Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Applications during Covid-19 Pandemic among Preclinical Medical and Dentistry Students: A Mini-Review

The efficacy of online learning in delivering theoretical knowledge with appropriate content to students is imperative, especially in the Covid-19 pandemic era. Substantial interactive teaching materials were developed for higher education. However, some were designed immensely general, especially in fulfilling the syllabus of preclinical medical and dentistry students. Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive three-dimension (3D) experience that uses computers to overlay virtual information in the real world whereas virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated artificial recreation of a real-life experience or situation. Interestingly, both can be complemented and integrated into online and traditional teaching methods. Implementation of these technologies will increase the learning efficacy in understanding the human body's anatomical and physiological changes in the normal or pathological state. As AR and VR technologies are continuously evolving, this review provides the preview and current updates on AR and VR applications in medical and dentistry education which may benefit the educators within these specialities. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.

Association between Level of Knowledge Gained, Confidence, Motivation and Flexibility on Types of Learning for Bedside Teaching among Clinical Students in Four Malaysian Medical Schools during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: With the arise of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher institutions are forced to change the method of delivery for bedside teaching sessions from face-to-face to online learning. However, online learning was found not effective in delivering practical knowledge and skills to students. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the association between level of knowledge gained, confidence, motivation and flexibility on types of learning for bedside teaching sessions among clinical students in four Malaysian medical schools during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving medical students from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) were conducted from 1st March 2021 until 6th June 2021. An online questionnaire was distributed and it consisted of 5 sections which cover sociodemographic information, level of knowledge gained, confidence, motivation, and flexibility from bedside teaching session. The data was analysed by using SPSS software program. Results: There is a significant association between the level of knowledge gained, level of confidence, level of motivation and level of flexibility with the type of learning (online or face-to-face) during bedside teaching sessions. Results revealed that students gained a higher level of knowledge (84.9%), higher level of confidence in physical examination (93.3%), higher motivation (82.2%) and higher flexibility (64.1%) during face-to-face bedside teaching sessions compared to online learning. Conclusion: Most of the medical students in four Malaysian medical schools prefer face-to-face learning compared to online learning for bedside teaching sessions. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.

Face Mask Usage During COVID-19 Pandemic: Prevalence and Associated Factors in a Malaysian Medical School

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus strain. Anxiety, anticipation, and lack of knowledge in the previous experience on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (H1N1) pandemic have a substantial impact on significant public health behaviours including wearing face mask in public spaces. We investigate the prevalence of face mask usage and its associated factors during COVID-19 amongst students and staff of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Using a cross-sectional study, 220 respondents participated in an electronic version of a self-administered questionnaire. Analyses were performed using the Chi-square test, IBM SPSS Statistics 25, with statistical significance at p<0.05. Out of the 220 respondents, 197 (89.5%) reported that they wore face masks all the time. Most of the respondents (90.3%) had a high level of precautionary measures against COVID-19, 89.6% selected the internet as their source of information and 90.9% had a good attitude level towards measures against COVID-19. There were significant associations between hygienic practices (p=0.001), source of information (internet) (p=0.025), and attitude towards COVID-19 (p=0.001) with face mask usage. This study demonstrated a high prevalence (89.5%) of face mask usage during the COVID-19 outbreak. © 2022. ASM Science Journal.All Rights Reserved