Akhras Aya, ElSaban Mariam, Tamil Selvan Varshini, Alzaabi Shaika Zain, Senok Abiola, Zary Nabil, Ho Samuel B
College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Medicine, Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
JMIR Med Educ. 2023 Nov 6;9:e40264. doi: 10.2196/40264.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to both clinical practice and the delivery of medical education. Educators and learners implemented novel techniques, including distance learning and web-based rounds, while trying to stay updated with the surge of information regarding COVID-19 epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment. Hence, we designed and implemented a technologically enhanced course called "COVID-19 Rounds" to educate students about the rapidly evolving pandemic.
The objectives of this study are to describe a technologically enhanced course called "COVID-19 Rounds" and evaluate the following: (1) student satisfaction and program usefulness in achieving preset objectives, (2) perceived improvement in literacy regarding the pandemic, and (3) the impact of student engagement by designing infographics and initiating COVID-19-related research projects.
This is a cross-sectional study measuring the impact of the implementation of the web-based "COVID-19 Rounds" course. This program included web-based clinical experiences with physicians on actual rounds in COVID-19 wards in the hospital, weekly updates on evolving data and new research, and engagement in student-led projects. The study population included 47 fourth-year medical students at the Mohamed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, who attended the course. We designed and administered a 47-item survey to assess student satisfaction, program usefulness, impact on knowledge, and student engagement. Data were collected at the end of program delivery via Microsoft Forms.
In total, 38 (81%) out of 47 fourth-year medical students participated in this study. The final course evaluation revealed an overall high satisfaction rate, with a mean rating of 3.9 (SD 0.94) on the 5-point Likert scale. Most students were satisfied with the course format (27/38, 71%), organization (31/38, 82%), and the learning experience (28/38, 74%) that the course offered. The course was particularly appreciated for offering evidence-based talks about aspects of the pandemic (34/38, 90%), providing weekly updates regarding emerging evidence (32/38, 84%), and enhancing understanding of the challenges of the pandemic (34/38, 90%). Satisfaction with distance learning was moderate (23/37, 62%), and a minority of students would have preferred an in-person version of the course (10/37, 27%). Student engagement in the course was high. All students participated in small group presentations of infographics of pandemic-related topics. Perceived advantages included conciseness and visual appeal, and disadvantages included the lack of detail and the time-consuming nature of infographic design, especially for students with no prior design experience. After the course ended, 27 (57%) students began research projects. This resulted in 6 abstracts presented at local meetings and 8 scientific papers published or submitted for publication.
This inquiry-based adaptive approach to educating medical students about updates on COVID-19 via web-based learning was successful in achieving objectives and encouraging engagement in research. However, shortcomings of the course related to the lack of in-person teaching and clinical activities were also highlighted.
新冠疫情给临床实践和医学教育的开展都带来了重大挑战。教育工作者和学习者采用了新技术，包括远程学习和基于网络的查房，同时努力跟上有关新冠病毒流行病学、发病机制和治疗的信息激增的步伐。因此，我们设计并实施了一门名为“新冠查房”的技术强化课程，以教育学生了解这一迅速演变的疫情。
本研究的目的是描述一门名为“新冠查房”的技术强化课程，并评估以下方面：（1）学生满意度以及该课程在实现预设目标方面的有用性；（2）学生认为自己对该疫情的认知素养有所提高；（3）通过设计信息图表和启动与新冠相关的研究项目，学生参与度所产生的影响。
这是一项横断面研究，旨在衡量基于网络的“新冠查房”课程实施所产生的影响。该课程包括与医生在医院新冠病房的实际查房中进行基于网络的临床体验、关于不断演变的数据和新研究的每周更新，以及参与学生主导的项目。研究对象包括阿拉伯联合酋长国迪拜穆罕默德·本·拉希德医学与健康科学大学的47名四年级医学生，他们参加了该课程。我们设计并发放了一份包含47个条目的调查问卷，以评估学生满意度、课程有用性、对知识的影响以及学生参与度。数据在课程结束时通过微软表单收集。
47名四年级医学生中共有38名（81%）参与了本研究。最终的课程评估显示总体满意度较高，在5分制李克特量表上的平均评分为3.9（标准差0.94）。大多数学生对课程形式（27/38，71%）、组织方式（31/38，82%）以及课程提供的学习体验（28/38，74%）感到满意。该课程尤其受到赞赏的方面包括提供关于疫情方面的循证讲座（34/38，90%）、提供关于新出现证据的每周更新（32/38，84%）以及增强对疫情挑战的理解（34/38，90%）。对远程学习的满意度为中等（23/37，62%），少数学生更希望有面对面授课形式的课程（10/37，27%）。学生对课程的参与度较高。所有学生都参与了关于疫情相关主题信息图表的小组展示。感知到的优点包括简洁性和视觉吸引力，缺点包括缺乏细节以及信息图表设计耗时，尤其是对于没有设计经验的学生而言。课程结束后，27名（57%）学生开始了研究项目。这导致有6篇摘要在当地会议上展示，8篇科学论文发表或提交发表。
这种通过基于网络的学习以探究为基础的适应性方法，在教育医学生了解新冠疫情最新情况方面成功实现了目标并鼓励了研究参与度。然而，该课程与缺乏面对面教学和临床活动相关的缺点也凸显了出来。
