success. Additionally, students in all age groups were subjected to the same level of stress during COVID-19. With the faculty help and guidance, students were able to adjust and counterbalance the missing elements of the face-to-face instruction during COVID-19.