Multiple-True-False (MTF) and One-Best-Answer (OBA) are commonly used multiple-choice question (MCQ) formats in higher education to evaluate cognitive components. While both evaluate factual knowledge, a well-written OBA question can also stimulate problem-solving and knowledge application in clinical case scenarios. This study aimed to evaluate the convergent and predictive validity of MTF and OBA formats in undergraduate medical education assessments. This cross-sectional study analysed archival records of 143 students sitting for the 2022 final professional undergraduate medical examinations. SPSS version 24.0 was used to enter and analyse the data. Pearson’s correlation test was used to assess the convergent validity of MTF and OBA, while a linear regression test was used to evaluate predictive validity. Pearson’ s correlation test showed moderate convergent validity (r = 0.25 to 0.6) between the MTF and OBA and other assessment methods. OBA outperformed MTF in predicting key feature question (KFQ) theory assessment (β = 0.40, p < 0.01 vs β = 0.26, p < 0.01), while MTF had stronger predictive validity for clinical components (manned Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE], unmanned OSCE, and modified long case) as compared to OBA (β = 0.43, p < 0.01 vs β = 0.28, p < 0.01). The results are consistent with the literature in that OBA can determine know-how levels compared to MTF. However, a quality improvement exercise must be conducted that focuses on the assessment process of each assessment method, including the assessment blueprint, question structure, examiner calibration, and question vetting. These findings contribute to the enhancement of the quality and validity of assessment practices in medical education.

The educational environment is recognised as a key determinant of the learning process, and it further affects student motivation and study engagement. The study aimed to assess nursing students’ perception of the educational environment at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The study was conducted solely as a descriptive cross-sectional study among 243 nursing undergraduates at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to assess students’ perceptions of learning and teaching, their academic self-perception, the atmosphere, and social self-perception. The mean age of the study sample was 23.07±1.09 and the majority of the participants (79.01%) were female (79.01%). The overall DREEM score scored by the sample was 128.46±22.61. The males scored higher (133.59) than the females (127.09). The highest-scoring sub-domain was “student perception of learning” (32.28±6.87), and the lowest-scoring sub-domain was “student social self-perception” (17.51±3.21). Gender has significantly influenced the “perception of teachers” (p = 0.02) and “perception of atmosphere” (p = 0.02), where males scored more than females. Overall, the undergraduates of the Faculty of Nursing had a positive view of their educational environment. The key aspects related to students’ academic self-perception and their learning atmosphere need to be further assessed. The study results provided valuable insights into areas of strength and areas needing improvement. Institutions can use these results to implement changes that enhance the learning environment, teaching methods, and support systems for students.

As Malaysia transitions into an ageing nation, awareness and preparedness regarding the needs of the ageing population have become a crucial national agenda. Disseminating knowledge about the ageing process within society is crucial and should start at a younger age. With advancements in teaching methods, knowledge transfer in the field of education about ageing can be carried out using a creative form of lesson delivery, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where movement restrictions have limited conventional face-to-face teaching. This article reports on an innovative method of teaching about ageing using a synchronous online module among undergraduate university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A two-week online summer programme called the Live Inclusive Fulfilling Experience (LIFE) Programme was developed and conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia. Two hundred and eighty students participated voluntarily, with the majority (88.1%) in the first or second year of an undergraduate degree. The majority of participants of the LIFE Programme were females and of Malay ethnicity. The online synchronous gerontology module was conducted over one day and covered four main components: health and ageing, economics of ageing, communications and social ageing. The module employed various learning methods, including interactive and hands-on activities, as well as breakout rooms for small-group discussions. Most students strongly agreed that the module was useful (72%) and applicable to them (76%). The online delivery of the module was positively received by the students (70%). This online module may be adapted as a distance learning programme in the future. The next step is to examine the module’s effectiveness and potential for expansion as a more extensive learning platform for disseminating knowledge about ageing within wider society.

Learning anatomy can often be a daunting task due to the vast amount of information and memorisation involved. We introduce An UNO in Anatomy, an anatomy-themed card game designed to make learning anatomy more engaging and accessible. This game adapts the mechanics of the popular UNO card game, incorporating anatomical knowledge into each card’s design. Through action cards, wild cards, and anatomy-related challenges, this educational tool encourages players to think critically about human anatomy while having fun. This article presents the game concept, its potential educational impact, and suggestions for future development to improve learning outcomes.

Effective learning habits have been identified as a significant factor influencing students’ academic achievement. The present study was designed to investigate the learning approaches and study skills exhibited by the medical students from academic years MD1, MD2 and MD3 using a validated study skills inventory questionnaire, The Denis Congo Study Skills Inventory (DCSSI). The study of 255 students revealed that MD2 students generally scored lower in several skill areas compared to MD1 and MD3 students. Specifically, 70.54% of MD2 students scored below 30 in textbook reading, while 60.46% scored below 20 in note-taking skills. In memory skills, 26.35% of MD2 students scored below 30. For test preparation, 22.48% of MD2 students scored below 40, and 27.90% scored below 35 in concentration skills. Additionally, 44.18% of MD2 students scored below 20 in time management. These differences across the groups were statistically significant. The study identified note-taking, textbook reading, and time management as the areas where students needed the most support.

Passing a medical internship is a crucial professional milestone. We conducted a prospective study to assess the feasibility of early prediction in identifying interns at risk of failing a clinical posting. We surveyed 496 newly enrolled interns across 26 Malaysian hospitals from January to April 2020, using validated instruments to evaluate various factors related to personal attributes, place of study, and place of practice. After one year, we followed up with the participants to identify those who had failed a clinical posting. Significant predictors were determined using the supervised machine learning (ML) framework to linear discriminant analysis (LDA), with the prediction performance validated through split train-test and crossvalidation. The LDA identified a higher risk of clinical posting failure among interns from 8 specific hospitals and 13 medical schools, as well as those with poor interpersonal skills, an avoidant coping style, greater preparedness in information technology, married status, and a shorter gap between graduation and internship commencement. The model achieved 100% sensitivity, 85.7% specificity, 86.7% accuracy, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.969 for the training dataset. Cross-validation showed 92.0% sensitivity, 82.9% specificity, 87.4% accuracy, and an AUC of 0.905, while the validation dataset achieved a sensitivity of 75.0%, specificity of 81.0%, accuracy of 80.7%, and an AUC of 0.861. This study shows that surveys of newly enrolled medical interns can effectively predict those at risk of failing a clinical posting within a year. We recommend replicating this study in various countries and practice regions to improve generalisability. Additionally, qualitative studies could provide deeper insights.

Upon entering medical school, many first-year medical students face obstacles in the adaptation process, which may lead to psychological problems. To overcome this situation, they apply coping mechanisms, which are a defining factor of university adjustment. Universities should obtain information on students’ adaptation and coping mechanisms so that they can better manage their students’ adjustment-related problems. This study investigates medical students’ adaptation processes and coping mechanisms using the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) and BriefCoping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE). The students were also asked to write their self-reflections on their adaptation and how they resolved their problems. This mixedmethod, cross-sectional study involved 36 first-year international class students from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia (Batch 2022–2023). Using the validated SACQ and Brief-COPE questionnaires, the results indicated less significant impacts of age and gender on adaptation and how students coped with stress. Seven components from SACQ and Brief-COPE yielded statistically significant results, with p-values < 0.05. This study revealed four major themes: adaptation in medical school, adaptation process, factors influencing adaptation and coping strategies. Furthermore, 17 subthemes and 56 sub-subthemes related to adaptation and coping strategies were identified. Regarding academic adjustment, the aspects of curriculum, learning methods, task loads, subjects, assessment and learning activities are challenging for medical students. The findings underscore the need for personal and academic adjustment support for first-year medical students. By addressing these challenges, their overall well-being and learning experiences can be improved, ultimately enhancing their success during this crucial phase of education.

In contrast to previous research on emotional design, this study investigates its effectiveness in a university lecture setting. We examine the impact of the emotional design of PowerPoint slides on self-reported mood, cognitive load and memory retention among medical and dental students across three separate anatomy lectures at a Malaysian university. The control group (first-year medical students) viewed emotionally neutral slides, whereas the experiment group (first-year dental students) viewed emotionally positive slides. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess the participants’ changes in mood (pre- vs post-lecture) and cognitive load (intrinsic, extraneous, and germane loads). Additionally, a memory retention test was conducted post-lecture. Participants’ self-reported positive mood due to emotional design increased to a greater degree when compared to neutral slides. However, no significant differences were found among the three types of cognitive load. Interestingly, emotional design negatively impacted memory retention in one of the three lectures. These results are discussed within the context of the ongoing debate between the “emotionas-facilitator” and “emotion-as-suppressor” models of learning. The implications of our efforts to generate external validity via a quasi-experimental, exploratory field study are discussed, specifically regarding the generalisability of the results, the presence of external factors and other limitations, and the pedagogy of anatomy.

Online learning is the use of electronic media for various learning purposes ranging from addon functions in conventional classrooms to full substitution for face-to-face meetings by online encounters. It is widely employed in the COVID-19 pandemic era. This study was conducted to determine the students’ satisfaction towards online learning and its associated factors in three public dental institutions in Malaysia. It was a cross-sectional study among undergraduate dental students. An online, validated, self-administrated questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms by a key person from each university. It consists of three sections, namely Section 1 (sociodemographic information); Section 2 (three domains): (a) Learner’s dimension (9 items); (b) Instructors’ characteristics (9 items); and (c) Technological characteristics (7 items); and Section 3 (Self-rated satisfaction). The duration of data collection was within three weeks with reminders given between the weeks. The Chi-squared test for differences and the Chi-squared test for association were used for statistical analysis at p ≤ 0.05. About 179 students responded; the response rate was (74.6%), and the majority of the respondents were female (74%). All students used their internet data to access online learning, and there was a significant difference in satisfaction towards online learning between the three dental institutions. The academic year was associated with satisfaction towards online learning. The students from each institution revealed different degrees of online learning satisfaction, and learning experiences differed in each institution. This study offers insights into how educational institutions may better support students at different academic levels so they can succeed in online learning environments and feel more satisfied with their education.