Small Group Teaching Research Articles

Being a Competent Doctoral Student: A Reflection

Building a successful PhD program requires a sustained research environment. The successful completion of a PhD thesis depends on a working supervisor-student relationship built on respect, responsibility, and involvement. Supervisors who are also working researchers should get the training they need to improve their supervising abilities. They act as role models in academic life both scientifically and morally. The employment of a second supervisor in addition to the primary one is strongly advised in order to improve the effectiveness of tracking student development and resolve interpersonal problems. Regulations from the university should outline the obligations of the research supervisor. In medical education, small-group instruction and learning have achieved an admirable position and gained popularity as a way to support research students in their studies and foster deep learning. The primary qualities include active student participation throughout the whole learning cycle and a clearly defined task orientation with attainable specific goals and objectives within a set time frame. Preliminary considerations at the departmental and institutional levels, including educational strategies, group composition, physical environment, existing resources, diagnosis of the research needs, formulation of the objectives, and appropriate teaching learning outline, are crucial to the development of an ideal small group teaching and learning session. Small group instruction at medical schools boosts student motivation, collaborative abilities, knowledge and skill retention, idea transfer to novel problems, and self-directed learning. Investigating the problems enables the learner to put their higher-order thinking and skills to the test. It supports adult learning, taking ownership of one's own development, and fostering self-motivation. This research paper aims to study the scholar’s perception of effectiveness of teaching and learning process during the first and second years of doctoral study.

Co-creative teaching practice and active learning: the opportunity of small group teaching in philosophy

Co-creative teaching practice and active learning: the opportunity of small group teaching in philosophy

Letter to the Editor on "Small-Group Teaching: Should it be Recorded?"

Letter to the Editor on "Small-Group Teaching: Should it be Recorded?"

Changing culture: An intervention to improve blood culture quality in the emergency department.

Blood cultures (BCs) remain a key investigation in ED patients at risk of bacteraemia. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a multi-modal, nursing-led intervention to improve the quality of BCs in the ED, in terms of single culture, underfilling and contamination rates. The present study was conducted in the ED of a large urban tertiary referral hospital. The study included four phases: pre-intervention, intervention, post-intervention and sustainability periods. A multi-modal intervention to improve BC quality consisting small group education, posters, brief educational videos, social media presence, quality feedback, small group/individual mentoring and availability of BC collection kits was designed and delivered by two senior ED nurses over 7 weeks. Study data comprised rates of single, underfilled and contaminated cultures in each of three 18-week periods: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention and sustainability. Over the study period 4908 BC sets were collected during 2347 episodes of care in the ED. Single culture sets reduced from 56.2% in the pre-intervention period to 22.8% post-intervention (P < 0.01) and 18.8% in the sustainability period (P < 0.01). Underfilled bottle rates were also significantly reduced (aerobic 52.8% pre-intervention to 19.2% post-intervention, 18.8% sustainability, anaerobic 46.8% pre-intervention to 23.3% post-intervention, 23.8% sustainability). Skin contaminants were grown from 3.7% of BC sets in the pre-intervention period, improving to 1.5% in the post-intervention period (P < 0.001) and 2.1% in the sustainability period (P = 0.03). Total volume of blood cultured was significantly associated with diagnosis of bacteraemia. Significant improvements in BC quality are possible with nursing-based interventions in the ED.

Effectiveness of an Innovative Card Game as a Supplement for Teaching Factual Content to Medical Students: A Mixed Method Study.

Introduction Lectures and small group teaching are useful to transfer conceptual knowledge. Anatomy is the foundation of medical sciences, but it is perceived to be difficult to comprehend and recall. For such clinically relevant aspects of medical education that require memorization, educational card games can be very effective. As the complex concepts and terminology of Embryology are difficult to follow and retain, we designed a card game "MedFc"for a topic on pharyngeal arches. This study was planned to determine the effectiveness of the card game on curriculum comprehension, recall of factual topics among medical undergraduates, and its utility as a supplement to interactive lecture sessions. Methods The mixed method study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy of an undergraduate medical college. Ethical approval was obtained prior to beginning the study. Convenience sampling was done. From a batch of 50 first-year medical students, a total of 40 students consented to participate in the study, 24 (60%) were males and 16 (40%) were female participants. A lecture on the pharyngeal arches was conducted for the entire batch of 50 first-year medical students. After three weeks, the students who consented to participate in the study were randomly grouped into two groups of 20 each. The groups were the game group (which played the card game in teams of five) and the control group (which discussed the same topic in small groups of five). For both the group's pretests and posttests, 10 higher order multiple choice questions, were conducted and students' feedback regarding the effectiveness of the teaching technique was obtained. Results Students opined that playing the card game was a superb experience, a positive use of time, and a very effective method of comprehension and memorizing complex topics. The scores increased from the pretest to the posttest indicating that both methods effectively reinforced the embryological concepts, but a t test showed that card game is more effective than small group discussions, with p-value = 0.008. The improvement in scores of students who had achieved <50% in pretest for the game group was statistically significant with t-value = 0.0023, when compared with the improvement in scores of similar students from the control group. Conclusions The study has demonstrated the effectiveness of "MedFc" card game in the recall of factual topics and can be used as supplementary material for enhancing learning amongst medical graduates. This educational card game applies gamification to Anatomy education to create a fun filled learning experience and is a valuable addition to thelearning resources.

Developing research skills in medical students online using an active research study

BackgroundDeveloping research skills and scholarship are key components of medical education. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated that all teaching be delivered online. We introduced an approach to small group teaching in the academic year 2020–2021 online which involved students in an active (ongoing) research study to develop their research skills.MethodsWe acquired student feedback to evaluate their perspectives quantitatively on development of research and scholarship skills, teaching content and format, and tutor performance using this teaching approach. In addition, we captured free text responses from both students and tutors on the positives and negatives of our course, and their suggested improvements. We also compared summative assessment marks for the online/active research course (2020–2021) with those obtained from previous (2017–2019) and subsequent (2021–2023) teaching sessions.ResultsStudents were largely positive about most aspects of the online course utilising an active research study (n = 13). Students agreed that they were able to acquire research skills, particularly related to data analysis, transferable skills, and giving scientific presentations. A one-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference for assessment marks across all five teaching years (two years prior and two years following the online/active research course), indicating that the course achieved the learning outcomes. Students enjoyed the convenience of online teaching and the availability of course resources, but least liked the lack of in-person interaction and laboratory training. Tutors enjoyed the collaborative aspects of online teaching, but least liked the lack of face-to-face interactions with students.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that delivering online teaching which involves students in active research engages and motivates them to develop their research and scholarship skills. We recommend that educators consider incorporating a current research study in their undergraduate courses as this can enhance the student learning experience as well as the research project itself.

A Systematic Review of Instructional Interventions Applied to Primary School Students with Mathematics Learning Difficulties

This study was undertaken to systematically analyze instructional interventions employed to enhance the mathematical performance of elementary school students with Math learning difficulties (MLD). Over 20 years (2003-2023), 34 articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. The articles in the study were analyzed in terms of methodological and intervention characteristics. Methodological characteristics were analyzed in two categories: participant characteristics and tests for identifying students. Intervention characteristics were analyzed in six categories: grade level, instructional intervention, implementer, implementation method, intervention duration, and mathematics learning area. It was found that the articles examined generally targeted students with MLD, and standardized achievement tests were used to identify students. The articles reviewed determined that third grade students were studied as participant students and strategy teaching was frequently used as an intervention programme. In the reviewed studies, the instructional interventions applied to students with math learning difficulties were implemented mainly by expert implementers in small-group teaching. It was observed that the number of sessions for instructional interventions ranged from 4 sessions to 96 sessions, with an average intervention duration of 16.91 hours. Finally, it was determined that the instructional interventions in the analyzed studies mainly focused on the learning domain of numbers and operations as the mathematics learning area.

The Death Café: Effectiveness of a hospice care educational program for nursing undergraduates based on LIFE experience—A qualitative study

BackgroundNursing students' knowledge of hospice care is limited to textbooks due to the inadequate education and training system in China and student's willingness to participate in hospice care. ObjectivesTo deepen nursing students' understandings toward life and death, to improve their knowledge about hospice care, and to promote their willingness for hospice care practice. DesignThis study used a qualitative descriptive study design. SettingsThe study was conducted at a medical university in Sichuan province, China. Participants71 nursing sophomores participated in this study. MethodsThe Death Café teaching program was implemented which requires students to recall their memories about death and to imagine how they felt about dying, as if they were having a conversation in a death-themed café. During the implementation phase, a small-group interactive teaching approach was utilized. During the reflection phase, the students were asked to finish an essay answering four questions without standard right answers. The essays that students finished were used for evaluating the effectiveness of the Death Café program. The answers of the first two questions were presented as a word cloud. Graneheim and Lundman's qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze answers of the third and fourth questions. ResultsWord cloud analysis indicated that at the beginning of the program participants showed more negative emotions (i.e., fearful). Students' attitudes toward death changed from negative to positive through imagining death when role-playing the different stages of life. The program enhanced students' understanding of life and taught the students effective ways to cope with death. Students clarified the objectives and necessary preparation for providing hospice care and gained new understandings for improving their hospice skills. ConclusionsThe Death Café program can address students' negative emotions and perceptions of death. Students gained personal benefits and professional benefits of coping with life and death from the program.

Assessing the Merits and Effectiveness of Peer Teaching in Small Groups through the Employment of Different Learning Media.

Background Peer teaching is a well-acknowledged method to facilitate teaching and learning among medical students. The objective of the study was to assess the merits and effectiveness of peer teaching in small groups using a student-centered approach through the employment of different learning media. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among a group of 34 students from third professional year. Purposive sampling was used, wherein students were subdivided into five small groups. At the beginning, a pretest consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions was conducted on the topic "Epidemiology of Hypertension." This topic was further subdivided into five subtopics, and five separate learning media (viz., video, PowerPoint, white board, chalk-and-talk, and chart) were allocated using the lottery method. Each group discussed the allotted topic and then presented their findings in the large group using the assigned learning media, while other groups gave feedback, and the best group was decided through multivoting. Posttest was administered and the results were compared with the pretest. Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel and analysis was done using SPSS 16. Descriptive statistics and paired t -test was used to compare the results in pretest and posttest at p level < 0.05. Results This innovative session of peer teaching featured 34 students, with a mean age of 22 ± 1.3 years. While carrying out the Kirkpatrick Level 1 evaluation, almost 90% students liked the role of the facilitator in stimulating interest in the topic. There was a mean average increase of 1.7 marks on comparing the scores of posttest with pretest (Kirkpatrick Level 2), and the reported difference was statistically significant. Joyful learning 24 (66.7%) and group discussion 23 (63.9%) emerged as the most liked aspects of the session. Conclusion In conclusion, peer teaching through learning media is an effective method as it promotes active learning, improves communication skills, and improves the academic performance of students. Peer teaching using different learning media proved to be quite effective in improvement of knowledge about epidemiology of hypertension, the pros and cons of different learning media, and encouraged creativity among students.

Effects of the small private online course combined with simulation-based training in a patient safety education program among nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the effects of the small private online course (SPOC) combined with simulation-based training in a patient safety education program among nursing students in China. MethodsA quasi-experimental design was conducted. A total of 219 nursing students from four parallel classes were selected from the nursing department of a health vocational college in Zhengzhou, China, from November 2020 to June 2021 and allocated to the intervention group (n = 113) and control group (n = 106). Based on SPOC, nursing students in the intervention group implemented simulation teaching in small groups, with three class hours each time, a total of two times, divided into three stages: pre-class preparation, teaching implementation, and after-class reflection. The control group received theoretical patient safety education through SPOC, implemented on the DingDing platform for two class hours each time, four times. All participants were invited to complete a demographic questionnaire and the Chinese version of Patient Safety Competency Self-Evaluation (PSCSE) before and after the intervention. ResultsA total of 103 and 102 students from the intervention and control groups completed the study. The total scores of PSCSE in the post-test of the intervention group (176.24 ± 13.73 vs. 144.64 ± 13.75) and the control group (160.87 ± 14.88 vs. 142.57 ± 15.66) were higher than those in the pre-test (P < 0.01), and the total scores of PSCSE of the intervention group were higher than those of the control group (176.24 ± 13.73 vs. 160.87 ± 14.88, P < 0.01). After intervention, the scores of PSCSE in all dimensions were increased in the intervention group (P < 0.01); in the control group, the scores of patient safety competency in most dimensions were increased (P < 0.01), except for the dimensions of reporting and response to error and communication related to error (P＞ 0.05). Except for the dimensions of knowledge and attitude of error reporting and disclosing (P＞ 0.05), the scores of other dimensions in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01). ConclusionThe patient safety education program using the SPOC combined with simulation-based training can effectively improve the patient safety competency of nursing students in terms of attitude, skills, and knowledge.

Self-Confidence Conceptual Model Development in Volleyball Learning Courses

The research was motivated by the problem of students in the Physical Education, Health and Recreation Study Program not exhibiting optimal self-confidence, particularly the confidence to speak in front of the class during lecture activities. Self-confidence is an aspect of the human psyche that must be nurtured and developed. Self-confidence denotes the ability to do something confidently and without fear of failure. Confidence is also part of the subconscious and is unaffected by emotions and feelings. Therefore, it requires a method that can be accomplished by controlling emotions, feelings, and imagery. The volleyball learning course necessitates good psychological conditions for students to be confident when practicing in small groups and later when conducting teaching practice at school. In this course students are equipped with basic techniques in playing volleyball and how to construct volleyball learning tools, then students are able to practice teaching in small groups. This study employs a qualitative approach with a classroom action research design that follows the lecture schedule. The research procedure is divided into two cycles, with each cycle consisting of five stages: planning, action, observation, evaluation, and reflection. This research was conducted in two cycles and the time required was 5 weeks for each cycle so that the total time required was 10 weeks with two cycles. The research subjects were 50 students who took the volleyball learning course. Data collection methods include observations and interviews. The results of the study show that in an effort to increase student self-confidence, the strategy chosen is role-playing which provides broad opportunities for students to explore themselves in order to be able to demonstrate their quality in front of other friends to become teachers in the teaching practice of the material chosen by each student. In this study, the role-playing technique was seen to be successful in increasing the self-confidence of the students. Keyword: self-confidence, Role-playing, Learning, Volleyball

Simulation-based training in central venous catheterization for first-year postgraduate students: A prospective study

ABSTRACT Background: The current model of procedure training involves lectures, seminars, observations and personalised education in small groups or by watching videos on digital platforms. Central venous catheterisation (CVC) is an important skill; however, its training largely remains unstructured. There is a need of protocol-based uniform training policy. Aims: The aims and objectives of the study are to prepare and implement simulation-based CVC training module for the 1st year post-graduate students. Materials and Methods: After approval from the institutional ethical committee, 1st year post-graduate students of anaesthesia, medicine and surgery were enroled. Training modules and questionnaires were prepared with discussions amongst faculty. Students’ baseline knowledge regarding the CVC was noted on mannequins along with self-reported confidence. After that, they were subjected to training module. Students repeat knowledge and confidence regarding CVC were noted. In the next few months, procedures performed by post-graduate students were directly observed and rated. Students as well as faculty feedback regarding this teaching module was also collected. Results: Training module was associated with a statistically significant increase in knowledge and self-reported confidence regarding the knowledge and skill of CVC (P &lt; 0.05). Most of the students and faculty agreed regarding the training module utility. Conclusions: A structured simulation module for CVC helped to improve students’ knowledge and confidence about the CVC skill. The module was well accepted by both faculty and students.

How to design and deliver a small group teaching session.

Small group teaching sessions are commonly used in healthcare to deliver education, provide practice updates and support continuing professional development. Such sessions can provide opportunities for participants to acquire new knowledge, foster peer relationships, consolidate learning and develop skills. This article provides a step-by-step guide for nurses and other healthcare professionals on designing and delivering a small group teaching session. • A small group teaching session requires considered, detailed and methodical preparation. • When designing a small group teaching session, it is important to determine its aims, learning outcomes, group characteristics, location and timeframe. • A well-planned small teaching session includes learning activities that are constructively aligned to the aims and intended learning outcomes. • Assessing participant learning and addressing gaps in their understanding is essential during the delivery of small group teaching. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: • How this article could improve your practice when designing and delivering a small group teaching session. • How you could use this information to educate your colleagues on small group teaching methods.

Critical care nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward pressure injury prevention: A pre and post intervention study

ObjectiveTo explore nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention before and after implementing an educational intervention. Design/MethodA pre-and post-intervention study. Pre-intervention data collection involved administering an instrument, including demographic information, the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool version 2, and the Attitudes towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention instruments. Following the analysis of pre-intervention data, an educational intervention was implemented. Post-intervention data were collected using the same instrument. SettingIntensive care units at three Saudi Arabian hospitals. Main outcome measuresNurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention. ResultsThe pre-intervention phase included 190 participants, and the post-intervention phase included 195 participants. Participants completed a paper-based survey at two different time points between June 2021 and March 2022. The mean pre-intervention scores for nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention were 43.22% and 74.77%, respectively. Following the educational intervention, the knowledge and attitude scores increased significantly to 51.22% and 79.02%, respectively. Higher knowledge of pressure injury prevention was positively associated with positive attitudes towards prevention practices. Age, clinical nursing experience, and experience in intensive care units were identified as factors correlated with knowledge of pressure injury prevention. A Bachelor’s qualification or higher predicted better knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention. ConclusionsNurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention greatly improved following tailored, evidence-based education. The educational intervention featured multiple on-site bedside discussions, case studies, small-group presentations, and the provision of printed resources. Implications for Clinical PracticeNurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention should be examined, and education provided to ensure evidence-based prevention practices are implemented. Tailored small-group education sessions delivered conveniently could be an effective approach. Efforts should focus on attracting and retaining experienced, highly qualified nurses to ensure the adoption of evidence-based prevention practices.

Full-sized realistic 3D printed models of liver and tumour anatomy: a useful tool for the clinical medicine education of beginning trainees

BackgroundSimulation-based medical education (SBME) and three-dimensional printed (3DP) models are increasingly used in continuing medical education and clinical training. However, our understanding of their role and value in improving trainees’ understanding of the anatomical and surgical procedures associated with liver surgery remains limited. Furthermore, gender bias is also a potential factor in the evaluation of medical education. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the educational benefits trainees receive from the use of novel 3DP liver models while considering trainees’ experience and gender.MethodsFull-sized 3DP liver models were developed and printed using transparent material based on anonymous CT scans. We used printed 3D models and conventional 2D CT scans of the liver to investigate thirty trainees with various levels of experience and different genders in the context of both small group teaching and formative assessment. We adopted a mixed methods approach involving both questionnaires and focus groups to collect the views of different trainees and monitors to assess trainees’ educational benefits and perceptions after progressing through different training programs. We used Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Likert scales to support thematic analysis of the responses to the questionnaires by trainees and monitors, respectively. Descriptive analyses were conducted using SPSS statistical software version 21.0.ResultsOverall, a 3DP model of the liver is of great significance for improving trainees’ understanding of surgical procedures and cooperation during operation. After viewing the personalized full-sized 3DP liver model, all trainees at the various levels exhibited significant improvements in their understanding of the key points of surgery (p < 0.05), especially regarding the planned surgical procedure and key details of the surgical procedures. More importantly, the trainees exhibited higher levels of satisfaction and self-confidence during the operation regardless of gender. However, with regard to gender, the results showed that the improvement of male trainees after training with the 3DP liver model was more significant than that of female trainees in understanding and cooperation during the surgical procedure, while no such trend was found with regard to their understanding of the base knowledge.ConclusionTrainees and monitors agreed that the use of 3DP liver models was acceptable. The improvement of the learning effect for practical skills and theoretical understanding after training with the 3DP liver models was significant. This study also indicated that training with personalized 3DP liver models can improve all trainees’ presurgical understanding of liver tumours and surgery and males show more advantage in understanding and cooperation during the surgical procedure as compared to females. Full-sized realistic 3DP models of the liver are an effective auxiliary teaching tool for SBME teaching in Chinese continuing medical education.

Small-Group Teaching: Should It Be Recorded?

BackgroundRecording large-group lectures is commonplace in higher education, allowing students to access content asynchronously and remotely. With the move towards online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, recording of small-group teaching sessions has also become increasingly common; however, the educational value of this practice is unknown.MethodsAll medical students rotating through the Acute Medicine Department of a large teaching hospital were invited to enrol in the study. Consenting students were recorded for the second half of an online case-based learning (CBL) session. The recording was available for 6 months; viewing patterns were analysed. Students were sent a questionnaire after the session, asking them to reflect on the recorded and unrecorded halves of the session.FindingsThirty-three students underwent recording in 12 separate groups; 31 students (94%) completed the questionnaire. All 31 respondents (100%) described the session as “useful” or “very useful”. Twenty-four respondents (77%) recommended continuing to record small-group sessions and 17 (55%) reported being “likely” or “very likely” to watch the recording. Six respondents (19%) reported a negative impact of being recorded. During 6 months of follow-up, no students returned to view the recording for more than 1 minute.ConclusionDespite positive feedback for the session and high student demand for ongoing recording, no students viewed the recording for any significant duration. One-fifth of students reported a negative impact of being recorded. The findings from this study do not support routine recording of small-group CBL sessions, even where demand for this may exist.

A randomised control trial study on the efficacy of high-fidelity simulation in enhancing knowledge

Introduction: The practice of high-fidelity simulation-based medical education has become a popular small-group teaching modality across all spheres of clinical medicine. High-fidelity simulation (HFS) is now being increasingly used in the context of undergraduate medical education, but its superiority over traditional teaching methods is still not established. The main objective of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of HFS-based teaching over video-assisted lecture (VAL)-based teaching in the enhancement of knowledge for the management of tension pneumothorax among undergraduate medical students. Methods: A cohort of 111 final-year undergraduate medical students were randomised for this study. The efficacy of HFS-based teaching (intervention group) and VAL-based teaching (control group), on the acquisition of knowledge, was assessed by single-best answer multiple choice questions (MCQ) tests in the first and eighth week of their surgery posting. Mean and standard deviation (SD) for the total score of MCQ assessments were used as outcome measures. ANCOVA was used to determine the difference in post-test MCQ marks between groups. The intragroup comparison of the pre-test and post-test MCQ scores was done by using paired t-test. The P-value was set at 0.05. Results: The mean of post-test MCQ scores were significantly higher than the mean of pre-test MCQ scores in both groups. The mean pre-test and post-test MCQ scores in the intervention group were slightly more than those of the control group but not statistically significant. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant enhancement of knowledge in both groups but the difference in knowledge enhancement between the groups was insignificant.

Child Health Essential Skills Stations (CHESS): Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Undergraduate Child Health Clinical Skills Course

Background: Teaching undergraduate medical students clinical skills in a child health setting is a particular challenge for clinical educators. Students spend less time with pediatric patients and have fewer opportunities to practice clinical skills. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic further reduced students’ opportunities to observe and practice skills in the workplace. This has necessitated a greater shift towards teaching skills in a "skills lab" setting, which allows for simulated practice in a safe environment. This study reports the design, implementation, and evaluation of a standardized course that utilizes the "skills lab" to train undergraduate medical students in five clinical skills important to child health. Objectives: This study aimed to implement and evaluate a standardized undergraduate clinical skills course for child health and improve students' confidence in performing child health clinical skills. Methods: Evaluations were carried out over approximately one academic year, with a total of 174 participants from a single medical school in the United Kingdom. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected, examining students' self-reported confidence (pre- and post-course) along with free-text course evaluations. A paired t-test was used to calculate the mean difference in students' pre- and post-course confidence scores. Qualitative evaluations were analyzed for themes using framework analysis. Results: The students had greater confidence in all measured learning outcomes following the course. Qualitative data, examined using framework analysis, suggested that the course was valued by students, who felt it was relevant to their future practice. Numerous written comments suggested particular content and teaching methods that were strengths of the course, including practical elements, small group teaching, and feedback from tutors. Conclusions: Implementing a child health clinical skills course in a skills lab setting is feasible and valued by students. The course increased the self-reported confidence of the studied cohort and might therefore support them in practicing these skills with actual patients. Further studies are required to determine whether these effects demonstrate longevity and whether they translate to increased competence in performing the taught skills.

Analisis Pemahaman Konsep dan Implementasi Keterampilan Dasar Mengajar Mahasiswa PGSD

This study aims to analyze and describe the basic teaching skills of elementary school teacher candidates when carrying out teaching practice activities in microteaching courses. Instruments in this research include; questionnaire, work reports, and documentation. The research subjects were 74 people of 5th-semester PGSD students at Bhayangkara University, Jakarta Raya. The results showed that the conceptual understanding indicator of PGSD students obtained high categori (72.07%). Meanwhile, for each concept of basic teaching skills average was 81.08% sorted into a very high category. Students are split into some groups according to basic skills and implement these skills in microteaching activities. The results of observing the implementation of basic teaching skills analyzed for each skill obtained the skill of opening and closing by 69% of students going well. Explanation skills (75%), variations skills (66%), questioning skills (74%), reinforcement skills (63%), and small group and individual teaching skills 71% sorted into the good category. Meanwhile, the skills of managing a class (50%) and guiding small group discussions (53%) were sorted into the fairly good category. In conclusion, with an average gain of 65.13%, the basic teaching skills can be implemented properly sorted in the good category.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a digital Diabetes Prevention Program (dDPP) in prediabetic patients.

To assess the cost-effectiveness of a digital Diabetes Prevention Program (dDPP) in preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus among prediabetic patients from a health system perspective over a 10-year time horizon. A Markov cohort model was constructed to assess the cost-effectiveness of dDPP compared to a small group education (SGE) intervention. Transition probabilities for the first year of the model were derived from two clinical trials on dDPP. Transition probabilities for longer-term effects were derived from meta-analyses on lifestyle and Diabetes Prevention Program interventions. Cost and health utilities were derived from published literature. Partial completion of interventions was incorporated to provide a robust prediction of a real-world deployment. Parameter uncertainties were assessed using univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Cost-effectiveness was measured by an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between dDPP and SGE from a health system perspective over a 10-year time horizon. The dDPP dominated the SGE at the $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000 willingness-to-pay thresholds per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The base case analysis at the $100,000 willingness-to-pay threshold (WTP) revealed a dominated ICER, with the SGE costing $1332 more and accruing an average of 0.04 fewer QALYs. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the dDPP was preferred in 64.4% of simulations across the $100,000 WTP thresholds. The findings comparing a dDPP to an SGE suggest that a dDPP can be cost-effective for patients with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.