Technology-enhanced Course Research Articles

COVID-19 Rounds": An Inquiry-Based Distance Learning Tool for Medical Students Under Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented significant challenges to both clinical practice and the delivery of medical education. Educators and learners implemented novel techniques including distance learning and virtual rounds while trying to stay updated with the surge of information regarding COVID-19 epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment. Hence, we designed and implemented a technology enhanced course "COVID-19 Rounds" to educate students about the rapidly evolving pandemic. The objectives of this study are first, to describe a technologically-enhanced course "COVID-19 Rounds" and second, to evaluate the following: a) student satisfaction and program usefulness in achieving pre-set objectives, b) perceived improvement in literacy regarding the pandemic, and c) the impact of student engagement by designing infographics and initiating COVID-19 related research projects. This is a cross-sectional study measuring the impact of the implementation of the "COVID-19 Rounds" on-line course. This program included virtual clinical experiences with physicians on actual rounds in the hospitals and COVID-19 wards, weekly updates on evolving data and new research, and engagement with student-led projects. The study population included 47 fourth-year medical students at the Mohamed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates who attended the course. We designed and administered a 47-item survey to assess student satisfaction, program usefulness, impact on knowledge, and student engagement. Data was collected at the end of program delivery via Microsoft forms. A total of 38 out of 47 (81%) fourth-year medical students participated in the study. Final course evaluation revealed an overall high satisfaction rate, with a mean rating of 3.9 (SD 0.94) on the 5-point Likert Scale. Most students were satisfied with course format (27/38; 71%), organization (31/38; 82%) and learning experience (28/38; 74%) that the course offered. The course was particularly useful in offering evidence-based talks about aspects of the pandemic (34/38; 90%), providing weekly updates of emerging evidence (32/38; 84%), enhancing understanding of the challenges of the pandemic (34/38; 90%). Satisfaction with distance learning was moderate (23/37; 62%), and a minority of students would have preferred an in-person version of the course (10/37; 27%). Student engagement in the course was high. All students participated in small group presentations of "infographics" of pandemic related topics. Perceived advantages included conciseness and visual appeal; disadvantages included lack of detail, time consuming requiring design experience. After the course ended 27 students initiated research projects. This resulted in 6 abstracts presented at local meetings and 8 scientific papers published or submitted for publication. This inquiry-based adaptive approach to educate medical students about updates in COVID-19 via virtual learning was successful in achieving objectives and encouraging engagement in research. However, shortcomings of the course related to lack of in-person teaching and clinical activities were also highlighted.

Teaching to Tech: A Quasi-Experimental Assessment of a Technology-Enhanced Social Work Course

ABSTRACT Professional interests and social problems demand social work practitioners who can “harness technology for social good.” Although the field has acknowledged the need to train social workers to use technology in practice, existing scholarship has tested few models for doing so. This article describes and tests an information and communication technology-enhanced course for macropractice. Results from a quasi-experimental test of the technology-enhanced course yield positive gains in students’ technological efficacy, but not in their attitudes toward technology. Ultimately, models that capacitate students to use technology in social work practice, like that described here, are needed. However, their effectiveness in promoting future use in social work practice likely depends on their ability to change skills and attitudes.

Technology-Enhanced Course in English Theoretical Grammar and Phonetics at Tertiary Level

The advancement of technologies and the recently forced lockdown by Covid-19 are bringing changes to the organisation of the learning process by accelerating the introduction of e-learning to create a learner-centred technology-based approach to English studies, thus stepping towards digital humanities. These trends initiated the institutional project Mobile and Desktop Software Integration in Bachelor and Master Study Programmes. The present study, using a questionnaire, elicits university students’ attitudes to the mobile applications and speech analysis software-based seminar activities in Moodle e-course in accordance with the blended learning model selected for the studies of theoretical grammar and phonetics. It is a cross-sectional, focused, and exploratory case study, comprising a description of factors, contributing to the problem of blended learning model selection. The yielded data demonstrate that students do not possess extensive prior experience with the use of software and mobile applications to study English grammar and phonetics. After completing seminar tasks, they favourably account for the integrated blended learning materials and consider that those facilitate their learning process.

Integrating MOOCs into a Technology-Enhanced Course for Undergraduate Students

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are gaining significant interest and support in the education sector, particularly in higher education. Universities are investing into the production and dissemination of these courses to attract students and professionals. In this study, the experiences of students in completing MOOCs are described. Eighty-two undergraduate students enrolled in a college course were asked to select and enroll in a MOOC at the beginning of the term. The students were given a maximum of three months to complete a MOOC of their choice. Most of the students were able to select an online course that lasted for eight weeks. Following a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, the researchers conducted a survey among 82 undergraduate students about their completion or non-completion of their chosen MOOCs. From the findings, representative samples were taken and interviewed to better understand what the students experienced while they are engaging into the online course. Contrary to reported figures, the students had high completion rate (70%), but most of them completed the course a week before the end of the 3-month period. Qualitative analyses of the interview transcripts revealed that the lack of connectivity, time, and interactivity, as well as conflict with their face-to-face class activities hindered them from completing the online course. Despite these, the participants recognized the potentials of MOOCs in providing access to valid and reliable information about a diverse array of disciplines. Prospects for higher education are discussed.

Technology-Enhanced Simulation Improves Trainee Readiness Transitioning to Cardiothoracic Training

ObjectiveTransitioning from medical school and general surgery training to cardiothoracic (CT) surgical training poses unique challenges for trainees and patient care. We hypothesized that participation in technology-enhanced simulation modules that provided early exposure to urgent/emergent CT patient problems would improve cognitive skills and readiness to manage common urgencies/emergencies. DesignTraditional and integrated cardiothoracic residents at our institution participated in a technology-enhanced simulation curriculum. The course comprised of didactics, hands-on simulation, virtual models, and mock oral examinations. Residents also were given a validated pretest and post-test to evaluate knowledge retention and integration. Resident performance was graded using a previously validated objective structured clinical examination. Resident perception of course usefulness and relevance was determined through the completion of a perception survey. SettingThis study occurred at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. The facility used was the Peter Winter Institute for Simulation, Education and Research. ParticipantsFrom 2013 to 2015, 25 traditional and integrated cardiothoracic residents participated in these training modules who have completed all portions of the simulation were used for analysis. ResultsFor our participants, knowledge base significantly increased by 7.9% (pretest = 76.0% vs. post-test = 83.9%, p < 0.01). According to trained-rater evaluation, 93.6% of responses to the 11 objective structured clinical examination competencies were deemed adequate. Postcourse perception survey demonstrated 92% of participants scoring the sessions as important or very important toward development and confidence in managing the cardiothoracic scenarios. These findings were present despite historical assumption that these learners were prepared for complex patient care. ConclusionsAfter completing a technology-enhanced course combining didactics, simulation, and real-time assessment, residents demonstrated objective improvements in cognitive skills and readiness in managing CT patients. Resident postcourse feedback indicated enhanced confidence, suggesting increased preparedness transitioning to CT surgery. This has strong implications for improved patient safety during these potentially labile transition periods.

Impact of Adding Internet Technology on Student Performance and Perception of Autonomy in Fundamentals of Electronics Course

The coupling of the traditional classroom instruction and a virtual learning environment (VLE) in an engineering course is critical to stimulating the learning process and to encouraging students to develop competencies outside of the classroom. This can be achieved through planned activities and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), resources designed to complement students’ autonomous learning needs. A quantitative analysis of students’ academic performance using final course grades was performed for a fundamentals of electronics course and we examine students’ perception of their autonomy using surveys. The students’ progress and attitudes were monitored over four consecutive semesters. The first began with the design of the intervention and the following three consisted in the implementation. The strategy was focused on the development of course competencies through autonomous learning with ICT tools presented in the VLE. Findings indicate that the students who did the activities in the VLE showed an increase in performance scores in comparison with students who did not do them. The strategy used in this study, which enhanced perceived autonomy, was associated with a positive effect on their learning process. This research shows that a technology-enhanced course supported by ICT activities can both improve academic performance and foster autonomy in students.

From ‘Good Teaching’ to ‘Better Teaching’: One Academic’s Journey to Online Teaching

For many educators, the adoption of learning technologies as part of a ‘technology-enhanced’ approach to learning and teaching implies change. Technology takes on a disruptive role. Therefore, it is important to understand the pedagogical commitments associated with current practices in order to better understand any change implied by the use of particular technology ‘enhancements’. This article reports on a case study of the change experienced by one tertiary educator in the shift from successful on campus to flexible online teaching in an undergraduate Numeracy course. The study addresses the question: How do teaching academics translate a robust, proven on-campus course into a successful, flexibly delivered technology-enhanced course? The case employs an autoethnographic approach to recording and analysing the educator’s experiences to highlight comparisons between on-campus (face-to-face) and online teaching practices. The findings support the conclusion that ‘good teaching is good teaching’, based on sound pedagogical principles, regardless of the mode of delivery, but that the enactment of those principles in face-to-face and online learning environments differs in significant ways.

Technology’s role in learning at a commuter campus: The student perspective

Patterns of technology ownership and usage, as well as skills with and preferences for various technologies, affect the college experience (Educause 2012). Students at a commuter campus of a large Midwestern public university were surveyed about technology and the learning process: 94% of the respondents believed that technology had the potential to benefit learning and 85% thought it was central to their academic success. Students credited technology-enhanced courses with increased and more effective communication with instructors, the ability to better manage course activities and expanded opportunities for practice and reinforcement. Students’ prior experiences with a course management system affected their perceptions of the role of technology and their subsequent beliefs about the benefits of its use in their university courses. Implications for administrators who make decisions about faculty development, student retention and funding for technology-enhanced course offerings are discussed.

Critical Skills for the Senior Medical Student Entering Surgery

Abstract Introduction Critical response skills focusing on the management of acute, life-threatening emergencies in postoperative patients are important topics that are not uniformly covered in med...

Are Professionals Ready for Educational Partnerships? The Evaluation of a Technology-Enhanced Course to Prepare Educators for Collaboration

This article describes a federally funded project designed to create and evaluate a technology-enhanced course to prepare educators for collaboration. A brief rationale is presented followed by a theoretical overview of the course. The topical content and technology components are also described. Results of mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative analyses are reported and suggest that learners made significant cognitive gains. Similarly, participants' perspective of the experience was generally positive. Implications for teacher education programs and further development of technology-enhanced courses are discussed.