Student's perception of E-learning during COVID-19 pandemic and its positive and negative learning outcomes among medical students: A country-wise study conducted in Pakistan and Iran.

Background: Since the emergence of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) not only have social and the economical dimension of life been disturbed but it has also shattered educational activities as well. Due to fear of disease spread educational institutes are forced to implement online educational systems to teach their pupils. This study aims to explore the student's perceptions related to E-learning and their positive and negative outcome among medical students in Pakistan and Iran. Method: ology: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences Tehran, Iran. This study involved 402 medical students of Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan (n = 202), and Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences Tehran, Iran (n = 200) who were actively involved in the online mode of education. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis was used and analysis was done through SPSS V.23. A P-value of 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: A total of 402 students were enrolled, 202 from Pakistan and 200 from Iran. About 68.2% of the students were acquainted with moderate levels of IT skills. About 75.8% of the students were not showing any previous experience with E-learning. The most common advantage of E-learning was the ability to stay at home. The technical problem was the most common disadvantage in our study. Finally, face-to-face learning in terms of increasing knowledge, skill, and social competence was considered the best mode of learning both by Pakistani and Irani students. Country-wise effectiveness of face-to-face learning in terms of increasing knowledge is statistically significant (p-value = 0.019). Acceptance of E-learning is statistically associated with the country of learning (p-value = 0.020). E-learning was rated as enjoyable by 51.5% of the students. Conclusion: E-learning has its associated advantages and disadvantages as perceived by medical students but still face-to-face learning is considered the most effective form of learning as responded by medical students.

Lived experiences, perceived positive outcomes, and post-traumatic growth among parents with children with epilepsy: A qualitative study.

Childhood-onset epilepsy alters the everyday life of parents who have children or adolescents with epilepsy (CAWE). The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Greek parents with CAWE, including perceived positive outcomes in their lives, where research in this area is limited. Fifteen parents took part in semi-structured interviews which were conducted online due to the social distancing measures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Main results showed that parents with CAWE experience stress, somatic symptoms, mood swings, fear along with feelings of anger, and a sense of injustice. Positive outcomes were identified at a personal level, in parenting skills, and in achieving family cohesion. Parents reported that they had achieved increased personal strength, new perspectives, better life appreciation, and changes in their spiritual beliefs. Moreover, they mentioned the acquisition of new parenting skills which helped them become better caregivers as well as feeling more united with other family members. The changes that parents identified are discussed in relation to aspects of the Post-Traumatic Growth construct, and future recommendations and implications for practice are proposed.