Trifocalizing Instruction, Research, and Extension Functions in Outcome-Based Graduate Education Programs at Romblon State University in the "New Normal”

This paper aims to map the curriculum of the graduate courses in Education offered by Romblon State University, in the Philippines, in the "new normal” ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic. To do so, it combines an assessment of student feedback and performance with an in-depth documentary analysis of existing policies, past projects, and activities of the university's Graduate School. Having made this analysis, the paper presents a number of recommendations, namely that 1) the curriculum is re-visited to ensure alignment between the university's mission and vision, on the one hand, and the learning outcomes, structure, and proposed learning outcomes of the graduate programs in Education on the other, and 2) the curriculum mapping presented in this paper is applied and implemented with a view to achieving consonance between the university's vision and mission – which sets the outcomes and practice – and which is operationalized in this paper as the class practices and activities to be adopted in Romblon State University's Master's and Doctoral programs in Education. © 2023, North American Business Press. All rights reserved.

Smart Phone Chat Apps for Teaching and Assessment in Orthopaedic Residency Training.

Introduction: Smart Phone Chat Apps (SPCA) is an integral part of people's daily routine including orthopaedic education. SPCA facilitates efficient communication and learner-based management especially now as remote flexible learning is becoming the new norm in this COVID-19 pandemic medical training. The study described the use of a chat app (Viber) as experienced by residents and consultants in the Section of Adult Orthopaedics of the institution of the principal author. It described the mode and dynamics of the chat discussion amongst its participants, its perceived usefulness in teaching and learning specifically its relevance and applicability, its potential as a supplementary assessment tool, as well as its perceived effects. Materials and methods: This is a phenomenological study and strictly adhered to data privacy. The principal author conducted a participant observation of residents' three-month clinical rotation at the study site. Mobile phone screenshots of the chat interactions and focus group discussions with consultants and residents were done. Residents were also requested to complete a questionnaire. All qualitative data were iteratively content analysed and emerging themes were summarised using NViVO-12. Frequencies and percentage distribution were used to analyse quantitative data. Results: Respondents included eleven senior, four junior residents, and nine consultants. Results show that SPCA is a useful, applicable, and relevant teaching and assessment tool. Influxes of multiple ideas per case were discussed real-time as the chat exchanges and interactions helped in the planning of the surgical management and eventual decision-making. SPCA also served as an effective surgical case log and online library, as well as an efficient, rapid, economical mode of information dissemination. The residents reported that it helped in developing their emotional maturity through self-reflection and self-criticism in the performance of their cases. The consultants concurred and added that they too were updated professionally in certain fields in orthopaedics. Conclusion: The SPCA is a helpful, relevant, and acceptable adjunct teaching and learning tool for clinical teaching and can be, to a certain extent, a supplementary formative assessment tool of the resident's communication skills, work ethics, initiative, and diligence.

Why Graded Assessment for Undergraduates during the COVID-19 Lockdown? An Experience Introspection

This paper presents a retrospective evaluation of the Higher Colleges of Technology's student assessments during the COVID-19 lockdown, reflecting the justified decision to deploy graded assessments during the lockdown for students to academically progress and/or graduate on time, while maintaining the quality and rigor of academic awards. The outcome-based evaluation of this paper is intended to provide lessons for any future situations of this significance and magnitude. While online education was the obvious response to the pandemic, the provision of assessments was not possible without risk. Taking a high-stakes decision that would affect the future of thousands of students, for years to come, involved complex steps of reasoning and justification. Addressing the role of graded assessment in supporting institutional accountability and transferability of students' achievements, student efficacy and informed pedagogy alterations were the main objectives. To meet those objectives, the Higher Colleges of Technology was able to deploy an off-campus student assessment model that builds upon three pillars of adjustments (assessment development and deployment, technology infrastructure, and governance resilience) to support students' learning, while mitigating vulnerabilities. The evaluation of student performance indicators and stakeholders' satisfaction rates revealed a successful deployment of off-campus assessment while maintaining the traditional conventions pertaining to evaluation of assessments.

Construction and Application of Waterway Engineering Design Virtual Simulation Cloud System Based on Outcome-Based Education

Hydraulic design is automatically inherent in hydraulic engineering courses, conventional teaching of the Waterway Engineering Design course tends to have limitations such as low participation, poor interactivity, disconnection between theoretical and experimental training, and restriction of experimental design by time and space. To address these needs, a virtual simulation cloud system of Waterway Engineering Design is developed based on outcome-based education. Taking real engineering projects as prototypes, this system adopts virtual reality technology and cloud platform to simulate the scene structure and instrument function with high precision. The multi-model, integrational teaching expands the experimental content, enhances the interactivity of the design process, and provides a high-quality, immersive online learning experience for students. Since its application, the Waterway Engineering Design Virtual Simulation Cloud System has received good feedback from both teachers and students. During the Covid-19 epidemic, it provided significant support for experiments and teaching of the Waterway Engineering Design course and became a pivotal supplement to the existing teaching system. The Waterway Engineering Design Virtual Simulation Cloud System adheres to the “student-centered” teaching principle, builds up students’ ability for independent learning and engineering practice, and facilitates their personal development and training for excellent engineers © 2022, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning.All Rights Reserved.

Online-Offline Teaching for Bio-Pharmaceutical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case Study of Advanced Mathematics in Application-Oriented Universities of China.

Background: With the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of online teaching is becoming more and more prominent, especially for the basic advanced mathematics majoring in bio-pharmaceutical in colleges. However, the only online teaching model loses efficiency when facing the undergraduates in application-oriented universities. Purpose: How to improve the teaching quality of advanced mathematics has always been a concern because the mathematical abilities of students in application-oriented universities are not ideal. In this article, we develop a blending online-offline teaching model that combined online teaching and offline outcome-based education (OBE), as an alternative to traditional offline education. Methodology: The comparative analysis experiment is carried out to the two classes of undergraduates. The control group and the experimental group are, respectively, the 2020 class students and the 2021 class students majoring in bio-pharmaceutical. The experimental group students receive the combined teaching method, while the control group students receive the traditional offline education. Results: (1) From the comparative analysis, we can find that the students under the online-offline teaching model are more differentiated than those under the traditional offline education model. (2) The online-offline teaching model equipped with "case study + knowledge point + applications" process has achieved a good teaching effect in the author's university. Conclusion: The proposed teaching model can well stimulate students' interest in advanced mathematics learning and resonate with students through actual cases, thereby arousing students' autonomous learning drive and allowing them to apply what they have learned to professional fields.

Evaluating the Influence and Modification for Environment and Sustainability Learning Outcome in Environmental Engineering Course During COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic has influenced most of us either directly or indirectly. In ensuring the education is always in line with the National Education Philosophy in developing holistic, entrepreneurial, and balanced graduates, the Civil Engineering Program of Universiti Malaysia Sabah utilizes the UMS-OBE system, particularly in course outcome (CO) input to the program outcomes (PO) in the assessment and reporting of student's performance. As the main stakeholders, learners and lecturers must be actively engaged in the rationale and motivation of implementing the OBE mechanisms. Hence this paper evaluated the course learning outcome and measured their perceptions by categorizing the ranked perception feedback on project-based learning (PBL). This paper highlights the modification in implementing PBL that previously involved physical work on-site. Due to the movement control order (MCO) enforced due to the covid-19 pandemic, the course assessment targeted to instill the program outcome (PO) of Environment and Sustainability attribute was strategized into 3 phases. The analysis found that the course outcome has been successfully achieved, even though a slight decrease was observed from the previous regular face-to-face mode. A slight decrease was observed in the overall grade achievement and course outcome analysis. The instructional modification and intervention in Project-Based-learning to improve online learning strategies, despite the requirement for engineering community fieldwork through the learner's feedback responses during the three phases in model strategies for course outcome pedagogy, have shown optimistic input by learners and has continuously engaged them through the Project-based-Learning completion.

Resilience and responsiveness in challenging times

The papers in this Edition of the Journal comprise five 'general papers' and five in the COVID 19 section. Together, the papers clearly illustrate our theme of 'Resilience and responsiveness'. The general papers mark states of transition, whether student, staff, or institution;the capacity and ability of stakeholders to be responsive to trends and more importantly their resilience to unfolding circumstances. Examples of these transitions include, academics learning new ways of education (outcome-based education, measuring aspects of the Bologna Process);institutions sustaining historical models of education, mission, and strategies;students experiencing and reacting to changes in the educational experience as pedagogies, processes, modes of delivery and philosophies change around them. In the COVID-19 section, resilience and responsiveness are evident driven by the need to face the challenges of the moment and times.

Practical tips and Stepwise guide to create and implement Rubric Based Assessment in Competency Based Medical Education: No need to google, create your own Rubric!

In a technology -driven society, it is very essential to have effective communication skills as medical graduate with patients and peer members. Assessments are vital in the process of teaching and learning. Assessing oral presentation skills is considered as assessing the behavioural skills in Millers' prism of Clinical competence in Medical Education. In alignment with the Saudi Med competency Framework, the rubric was designed keeping the core competency at the centre like Communication & Collaboration and arranging the other auxiliary competencies around, then the parameters like dimensions were derived. An evaluation rubric for grading the presentations was designed to allow faculty evaluators to objectively score student performances in the dimensions of presentation like speech elocution, eye contact along with subject content. Rubrics create clarity for students and rubric dimensions represent various outcomes for students, giving them a realistic destination for their assignment. The students are informed about plagiarism malpractices and are instructed to maintain academic integrity. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rubric scoring assessment for oral presentation was used for online assessment on Zoom webinar. This assessment tool along with online conferencing tools has provided a framework for integrated and interactive evaluation that can be used to facilitate the modification of traditional assessment methods. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science is the property of Ibn Sina Medical College, Ibn Sina Trust and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Start small and aim big in conducting a basic surgical skills workshop for medical students

Introduction: Medical students (MS) may lack the knowledge and experience in performing basic surgical skills (BSS) when they first commence their postgraduate surgical training. We conducted a pilot BSS workshop with specific learning outcomes for MS. Methods: Our BSS workshop program consisted of reading the pre-workshop online modules, watching the instructional videos of skills demonstration, and completing the pre-workshop multiple-choice questions (MCQ). MS attended the onsite workshop a week later, which consisted of a basic surgical theory lecture, live demonstration of the skills by the teaching faculty and, supervised skills training coupled with feedback. Surgical skills taught were knot tying, suturing techniques, laparoscopic peg transfer, precision cutting, application of endoloop ties. A standardised surgical skills rubric was used to assess the competency and safety of BSS. A post-workshop MCQ was administered to assess the knowledge learned. The criteria for successful completion of BSS were a satisfactory grade in the surgical skills assessment and a pass score in the MCQ. Results: All the participating MS achieved a satisfactory grade in the surgical skills assessment and passed the MCQ. Several pedagogical methods were used to enhance knowledge learning and practical skills competency including a flipped classroom in blended learning, technology-enhanced learning, kinesthetic learning, and providing effective feedback. Conclusion: MS taught in BSS workshop can achieve competency in knowledge, skills, safe attitude and prepare them for future postgraduate surgical training. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, our challenge is to develop similar BSS in a safe environment using technology-enhanced tools such as online instructional videos and online feedback. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Asia Pacific Scholar is the property of Centre for Medical Education (CenMed) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Research on OBE Online Teaching Mode Combined with Expression Recognition—Taking Digital Image Processing Course as an Example

Although the engineering education has been widely developed in China, the training for engineers cannot completely satisfy the requirements from the society. The output-based education (OBE) designs education process according to the results of education so that students can have a certain level of ability when they graduate. However, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of offline practical activities have changed to online ones. Thus, the digital image processing course is taken as an example, and the online class video is taken as the test data for students to do practical experiments. Moreover, an algorithm extracting harr-like features to detect face and recognize expression is applied. The eyes are further extracted from the detected face images to calculate the ratio of width and height, and then the students’ studying state can be determined. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm can help teachers understand the students’ state and improve the teaching efficiency. Moreover, the OBE online teaching mode can improve the students’ practical ability. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Case Study: Integrated In-house Textbook Companion Internship

The curriculum design is an integral part of engineering degree, which is nowadays taking a paradigm shift. The syllabi for engineering graduates a decade ago was completely academic but now there is a scope for more real time analysis, which makes the students, be industry ready. This is more beneficial as it will require less training period for the students, when they are absorbed in their respective industry. Therefore, the internship programme has been included in the curriculum of most of the universities and being a credit course, it allows more students to participate. In addition, if the interns score credits for the same, the method of evaluation and assessment tools needs proper design. Our Textbook Companion Internship was offered online during the outburst of pandemic (COVID-19).The main objectives of this internship is to provide an integrated learning experience, i.e., integration of theoretical knowledge and software tools (Simulation based study) i.e. essential to bridge academic-industry gaps. The objective is achieved by modifying the assigned tasks to interns on daily basis and evaluating their work and by giving feedback. This has helped the interns to understand the theoretical concepts together with simulations. © 2022, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.

Effective Implementation of Complex Engineering Problems and Complex Engineering Activities in Malaysian Engineering Curricular

The Engineering Accreditation Council Standard 2020 requires the stipulated 12 programme outcomes that address complex engineering problems (CEP) and complex engineering activities (CEA) to be incorporated in the engineering programmes. However, the implementation of outcome-based education with regards to CEP and CEA is still in the infancy stage. This study was carried out to give an overview of the implementation of complex engineering problems and activities in Malaysian engineering programmes in relation to the types of assessment used to address CEP and CEA, and the typical weightage and taxonomy level of CEP and CEA employed in these assessments. A survey questionnaire was administered to 256 engineering educators from 25 universities to enquire about the implementation of CEP and CEA in their engineering programmes, particularly in the online teaching and learning during the Covid19 pandemic. The findings showed that most of the programmes addressed complex engineering problems in assignments or projects as compared to final examinations or mid-term tests. Complex engineering activities were found to be addressed in Final Year Project, Industrial Training and Integrated Design Project and laboratory courses. The findings in this study could act as a guideline for educators to enhance the teaching and learning activities incorporating CEP and CEA elements, and hence facilitating the continual quality improvement for an engineering programme. © 2021

Questioning medical competence: Should the Covid-19 crisis affect the goals of medical education?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many societal institutions, including health care and education. Although the pandemic's impact was initially assumed to be temporary, there is growing conviction that medical education might change more permanently. The International Competency-based Medical Education (ICBME) collaborators, scholars devoted to improving physician training, deliberated how the pandemic raises questions about medical competence. We formulated 12 broad-reaching issues for discussion, grouped into micro-, meso-, and macro-level questions. At the individual micro level, we ask questions about adaptability, coping with uncertainty, and the value and limitations of clinical courage. At the institutional meso level, we question whether curricula could include more than core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and focus on individualized, dynamic, and adaptable portfolios of EPAs that, at any moment, reflect current competence and preparedness for disasters. At the regulatory and societal macro level, should conditions for licensing be reconsidered? Should rules of liability be adapted to match the need for rapid redeployment? We do not propose a blueprint for the future of medical training but rather aim to provoke discussions needed to build a workforce that is competent to cope with future health care crises.

If we could turn back time: Imagining time-variable, competency-based medical education in the context of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a paradox in historical models of medical education: organizations responsible for applying consistent standards for progression have needed to adapt to training environments marked by inconsistency and change. Although some institutions have maintained their traditional requirements, others have accelerated their programs to rush nearly graduated trainees to the front lines. One interpretation of the unplanned shortening of the duration of training programs during a crisis is that standards have been lowered. But it is also possible that these trainees were examined according to the same standards as usual and were judged to have already met them. This paper discusses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current workforce, provides an analysis of how competency-based medical education (CBME) in the context of the pandemic might have mitigated wide-scale disruption, and identifies structural barriers to achieving an ideal state. The paper further calls upon universities, health centres, governments, certifying bodies, regulatory authorities, and health care professionals to work collectively on a truly time-variable model of CBME. The pandemic has made clear that time variability in medical education already exists and should be adopted widely and formally. If our systems today had used a framework of outcome competencies, sequenced progression, tailored learning, focused instruction, and programmatic assessment, we may have been even more nimble in changing our systems to care for our patients with COVID-19.

Training disrupted: Practical tips for supporting competency-based medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare systems around the world, impacting how we deliver medical education. The normal day-to-day routines have been altered for a number of reasons, including changes to scheduled training rotations, physical distancing requirements, trainee redeployment, and heightened level of concern. Medical educators will likely need to adapt their programs to maximize learning, maintain effective care delivery, and ensure competent graduates. Along with a continued focus on learner/faculty wellness, medical educators will have to optimize existing training experiences, adapt those that are no longer viable, employ new technologies, and be flexible when assessing competencies. These practical tips offer guidance on how to adapt medical education programs within the constraints of the pandemic landscape, stressing the need for communication, innovation, collaboration, flexibility, and planning within the era of competency-based medical education.