Educational Tool Research Articles

Examining the Effectiveness of Interactive Webtoons for Premature Birth Prevention: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Premature birth poses significant health challenges globally, impacting infants, families, and society. Despite recognition of its contributing factors, efforts to reduce its incidence have seen limited success. A notable gap exists in the awareness among women of childbearing age (WCA) regarding both the risks of premature birth and the preventative measures they can take. Research suggests that enhancing health beliefs and self-management efficacy in WCA could foster preventive health behaviors. Interactive webtoons offer an innovative, cost-effective avenue for delivering engaging, accessible health education aimed at preventing premature birth. This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of a novel, self-guided, web-based intervention-Pregnancy Story I Didn't Know in Interactive Webtoon Series (PSIDK-iWebtoons)-designed to enhance self-management efficacy and promote behaviors preventing premature birth in WCA. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study first conducts a quantitative analysis followed by a qualitative inquiry to evaluate outcomes and feasibility. Participants are randomly assigned to 2 groups: one accessing the PSIDK-iWebtoons and the other receiving Pregnancy Story I Didn't Know in Text-Based Information (PSIDK-Texts) over 3 weeks. We measure primary efficacy through the self-management self-efficacy scale for premature birth prevention (PBP), alongside secondary outcomes including perceptions of susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers based on the health belief model for PBP and PBP intention. Additional participant-reported outcomes are assessed at baseline, the postintervention time point, and the 4-week follow-up. The feasibility of the intervention is assessed after the end of the 3-week intervention period. Outcome analysis uses repeated measures ANOVA for quantitative data, while qualitative data are explored through content analysis of interviews with 30 participants. The study received funding in June 2021 and institutional review board approval in October 2023. Both the PSIDK-iWebtoons and PSIDK-Texts interventions have been developed and pilot-tested from July to November 2023, with the main phase of quantitative data collection running from November 2023 to March 2024. Qualitative data collection commenced in February 2024 and will conclude in May 2024. Ongoing analyses include process evaluation and data interpretation. This trial will lay foundational insights into the nexus of interactive web-based interventions and the improvement of knowledge and practices related to PBP among WCA. By demonstrating the efficacy and feasibility of a web-based, interactive educational tool, this study will contribute essential evidence to the discourse on accessible and scientifically robust digital platforms. Positive findings will underscore the importance of such interventions in fostering preventive health behaviors, thereby supporting community-wide efforts to mitigate the risk of premature births through informed self-management practices. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) KCT0008931; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do?seq=25857. DERR1-10.2196/58326.

포스트 코로나 시대의 간호대학생이 추구하는 교수학습법 유형

Objectives The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of each type of nursing students by examining and categorizing the perception structure of nursing students through Q methodology and to present strategies for developing nursing education programs to apply and improve teaching and learning methods. Methods In order to organize the method Q population, a written interview on the facilitation teaching and learning method experienced by nursing students and a literature review related to the facilitation teaching and learning method were conducted. Based on the results derived through this, a total of 34 Q statements were extracted through the process of selecting duplicate or ambiguous sentences. Q Sample statements were classified into a normal distribution table on a 9-point scale by 40 nursing college students, and the data collected through this were analyzed using the pc-QUANAL program. Results As a result of the analysis of the results, five types of perception of facilitation teaching and learning meth-ods experienced by liver nursing college students were identified. The first type was an autonomous and demo-cratic class atmosphere pursuit type, the second type was a clear lecture content delivery wish type, the third type was an efficient teaching and learning method pursuit type, and the fourth type was a learner-customized teach-ing and learning method pursuit type. Conclusions Through this study, it is expected that nursing universities will be an opportunity to apply educational media and educational tools of nursing education to develop nursing education programs that effectively apply the Facilitation Teaching and Learning Method. In addition, it can be used as basic data for the development of educa-tional media that helps to conduct high-quality nursing education.

Protocol for a scoping review study on learning plan use in undergraduate medical education

BackgroundThe current paradigm of competency-based medical education and learner-centredness requires learners to take an active role in their training. However, deliberate and planned continual assessment and performance improvement is hindered by the fragmented nature of many medical training programs. Attempts to bridge this continuity gap between supervision and feedback through learner handover have been controversial. Learning plans are an alternate educational tool that helps trainees identify their learning needs and facilitate longitudinal assessment by providing supervisors with a roadmap of their goals. Informed by self-regulated learning theory, learning plans may be the answer to track trainees’ progress along their learning trajectory. The purpose of this study is to summarise the literature regarding learning plan use specifically in undergraduate medical education and explore the student’s role in all stages of learning plan development and implementation.MethodsFollowing Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, a scoping review will be conducted to explore the use of learning plans in undergraduate medical education. Literature searches will be conducted using multiple databases by a librarian with expertise in scoping reviews. Through an iterative process, inclusion and exclusion criteria will be developed and a data extraction form refined. Data will be analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analyses.DiscussionBy summarising the literature on learning plan use in undergraduate medical education, this study aims to better understand how to support self-regulated learning in undergraduate medical education. The results from this project will inform future scholarly work in competency-based medical education at the undergraduate level and have implications for improving feedback and supporting learners at all levels of competence.Scoping review registration:Open Science Framework osf.io/wvzbx.

Evaluating ChatGPT's Ability to Answer Common Patient Questions Regarding Hip Fracture.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot software programmed for conversational applications using reinforcement learning techniques. With its growing popularity and overall versatility, it is likely that ChatGPT's applications will expand into health care especially because it relates to patients researching their injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate ChatGPT's ability to accurately answer frequently asked questions regarding hip fractures. Eleven frequently asked questions regarding hip fractures were posed to ChatGPT, and the responses were recorded in full. Five of these questions were determined to be high-yield based on the likelihood that a patient would ask the question to a chatbot software. The chatbot's responses were analyzed by five fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons for their quality and accuracy using an evidence-based approach. The chatbot's answers were rated as "Excellent response requiring no clarification", "Satisfactory response requiring minimal clarification", "Satisfactory response requiring moderate clarification", or "Unsatisfactory response requiring significant clarification." Of the five high-yield questions posed to the chatbot, no question was determined to be unsatisfactory requiring significant clarification by the authors. The remaining responses were either satisfactory requiring minimal clarification (n = 3) or satisfactory requiring moderate clarification (n = 2). The chatbot was generally found to provide unbiased and evidence-based answers that would be clearly understood by most orthopaedic patients. These findings suggest that ChatGPT has the potential to be an effective patient education tool especially because it continues to grow and improve as a chatbot application. Level IV study.

Pedagogical relations as a decolonisation tool in African higher education: Reflection on the ethics of care, respect, and trust

This article uses the findings obtained from a study that delves into the perceptions of students on their relationship with their higher education (HE) lecturers and how it affects their academic success, to respond to the issue of decolonisation in South African HE, and to approach the question of decolonising HE in Africa. The article argues that it is essential to prioritise student well-being, amplify their voices, and promote a caring culture towards addressing the issue of decolonisation in African education systems. The study shows that African HE students hold higher expectations of their lecturers beyond being professionals. This expectation includes respect for students’ thoughts and incorporation of epistemology that aligns with fostering African development, culture and thoughts (without necessarily conforming to neoliberal norms). The four categories of the teacher’s role, which include academic development, respect and trust, social relationships, and ethics of care are highly demanded by HE students. Borrowing the study outcome, this article holds the view that students’ high expectations of their lecturers to foster social relationships should be channelled to incorporate the African student as a collaborator in the business of education and as a response to the demands of HE students to decolonise African education system. These four categories are not only institutional strategies for effective teaching and learning but also a way to address the non-inclusive impact of Western epistemology on historically racial institutions in Africa.Contribution: This article proposes that adopting mainstream pedagogical relationships can be a powerful tool in incorporating the African students’ thoughts and a step towards liberating the HE system in Africa. It recommends these four cardinal themes as institutional strategies for restricting teaching and learning that relegate students to the receiving end thus systems that refute students as collaborators of knowledge sharing especially at historically racial institutions.

Applying a Competency-Based Medical Education Framework to Development of Residents' Feedback Skills.

Feedback is a critically important tool in medical education. This pilot program applies and evaluates a competency-based approach to develop residents' skills in providing feedback to medical students. In 2018-2019, a competency-based resident feedback skills program incorporating videorecording of skills, multi-source feedback using assessment tools with validity evidence, and sequential deliberate practice was piloted in a single-center, prospective study at the University of Rochester. Study participants included eight second-year psychiatry residents and 23 third-year clerkship students. After an introduction to foundational feedback concepts in didactic sessions, residents were videorecorded providing feedback to medical students. Recordings were reviewed with a faculty member for feedback. Skills were assessed by students who had received resident feedback, residents, and faculty utilizing a tool with validity evidence. Observations were repeated a total of three times. Mean feedback scores increased from 2.70 at the first feedback observation, to 2.77 at the second feedback observation, to 2.89 at the third feedback observation (maximum 3.00 points). The differences between the first and third sessions (0.19) and second and third sessions (0.12) were statistically significant (p values were < .001 and .007, with SE of 0.4 and 0.4, respectively). The observed competency-based feedback skills training program for residents using sequential, multi-source review and feedback was feasible and effective. Direct observation is a key component of high-quality feedback, and videorecording is an efficient methodology for observations, enabling both direct observation by the assessor and opportunity for enhanced self-assessment by residents viewing themselves in the feedback encounter.

Is the European Crohn’s and Colitis organisation (ECCO) e-guide an acceptable and feasible tool for increasing gastroenterologists’ guideline adherence? A mixed methods evaluation

Background and aimsManagement of inflammatory bowel disease is constantly evolving, increasing the importance for gastroenterologists to keep up to date with guidelines. Traditional implementation strategies have had only small positive impacts on clinical practice. eHealth strategies such as the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation e-guide may be beneficial for clinician decision making in keeping with guidelines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the e-guide.MethodsA mixed methods approach was used to evaluate feasibility and acceptability. Cognitive (think-aloud) interviews were conducted with Australian gastroenterologists while using the e-guide. Two clinical scenarios were developed to allow evaluation of various aspects of the e-guide. Content analysis was applied to the qualitative interview data and descriptive analysis to the quantitative and observational data.ResultsSeventeen participants completed the study. Data saturation were reached. The ECCO e-guide was largely feasible and acceptable, as demonstrated by most clinical questions answered correctly, 87% reaching the answer within 3 min, and most feeling it was useful, would be beneficial to their practice and would use it again. Issues raised included difficulties with website navigation, layout of the e-guide and difficulties with access (network firewalls, paid subscription required).ConclusionsThe ECCO e-guide is largely acceptable and feasible for gastroenterologists to use. Aspects of the e-guide could be modified to improve user experience. This study highlights the importance of engaging end-users in the development and evaluation of clinician educational tools.

“Infographing” Dementia Prevention: A Co-Design Approach

ABSTRACT Designing effective public health messages is challenging, particularly when communicating complex and relatively new health messages such as dementia risk prevention which are still largely unfamiliar to the public. The accessibility of these messages, especially for individuals who speak English as an additional language, remains uncertain in large scale educational interventions. A key strategy to enhance the communication of evidence-based information is to co-design infographics that optimize the accessibility and impact of visual health messages. This paper reports on the co-design process of infographing dementia prevention messages. Qualitative data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis to generate three themes reflecting the message design preferences of participants: “all hands on deck,” “charting the course,” and “get on board.” This work supports the crucial need to engage the target audience via co-design when creating visual messages as meaningful and accessible educational tools that will resonate with the intended audience. Doing so may help health communicators navigate the creation of visual messages across diverse health domains and populations.

Deep Learning-Based De-blurring/Denoising of Indian Heritage Images

Using the deep learning algorithms, our method comes up with the process that impedes the conservation and restores the Indian heritage images, while dealing with the obstacles like blur, noise, and obscurity of the images. In this case, neural networks that are developed themselves are used to carry out the process of denoising and reconstruction of these images but also contain intricate object detection capabilities. These multi-faceted actions, therefore, help to preserve the historically relevant aspects and make the Indian cultural heritage more colorful and accessible to the outside world. In addition, not only are we protecting them but we are also transforming them into the best images that represent India's past. Through application of deep learning principles to indigenous materials, we come up with powerful educational tools that make a deep impact in the community, promoting a profound appreciation for India's cultural heritage. By means of careful experimentation and stringent testing, we establish that the specified methodology is indeed workable in conservation applications as it has been shown to be effective. This way, we make it clear that the cultural heritage of India is not only treasures of the ancient time but the living legacy, which is welcoming for everyone and contributes to the cultural diversity and pride.

Usability evaluation of the educational website “understanding my diabetes” for Mexican patients with type 2 diabetes

BackgroundDiabetes education is an integral part of the treatment for the metabolic control of patients with diabetes. The use of the Internet as a tool for diabetes education, as well as its acceptance, is still under study.AimTo assess the usability of the educational website “I understand my diabetes” designed for patients with type 2 diabetes attending primary care clinics.Material and methodA cross-sectional study was done in 110 patients with type 2 diabetes from two family medicine clinics, each of whom was assigned a user account on the educational website “Entiendo mi diabetes.” The web site assigned a user name and password to each patient. They were able to access the educational website at home. After a 15-day review period, participants were asked to evaluate usability using the Computer System Usability Questionnaire. Additionally, we developed an eight-item questionnaire usability focusing on diabetes care. Sociodemographic data, blood pressure, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Glucose levels and lipid profiles were also measured.ResultsThe patients with diabetes had a mean age of 52.7 years and a median of 5 years since they were diagnosed with diabetes. The website received a good usability rating from 89.1% of participants, with favorable assessments in all three dimensions: 87.3% for information, 85.5% for quality, and 88.2% for interface. Regarding usability specifically for diabetes care, 98.2% rated it as having good usability.ConclusionThe website for education about the disease in patients “I understand my diabetes” had an adequate usability evaluation by patients, so they also considered it very useful for diabetes care. The diabetes care instrument had adequate usability and reliability.

CONECTANDO RESISTÊNCIA E AFETOS COM A CONSTRUÇÃO DE UM GRAFITE NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL

This article sought to narrate the daily development of a pedagogical activity using digital graffiti with Early Childhood Education students from a public school in Aparecida de Goiânia, during the transition from the Covid-19 pandemic to the post-pandemic period. The aim is to demonstrate how the practice of digital graffiti can be employed in Early Childhood Education to promote children’s creative expression and socio-emotional education. The methodology adopted was an exploratory, descriptive investigation based on the authors’ experiences and the adaptation of the Physical Education curriculum to incorporate digital graffiti activities. The sessions were structured in four stages, each inspired by songs and relevant artists from the Hip Hop movement, guiding reflections on the pandemic and the collective creation of digital graffiti. The main results include enhancing creative expression through digital graffiti and integrating digital technology into children’s educational processes. Additionally, the activity allowed participants to share experiences related to overcoming the pandemic period, strengthening their socio-emotional skills. It is concluded that digital graffiti can be used as an important curricular tool in Early Childhood Education, expanding interaction through play and paving the way for hybrid teaching models that combine innovative pedagogical practices in cyberculture.

Relato de experiência da participação de estudantes voluntários no inquérito soroepidemiológico da COVID-19 no Município de Jundiaí, Brasil

ObjectiveExperience report of medical and nursing students on participation in the seroepidemiological investigation of COVID-19 in the city of Jundiaí.MethodsIn the survey, resident of 1260 households were tested, and a questionnaire was filled out with information about the individual and family in June/20. The students clarified the situation of the pandemic, providing guidance on general preventive care. To assess the students’ perception of participation in the survey, a questionnaire was available online, including questions about the satisfaction, adherence to the survey proposal, feeling of security and risk, availability of individual protective equipment and personal motivation.ResultsThe 50 volunteers answered the form (100%). In the evaluation, they were very satisfied, with the health team, 86% (n=43); regarding the organization of activities, 66% (n=33); and with the availability of protection personal equipment, 64% (n=32); 70% said they did not feel afraid at any time and 45% (n=46) stated their main motivation for the desire to contribute to the pandemic, followed by the desire to learn (29%, n=30).ConclusionIt was evident the motivation of academics to act in the face of the pandemic of COVID-19, combined with satisfaction and the opportunity to include practical learning in activities with the population. Emphasis is placed on the importance of community outreach activities as a tool for social change and university education.

Redefining those subtle borders: transhumanism, frontiers, retroprogression and hermeneutics at the crossroads of teaching

The field of education is undergoing significant transformations, which implies that valuable views from the past may be completely overlooked in the rapid progress we are experiencing. Transhumanism, as a prevailing ideology, appears to imply an advancement at an ever-increasing speed. An interesting prospect would be to reflect on transhumanism in relation to retroprogression and phronesis to understand how limitations operate within the realm of education. Interpretation, therefore, becomes one of the fundamental tools for educators in this highly complex environment. Their role as meta-interpreters can be founded in a return to hermeneutics as both an art and a science. By doing this, the past and future can be harmonized in the present, with the transhumanist principles maintaining the human element. In conclusion, education will continue to be an act of human understanding that necessitates complete attention and presence of educators, who are, therefore, able to offer meaningful actions by properly understanding the here and now and the uniqueness of every teaching situation.

Improving patient education in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A quality improvement initiative using LEAN methodology.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a costly chronic disease affecting more than 15 million Americans. The prevalence among US veterans is 3 times higher than the general population. The Veteran Health Administration developed a standardized, evidence-based COPD educational tool called Green Light to Go (GLTG) designed to educate patients on managing their COPD symptoms at home. Despite the availability of this resource, inpatient education on COPD self-management practices is highly variable across different medical teams. This quality improvement (QI) initiative sought to standardize inpatient COPD patient education using the GLTG tool. This initiative also assessed whether patients receiving standardized patient education during their index hospitalization had lower COPD 30-day readmission rates. The QI initiative followed the LEAN methodology and the A3 framework. The team performed rapid tests of change (plan-do-study-act cycles) to increase the percentage of veterans receiving COPD education. The interventions implemented for this QI initiative focused on clinical, patient, and system improvements. This initiative standardized COPD patient education and increased the percentage of veterans receiving (a) daily COPD education from 0% to 66%, (b) verbal COPD education on discharge from a baseline of 20% to 100%, (c) receipt of written educational material on discharge from 20% to 100%, and (d) the cohort all-cause 30-day readmission rate declined from 19.3% to 14.3%. Given the substantial economic burden of COPD readmissions on the health care system and patients, evidence-based educational interventions may potentially improve outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions in this veteran population.

Iterative Development of an Interactive Website to Support Shared Decision-Making in Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Recent treatment advances have resulted in significantly increased survival times following metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis. Novel treatment approaches-and their related side effects-have changed the landscape of MBC treatment decision-making. We developed a prototype of an online educational tool to prepare patients with MBC for shared decision-making with their oncologists. We describe the five phases of tool development: (1) in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews and (2) feedback on storyboards of initial content with patients with MBC and oncology providers. This was followed by three phases of iterative feedback with patients in which they responded to (3) initial, non-navigable website content and (4) a beta version of the full website. In the final phase (5), patients newly diagnosed with MBC (N = 6) used the website prototype for 1week and completed surveys assessing acceptability, feasibility, treatment knowledge, preparation for decision-making, and self-efficacy for decision-making. Participants in Phase 1 characterized a cyclical process of MBC treatment decision-making and identified key information needs. Website content and structure was iteratively developed in Phases 2-4. Most participants in Phase 5 (n = 4) accessed the website 2-5 times. All participants who accessed the website at least once (n = 5) felt they learned new information from the website prototype and would recommend it to others newly-diagnosed with MBC. After using the website prototype, participants reported high preparation and self-efficacy for decision-making. This multiphase, iterative process resulted in a prototype intervention designed to support decision-making for MBC patients.

An evaluation of written materials for supporting hypertensive patient education and counselling when performing a new medicine service in Poland

Background. The New Medicine Service (NMS) was developed in England more than ten years ago, as a three-stage consultation led by community pharmacists to support patients taking new medication for a chronic disease. In Poland, the scheme was officially introduced in January 2023. However, its implementation into common practice has been presented with various obstacles, including the need to develop relationships with general practitioners, resolve the payment structure, and provide training with adequate supporting materials. Hence, written materials have been designed for use as an optional tool for counselling patients receiving an NMS in community pharmacies. Methods. The present study evaluates the ability of these materials to inform patients about the need to adhere to anti-hypertensive medication. A group of 401 randomly-selected adult visitors to pharmacies and/or healthcare centres were surveyed; one third had hypertension in their history. Results. The structure, grammar and readability of the text achieved the required threshold of 40% according to the Plain Language Index. The designed materials effectively informed the patients about anti-hypertensive medication, reflected in an increased score in a knowledge test, and were rated positively regarding information level, comprehensibility and presentation. Conclusion. The proposed material may serve as an additional, “patient-friendly” educational tool for use as part of an NMS.

Application of deep learning in isolated tooth identification

BackgroundTeeth identification has a pivotal role in the dental curriculum and provides one of the important foundations of clinical practice. Accurately identifying teeth is a vital aspect of dental education and clinical practice, but can be challenging due to the anatomical similarities between categories. In this study, we aim to explore the possibility of using a deep learning model to classify isolated tooth by a set of photographs.MethodsA collection of 5,100 photographs from 850 isolated human tooth specimens were assembled to serve as the dataset for this study. Each tooth was carefully labeled during the data collection phase through direct observation. We developed a deep learning model that incorporates the state-of-the-art feature extractor and attention mechanism to classify each tooth based on a set of 6 photographs captured from multiple angles. To increase the validity of model evaluation, a voting-based strategy was applied to refine the test set to generate a more reliable label, and the model was evaluated under different types of classification granularities.ResultsThis deep learning model achieved top-3 accuracies of over 90% in all classification types, with an average AUC of 0.95. The Cohen’s Kappa demonstrated good agreement between model prediction and the test set.ConclusionsThis deep learning model can achieve performance comparable to that of human experts and has the potential to become a valuable tool for dental education and various applications in accurately identifying isolated tooth.

Using Cognitive Complexity to Understand Role-Play as a Pedagogical Tool in Graduate Evaluation Education

In response to a call for more research on evaluator education, this paper explores the use of role-play as an in-class activity for students in a graduate course in evaluation. We describe the activity in detail and use the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes taxonomy as a tool to describe the cognitive complexity of student responses in the activity. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, we found that the role-play activity provided the opportunity for students to exhibit knowledge of evaluation theories and for us to observe the complexity of their responses.

Study of the effect of electromagnetic damping force on a magnet oscillating near a non-ferromagnetic conducting plate

Abstract We have designed an experiment that involves studying the effects of a conducting plate on the motion of an oscillating disc magnet. We have employed the video analysis method by ‘Tracker’ software to investigate the variation of electromagnetic damping coefficient with distance between the plate and the magnet. This experiment can indeed serve as a valuable educational tool for undergraduate students, covering topics such as damped oscillation, electromagnetic damping, Lenz's law, and eddy currents.

Technological Tools in Education: Actionbound Experience of Prospective Biology Teachers

This study aims to analyse the experiences and perspectives of prospective biology teachers regarding their excursions using Actionbound to learn about plant species. The participants in the study consist of 30 undergraduate prospective biology teachers. The focus is on the prospective teachers’ enjoyment of the Actionbound experience, the duration to complete the excursion, their willingness to engage in another task-based game, and their views on implementing mobile device-supported biology teaching, specifically related to the design of a biology lesson using Actionbound. The prospective biology teachers predominantly found their experience with Actionbound enjoyable. Their perspectives centred on the App’s usability in education and its technical usability. Results show that biology lesson designed with mobile devices positively impacts knowledge retention, motivation, interest, and enjoyment. The results underscore the importance of designing learning environments for effective biology education and teacher training.