Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on online medical education - An online survey of students' perspective.

Introduction: The year 2020 brings in a paradigm shift in medical education with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the government of India initiated the first countrywide lockdown, educational institutions, including medical colleges, have adopted online mode for undergraduate teaching. Medical education is virtually incomplete without appropriate practical exposure. This study was conducted to understand the opinion of the medical students towards online classes as an impact of this pandemic on medical education. Materials and Methods: A descriptive online survey was conducted using a google form among medical undergraduate students from across India. Snowball sampling was used to recruit study participants. The responses were analyzed using numbers and percentages. Continuous variables were expressed as the mean and standard deviation of the mean. Results: The mean age of the 1426 respondents was 20.46 years. The majority of the responses were from Karnataka (412), followed by Odisha (167). While fairly a good number of respondents agreed that online classes provided a conducive environment and independence in learning, a large proportion disagreed or remained neutral in terms of its usefulness. This could be attributed to several reasons, which may be categorized into three important groups: the technical competence of the students, the provision of an enabling environment and the ability of the teachers. Conclusion: Students had varying opinions on online classes, but most emphasized the need for redoing the lessons taught online.

Processo de ensino e aprendizagem no período de suspensão das aulas presenciais em virtude da pandemia de COVID-19: estudo com professores / Teaching and learning process in the suspension period of classes in virtue of the COVID-19 pandemy: study with teachers / Proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje durante el período de suspensión de clases presencial por la pandemia del COVID-19: estudio con docentes

Introdução: Sabe-se que durante o período da pandemia do COVID-19, escolas e professores precisaram adaptar-se com alternativas para dar continuidade às aulas. Objetivo: Investigar estratégias e recursos pedagógicos de aprendizagem adotados por professores da rede pública e/ou privada de ensino, do interior de um estado brasileiro, durante o período de suspensão das aulas presenciais, em virtude da Pandemia de Covid-19 e seus efeitos para estudantes com e sem dificuldades de aprendizagem. Método: Aplicação de questionário on-line utilizando a ferramenta Google Forms para 37 professores atuantes do 1° ao 5° ano da rede pública e/ou privada no interior do estado, que tenham trabalhado remotamente durante a Pandemia no período de suspensão das aulas presenciais. Esse material continha questões de múltipla escolha e dissertativas e averiguava a forma de trabalho durante este período, as estratégias e os recursos adotados. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que as estratégias mais utilizadas pelos professores foram uso de materiais impressos. Os professores relataram as dificuldades e os desafios em adotar o ensino remoto, referentes à desigualdade social dos alunos, a dificuldade de adaptação dos professores a esta forma de ensino e ao empenho restrito das famílias no processo de aprendizagem. Conclusão: foi possível verificar como ocorreu o processo de adaptação ao ensino remoto pelos professores. Verifica-se a necessidade de explorar o trabalho conjunto com a Fonoaudiologia, visando minimizar as dificuldades apresentadas pelos estudantes, o que auxiliaria no processo de ensino e aprendizagem dos alunos que, posteriormente, poderiam vir a ser futuros pacientes do setor de Fonoaudiologia. (AU)

Introduction: it is known that during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and teachers needed to adapt with alternatives to continue classes. Purpose: Investigate pedagogical learning strategies and resources adopted by teachers from public and/or private schools in the interior of a Brazilian state during the period of suspension of face-to-face classes, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and its effects on students with and without learning difficulties. Method: This research included the application of an online questionnaire through Google Forms to 37 active teachers from the 1st to the 5th year of the public and/or private network at Brasilian state who have worked remotely during the Pandemic during the suspension period of in-person classes. This material contained multiple choice questions and essays, referring to the way of working during this period, strategies and resources adopted. Results: The results showed that the most used strategies by teachers were the use of printed materials. Teachers reported the difficulties and challenges in adopting remote teaching, referring to the social inequality of students, the limited commitment of families in the learning process and the difficulty of teachers to adapt to this form of teaching. Conclusion: Among 37 teachers who joined the study, it was possible to verify how the process of adaptation to remote teaching took place. There is a need to explore the joint work with Speech Therapy, aiming to minimize the difficulties presented by students. Such clarifications would help in the teaching and learning process of students who could later become future patients in the Speech Therapy sector. (AU)

Introducción: se sabe que durante el período de la pandemia del COVID-19, las escuelas y los docentes requirieron adaptarse con alternativas para continuar las clases. Objetivos: Investigar estrategias y recursos pedagógicos de aprendizaje adoptados por profesores de escuelas públicas y/o privadas del interior de un estado brasileño durante el período de suspensión de clases presenciales, debido a la Pandemia Covid-19 y sus efectos en estudiantes con y sin dificultades de aprendizaje. Método: Esta investigación implicó la aplicación de un cuestionario en línea a través de Formularios de Google a 37 docentes que laboran del 1° al 5° año de la red pública y/o privada del interior del estado, que habían trabajado de manera remota durante la Pandemia en el período de suspensión de clases presenciales. Este material contenía preguntas de selección múltiple y desarrollo, referentes a la forma de trabajar durante este período, las estrategias y los recursos adoptados. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que las estrategias más utilizadas por los docentes fue el uso de materiales impresos. Los docentes relataron las dificultades y desafíos en la adopción de la enseñanza a distancia, refiriéndose a la desigualdad social de los estudiantes, el compromiso restringido de las familias en el proceso de aprendizaje y la dificultad de adaptación de los docentes a esta forma de enseñanza. Conclusión: Entre 37 docentes que se sumaron al estudio, fue posible verificar cómo ocurrió el proceso de adaptación a la enseñanza a distancia. Existe la necesidad de explorar el trabajo conjunto con la Logopedia, con el objetivo de minimizar las dificultades presentadas por los estudiantes. Tales aclaraciones ayudarían en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje de los estudiantes que luego podrían convertirse en futuros pacientes del sector de Logopedia. (AU)

Oral cancer diagnosis communication: Impact of an educational intervention using the SPIKES protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the influence of a single educational intervention on the perception and knowledge of strategies for communicating oral cancer diagnoses. METHODS: A educational intervention, 72 dentists and 41 dental undergraduates participated in the 'Maio Vermelho Project', a continuing education activity. Participants completed a 14-question online questionnaire concerning their experiences and perceptions of delivering difficult news. The educational intervention featured an interview illustrating the SPIKES protocol, broadcast on YouTube. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 40 years. A minority (21.2%) had encountered or experienced communicating an oral cancer diagnosis. Exposure to lectures on this topic during their education was uncommon (22.1%) but more prevalent among students. After the intervention, confidence in communicating a cancer diagnosis (29.2%) and addressing the patient's family (30.1%) in line with the SPIKES protocol increased. CONCLUSION: A training deficit persists in delivering cancer diagnoses, highlighting the need for educational interventions to empower students and professionals in this critical procedure. Integration of this topic into the dental undergraduate curriculum is imperative. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Effectively communicating a cancer diagnosis poses challenges to healthcare professionals, impacting treatment outcomes. Implementing educational interventions ensures that professionals are well prepared to navigate this complex task, ultimately improving patient care.

Predictive modelling of student dropout risk: Practical insights from a South Korean distance university.

Distance education supports lifelong learning and empowers individuals in rapidly changing societal conditions, yet it encounters high dropout rates due to a range of individual and societal obstacles. This study addresses the challenge of creating a practical prediction model by analyzing extensive real-world time-point data from a well-established online university in Seoul. Covering 144,540 instances from 2018 to 2022, the study integrates diverse datasets to compare the accuracy of models based on longitudinal, semester-wise, and gender-specific datasets. The demographic, academic, and online metrics identified significant dropout indicators, including age (particularly when binned), residential area, specific occupations, GPA, and LMS log metrics, using a stepwise backward elimination process. The study revealed that, despite societal changes, recent data from the last four semesters can be effectively used for stable prediction training. Gender-based analysis showed different factors influencing dropout risk for males and females. The Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM) algorithm excelled in prediction accuracy, with the ROC-AUC metric affirming its superiority. However, logistic regression also showed its competitive performance and offered in-depth interpretation. In South Korea's distinct educational setting, merging advanced algorithms like LGBM with the interpretive strength of logistic regression is key for effective student support strategies.

Stress-related experiences and intentions to quit studies among female married postgraduate distance education students in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Although postgraduate studies have been shown to be associated with stressful experiences, students reading programmes through the distance and e-learning mode experience greater levels of stress due to several reasons. These stressful encounters might be heightened in female married postgraduates on distance education programmes due to other family-work-related engagements. This study investigated the stress-related experiences and intentions to quit studies among female married students on a distance education programme in Ghana. METHODS: Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 164 married postgraduate distance education students were sampled to participate by responding to a questionnaire. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 10 participants to offer insight into the quantitative findings. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages, while the qualitative data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: Stress was prevalent among the female married distance education students, with the majority having intentions of quitting their studies. The stressors identified ranged from personal (i.e., work and family demands) to institutional ones (i.e., academic load, unresolved complaints and high financial demands from the programme). CONCLUSIONS: Key findings suggest that female married postgraduate distance education students perform multiple roles as full-time employees with family and academic demands that can negatively impact their health and academic work. Implications and recommendations of the findings are discussed.

Addressing Gaps in Access to LGBTQIA + Health Education Resources: A Novel E-Learning Platform.

OBJECTIVES: To reduce health inequities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQIA+) people, healthcare professionals need increased access to education and training resources on LGBTQIA + health. Web-based, asynchronous, electronic learning (e-learning) resources are critical for expanding the availability of LGBTQIA + health programs. This article presents the design and utilization outcomes of a novel e-learning platform for engaging healthcare professionals in LGBTQIA + health online continuing education. METHODS: As of December 2022, the e-learning platform consisted of 293 resources within 17 topic domains. Modalities included: learning modules, recorded webinars, publications, videos, and toolkits. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the e-learning platform's website traffic and user engagement data. Google Universal Analytics and event tracking were used to measure website traffic, user locations, and publication downloads. Learning module and webinar completions were exported from the learning management system and run as frequencies. RESULTS: Between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, over 650,000 people from all U.S. states, 182 countries, and 31 territories visited the website. Platform users downloaded publications 66,225 times, and completed 29,351 learning modules and 24,654 webinars. CONCLUSION: The broad reach and high user engagement of the e-learning platform indicate acceptability of web-based, asynchronous online continuing education in LGBTQIA + health, and suggest that this platform is filling a need in health professional education. Remote, online learning opportunities may be especially important in jurisdictions with bans on medical care for transgender and gender diverse youth. Future growth of the platform, paired with in-person and other online learning opportunities, has the potential to reduce gaps in LGBTQIA + health training, and mitigate LGBTQIA + health inequities.

Active vs passive media multitasking and memory for lecture materials.

Access to digital technology in the 21st century has led to the emergence of media multitasking (MMT), which involves attempting to engage with multiple streams of media at the same time. This behaviour, which is frequently considered to be a form of inattention, has become increasingly prevalent in educational settings, such as undergraduate lectures. The aim of the present study was to examine volitional media-multitasking (MMT) during an asynchronous online lecture by giving participants the opportunity to engage with a secondary, non-required media stream (i.e., the game of snake). Participants (n = 222) were randomly assigned to either an Active condition, in which they could play the snake game using the arrow keys; or a Passive condition, in which they could watch the snake game, but could not play it. In both conditions, participants could toggle the snake game on and off, using a keypress. MMT was indexed behaviourally by measuring the percentage of time participants had the secondary stream toggled on (i.e., snake time percentage), a method pioneered by Ralph et al. (2020), and subjectively by asking participants to what extent they engaged with other media while the lecture was playing. Following the lecture, participants completed a multiple-choice quiz and self-reported their level of MMT. Our behavioural measure (i.e., snake time percentage) indicated that participants spent significantly more time MMT in the Active condition than the Passive condition. However, there were no significant differences in self-reported MMT or quiz performance across conditions. Furthermore, correlations between both measures of MMT and quiz performance were non-significant. Thus, the present study found no performance decrement as a result of, or in association with, increased volitional MMT.

Impact of Educational Activity Formats, Online or In-Person, on the Intention of Medical Specialists to Adopt a Clinical Behaviour: A Comparative Study.

COVID-19 accelerated continuing professional development (CPD) delivered online. We aimed to compare the impact of in-person versus online CPD courses on medical specialists' behavioural intentions and subsequent behaviour. In this comparative before-and-after study, medical specialists attended in-person courses on nine clinical topics. A second group attended an adapted online version of these courses. Behavioural intention and its psychosocial determinants were measured before and immediately after the courses. Behaviour change was measured six months later. Generalised estimating equation (GEE) models were used to compare the impact of course formats. A total of 82/206 in-person registrants (mean age: 52±10 years; 50% men) and 318/506 on-line registrants (mean age: 49±12 years; men: 63%) participated. Mean intention before in-person courses was 5.99±1.31 and 6.43±0.80 afterwards (average intention gain 0.44, CI: 0.16-0.74; p=0.003); mean intention before online courses was 5.53±1.62 and 5.98±1.40 afterwards (average intention gain of 0.45, CI: 0.30-0.58; p<0.0001). Difference in intention gain between groups was not statistically significant. Behaviour reported six months later was not significantly associated with post-course intention in either group. However, the intention difference increased significantly among those who said they had adopted the targeted behaviour (paired wilcoxon test: n = 40 and p-value=0.002) while it did not increase significantly in the group of those who had not adopted a targeted behaviour (paired wilcoxon test: n = 16 and p-value=0.223). In conclusion, the increase in intention of specialists after CPD courses was similar whether the course was in-person or online. Also, an increase in intention in both groups signalled more likelihood of adoption.

Improving Distress Screening for People with Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of an E-Learning Course to Increase Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge.

OBJECTIVES: Psychological distress can occur following diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer, compromising psychosocial wellbeing. Improved recognition and management of distress by healthcare professionals can enhance clinical practice and promote evidence-based prostate cancer care. This paper explores the effectiveness and feasibility of the online Distress Screening for Prostate Cancer course, designed to improve healthcare professionals' understanding of screening for prostate cancer-related distress. It aims to evaluate whether this e-learning course increases learners' knowledge of distress screening for prostate cancer. METHODS: Healthcare professionals were invited to enroll in the online course and complete optional evaluation questions. The pretest posttest design identified changes in learners' knowledge about distress screening for people with prostate cancer, including prevalence, risk factors, assessment and management strategies for distress (n = 149). Learners also rated satisfaction in a cross-sectional survey (n = 116). Most respondents were nurses, including Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses. RESULTS: Learners' knowledge of distress screening was higher after course completion. Improvement between pre- and posttest results was statistically significant for four of ten items, including risk of prostate cancer-related distress, and suicidality, and the purpose of distress screening. Learners reported high satisfaction with course content, structure, engagement, relevance, and approach. They particularly valued the narrative-based approach and interactivity. Small numbers encountered technological problems and some offered suggestions to improve learner feedback. CONCLUSIONS: The course improved healthcare professionals' knowledge of distress among people affected by prostate cancer. Learners found the e-learning format feasible and acceptable. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Deeper understanding of the psychological implications of diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer can help healthcare professionals respond to and manage distress among men and their families, and provide supportive care to improve health-related quality of life. Access to an online course can offer effective, feasible education on distress screening.

Is better readiness the key to deeper learning in distance education? A cross-sectional online study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has required teachers and students to suddenly transition from face-to-face formats to distance education (DE). The uniqueness of nursing discipline is that it requires both theoretical and skills-based learning. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the influencing factors and effectiveness of DE in nursing education. This exploration can guide teaching practice and provide a basis for the future application of DE in nursing education. Aims: To describe the current distance education readiness and depth of learning among undergraduate nursing students and explore possible influencing factors. To determine the relationship between students' distance education readiness and the depth of learning. Design: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional online study. Settings: School of Nursing in a traditional Chinese medicine university, Beijing, China. Participants: A total of 222 undergraduate nursing students from a traditional Chinese medicine university were recruited. Methods: A questionnaire, which is composed of information form, the Online Learning Readiness Scale, and the Scale of Students Making Deep Learning, was used for data collection. Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlations were used in the analysis of the data. Result: Undergraduate nursing students have lower averages in distance education readiness and higher averages in the depth of learning. Significant differences in distance education readiness and depth of learning between different grade groups. A positive correlation was found between distance education readiness and depth of learning (r = 0.894, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Distance education is a feasible approach to learning today. Undergraduate nursing students have exhibited poor readiness for distance education but demonstrated deeper learning conditions. Upper grades may lead to better learning outcomes. Better distance education readiness can lead to deeper learning. These conclusions prompt teachers and students to be prepared before participating in distance education to obtain better academic performance.

Determining nursing students' attitudes towards, readiness for, expectations from and satisfaction with distance education and their sense of alienation from their university.

OBJECTIVE: To determine nursing students' views on attitudes towards distance education during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHODS: The analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in May and June 2022 at a state university in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye, and comprised nursing students. Data were collected using the Attitude Towards e- Learning Scale, e-Readiness for e-Learning and Expectations Scale, e-Satisfaction Scale, and University Alienation Scale. Data were analysed SPSS 26. RESULTS: Of the 322 participants, 213 (66.1%) were females, and 159 (49.4%) were staying in hostel dormitories. The mean age of the sample was 20.36±1.63 years. There was a significant, moderate and positive correlation between the students' scores from with respect to readiness, satisfaction, transmission, practicality and content of distance learning (p<0.05). There was a significant, weak and positive correlation of readiness with the education process, interaction and assessment values (p≤0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Alienation towards university education increased in relation to technology skills.

Orthopaedic sport medicine surgeons and fellows value immersive virtual reality for improving surgical training, procedural planning, and distance learning.

OBJECTIVES: Overall, the potential utility of immersive virtual reality (iVR) technology in orthopaedic surgery is promising. The attitudes of medical students and surgical trainees on virtual reality simulated surgical training have been overwhelmingly positive. However, further research and understanding of the attitudes of practicing orthopaedic surgeons and fellows are needed to appreciate its benefits for clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to establish the face validity of iVR technology by assessing the attitudes of Canadian orthopaedic surgeons on the value of iVR for surgical training, clinical practice, and distance learning. METHODS: Forty-three orthopaedic surgeons and fellows attended an iVR demonstration at an annual orthopaedic meeting. The view and audio from the lead headset were cast to a large screen so the audience could follow the procedure in real time. Immediately after the presentation, the audience members were asked to complete a paper questionnaire assessing their perceptions and attitudes toward iVR for use in orthopaedic learning, clinical practice and distance education and mentoring. RESULTS: iVR was perceived to be valuable for the field of orthopaedic surgery providing face validity for the technology. All 13 questions were rated with mean Likert scores of five or greater, indicating a positive observed value for all 13 questions. The respondents indicated that iVR had value (score of 5 or greater) in each questionnaire domain, with agreement ranging from 78 to 98% for teaching and learning, 66-97% for clinical practice, and 88-100% for distance education and mentoring questions. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that a group of Canadian sport medicine orthopaedic surgeons and fellows had favourable attitudes toward, and perceived that iVR has value in, orthopaedic surgical training, clinical practice, and distance learning and mentorship. The potential for utilizing iVR technology for distance learning, mentorship and global education appears promising. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

E-Learning Experiences Among Nursing Students: A Scoping Review.

Background: Electronic learning (e-learning) is a broader approach to learning that opens up new avenues for studying and teaching in many sectors of education outside of the standard classroom setting. This paper might enhance cultural competence among nursing students and the perspective of the lecturer. Methods: Literature databases of Cinahl "Ebsco", Pubmed, and Science Direct were searched, and 326 potentially relevant nursing research articles were reviewed between 2017 and 2022. Fourteen papers were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Results: Fourteen articles were included for scoping review, themes include blended E-learning, nursing students' e-learning readiness, and The challenges with the E-learning system. First: Blended learning may be a beneficial educational strategy in nursing education but it also requires a cautious and carefully planned approach with sufficient time for each student. Second: E-readiness is an important component of academic success, and prospective e-learning users' capacity to use a new learning environment, as well as alternative technologies, is referred to as e-learning readiness. In addition, continuous readiness assessment is required to ensure the successful deployment of e-learning. Thirdly, Accessibility is the most significant challenge students experience; many other issues also challenge e-learning, such as Infrastructure, Ineffective Time Management, and a lack of Instant Communication. Conclusion: E-learning, on the other hand, can provide an alternate mode of education, blended learning Proven to be effective as a modern learning method, students' e-learning readiness was a significant predictor of their satisfaction and motivation in the classroom, there are still concerns about the instructional veracity of e-Learning, as well as how to analyze and overcome hurdles and fears in e-Learning. Implications: Specialized implications for practical ramifications include strategic management planning, curriculum enhancement, and raising standards at the lecturer level in several specific areas.

Blended learning has a significant impact on enhancing the learning process by combining instructional strategies to boost student outcomes and motivation.Success requires strategic planning, faculty development, and embracing digital resources. Access to the Internet, hardware, and regular training facilitate effective e-learning.The study emphasizes the significance of taking learning styles and student requirements into account during the course development process. Future research should investigate the cost-effectiveness of integrated nursing courses and broaden their application to all levels of nursing education.This review will contribute to the incorporation of blended learning, which facilitates the transition of nursing students to competency-based education and continuous learning, while technological proficiency becomes essential for maximizing the benefits of e-learning.

Nursing faculty development program for digital teaching competence.

BACKGROUND: Nursing faculties need to develop digital competencies to effectively use information, communication, and technology-based nursing education. PURPOSE: The study aimed to develop and apply a theory-guided faculty development program on digital teaching competencies. METHODS: A faculty development program was developed. Between March and April 2020, three five-hour web workshops participated by ninety-three faculty members were held. The program was assessed via mixed methods, combining satisfaction surveys post-workshop with content analysis of open-ended questionnaires to gauge participant evaluation of program content and learning experience. RESULTS: Participants were highly satisfied with the program contents and their opportunity for integrating digital technology into education and improving faculty proficiency in digital teaching technology. CONCLUSIONS: The program provides faculties with the self-confidence and essential skills to teach students using information, communication, and technology-based nursing education by enhancing their digital teaching competencies. It is critical to integrate both digital proficiency and nursing practice education.

Association of School Instructional Mode with Community COVID-19 Incidence during August-December 2020 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Remote and hybrid modes of instruction were employed as alternatives to in-person instruction as part of early mitigation efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the impact of a public school district's instructional mode on cumulative incidence and transmission in the surrounding community by employing a generalized estimating equations approach to estimate the association with weekly COVID-19 case counts by zip code in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, from August to December 2020. Remote instruction only (RI) was employed by 7 of 20 school districts; 13 used some non-remote instruction (NRI) (2-15 weeks). Weekly incidence increased in all zip codes from August to peak in late fall before declining. The zip code cumulative incidence within NRI school districts was higher than in those offering only RI (risk ratio = 1.12, p = 0.01; risk difference = 519 per 100,000, 95% confidence interval (123-519)). The mean effect for NRI on emergent cases 2 weeks after mode exposure, controlling for Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), was significant only for high SVI zip codes 1.30, p < 0.001. NRI may be associated with increased community COVID-19 incidence, particularly in communities with high SVI. Vulnerable communities may need more resources to open schools safely.

Satisfacción de los estudiantes de Odontología con el aprendizaje blended-learning en la Universidad San Sebastián, Chile / Student satisfaction with blended-learning in dentistry education in San Sebastian University, Chile

Introducción: La asignatura de Preclínico y Rehabilitación de la licenciatura de Odontología de la Universidad San Sebastián (Chile) prepara a los estudiantes para el desarrollo de habilidades prácticas que permiten el trabajo clínico con pacientes. En el año académico 2020-2021, posterior a la cuarentena por COVID-19, se mantuvo el curso en un entorno de aprendizaje en línea y con carácter semipresencial, apoyándose en un enfoque de aula invertida incorporando la estrategia blended-learning (B-learning). Objetivo: Evaluar la satisfacción del estudiantado con respecto a las actividades prácticas en modalidad B-learning.Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo-observacional. Se analizó el programa de la asignatura para desarrollar diversos recursos que se alojaron en una plataforma learning management system para efectuar una metodología de aula invertida. En 2022 se aplicó un instrumento en línea a 143 estudiantes con 18 ítems, en los que se usó una escala de tipo Likert para valorar su satisfacción en relación con la modalidad B-learning utilizada en la asignatura de Preclínico y Rehabilitación. Resultados: De 143 estudiantes inscritos en el curso 2021, contestaron 77. Se evidenció una buena consistencia internadel instrumento a través de un análisis del alfa de Cronbach (0,9). Para la subdimensión satisfacción con el aprendizaje se obtuvo una alta satisfacción, un 82,56%; un 86,75% en el ámbito de las metodologías y recursos; y un 94,38% para elproceso docente. Conclusiones: La modalidad B-learning se consideró satisfactoria para el estudiantado. El instrumento utilizado mostróuna buena consistencia interna, lo que permite retroalimentar procesos educativos.(AU)

Introduction: The Preclinical and Rehabilitation course in the Dentistry Degree at the University San Sebastian in Chile, prepares students for the development of practical skills essential for clinical work with patients. In the academic year 2020-2021, following the COVID-19 quarantine, the course was conducted in a blended learning environment, combining online and semi-presential aspects, employing a flipped classroom approach with the integration of blended learning (B-learning) strategy. Objective: To assess student satisfaction regarding practical activities in the B-learning mode.Materials and methods. A descriptive-observational study was conducted. The course program was analyzed to develop various resources hosted on a learning management system platform to implement a flipped classroom methodology. In 2022, an online instrument with 18 items, using a Likert scale, was administered to 143 students to assess their satisfaction with the B-learning mode in the Preclinical and Rehabilitation course. Results: Out of 143 enrolled students in the 2021 academic year, 77 responded. The instrument showed good internal consistency through Cronbach’s alpha analysis (0.9). For the satisfaction with learning sub-dimension, high satisfaction rates were obtained (82.56%), 86.75% for methodologies and resources, and 94.38% for the teaching process. Conclusions: The B-learning mode was considered satisfactory for the students. The instrument used demonstrated good internal consistency, providing feedback for educational processes.(AU)

Exploring success factors and relationships in virtual learning using ISM and fuzzy MICMAC analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic's consequences have led to a global change in educational settings towards online learning. The utilization of virtual learning (VL) has increased significantly. This study aimed to extract the success factors of VL and also examine the relationships among them. The research method involves examining factors identified in the literature review and seeking confirmation from experts using the Content Validity Index (CVI) method. Ten success factors are extracted and confirmed, including Technological, Management, Learning Capability, Pedagogical, Ethical, Resource Support, Interface Design, Evaluation, Institutional, and Study Environment. Based on the Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) method and the fuzzy matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification (MICMAC), which divides the factors into five levels, the relationship between these factors is examined. Level I emphasizes the importance of evaluation mechanisms. Level II stresses integrating pedagogical, ethical, resource support, and institutional aspects. Level III highlights the alignment of learner capabilities with platform interfaces. Level IV underscores the significance of the learning environment. Lastly, Level V emphasizes the interplay between technology and management in VL's expansion. The findings of this study can be developed and customized through collaboration among instructors, learners, and institutions. Moreover, the findings from correlating success factors can be applied in practical learning experiments or utilized to develop efficient modeling manuals.

Perceived usefulness of medical teachers towards online learning using technology acceptance model.

Objective: To determine medical teachers' acceptance of and attitude towards online learning, and to gather their recommendations about how it can be incorporated in the educational system. METHODS: The mixed method study was conducted at Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala, Pakistan, from August 2021 to January 2022, and comprised medical teachers involved in online teaching during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Quantitative data was gathered using an online questionnaire based on the technology acceptance model. The qualitative component was explored through 2 focussed group discussions. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: Of the 50 teachers, 31(62%) were males and 19(38%) were females. The overall mean age was 42.9±7.9 years, and the mean teaching experience was 10.9±7.9 years. Mean perceived usefulness score was 3.2±0.9 and the mean perceived ease of use score was 3.6±0.6. The mean scores were 3.3±0.9 for intention to use and 3.5±0.7 for attitude towards computer use. There was a strong positive correlation of perceived usefulness with intention to use and attitude towards computer use (p<0.05), while perceived ease of use and intention to use had a strong correlation with attitude towards computer use (p<0.05). There were total 12 participants in focussed group discussions; 2(16.7%) females and 10(83.3%) males with mean age 44.34±5.23 years. A total of 4 major themes were identified. Conclusion: Majority of medical teachers strongly agreed with the acceptance of e-learning, and agreed with its perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use for online learning.

"Better than my professor?" How to develop artificial intelligence tools for higher education.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are currently designed and tested in many fields to improve humans' ability to make decisions. One of these fields is higher education. For example, AI-based chatbots ("conversational pedagogical agents") could engage in conversations with students in order to provide timely feedback and responses to questions while the learning process is taking place and to collect data to personalize the delivery of course materials. However, many existent tools are able to perform tasks that human professionals (educators, tutors, professors) could perform, just in a timelier manner. While discussing the possible implementation of AI-based tools in our university's educational programs, we reviewed the current literature and identified a number of capabilities that future AI solutions may feature, in order to improve higher education processes, with a focus on distance higher education. Specifically, we suggest that innovative tools could influence the methodologies by which students approach learning; facilitate connections and information attainment beyond course materials; support the communication with the professor; and, draw from motivation theories to foster learning engagement, in a personalized manner. Future research should explore high-level opportunities represented by AI for higher education, including their effects on learning outcomes and the quality of the learning experience as a whole.

Intelligent recommendation system for College English courses based on graph convolutional networks.

With the rapid development of international communication, the number of English courses has shown an explosive growth trend, which has caused a serious problem of information overload, resulting in poor teaching performance of recommended English courses. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a graph convolutional neural network model based on College English course texts, students' major, English foundation and network structure characteristics. First, by analyzing the relevant data of College English courses and combining with graph neural network, an English course recommendation algorithm model based on the College English learning strategy of proximity comparison is proposed. Then, the College English texts are taken as feature input, and multi-layer graph convolutional neural network is used to process the above graph neural network structure. Attention mechanism is introduced to enhance the representation of graph features in College English skills. Finally, multi-layer attention model is used to process the courses that users have learned, and intelligent course recommendation is made by combining the multi-layer attention modeling of College English skills. The experimental data show that the proposed method achieves the best performance compared with the commonly used College English course recommendation method.