Alternative Educational Methods Research Articles

Prevalence of Online Learning: Adoption and Impact of Virtual Learning among Management Graduates in Nepalese Higher Education

This study investigates the prevalence and impact of online learning in Nepalese higher education institutions, focusing on the experiences of students and faculty from various perspectives, including student, faculty, technological, and overall effectiveness. Using a purposive sampling approach, respondents were selected to gain deeper insights into the realities of online learning. The research was conducted across four universities with more than ten years of experience and active management programs. The findings reveal that the rise of online education has significantly shifted the perceptions of both faculty and students regarding the platform's efficacy. However, it was also discovered that Nepalese students find online instruction to be less engaging and connected compared to traditional methods. The study highlights the positive aspect of the pandemic in opening doors to alternative educational methods, suggesting that this could be the beginning of a significant shift in educational practices. The effectiveness of online classes requires thoughtful design and preparation by all stakeholders involved in the education system.In these uncertain times, it is crucial to understand the strategies and plans of management institutions concerning online education. The insights provided by this study are valuable for stakeholders in formulating future strategies for online learning.

Modern approaches in toddlers' education

Parenting involves a multitude of responsibilities, one of the most critical being the education of children. A holistic approach to child education encompasses home-based learning, experiential learning, digital resources, the transmission of values and beliefs, and formal education. All these sources can facilitate collaboration between educators and parents in delivering sustainable education for their children. This article aims to investigate the use of alternative or traditional educational methods, using rewards and punishments or no consequences, by a sample of toddlers’ parents. Their main sources of information for children's education were investigated also. The sample study included 40 preschoolers’ parents, aged 24 - 39 years.

Effectiveness of GBL in the Engagement, Motivation, and Satisfaction of 6th Grade Pupils: A Kahoot! Approach

In the modern day, educational demands necessitate student-centered instructional approaches at all levels of educational institutions. Through the integration of digital technology, these frameworks incorporate up-to-date teaching methods, encourage social engagement, and promote cultural values. Gamification in digital technologies assists in establishing an educational environment that is engaging, entertaining, personalized, and constantly available. This educational environment is based on digital learning resources and draws on stored human knowledge, articulating education by removing geographical and temporal boundaries. Kahoot! is a platform that allows the creation of and access to gamified assessment quizzes while integrating technology into the teaching and learning process. In this article, we present the results of a study based on a Kahoot! quiz used in a classroom with 27 6th-grade pupils in a Greek elementary school. Our objective is to determine the effectiveness of game-based learning by using Kahoot! as a supplementary element to traditional teaching methods. With the inclusion of a post-activity questionnaire for overall interest and motivation to learn while using Kahoot! and the Driscoll Questionnaire, we aim to explore the potential benefits of Kahoot! in the learning process, pupil engagement, and assessment. The analysis of the collected data from the questionnaire demonstrated a positive attitude toward Kahoot! as an alternative educational method and learning approach. It also revealed positive feedback on the motivation, enjoyment, sense of autonomy, creativity, and pupil interest in the learning process. In addition, the study indicated a moderate positive effect on pupils’ understanding of the learning content and a slight inclination towards the technology-based, non-traditional approach compared to traditional teaching. Based on the findings, by fostering an encouraging and creative environment, we can improve pupil engagement and overall motivation while promoting autonomous learning through a game-based experience.

Effectiveness of mobile augmented reality–integrated oral health education for community-dwelling older adults: A randomized controlled trial

Background & purposeOral health education helps older adults optimize their oral health. However, traditional lecture-based oral health education has limitations, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile augmented reality (MAR) has emerged as an alternative educational method. This study compared the effectiveness of MAR-integrated oral health education with that of lecture-based education and no education. MethodsThis parallel, randomized controlled, open-label trial enrolled 75 older adults from six activity centers. The participants were randomly assigned, by a random number table technique, to the lecture-based, MAR, or control group. Data on oral healthcare-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and oral health status were collected through questionnaires and oral examinations at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 2-week follow-up. The MAR system's usability was assessed. Statistical analyses, comprising descriptive statistics and inferential tests, were performed. ResultsData from 61 participants were analyzed, 22 in the lecture-based group, 20 in the MAR group, and 19 in the control group. Both lectures and MAR education significantly improved oral health status. However, changes in knowledge and self-efficacy scores were significantly different only for the MAR versus control group (p = .002 and .001, respectively). The MAR group demonstrated better knowledge and self-efficacy retention than did the lecture-based group, without significant difference. Usability assessment revealed potential for improvement in the MAR system. ConclusionsMAR-integrated oral health education enhanced the knowledge, self-efficacy, and oral health status of community-dwelling older adults. However, addressing technology adoption and usability challenges is vital. Longer-term evaluations and broader geographical studies are recommended.

Attitudes of students who study in different departments against body donation

Objective: As technology continues to advance, alternative methods of cadaver education have emerged in anatomy lessons. However, cadaver dissection remains a fundamental component of medical education curricula worldwide. Material and Methods: This research was conducted among students enrolled in health sciences and other disciplines at İzmir Bakırçay University. A total of five hundred and eighty-four students took part in the study. The survey aimed to gather information on students' sociodemographic attributes and their perspectives regarding the potential donation of their and their family members' bodies for use as cadavers after their passing. Resuts: The analysis of the study's data revealed that students in both groups expressed a reluctance to donate their own bodies or those of their family members. Nonetheless, a majority of students emphasized the significance of cadaveric education, indicating that the willingness to donate cadavers could potentially rise with increased exposure to informative advertisements and comprehensive awareness campaigns. Conclusion: Despite the prevalent Islamic faith in Turkish society, survey findings indicate that religious beliefs do not significantly impede body donation. The study reveals that the primary deterrent to body donation in Turkey is the perceived lack of professionalism within the institutions accepting such donations. To enhance body donation rates in the country, a promising strategy involves launching comprehensive body donation campaigns through mass media, effectively showcasing the competence and professionalism of the parties involved in these initiatives.

Are students performing the same in E-learning and In-person education? An introspective look at learning environments from an Iranian medical school standpoint

IntroductionThis study investigated medical students’ intended learning outcomes based on e-learning and in-person education.MethodsIn this cross-sectional comparative analytical study, a group of 126 undergraduate medical students’ intended learning outcomes under two different teaching methods, including e-learning and in-person, were repeatedly measured based on the census sampling method. Participants were in the preclinical curriculum phase (physiopathology) at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Iran. Due to expert panel opinion, the same medical teachers and similar difficulty of lessons were considered in two investigated academic semesters. In addition, difficulty and discrimination indexes of formative and summative assessments were controlled for two study groups. The students’ learning outcome index was the knowledge test scores participants received in the relevant lessons of the General Medicine (GM) curriculum preclinical courses.ResultsThe findings indicated that students learning outcomes were significantly higher during e-learning than in in-person education for all examined variables (P < 0.05). Moreover, the difference between students’ Grade Point Average (GPA) categories among the two groups was significant (P = 0.022). Students with a GPA of less than 14 experienced higher increments in their average scores after the e-learning compared to in-person education. Compared to face-to-face courses, improvements in pharmacology, theoretical semiology, and pathology scores after e-learning courses were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The differences in mean scores related to practical pathology and semiology in the two approaches were not statistically significant, P = 0.624 and P = 0.149, respectively. Furthermore, the overall students’ average scores increased significantly during e-learning versus in-person education (P < 0.001).ConclusionWe concluded that e-learning could be appreciated as a successful method of medical education and can be used as an alternative educational method. However, considering the importance of practical or clinical courses in medical education, further research about the efficacy of the e-learning approach is highly recommended.

Declarative Knowledge, Confidence, and Perceptions on Suicide Prevention After Standardized Patient Observation

Context Standardized patient (SP) encounters are effective strategies to increase learners' declarative knowledge, confidence, and perceptions of clinical scenarios; however, there are barriers to implementing SPs for suicidal ideation (SI) scenarios, and limited data about the value of an alternative educational method, such as observing SP encounters of SI scenarios, which might result in improved learner knowledge, confidence, and perceptions regarding suicide prevention. Objective Compare athletic training students' knowledge, confidence, and perceptions regarding suicide prevention after observation of SP encounters in addition to an online suicide prevention module. Design Quasi-experimental. Setting Asynchronous online suicide prevention module. Patients or Other Participants Seventy-six athletic training students enrolled in a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training–accredited professional athletic training master's program. Intervention(s) An online suicide prevention module with videos of SP encounters displaying varying degrees of SI. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed pretest and posttest assessments for knowledge, confidence, and perceptions regarding suicide prevention. Mean scores for all categories were compared across time and groups using a repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results An online suicide prevention module is effective for significantly (P &amp;lt; .001) increasing learners' knowledge of and confidence in managing SI scenarios. The experimental group significantly improved their knowledge (P = .025) compared with the control group, who did not observe SP encounter videos. Additionally, both groups significantly (P &amp;lt; .001) aligned their level of agreement with statements regarding suicide prevention to best care for someone experiencing SI. The experimental group significantly (P = .039) increased their agreement that suicide is preventable compared with the control group. Conclusions These findings highlight the value of observed SP encounters for suicide prevention knowledge, confidence, and perceptions about suicide prevention. In the absence of a high-fidelity, live SP encounter, observation of an SP encounter may be a cost-effective way to prepare students for SI scenarios in clinical practice.

Postrzeganie przez studentów przesłanek Ruchu na rzecz Prawa Kompleksowego. Raport badawczy

The increasing crisis of the public judiciary, associated with the excessive length of court proceedings, the decline in public confidence in the institution and its excessive formalization, encourages the need to seek alternative methods of conflict resolution. According to the author, the answer to the above is the implementation of an innovative legal movement functioning under the name of Comprehensive Law Movement. The above-mentioned movement is based on the principles of positive influence of law, it promotes the development of internal virtues and at the same time revalorizes therapeutic elements in the process of law practice. In view of the multi-faceted nature of the application and social operation of law, holistic lawyers use a range of tools that constitute the modules of the Comprehensive Law Movement, such as Therapeutic jurisprudence, Procedural justice, Holistic justice, Creative problem solving, Preventive law, Collaborative law, Transformative Mediation, Restorative justice and Problem-solving courts. The development of the Comprehensive Law Movement in Poland and Europe is determined by the involvement of the legal communities, the raising of awareness of alternative methods of dispute resolution and appropriate therapeutically-oriented legal education. In order to study the possibility of implementation of the movement’s elements, research was conducted to examine the potential recipients’ attitudes towards the assumptions of the individual modules. The article describes the methods and presents the results of the conducted social research, with an indication of the influence of legal education and predispositions to perform particular legal careers on the acceptance of the various modules of the Comprehensive Law Movement.

Extended reality anatomy undergraduate teaching: A literature review on an alternative method of learning

BackgroundThe majority of undergraduate anatomy learning has shifted online, or to a mixture of virtual and face-to-face teaching, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cadaveric shortages have also influenced the need for alternative methods of anatomical education. This study examines the current literature on the use of extended reality technologies (XR) such as Virtual reality (VR), Augmented reality (AR), and Mixed reality (MR) for anatomy teaching and explores its potential for implementation in medical education. MethodsA literature review was performed of PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct, and Springer databases. Included studies were assessed for user satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, cost, acceptability and side effects. ResultsThe database search identified 1687 papers, of which 45 papers were included in this review. Both AR and VR had high rates of satisfaction and acceptability as a supplementary teaching aid amongst undergraduate participants. AR was found to have higher effectiveness than VR. VR is more expensive than AR. Results and comparisons were limited due to short length of study. ConclusionsVR is a popular choice with undergraduates as an aid to supplement teaching, in spite of the associated cost and side effects such as nausea. AR has shown the most potential for independent study. Larger and long-term studies are required to determine true effectiveness, and consideration of the clinical relevance of these technologies.

An alternative educational method: Computer-based simulation program for advanced cardiac life support education

Background/Aim: Technology is gaining importance in medical education, along with distance learning and technology-enhanced learning systems. In certain conditions, such as the Covid-19 outbreak, adapting technology to our medical education is essential. Computer-based simulation is one of those technologies that can be used in medical education. We aimed to measure the contribution of computer-based simulation to students’ knowledge of cardiac rhythms in the advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) curriculum, compared to the classic educational method. Methods: Interns (6th-grade medical students) were included in this observational study and divided into a study group and a control group. Both groups received a 2.5-hour-long ACLS rhythms lecture. Afterward, case studies were completed with a computer-based simulation program in the study group and with the classical didactic method in the control group. The participants took a multiple-choice test to measure the level of knowledge before (pre-test) and 4 weeks after (post-test) the training. “ACLS Simulator 2016” licensed program was used. Results: A total number of 80 medical students were included in the study. There were 35 (43.75%) males and 45 (56.25%) females, with a mean age of 23.7 (1.1) years. The mean number of correct answers in the pre-training test was 12.6 (3.2), and similar between the two groups (P=0.131), but significantly increased to 15.7 (3.3) (P<0.001) after the training. In the post-training test, the study and the control groups answered 16.0 (3.6) and 15.5 (3.1) questions correctly, respectively (P=0.477). Conclusion: Adapting a computer-based simulation program improves students’ level of knowledge. Case scenario training with a computer-based simulation is as effective as the classical method.

TRAINING HIGHER EDUCATION BIOSCIENCE STUDENTS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATOR

Laboratory training is the cornerstone of science education in higher education. However, in several cases hands-on experimental procedures are not possible, and therefore technology provide alternative educational methods. One of the rapidly evolving technologies, namely Virtual Reality (VR) can offer multiple benefits in laboratory training through the development of simulations and virtual laboratories that support, facilitate, and promote an effective their learning experience. We present an empirical research carried out at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace during the winter semester of the academic year 2020-2021. 51 undergraduate students carried out a Virtual Reality activity aiming to train them to the use of a Class II Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) in an immersive virtual environment. Our results show that VR approach was highly and enthusiastically accepted by the students; they reported that they had an authentic learning experience which enabled them to better achieve the learning objectives. However, in some cases symptoms like dizziness and blurry image were reported most likely due to equipment, showing that improvement of the equipment used in VR is needed.&#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/747/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Full exclusion during COVID-19: Saudi Deaf education is an example

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many aspects, including educational provision. Most countries around the globe suspended schools and provided alternative educational methods. And Saudi Arabia is not an exception. This study aims to investigate the situation of Saudi Deaf1 students in compulsory education during the suspension of schools. The study presents a discussion on the alternative education methods and content provided by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia during this crisis and is followed by individual semi-structured interviews with eighteen teachers for Deaf students. Three categories were formulated: (1) Deaf students' educational status during the suspension of schools (full exclusion); (2) teachers' responses to the exclusion of their students; and (3) reasons for the full exclusion. The findings suggest that governments and educational organisations in Saudi Arabia need to facilitate inclusion practices for Deaf students in alternative educational methods and tools, including distance education.

Resuscitation Care in Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: a Survey of the Emergency Medical Services Personnel in the Republic of Crimea

Introduction. The choice of the ways for optimizing management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by emergency medical services (EMS) should be based on the evidence from existing practice of resuscitation care. The study was aimed at evaluating personal experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance, timing of last training in resuscitation and level of self-perceived knowledge and skills of CPR among the employees of the EMS of the Republic of Crimea, as well as to assess their beliefs on significance of individual CPR procedures in terms of influence on success of resuscitation and to study their perceptions on factors that may have positive or negative impact on effectiveness of resuscitation care.Material and methods. An anonymous survey of the EMS personnel of the Republic of Crimea was conducted in July–December 2019. The questionnaire was utilized to collect demographic data, information on experience of conducting CPR for the last year, on a current practice of CPR debriefings and timing of last CPR training. The participants assessed their knowledge and skills of CPR and their perception of influence of early implementation of individual CPR procedures on success of resuscitation on a 5-point Likert scale, and indicated factors, that may limit or enhance the effectiveness of resuscitation.Results. A total of 251 specialist of the EMS participated in the survey, including 63 physicians, 129 feldshers and 4 nurses of ambulance teams, 45 dispatchers and 5 senior officers of the EMS stations, which corresponds to 28.8% of physicians, 13.0% of feldsher/nursing staff and 17.4% of dispatcher specialists of the republic. Percentage of male respondents was 35.5%, mean age — 41.5 years, mean duration of EMS work experience — 15.5 years. The mean declared number of cases of CPR conducted in the last 12 months was 2.2 (range: 0–20), and 23.5% specialists of the ambulance teams have not participated in any CPR attempt over the last year. About 60.2% respondents were trained in CPR within the last year. When compared to other specialists of ambulance teams, feldshers who work alone (without a coworker), were significantly less commonly performing a real-life resuscitation (p=0.008) or receiving training in CPR (p=0.020). Dispatchers were least covered with resuscitation training (only 33.3% were trained within the last year) and had the lowest level of CPR knowledge and skills. 25.9% of the specialists had an erroneous judgement that early drug administration and/or tracheal intubation have higher influence on success of resuscitation when compared to chest compressions and/or defibrillation. The level of knowledge and skills of CPR depend on the timing of last training (p&lt;0.001).Conclusions. The experience of participation in real-life attempts of CPR is severely limited for considerable part of the EMS employees, and many specialists have not been trained in resuscitation for a long time. The perceptions of the EMS specialists regarding the importance of individual CPR procedures are not always compliant with the statements of current international CPR guidelines. In order to enhance the effectiveness of resuscitation care in the Republic of Crimea, it is advisable to monitor the coverage of the EMS employees with resuscitation training and the rates of their participation in resuscitation attempts, as well as to perform additional targeted training in CPR, in particular, using alternative methods of education.

The Psychological Impact of Educational Process Disturbance upon COVID- 19 Pandemic among Primary School Students and Their Parents in the Gaza Strip

Aims: At this study we aimed at exploring the psychological impact of educational process disturbance upon the COVID-19 pandemic on the parents and primary school students in the Gaza Strip in order to provide the decision-makers with systematic results that can form a base for short- and long-term plans related to improving the mental health of the population of Gaza.&#x0D; Study Design: This study was an explorative qualitative study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Gaza Strip between July and September 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: we conducted 30 individual semi-structured interviews with (18 women, 12 men; age range 27- 50) from the five governorates of the Gaza Strip. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed by the content thematic analysis using MAXQDA software to find out the common themes and codes.&#x0D; Results: Our findings showed that the mental health of the parents was significantly affected due to the fear of catching the infection, the quarantine, the burden of distance learning, and the social disruption. They reported symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, fear and loneliness. Moreover, the mental health of the children was impacted negatively as they showed different behavioral, psychological, and social problems that stemmed from the fear of the pandemic, the fear of the protective measures, the closure of schools, the unexpected alternative educational methods, the quarantine and lack of outdoor activities.&#x0D; Conclusion: The mental health of both parents and children was negatively affected due to the educational process disturbance upon COVID-19 pandemic in the Gaza Strip, as a result, they need systematic programs that are directed towards improving the mental health and enhancing the mature coping mechanisms in order to overcome the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on top of the combined effects of the Israeli occupation and the siege.

Prednosti metode obrazovanja arhitekata na daljinu u arhitekturi u doba posle kovida - zatočenost I oslobođenje

With the digital environment, the capacity to communicate and be connected beyond the narrow economic, political and social dimensions has increased. Are the conditions for closing universities across the world in 2020 delineating the system of architectural education as confinement or liberation? Searching for answers, we take into account not only the conditions currently emerging in the world, but rather emulate the stage of life that reveals the conditions which produce the world. Accordingly, this presentation discusses new educational contexts for the post-Covid age and investigates alternatives to the traditional studio teaching. It provides a theoretical insight into how knowledge is used as an approach to online teaching and what alternative pedagogies are applicable against the backdrop of the escalating large-scale crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. This presentation takes a series of architectural programmes and workshops performed at European universities and across the United States that test alternative educational methods. By examining the relationships in the production and ways of disseminating knowledge across diverse platforms, I hope to discover how the current unstable and unpredictable educational context regenerates virtuality, instrumentalities and intelligences to maintain its vital capacity unaffected. This comprehensive approach will provide new ventures into speculating the spaces of virtualisation, confinement and liberation in the encounter between the real and virtual worlds.

Sex education and Afghan migrant adolescent women.

Introduction:Successful sex is one of the greatest behavioral needs of couples, especially those who marry at an early age. The best way to access information is education and learning. Face to face training is one of the most common methods, with the advancement of technology, multimedia training can be a good alternative method to sex education. This study was designed to comparison between two educational method Multimedia and Face to face on sexual function of Afghan Migrant Adolescent Women.Methods:The study was a quasi-experimental educational intervention conducted in selected charity centers in Mashhad. The selected centers were randomly chosen as face to face intervention (n = 36), multimedia intervention (n = 36) and control (n = 36) groups. Our method of sampling was convenient at each center. Intervention groups received four one-hour sessions of sex education using various face to face and multimedia methods. Sexual function were measured using female sexual function index (FSFI) before, immediately and 8 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16.Results:The level of sexual function did not show a significant difference in groups before the intervention, but these increased significantly immediately (P = 0.005) and 8 weeks later (P < 0.001).Conclusion:Because of the taboo of sexual issues and the lack of difference between the two methods in improving sexual function, multimedia method is a good alternative educational method.

Effectiveness of class peer‐review under varied multiple review designs: A teaching method with homeschooling format

AbstractIn times of pandemic‐related university shutdowns and a shift of teaching to homeschooling, alternative educational methods are more in demand than ever. The class peer‐review (CPR) method offers the opportunity for students to evaluate each other and share knowledge during their private learning time. This study reports on a CPR which was conducted out‐of‐class with 39 students in Business Management. Participants were asked to write an essay about a case on Marketing and then conduct two reviews. Subsequently, the difference between reviews in the same topic of the own manuscript or in two different exam‐relevant subjects was investigated and the effect on exam performance and participants’ attitude was measured. The results showed that the final grades after CPR with thematically similar reviews were on average better than those of the comparison group. This was due to the fact that the reviews were more critical and technically more profound and generated a greater amount of knowledge among the authors. Carrying out several reviews in other subject areas led to a higher self‐assessment of knowledge uptake, but was too superficial for the exam. If the learning objective is more of a narrowly defined and in‐depth topic area, a CPR out‐of‐class with two to three reviews in the manuscript's own topic is recommended, in order to generate the highest possible level of knowledge for others as well as for oneself.

Indigenous Youth Conflict Intervention: The Transformation of Butterflies

The purpose of this article is to discuss the impacts of structural violence and its effects on Indigenous Peoples using Aboriginal People – The Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and the Canadian education system as the context for discussion. Due to the root causes of conflict and the nature of violence in Aboriginal contexts being structural, working towards positive peace based on a concept of human security is the best approach to managing Aboriginal youth violence. This approach is conducive to building a culture of peace which is consistent with Indigenous traditions. Alternative methods of formal education should be considered in Aboriginal / Indigenous contexts. These methods should be grounded in the traditions of local Indigenous groups providing a safe space for rediscovery and identity negotiation between tradition and contemporary society. The ability for Indigenous peoples to further their formal education has a profound impact on long term peace building activities. The link between education, poverty, and violence must be of primary consideration when designing peace building activities where Indigenous Peoples are involved.

Do innovative immersive virtual reality simulation videos have a role to play in teaching non-technical skills and increasing preparedness for clinical placements for medical students?

Teaching non-technical skills (NTS) is an important part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Resource intensive high-fidelity simulation has an established role in this. Alternative methods of deliveringlarge scalesimulation-based education should be considered to help further improve NTS and preparedness for clinical placements of medical students. Emerging technologies such as immersive virtual reality (VR) may have a role in this. To assess if a VR simulation-based teaching programme enhances understanding of NTS and preparedness for clinical placements in medical students at the University of Liverpool. A VR simulation-based teaching programme, consisting of 4 sessions of lecture-based simulation and a hi-fidelity simulation session was delivered to 3 rdyear medical students. The lecture-based sessions used pre-recorded, immersive clinical scenarios developed by the School of Medicine, with a focus on NTS. The hi-fidelity simulation session was delivered by local hospital trusts. A survey was sent to all students to assess theirunderstanding of key NTS:decision making, task prioritisation and delegation and how the clinical environment works. Preparedness for clinical placement and confidence in the clinical environment was also assessed. A focus group further explored how students felt towards these NTS, with subsequent thematic analysis. Results:101/281 students responded to the survey reporting a greater understanding in all NTS assessed.Students also described feeling better prepared for clinical placements. The focus group reported the programme provided a 'safe space' for learning alongside increasing understanding of role modelling and self-awareness. Discussion:Utilising emerging technology alongside hi-fidelity simulation increased students' exposure to the clinical environment and enabled exploration ofNTSby students. Additional work with larger focus groupswill be required to further validate our results.Whilst restrictions are limiting clinical exposure due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, we propose that VR simulation-based teaching programmes could provide an alternativeeducational tool.

A Randomized Trial of the Close Reading and Creative Writing Program: An Alternative Educational Method for Adult Group Care Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes Management

ObjectivesGroup care for individuals with diabetes is a recognized educational practice, but techniques from narrative medicine using of literary works have never been incorporated in these programs. We designed a new educational model (i.e. the Close Reading and Creative Writing program) of group care for individuals with diabetes incorporating close reading and creative writing in group education. A randomized trial was designed to evaluate this intervention. MethodsA total of 49 individuals with type 2 diabetes, aged <85 years and with >6 years of school education, were randomized to 2 different group care dynamics: (a) a “control group,” with a classical structured educational approach currently used at our institution; and (b) an “intervention group,” with introduction of literary texts, narrative skills, close reading and creative writing. Evaluation included anthropometric measures, glycated hemoglobin (A1C) and questionnaires for psychological evaluation. Individual A1C levels in the 6-year period before the trial were collected from clinical records. ResultsA significant reduction of A1C was observed in the intervention group, showing noninferiority in relation to the classical approach. A significant decrease in A1C was observed in relation to the 6 previous years. A significant increase in satisfaction with the therapist and group process was observed. ConclusionsThis is the first randomized trial designed to evaluate a group care intervention to manage type 2 diabetes using narrative techniques. The results suggest that this may be a useful model for more highly schooled individuals, and may represent an alternative for the educational process.