Paradigm shift in teaching-learning from classroom to virtual mode – Challenges and opportunities

Since the unprecedented declaration of lockdown there has been a paradigm shift in medical education from chalk and board to virtual mode imposing both challenges and opportunities to faculty and students alike. As guest lecture is an innovative way of pedagogy we addressed them through an online talk to analyse the preferences towards sudden change in medical education. Students and faculty were addressed about the paradigm shift in teaching learning methods through an online guest lecture and the attendees answered a feedback questionnaire on different Teaching Learning methods. Based on responses to the questions results were plotted in Microsoft Excel and completed questionnaires were analyzed for statistics. : 90% of students and 100% of faculty found online guest lecture interesting and opined positively about having more online lectures in academic year. As far as teaching learning method is concerned both faculty and as students preferred offline/ traditional/ classroom teaching. : Online guest lecture offers more opportunities than challenges for both faculty and students. Arranging online guest lectures is economical, cost effective, has ease of attending from place of convenience provided robust internet connection is ensured, eliminates travel time as well as reduces the programme budget. Hence more number of virtual guest lectures can be arranged in an academic year for benefit of medical undergraduates. It is a novel platform for student teacher interaction and arrangement of more and more online guest lectures from eminent speakers excelling in various superspecialities should be encouraged.

Adapting Audiology Procedures During the Pandemic: Validity and Efficacy of Testing Outside a Sound Booth

Purpose: This investigation aims to provide outcomes from a clinical perspective on the validity and efficacy of a wireless automated audiometer system that could be used in multiple settings when a sound booth is not accessible. Testing was conducted in a clinical setting under modified protocols meeting safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Four doctoral students in audiology served as examiners. Participants were 69 adults between the ages of 20 and 69 years, with normal hearing (≤ 25 dB HL; n = 110 ears) or hearing loss (> 25 dB HL; n = 25 ears). Two versions of a pure-tone air-conduction threshold test following a modified Hughson-Westlake approach were performed and compared at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz (a) in a sound-treated test booth using standard manual audiometry and (b) in a quiet, nonsound-treated clinical room (sound booth free) using automated KUDUwave audiometry. Participants were asked to complete a five-item feedback questionnaire, and examiners were interviewed to report on their experience. Results: Clinical validity to within ±10 dB of standard audiometry was demonstrated for 94.5% of the total thresholds ( n = 937) measured with the sound booth–free approach. Less accuracy (73.3%) was observed using a ±5 dB comparison. When comparing the mean thresholds, there were significant differences ( p < .01) between the mean thresholds at most frequencies, with mean sound booth thresholds being higher than the sound booth–free mean thresholds. A strong threshold correlation (.91–.98) was found between the methods across frequencies. Participant and examiner feedback supported the efficacy of the sound booth–free technology. Conclusions: Findings support sound booth–free, automated software-controlled audiometry with active noise monitoring as a valid and efficient procedure for pure-tone hearing threshold assessment. This method offers an effective alternative when circumstances require more transportable hearing assessment technology or do not allow for standard manual audiometry in a sound booth.

REDESIGNING AN UNDERGRADUATE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE UNIT: REFLECTIONS ON ALIGNING DEPARTMENTAL PEDAGOGIC OBJECTIVES WITH THE NEW TEACHING PROGRAMME AND ASSESSMENT

In this paper, we look into how the new structure of the final-year undergraduate language assessment introduced by the School of Modern Languages (SML) at the University of Bristol (UoB) has affected the teaching on the final-year programme in the Department of Russian. This paper tests whether the intended learning outcomes, the content of the course, teaching on the individual modules, the learning resources and the new assessment can be considered as ‘constructively aligned’, i.e., whether the Russian language teaching team working on the new course design succeeded in ensuring that “the learning objectives, the learning processes and the assessment mode and criteria relate systematically to each other”. We will also explore whether the new blended synchronous and asynchronous teaching fits into the redesigned curriculum and whether the teaching programme continues to address the development of students’ discipline-related and transferable employability skills linked to the three areas of the Bristol Skills Network: knowledge and intellectual abilities; engagement and influence; personal effectiveness and wellbeing. The key element of this research is the analysis of the anonymous student feedback questionnaire (SFQ) which includes qualitative questions related to all three written modules taught on the redesigned final year Russian language unit: the students were given an opportunity to analyse the quality and effectiveness of their learning on this unit.

The Feasibility of a Stroke Rehabilitation Educational Program for Occupational Therapy Students and Practitioners (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Gaps in knowledge translation of current evidence-based practice regarding stroke assessment and rehabilitation delivered through teletherapy can prevent occupational therapy students and practitioners from implementing current research findings to obtain the best possible results in practice. The purpose of this pilot feasibility study was to create an educational program to translate knowledge into practice about the remote delivery of stroke assessment and rehabilitation to occupational therapy students and practitioners. This study examined knowledge gained from specific educational modules and feedback of delivery with regards to design, feasibility, acceptability, and usability. Four areas of focus were addressed in the educational program including: knowledge translation (KT), task-oriented training (TOT), stroke assessments, and telerehabilitation. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this pilot feasibility study was to create an educational program to translate knowledge into practice about the remote delivery of stroke assessment and rehabilitation to occupational therapy students and practitioners. This study examined knowledge gained from specific educational modules and feedback of delivery with regards to design, feasibility, acceptability, and usability. Four areas of focus were addressed in the educational program including: knowledge translation (KT), task-oriented training (TOT), stroke assessments, and telerehabilitation. METHODS Two feasibility studies were conducted to assess knowledge gained via pretests and posttests of knowledge, followed by a System Usability Scale (SUS) and general feedback questionnaire. Participants in Study 1 were five current occupational therapy practitioners and one occupational therapy assistant. Initial recruitment of participants in Study 2 included ten current occupational therapy students, however only nine students participated in the modules. Four, one-hour modules were emailed weekly to participants over the course of four weeks, with each module covering a different topic (KT, TOT, stroke assessments, and telerehabilitation). Preliminary results were reviewed with median comparisons and nonparametric analyses of pretests and posttests of knowledge for each module. Descriptive statistics from the SUS and a general feedback questionnaire were used to gain overall comments regarding the educational program. RESULTS This study revealed statistically significant results related to increased scores of knowledge through a Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test for students, practitioners, and combined. The stroke assessments module for the practitioner study and the stroke assessments and telerehabilitation modules for the student study were found to be statistically significant for increases in knowledge. Task-oriented training, stroke assessments, and telerehabilitation were statistically significant for the combination of the two studies. The task-oriented training module for students and practitioners, and the knowledge translation and telerehabilitation modules for practitioners also demonstrated a notable trend towards significance. The majority of the educational modules had an above average score regarding feasibility as well as positive feedback for the educational program as a whole from the participants. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the results of this pilot study indicate that an online educational program is a feasible, informational method of increasing the translation of knowledge in the remote delivery of stroke assessment and rehabilitation. Occupational therapy students and practitioners found the information presented to be valuable and relevant to their future profession and current practice.

Perceptual Feedback of Undergraduate Medical Students on Effectiveness of AETCOM (Attitude, Ethics and Communication) Session in Foundation Course

Introduction: In accordance with National Medical Commission (NMC) recommendation, one month foundation Course was conducted in our institution in August 2019.The present study was conducted to seek the opinion of the students regarding pertinence of the Attitude, ethics and communication (AETCOM) session in the course to enable revisions to be made in designing the course for the subsequent sessions, to make it more efficacious and student-oriented. Methods: First MBBS students joined in the year 2019-20 batch were involved in the study. The students were divided into three groups and three hours sessions have been taken separately for three consecutive days. The Teaching Schedule of AETCOM session was systematically designed with theory and case scenarios. At the end of the session all the students were provided a feedback questionnaire based on Likert scale and the responses were collected. Statistical analysis: The data collected was analysed using SPSS version 23 and simple mean and proportions were calculated. Results: 53.9% of the students perceived the AETCOM session discussed with case scenarios as good and 50% of the students were given feedback on overall session as good. Conclusion: The AETCOM session in foundation course has largely been perceived in a positive way by the students with some difference in opinion concerning relevance of certain topics. However, it has to be confirmed with further studies.

The COVID-OR Study: 1 year Observation of Recovery from critical illness following COVID-19 and feasibility of smartwatch assisted rehabilitation. (Preprint)

BACKGROUND As a sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large cohort of critical illness survivors have had to recover in the context of ongoing societal restrictions. OBJECTIVE To observe the recovery of survivors of critical care admission with COVID-19 using smartwatches, evaluate how these devices enabled a remote multidisciplinary team (MDT) to support patient recovery, and assess the usability of these devices. METHODS A prospective multi-centre observational trial in eight UK critical care units. 50 participants with moderate or severe lung injury as a result of confirmed COVID-19 disease were recruited at discharge from critical care and given a smartwatch (Fitbit Charge 3). Data collected included step count and daily resting heart rate (HR). A subgroup, the ‘MDT site’ (n=19), had their smartwatch data used to inform a regular MDT meeting. Devices were evaluated by use of a patient feedback questionnaire and direct feedback from the MDT. Participants that did not upload smartwatch data were excluded from analysis. RESULTS From the overall cohort, 35 (70%) participants used and uploaded data from their smartwatch during the 1 year period. 14 users uploaded data from the MDT site. The overall cohort recorded a mean increase of 4359 (±3488) steps per day in the first month following discharge, to 7914(±4146) steps at 1 year (p<0.01). HR reduced from a mean of 79 (7) beats per minute in the first month to 69 (4) at one year following discharge (p<0.01)). The MDT subgroup increased mean step count by more than the control group (176 vs 42%, p=0.04) over the 1 year. 94% of fitbit users found their smartwatch easy to use and 80% felt that the technology helped and motivated them to recover. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to report 1-year recovery of patients who survived COVID-19 critical illness using smartwatch technology. Future work could explore the role of smartwatches as part of a randomised controlled trial to assess clinical and economic effectiveness. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-https://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2020.0102

Developing the Technology-based Parenting Young Children Check-Up Intervention for Disruptive Behavior Problems in Early Childhood

Behavioral parent training programs show clear efficacy/effectiveness in response to young children’s disruptive behavior problems, but limitations in engagement and accessibility prevent many families from benefiting from these programs. The Parenting Young Children Check-up (PYCC) is a technology-based program being created to overcome these barriers and increase the reach of behavioral parent training. Developed for use in pediatric healthcare settings, the PYCC includes three parts: 1) an initial check-up designed to motivate program involvement; 2) text messages; and 3) a parent training website involving interactive video-based content to teach parenting skills. Following an established intervention development framework, this report details initial steps to refine PYCC intervention materials. Seventeen mothers and 17 primary care physicians (pediatricians or family medicine physicians) participated in this mixed methods data collection across three iterations. During semi-structured interviews, participants provided feedback regarding early drafts of the three parts of the PYCC; participants also completed a feedback questionnaire. Refinements were made to the PYCC materials after iterations 1 and 2. A third iteration of data collection revealed saturation of qualitative input, positive qualitative feedback, and positive quantitative ratings on the feedback questionnaire. This project represents an example of using mixed method input to refine and create a technology-based, behavioral intervention. Project completion led to a full version of the PYCC, which will be tested in a proof-of-concept trial and a subsequent pilot randomized clinical trial.

Jigsaw technique as an active learning strategy in Physiology for I MBBS Students

Introduction and Aim: Innovative learning strategies may be introduced along with the conventional methods to enhance active learning by the students. Jigsaw technique is a co-operative learning method, where students play a dual role as an active learner and teacher. Hence the present study aimed to introduce and assess the acceptability of the Jigsaw technique as an active learning strategy in Physiology for first year medical undergraduates. Methods: Five parent groups were formed from 30 first year medical undergraduates with six members in each group. Each member in the parent group was allotted a sub-topic in “Immunity”. Members with the same sub-topic joined to from the expert groups. After three sessions of face-face and asynchronous online discussions spanning a duration of three weeks, facilitated by faculty, the students returned to their parent groups for peer teaching and presentation. The content of the presentation was evaluated by faculty with help of a checklist. Feedback questionnaire was administered to both the students and the faculty to assess their perceptions and acceptability of Jigsaw technique. Results: Jigsaw method was addressed as an innovative method that favored active participation, high interaction and promoted communication skills and referral habits among the students. However. it was time consuming, and students expressed difficulty in adapting to the technique. Conclusion: Students consider the learning process enjoyable and effective with Jigsaw technique in Physiology. However, owing to the time consumption and its complexity it may be sparingly used in routine curriculum.

Using Instructional Games in Teaching Grammar: The Case of Moroccan EFL Common Core Students

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study that examines the use of instructional games in teaching grammar, and in particular, it explores the effect of tic-tac toe and board game on the present continuous and present simple. The study was conducted among 60 (N=60) Moroccan EFL common core students from two different high schools in Casablanca. All the participants took a pre-test prior to instruction and a post-test immediately after the training, which lasted three sessions. The experimental group (n=30) were instructed using instructional games, mainly tic-tac toe and board game. However, the control group (n=30) received no treatment. The experimental group was also given a feedback questionnaire at the end of the training. The data sets were submitted to SPSS, using the Independent T-test. The findings indicated that all the participants were equal in the pre-test. Nonetheless, the experimental group outscored the control group in the post test. The results of the feedback questionnaire were also in line with the whole-results of the study. It can be concluded that the tic-tac toe and board game had a momentous effect on the subjects’ understanding of the present simple and present continuous.

Relevance, Design Experience and Analysis of the Results of Point Implementation of Interdisciplinary Courses in the Educational Process at the University

The work points out the problems of adaptation of the subject to the activity and the possibility of their solution through the formation of the style of activity. The urgency of the use of non-subject resources for the formation of the style of activity in modern conditions is substantiated. The role of the engineer in creating the environment and means of labor, which can be used as extra- subject resources, is pointed out. The principles on which the professional training of engineers should be based, found on the need to solve the problems of "completing" the subject (the subject of labor, the subject of life activity) are indicated. The principles, on which the higher education is oriented, are analyzed, and the problems of the educational process in modern conditions are indicated. The importance of interdisciplinary courses in the training of engineers of the future is substantiated; the possibilities of their implementation in the educational process and the advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. The central part of the work is essentially a reflection of the process of design, development and in the depths of the interdisciplinary course "Introduction to Specialty", built on the basis of the disciplines chosen by the student "Psychology of Business Communication" and "Fundamentals of Business Communication and Presentation" in the educational process at a technical university, including analysis of feedback from students who took part in it. The results of the implementation of the course and its scaling for other levels and for other areas of training are presented. The article analyzes the assessments of the effectiveness of training, exhibited by students when filling out the feedback questionnaire, which indicates a high level of subjective assessment of the effectiveness of the course as a whole in the presence of certain differences in assessing the achievement of individual results by students of different areas of training. The main directions of further work are outlined. A description of the structure and options for constructing a number of interdisciplinary courses is given.