Mehrnoosh Khoshnoodifar; Moein Zangiabadian; Mehran Ilaghi
Abstract
Background: Teaching research skills to medical students is an essential component of modern medical education curricula. Despite the students' need and enthusiasm for practical research courses, there is a lack of basic training, particularly on secondary research types.Objectives: In this study, we ...
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Background: Teaching research skills to medical students is an essential component of modern medical education curricula. Despite the students' need and enthusiasm for practical research courses, there is a lack of basic training, particularly on secondary research types.Objectives: In this study, we aimed to design, implement and evaluate a systematic review training course for medical students.Methods: This was a pretest-posttest study conducted among medical students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) in Iran. A total of 78 medical students were screened for eligibility based on their lack of previous systematic review publication experience and 30 individuals were ultimately enrolled to participate in the training course. A pre-test consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions was administered to the students. Following the ADDIE instructional design model, the training course was conducted in 12 sessions using a blended approach (in-person, synchronous online, and asynchronous sessions). At the end of the course, the evaluation of student satisfaction, knowledge, and skills was performed based on the Kirkpatrick model.Results: Out of the 30 participating students, 27 successfully completed the course and took part in the post-test. Among them, 23 individuals expressed 100% satisfaction with the course implementation. Comparison of pre-test and post-test scores indicated a significant improvement in participants' theoretical knowledge (p-value<0.001). The most pronounced increase in the knowledge level was observed in clerkship students and interns. Asynchronous online teaching was significantly more effective than in-person and synchronous online methods. At the end of the course, eight participants tested their practical skills by successfully registering a systematic review study protocol on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) website.Conclusion: Overall, this study underscores the value of organizing research workshops focused on systematic review methodology as an effective means to enhance the knowledge of medical students in the realm of high-quality evidence-based research methods.
Mehrnosh Khoshnoodifar; Navaz Emadi; Azam Noori; Hosnieh Raoufian
Abstract
Background: Continuous education is essential for medical professionals to stay up to date. In this regard, new technologies such as appropriately designed applications tailored to the needs of the audience allow independent and high-quality learning beyond time and place restrictions for the employees. ...
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Background: Continuous education is essential for medical professionals to stay up to date. In this regard, new technologies such as appropriately designed applications tailored to the needs of the audience allow independent and high-quality learning beyond time and place restrictions for the employees. Therefore, the current study’s aim was to investigate the appropriateness of interactive educational applications with the type, nature, and thematic features of the continuous education courses provided to physicians.Objectives: The present research aimed to scrutinize the virtual CME courses held by the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2018-2020. We categorized the topics of the courses based on their educational goals, content, and methods, as well as evaluation methods, and determined the applicability of using interactive educational applications for the subjects taught.Methods: In this qualitative study, virtual continuous education courses held by the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2018-2020 were examined. The data were collected by reviewing the statistics documented, scrutinizing the educational content and the characteristics of the platforms used during courses, conducting individual interviews, and holding focus group discussions with lecturers and physicians participating in these courses. Data coding, extraction, categorization, and analysis were held concomitant with each step.Results: The educational courses were flexible in terms of accessibility and schedules. The most common subjects were related to clinical and non-specialized topics. The educational goals were mostly at low-cognitive and non-transparent levels, and the content was presented mostly in the form of audio non-interactive slides. The teaching method was mostly through lecturing, and evaluations were objective and summative. Low graphical attractiveness, poor toolbox, and poor user interactive interface were among the drawbacks of the education courses.Conclusion: The use of interactive, appropriately designed applications tailored to the needs of the audience can resolve some of the shortcomings of conventional continuous educational courses and fulfill educational objectives at different levels. These applications provide the possibility of skillful and motivational training, as well as more proficiency, deeper learning, and higher satisfaction by creating a more attractive learning environment.