Empowering health professions educators: enhancing curriculum delivery through customized e-tutorial training on fundamental digital tools.

Introduction: In the dynamic landscape of education, the fusion of technology and learning, commonly termed "technology-enhanced learning" (TEL), has emerged as a transformative phenomenon. This study focuses on the imperative integration of TEL in medical education, recognizing the diverse digital literacy levels of adult learners. The exploration introduces the innovative E-Portal training program, designed to empower health professions educators with essential skills for proficiently employing digital tools in instruction. Methodology: A dedicated team of medical educationists conducted a thorough investigation into E-curriculum design and delivery, employing the Moodle Learning Management System as the foundation for the E-Portal training program. The training, spanning crucial stages such as course design, content delivery, self-paced teaching, and quality assessment, facilitated participant progression at individual paces, unlocking subsequent steps upon meeting stipulated prerequisites. A pre-training questionnaire gauged participants' comprehension of distance learning, e-learning, synchronous and asynchronous teaching, and self-directed study. Subsequent focus group discussion post-training generated rich insights into participants' experiences, reflections, and identified challenges. Results: The results illuminate participants' limited adeptness with e-learning terminology, successful assimilation of components and functionalities, and heightened confidence in online teaching practices. However, discerned challenges during implementation, such as technical hurdles and engagement issues, highlight the multifaceted nature of TEL integration. While the E-Portal training positively impacted preparedness, participant feedback advocates for improvements in assessment tools, technical training provisions, and exploration of alternative Learning Management Systems. Discussion and conclusion: Study emphasizes the ongoing need for diverse training methodologies across Learning Management Systems, acknowledging the evolving nature of education and technology. This study underscores the transformative role of a tailored E-Portal training program in seamlessly integrating digital tools into medical education. The comprehensive insights provided contribute to a nuanced understanding of the advantages, obstacles, and potential avenues for enhancement in curriculum delivery through technology-enhanced learning, thereby propelling the field forward.

Investigating the internal structure of multiple mini interviews-A perspective from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals require many personal attributes in addition to cognitive abilities and psychomotor skills for competent practice. Multiple Mini- Interviews are being employed globally to assess personality attributes of candidates for selection in health professions education at all level of entry; these attributes are namely, communication skills, critical thinking, honesty, responsibility, health advocacy, empathy and sanctity of life. Considering the high stakes involved for students, faculty, institutions and the society, rigorous quality assurance mechanisms similar to those used for student assessment must be employed for student selection, throughout the continuum of medical education. It is a difficult undertaking as these psychological constructs are difficult to define and measure. Though considered to yield reliable and valid scores, studies providing multiple evidences of internal structure especially dimensionality of Multiple Mini-Interviews are sparse giving rise to questions if they are measuring a single or multiple constructs and even if they are measuring what they are purported to be measuring. OBJECTIVE: The main objective is to provide statistical support of the multi-dimensional nature of our Multiple Mini Interviews, hypothesized a-priori, through CFA. Another objective is to provide multiple evidences for the internal structure. Our study highlights the link between content and internal structure evidences of the constructs, thus establishing that our Multiple Mini Interviews measure what they were intended to measure. METHOD: After securing permission from the Institutional review board, an a-priori seven factor-model was hypothesized based on the attributes considered most essential for the graduating student of the institution. After operationally defining the attributes through extensive literature search, scenarios were constructed to assess them. A 5-point rating scale was used to rate each item on the station. A total 259 students participated in the multiple mini interviews over a period of three days. A training workshop had been arranged for the participating faculty. RESULTS: The reliability coefficient using Cronbach's alpha were calculated (range from 0.73 to 0.94), Standard Error of Measurement (ranged from 0.80 to1.64), and item to station-total correlation ranged from 0.43-0.50 to 0.75-0.83. Inter-station correlation was also determined. Confirmatory factor analysis endorsed the results of Exploratory factor analysis in the study revealing a seven model fit with multiple indices of Goodness-of-fit statistics such as Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) value 0.05, Standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) value with less than 0.08. All these indices showed that model fit is good. The Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the multi-dimensional nature of our MMIs and also confirmed that our stations measured the attributes that they were supposed to measure. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the validity evidence of Multiple Mini-Interviews, in selection of candidates, with required personality traits for healthcare profession. It provides the evidence for the multi-dimensional structure of Multiple Mini interviews administered with multiple evidences for its internal structure and demonstrates the independence of different constructs being measured.

Rising food prices and poverty in Pakistan.

An upsurge in global food prices in 2008 led to significantly higher food prices across the developing world. Global commodity prices have since declined but still remain volatile, but at the same time local food prices remain high in many countries. This study examines the potential impacts of the rise in food prices on poverty-income based poverty and calorie-based poverty- focusing on Pakistan, and its rural and urban areas. For this purpose, we used HIES data collected in three waves 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2010-11. Price elasticities are computed using binary Logistic regression method. The study results show that price of wheat, rice, milk, meat, fruit, pulses appear to distinguish the status of a household. Price elasticities shows that urban households are hit harder than rural households in calorie-poverty model. Overall, rising food prices are likely to lead higher poverty in Pakistan, as the negative impact on net consumers outweighs the benefits to producers. Therefore, effective strategy for eliminating poverty is far more concerned with price increases. Safety net programs can be more effective, but geographic targeting and other investments to strengthen safety nets are necessary to ensure that fewer people are affected by future crises. Government policies oriented towards relieving the food price pressure on the Pakistani poor should aim at lowering the prices of wheat, rice, eggs, oil, milk, and chicken.

Estimation of poverty bounds for Pakistan using synthetic panel data.

Poverty is a big threat to prosperity in developing countries like Pakistan. Alleviating poverty needs concerted efforts including how to measure and analyze poverty. Therefore, this paper employs synthetic panel technique and uses repeated cross-sections household survey dataset (Household Integrated and Economic Survey (HIES)) of Pakistan for 2010-11 and 2015-16, to derive poverty bounds for Pakistan. The findings of the paper suggest that 17% of population still remains in poverty in 2015-16 as they were in 2010-11. They don't move in or out of poverty. In the same periods 19% population affected by poverty. The 2.5% poor's of 2010-11 moves out of poverty in 2015-16. This constitutes the first attempt to provide an insight into poverty dynamics in Pakistan using the available survey data.

Development and validation of a questionnaire about hidden curriculum in medical institutes: A pilot study.

The goal of the current study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that would reveal characteristics of medical hidden curricula. It is an extension of the qualitative research that was done by researchers on hidden curriculum, and a second part of the qualitative was the creation of a questionnaire by a panel of experts. Using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the quantitative portion, the questionnaire was verified. The sample size was 301, and the participants, who were from medical institutes, were both genders and between the ages of 18 and 25. First, a thematic analysis of the qualitative portion was used to create a 90-item questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire's content was certified by the expert panel. A 39-item questionnaire was subsequently created after the items that overlapped and the items that did not represent the particular theme were eliminated. After that, we validated the survey. A total of 39 high-loading components made up the six variables of EFA, which explained 62% of the variance. The 33-item questionnaire, from which six items were deleted, was found to have satisfactory psychometric qualities. As a result, the accountability of faculty and students in curricula and extracurricular activities combined with equal opportunity is one factor, communication and relationships with stakeholders combined with evidence-based reforms and implementations are the second factors, and student-centeredness and empowerment as the third main factor of the hidden curriculum are all considered to be important factors. All these three main constructs were collectively used to measure hidden curricula in medical institutes.

Acceptance of Smart Technologies in Blended Learning: Perspectives of Chinese Medical Students.

Smart technologies are essential in improving higher education teaching and learning. The present study explores the factors that influence students' behavioural intentions to adopt and use smart technologies in blended learning. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model, a survey of 305 students was conducted to collect data. A structural equation model was applied to analyse the data. The findings show that adopting smart technologies requires appropriate social context and organizational support. Moreover, the data indicated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, and habit are vital in determining students' behavioural intention to use smart technologies. However, facilitating conditions and price value were found to have no significant impact on the students' behavioural intention to use smart technologies. The study contributes to a better understanding of the nexus of blended learning and smart technologies, thus improving students' experiences in blended learning settings.

Early Childhood between a Rock and a Hard Place: Early Childhood Education and Students' Disruption in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan.

Looking through the lens of ecological system theory, this paper used a mixed-method approach, based on 20 interviews and 208 Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher questionnaires, to elaborate the position of ECE in Pakistan. The study indicates that ECE is between a rock and a hard place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The findings further show that ECE is provided by less qualified and inexperienced teachers, who give less attention to the physical and psychological needs of the students. The classrooms are overcrowded and lack relevant teaching-learning materials. Moreover, the single-teacher policy and overcrowded classrooms hinder students' motivation, the delivery of quality education and the development of good behaviors. These challenges are also the main causes of students' dropouts. This paper increases people's understanding of ECE and its challenges in Pakistan. For ECE development, the paper recommends separating ECE from primary schools and giving it a budget to purchase adequate and relevant resources.

Assessment of non-linearity in calorie-income relationship in Pakistan.

This article considers the issue of assessing non-linearity in the relationship between calorie consumption and income using non-parametric and semi-parametric approaches. These methodologies are implemented on the cross-sectional household survey data conducted in Pakistan in 2010-2011. This framework takes account of the heterogeneity among families and potential non-linearity in the relationship. The findings show that the calorie-income elasticity is considerable and statistically significant across estimating methodologies. The results also demonstrate that the elasticity is larger for the substantially poorer households of the sample. By incorporating the explanatory variables in a manageable way in the parametric section of regression procedures, the semi-parametric analysis also reveals a slight increase in calorie response to increases in income at various income levels.

Increased Household Income Improves Nutrient Consumption in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The provision of high-quality food is a primary factor in ensuring adequate nourishment and preventing malnourishment-related diseases in Pakistan. This study, therefore, aimed to quantify the impact of income on nutrient consumption in Pakistan, with the hypothesis that income has a primary role in reducing malnourishment in the developing world. To do this, we estimated nutrient-income elasticity-defined as the proportion of change in nutrient consumption in response to a change in income-for total calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients, using the nationally representative Household Integrated Economic Survey data (2010-2011) for Pakistan. Nutrient-income elasticity values were derived using several parametric regression approaches. We also assessed the non-linearity and endogeneity of the relationship. Calorie-income elasticity was found to be significantly different from zero, irrespective of the estimation technique used. Income elasticity for macronutrients and micronutrients was also found to be significantly different from zero, ranging from 0.29 to 0.65. This study, therefore, supports the hypothesis that increased household income likely improves nutrient consumption.

Pedagogical Applications, Prospects, and Challenges of Blended Learning in Chinese Higher Education: A Systematic Review.

In recent years, blended learning (BL) has grown to occupy an important space in Chinese educational practice. Policymakers have developed many application strategies and platforms and are continuing to develop BL for future use. In order to apply BL in practice, key stakeholders have been using different learning management systems (LMSs), digital platforms, games, hybrid courses, and various forms of social media to create a framework for BL. This study asserts that many visible opportunities have emerged in Chinese higher education through the applications of BL. The advantages of BL are that it fosters stronger academic achievement, student engagement, and cognitive engagement and understanding as well as flexible and quick communication skills, faster interaction skills, technical skills, and adaptability to ever-changing educational practices. On the other hand, BL has brought about some pedagogical and technical difficulties for both learners and practitioners. This study found that most BL courses are not as effective as they could be because they do not have a strong pedagogical framework. Moreover, BL suffers from the technical incompetence of teachers and students, the inefficiency of LMSs, and the unavailability of required resources, such as certain devices and the Internet. Some higher education institutions have become pioneers in Chinese educational practice and been able to successfully adopt BL frameworks and integrate Moodle as well as other platforms and techniques. However, many other institutions' attempts to adopt BL approaches have not been as effective. In order to better understand how and in what ways BL is being integrated into the educational system, this study overviews the current situation and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of BL in Chinese higher education.