Undergraduate School Research Articles

Commitment of health workers and various population groups to vaccination

Introduction. The relatively stable incidence of most controlled infections shifts the focus of public attention from the need for vaccination to the likelihood of post-vaccination complications.
 Aim. To examine the adherence of various population groups and health workers to vaccine prophylaxis and analyze the reasons for anti-vaccination scepticism.
 Materials and methods. A survey was conducted on the attitudes towards vaccination among one thousand nine hundred thirty nine respondents including 485 doctors of various specialties (163 pediatricians, 86 surgeons, 85 obstetricians-gynecologists, 76 neurologists, 75 neonatologists), 117 nurses, 295 parents, 1042 students. The significance of differences was assessed using Student’s t-test.
 Results. An insufficient level of adherence to vaccine prophylaxis has been established: 43.1% of parents vaccinate their children selectively, 35.4% according to the national calendar, 17.1% refuse categorically, and 4.4% have a medical refusal. The main reason for refusal is fear of complications (30%). Less than half receive information from health workers (45.6%), the main source being the media (49.1%). Among health workers, adherence to vaccine prophylaxis is highest among pediatricians (86.1%), significantly lower among neurologists (35.6%), surgeons (43.7%), obstetricians-gynecologists (62.6%), nurses (79.5%). The main reason for distrust of vaccination is fear of post-vaccination complications, narrow specialists more often choose the answer “better to get sick”. Among medical university students there is a significantly higher adherence among senior students in paediatrics (63.6%) compared to students in undergraduate (40.8%) and medical school (48.8%). However, 5% of those surveyed do not plan to vaccinate their children in the future. Polytechnic students have a more negative attitude towards vaccination accounted for only 36.4% vaccinated according to the National Calendar and 30% do not plan to vaccinate their children in the future.
 Conclusion. There is a clear need for additional training programs on vaccination to raise the awareness of health care workers on this issue, which will provide a strong rationale for the importance of immunization to patients and their parents.

Determinants of adoption and usage of the online examination portal (OEP) in Indian universities

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing the adoption and utilization of the online examination portal (OEP) in Indian universities. This study combines the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT) and Task Technology Fit (TTF) to explain the user's intention to use an OEP at an Indian University.Design/methodology/approachThis study's methodology combines UTAUT as a theoretical framework with TTF. It is conceptualized that TTF has a moderating effect on UTAUT's primary construct. The authors collected the data from 182 graduate students from an Indian university. PLS-SEM is used to identify the causal relationship between the constructs using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.FindingsThe findings will demonstrate the applicability of the constructs of performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions in influencing the usage intention and behavior of students towards OEP. The outcome will also demonstrate the moderating effect of TTF on the predictors of intention to use OEP at an Indian University.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample respondents who participated in the study are students at the Indian University in Pune. The selection of samples was based on convenience sampling. Future research should be conducted at a variety of geographic locations, educational levels, undergraduate and graduate schools, as well as multiple universities. To increase the objectivity of sample selection, the probabilistic sampling method can be used to select samples. For future studies, larger sample sizes (more than 182) can be collected in order to increase the generalizability and applicability of the findings to other developing markets.Practical implicationsThe study will aid Indian universities in enhancing the effectiveness of OEP. The study will also demonstrate the users' perception of the portal and their willingness to use it. It will also assist the university administration in finalizing the examination portal's implementation strategy.Originality/valueVery few studies have been published on the factors influencing the acceptance and utilization of specific online examination systems. To address this underrepresentation, the current article investigates the factors and criteria that influence students' intent to use the OEP. The authors conceptualize the model using UTAUT as a theoretical foundation, which is absent from the published literature on the OEP. The study incorporated UTAUT and TTF to determine the impact on OEP usage and intent. In addition, the study contributes by testing the moderating effect of TTF on the UTAUT variables that influence the intention to use OEP.

Starting gendered career pathways early? Differences between women and men students in optional module composition among UK law school undergraduates

ABSTRACT Women’s inequalities in the legal profession are an enduring concern. Women are over-represented in junior positions and under-represented in senior roles, especially in large corporate firms. This pattern is compounded for women from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds in comparison to both men of all ethnicities and white women. This is informed not by ability, but by masculinity-privileging working cultures and practices. Women legal academics are also under-represented in senior roles. However, less is understood about women law students’ experiences, particularly in the UK and in recent research. This article reports on a new project which explored undergraduate student allocation on module options at York Law School, University of York, UK. There were marked gender differences in student composition in just over half (36) of the 66 different optional modules between 2014 and 2022. Women were under-represented on modules relating to commercial, corporate and financial law and over-represented on modules relating to family, health, social welfare, gender and sexuality. While there are many possible causal factors, there is clear resonance with the literature on gender inequalities in the legal profession and legal academia. The curriculum and careers guidance implications are considered, and a research agenda proposed.

Evaluation of Educational Environment Using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure-12 – Abridged version of the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure-50 Questionnaire among Final Year M.B.B.S. Students in a Medical College in Ahmedabad

Introduction: Medical education in India is evolving/changing in view of implementation of new curriculum in undergraduate schools. Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) is one of the tools developed specifically to assess the educational environment of medical institutions as perceived by the students. DREEM-12, an abridged version of DREEM-50 had been developed which retains its factors structure, validity, reliability and at the same time avoids respondent fatigue. We used the DREEM-12 questionnaire to assess final M.B.B.S students’ perception about their learning environment at our institute. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done including 215 undergraduate students from the final MBBS. The DREEM-12 questionnaire was shared with all the participants as Google form. The mean score for each variable was calculated. Variable scores were summed up to get each domain score and interpreted. Results: We received responses from 60% of students. The highest score was given to faculty’s encouragement towards learning with a mean score of 3.1. Least score - 2.1 was given to the stress support system for students. In the cumulative score, students’ perception of teacher (SPOT) was 8.8 which is interpreted as “model course organizers,” while student’s social self-perceptions was 4.7 which infers “not too bad.” The overall DREEM-12 score of our study is 33.1, which is indicative of a “More Positive than Negative” educational environment. Conclusion: The stress support system has the lowest score which suggests that efforts should be made to provide continuous psychological support to students may be in the form of periodical assessment by psychologists to find vulnerable ones early and provide them timely help. Items in SPOT are scored highest, pertaining to faculty’s knowledge about the subject and their encouragement to students about their learning. As this was the first-ever study done at this institute using DREEM-12 it can serve as a baseline to monitor the effects of changes made over a period of time.

The correlation between medical students’ bowel habits and chronic constipation

Aims: Constipation is one of the most common complaints of the digestive system. The prevalence of constipation in the general population is approximately 15%. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of constipation in medical students, their defecation habits and the correlation between the two. Methods: The study was conducted between 1 January and 1 June 2019 through questionnaires. The relationship between individuals’ defecation habits and chronic constipation was investigated within the scope of the study. Data on age, sex, constipation status, change in bowel habits within the last three months, defecation frequency, time of daily defecation, period spent in the toilet, reading in the toilet, and the type of toilet used were collected. Results: 425 medical students were included in the study. 2.86% of the students reporting constipation were first year undergraduates in medical school, while 7.53% were third and 9.09% were sixth year students. Irregular defecation was higher in all groups. The rate of constipation was high in groups with irregular defecation. It was observed that those with regular defecation habits defecated more in the mornings. When the time spent for defecation was studied, it was seen that it was mostly less than 10 minutes. Conclusion: In the younger population the incidence of constipation is lower compared to the elderly population. Bowel habits, however, vary according to societies and personal characteristics. Reading in the toilet has become a common habit among the younger population. Reading in the toilet elongates the time spent in the toilet.

Use of Active Learning During Emergency Remote Teaching in COVID-19 Pandemic.

The mandatory isolation caused by COVID-19 required the adoption of emergency remote teaching, which caused difficulties for instructors, especially for those who use active learning that depends on student participation in class. This study aimed to investigate the ability of instructors to apply active learning effectively given the pandemic context. This was a cross-sectional observational study carried out in an undergraduate medical school. The sample was composed from one to three classes of 28 instructors that were observed synchronously. Each class was analyzed using a form created from an adaptation of the PORTAAL tool, aiming to evaluate quantitatively essential elements for active learning. We observed that the mean times devoted to activities and active participation of students were 54.8% and 33.1% of the total class time, respectively. Among the time spent in student interactions, the intra-group demanded the highest percentage of the class time. Additionally, 22.0% of the activities presented a high level in Bloom's taxonomy and there was a positive correlation between the percentage of activities at higher Bloom levels and the percentage of class time with student participation, intra-group or between-group interactions, supporting the use of higher-order cognitive skills in a collaborative and student-centered context. In conclusion, our findings indicate that some instructors were able to apply essential elements for an active and collaborative learning even during the emergency remote teaching.

There Is a Lot More to Transplantation Surgery Than the Surgery Itself: The "Other" Sir Peter John Morris, AC, FRS.

There Is a Lot More to Transplantation Surgery Than the Surgery Itself: The "Other" Sir Peter John Morris, AC, FRS.

The Neurosurgery Match: COVID-19 Comparison and Bibliometric Analysis

Because of the effect of COVID-19 on academic opportunities, as well as limitations on travel, away rotations and in-person interviews, COVID-19-related changes could impact the neurosurgical resident demographics. Our aim was to retrospectively review the demographics of the previous 4 years of neurosurgery residents, provide bibliometric analysis of successful applicants, and analyze for the effects of COVID-19 on the match cycle. All American Association of Neurological Surgeons' residency program websites were examined for a list of demographic characteristics for current postgraduate years 1 to 4. Gathered information included gender, undergraduate and medical institution and state, medical degree status, and prior graduate programs. A total of 114 institutions and 946 residents were included in the final review. Most (676, or 71.5%) of the residents included in the analysis were male. Of the 783 who studied within the United States, 221 (28.2%) residents stayed within the same state of his or her medical school. Fewer residents (104 of 555, or 18.7%) stayed within the same state of his or her undergraduate school. Demographic information and geographic switching relative to medical school, undergraduate school, and hometown showed no significant changes between pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19-matched cohorts overall. The median number of publications per resident significantly increased for the COVID-19-matched cohort (median, 1; interquartile range [IQR], 0-4.75) when compared with the non-COVID-19-matched cohort (median, 1; IQR, 0-3, P= 0.004), as did first author publications (median, 1; IQR, 0-1 vs. median, 1; IQR, 0-1; P= 0.015), respectively. The number of residents matching into the same region in the Northeast relative to undergraduate degree was significantly greater after COVID-19 (56 [58%] versus 36 [42%], P= 0.026). The West demonstrated a significant increase in the mean number of total publications (4.0 ± 8.5 vs. 2.3 ± 4.2, P= 0.02) and first author publications (1.24 ± 2.33 vs. 0.68 ± 1.47, P= 0.02) after COVID-19, with the increase in first author publications being significant in a test of medians. Herein we characterized the most recently matched neurosurgery applicants, paying particular attention to changes over time in relation to the onset of the pandemic. Apart from publication volume, characteristics of residents and geographical preferences did not change with the influence of COVID-19-induced changes in the application process.

Patient understanding of immunotherapy and its side effects for women with triple negative breast cancer.

e24046 Background: Immunotherapy (IO) is now an integral part of treatment for most patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The mechanism of action and associated side effects of IO differ significantly from conventional chemotherapy and patient comprehension of these novel treatments can be difficult to assess. Previous research has demonstrated that patient understanding of anti-cancer treatments is hindered by multiple barriers including education level and healthcare literacy. Standardized educational tools to improve patient comprehension of immunotherapy are integral to improving patient engagement with their treatment plan and providing informed consent. Methods: This is a prospective pilot study investigating the efficacy of standardized educational materials (2 animated videos and 1 pamphlet) to improve patient comprehension of IO. Patients with TNBC were recruited from Emory University between 2021-2022 and were asked three questions related to their understanding of the immune system, immunotherapy, and IO-related side effects before and after viewing the educational tools. Audio-recordings of the patients’ answers were coded as correct or incorrect by two independent reviewers using the video’s definitions as the standard. Clopper-Pearson method and exact McNemar’s test were used to calculate pre- and post-education correct definition rates and paired rates, respectively. Multivariate analyses were conducted investigating the impact of age, highest level of education, and race on patient comprehension. Results: 46 patients with TNBC were enrolled with mean age of 57 years (range 27-84 years). The majority of patients were Black (65%), while the remaining patients were Non-Hispanic White (30%) or unknown (5%). Highest level of education was reported as high school (13%), undergraduate (61%), and graduate school (26%). Comprehension of the terms "immune system" and "immunotherapy" significantly improved after viewing the patient educational material with an increase in correctly defining these terms from 50% to 89.1% (p-value < 0.01) and 41.3% to 82.6% (p-value < 0.01), respectively. Patients' ability to describe two or more side effects of IO also increased from 11% to 87% post-education (p-value < 0.01). Patients with graduate degrees had a 4.24 times greater odds of correctly answering the questions compared to those with undergraduate or high school degrees (p-value 0.057). There were no differences in patient comprehension by race or age. Conclusions: Patient education on novel therapeutics in cancer care including immunotherapy presents a challenge to providers given time constraints in clinic and lack of standardized educational resources. Through easily implemented patient education, we were able to significantly improve patient comprehension of immunotherapy and IO-related side effects in a diverse population of patients with TNBC.

Touched and Changed: Self-Reflexivity and Reciprocity in Fieldwork

Touched and Changed: Self-Reflexivity and Reciprocity in Fieldwork

(178) Prospective Urology Resident Exposure to Genital Gender Affirming Surgery

Abstract Introduction Genital gender affirming surgery (GGAS) is a component of transgender and gender expansive healthcare. Transgender health has been increasingly covered in undergraduate medical school curricula, however the prevalence of education on GGAS is not well known. We sought to learn about urology applicants’ exposure to GGAS. Objective To investigate prospective urology resident exposure to GGAS and impact on residency applications. Methods An online Redcap survey was distributed via Twitter in Spring 2022. Recent or prospective urology residency applicants were invited to participate. The survey collected demographic data and assessed level of exposure to GGAS in medical school and perceived importance of GGAS training in choice of urology residency program. Results 42 respondents completed the survey. 21.4% (9) of respondents identified as a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA) community. 73.8% (31) identified as White. 59.5% (25) reported experience with LGBTQ health. 59.5% (25) reported no clinical or didactic exposure to GGAS. 57.1% (24) reported training in GGAS was “moderately important” to “extremely important” in their selection of residency programs. Didactic exposure to GGAS was weakly associated with importance of GGAS training (LR 0.335, p = 0.03). LGBTQIA respondents were more likely to have greater didactic exposure to GGAS (LR 7.776, p = 0.021). Conclusions The majority of respondents had no clinical or didactic exposure to GGAS in medical school. Over half of respondents indicated that GGAS was an important factor in residency program selection. Our findings emphasize the importance of GGAS training as part of comprehensive urology graduate medical education. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Boston Scientific.

Knowledge Attitudes Practice and Barriers toward Conducting Research in Emergency Residents

Background: In medical institutes, research is a significant part of postgraduate education. Only a small number of emergency residents were able to publish their study, though. According to reports, some of the barriers to conducting research include a lack of cash and time, inadequate infrastructure, inadequate research expertise and technique, and poor research beliefs.
 Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical residents' knowledge, attitudes, practices, and impediments to conducting research.
 Methods: The study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and involved the King Saud Medical City (KSMC), King Salman Hospital, Aliman General Hospital, and Imam Abdulrahman Alfaisal Hospital. The research was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data about residents was acquired between February 2023 and April 2023. In comparison to other hospitals, KSMC is a notable university hospital in Saudi Arabia with more years of postgraduate training experience. Only ambulatory emergency residents were recruited for this investigation. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire that had been evaluated beforehand. The survey was modified from a verified survey created by Vodopivec et al. Many developing nations employ the tool for comparable surveys.
 Results: 124 residents participated in the study. The participant's background characteristics are displayed in Table 1. The participants' average age was 27. Over 30 was the age range for 69.3% of the participants. Men made up 71.7% of the participants. Only 22.1% of postgraduate students reported having such training. Additionally, 28% of them had publications, and 54.4% had some experience in research. Research training received during graduate studies had a greater favorable impact on research practice than research training received during undergraduate schooling (p 0.02).
 Conclusion: Although the participants had a favorable attitude toward research, their practice was insufficient due to their lack of understanding of it. The gap between a high level of optimism, limited research understanding, and scant research practice need to be filled. Perhaps by enhancing their expertise while pursuing graduate courses, this can be accomplished. To advance residents' knowledge and research practice, it is advised that they have access to improved financial support and research mentorship.

Application of pathological feature clustering in oral pathology teaching

To propose a new student-guided teaching method, in which students carried out the clustering of different diseases with the same pathological characteristics, and differentiated diagnosis of these diseases. This method was named pathological feature clustering (PFC). Seventy-seven undergraduates of School of Stomatology, Wuhan University were enrolled. Stratified random sampling method was adopted to divide the students into 4 groups with 18-20 students in each group. Each group of students selected a disease from the following four topics as the theme and summarize the histological characteristics of the disease: ①oral mucosal disease;②odontogenic tumors and tumor-like lesions, oral and maxillofacial cysts; ③salivary gland diseases;④epithelial-derived tumors and tumor-like lesions (referred to as topics 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively). When discussing a specific type of disease, the group which select the topic was the summary group (SG), and the other groups were the non-summary group (NSG). After summarizing, students shared the summary results through PPTs, and teachers made comments and supplements. The teaching effect was evaluated by comparing the results of the pre-class test and the final examination. Students' acceptance of PFC teaching method was evaluated through a questionnaire, which included 8 objective questions and 1 subjective question. Likert-scale was used to design the questionnaire, with 1 to 5 points for each question. Students rated each question according to their own situation. Differences among groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test. The pre-class test results showed that the scores of students in SG group in subjects 1, 2, 3 [(5.6±0.8), 5.0(1.0) and (2.9±1.0) points for subjects 1, 2 and 3, respectively] were higher than those in NSG group [(5.1±1.0), 4.0(2.5) and 1.5(2.5) points] (U=402.50, P=0.047; U=392.00, P=0.026; U=295.00, P=0.003). The final examination results showed that there was no significant difference between the scores of the SG group and the NSG group in subjects 1, 2, 3 and 4 (P>0.05). These results showed that the differences between SG and NSG groups were reduced after the summarizing and share between groups, further demonstrating the effectiveness of the PFC teaching method. The results of questionnaire showed that 81.8%(63/77) students were completely satisfied with PFC teaching method, 13.0%(10/77) students were satisfied and 5.2%(4/77) students were basically satisfied. According to the feedback of Likert scale objective evaluation questionnaire, the mean score of each question ranged from 4.19 to 4.77, indicating that students believed that PFC teaching method had a positive impact on the learning of oral pathology. The PFC teaching method proposed in this study could improve the ability of pathological differential diagnosis of undergraduates.

AWWA Water Science Author Spotlight

Having recently published an article in AWWA Water Science, Victoria Nystrom answered questions from the publication's editor-in-chief, Kenneth L. Mercer, about the research. Seasonal Impacts on Biofiltration Acclimation Dynamics and Performance Victoria E. Nystrom, Ashley N. Evans, Jason T. Carter, and Ben Kuhnel Victoria Nystrom collects water samples from a biofilter as part of an ozone and biofilter pilot study that was conducted for the US Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C. Victoria and Arcadis coworker Nissim Gore-Datar explore the parks and downtown Austin, Texas. I am thankful to have had many mentors in my life between undergraduate school, graduate school, and my current company, Arcadis. One mentor who stands out is Dr. Kelsey Pieper. I got connected with her when I began undergraduate research in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Through the years, I worked under her and then alongside her. She transitioned from being my superior in the field; to getting me connected with my advisor and being a member on my advisory committee; and to being a friend, colleague, and continuous mentor. Without her support, technical expertise, and humor, I would not be where I am in my career today. At the time this study was conducted, there were two broad objectives of the research: (1) understand the importance of monitoring biofilter acclimation and (2) fill the larger knowledge gap in the industry around the use of biofiltration and the benefits and challenges associated with this type of treatment. There was a unique opportunity with the City of Denton [Texas] to monitor the acclimation of biofilters and understand the duration of this process as their approach was to bring half the biofilters on line in the winter and the remaining half on line in the summer. With this research and other studies that have been completed to date, we've been able to recognize the influence of seasonal changes on biofilter performance for removal of water quality parameters of interest such as total organic carbon and manganese. As many utilities consider the use of biofiltration, we need to understand how to optimize this treatment during the acclimation phase to ensure regulatory compliance and also to meet internal targets set by utilities. Scuba diving with her sister in the south Pacific Ocean. Victoria (far right) and ski friends at the top of a mountain in Wyoming. The findings of this research highlight the use of a sustainable water treatment solution that can help address an array of contaminants but could also act as a buffer for other emerging contaminants in the future. As we learn more about the health effects of various contaminants, drinking water regulations becoming stricter (e.g., California proposed revisions to notification and response levels for manganese in drinking water) and utilities proactively pursue lower targets in their finished water. Effective treatment processes need to be in place. I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, drinking well water. While I had very little knowledge of water treatment, the progression of my childhood and career naturally influenced my drinking water research. Private wells are not regulated by EPA; thus, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their wells and quality of their drinking water. Understanding how my parents were responsible for maintaining their own mini-distribution system at home led me to want to better understand how other people receive their drinking water and how to have treatment processes in place to ensure it is safe and clean. I love traveling and enjoying the outdoors like many of my colleagues in the drinking water and environmental engineering industry. I've been an avid skier since I was five years old and annually travel with 30-plus friends to the Teton Mountains for the best skiing in the United States. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I enjoy scuba diving and taking underwater photos; swimming with a whale shark is on my bucket list! I am also a dog lover, and while I don't have my own dog, I am an aunt to many and thoroughly spoil them when I visit friends and family. To learn more about Victoria's research, visit the article, available online at https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1225.

Socio-Economic Status, Truancy, Learning Styles, Peer Pressure and Gender as Correlates of Undergraduate Students’ Academic Performance in Taraba State University Jalingo, Nigeria

The study investigated socio-economic status, truancy, learning styles, peer pressure and gender as correlates of undergraduate students’ academic performance in Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, Nigeria. The study adopted correlational research design. The sample of this study was made up 150 undergraduate students of faculty of Education TSU was selected using multistage sampling techniques. The instruments used for data collection were socio-economic status, truancy, learning styles, peer pressure and gender questionnaire (STLPGQ) and CGPA of undergraduate school in faculty of education, TSU for 2018/2019 session. STLPGQ was validated by three experts in education related disciplines and one expert in measurement and evaluation. STLPGQ was trial tested which yielded the reliability coefficient of 0.89 using Cronbach Alpha. Five research questions raised in the study were answered using multiple regression analysis while the five null hypotheses formulated in the study were tested using ANOVA of regression analysis. The study revealed among other that there is no significant relationship between socio-economic status and undergraduate students academic performance in TSU, Jalingo [F1, 133 = 6.331; p>0.05]. There is significant relationship between truancy and undergraduate students academic performance [F1, 133 = 18.090; p<0.05]. There is no significant relationship between learning styles and undergraduate students academic performance [F1, 133 = 17.009; p>0.05]. There is significant relationship between peer pressure and undergraduate students academic performance [F1, 133= 19.119; p<0.05]. There is no significant relationship between gender and undergraduate students academic performance [F1, 133 = 10.319; p>0.05]. It was recommended among that, educational administrators and lecturers should set up disciplinary measures to reduce truancy and peer pressure. Parents should help in proper monitoring of undergraduate student activities curb truancy and peer pressure in order to enhance academic performance of students in TSU, Jalingo.

Ten practical tips for integration of biochemistry topics into systems-based medical school curriculum

Biochemistry is implemented in undergraduate medical school from the very beginning of the curriculum. Achieving a high level of competence in this area strongly influences academic success throughout the entire program. Due to the evaporating nature of this subject, medical students struggle to retain biochemistry concepts across the two years of their preclinical courses, especially while preparing for their board examinations. Therefore, the curriculum should be designed strategically to effectively implement the ever-growing field of biochemistry and metabolic pathways across the preclinical years of medical education. We propose a broadened integration of biochemistry by providing clinically correlated metabolic concepts which spiral across multiple domains, thus deepening and solidifying students’ understanding of pathology and etiology. This approach may help medical students retain their subject expertise and understand the complex material in the clinical context to minimize rote memorization. We hope to encourage medical educators, course directors, and curriculum administrators to utilize these tips to augment their biochemistry instruction in medical education.

Can the medical educator speak? The next frontier of globalisation research in medical education.

Can the medical educator speak? The next frontier of globalisation research in medical education.

Modular low-cost 3D printed setup for experiments with NV centers in diamond

With the advent of quantum technology, the need for affordable, flexible and robust laboratory experiments not only for students, but also at high school level is increasing. Here, for the first time, we report on a simple modular 3D printed low-cost (<250 €) setup which fulfils these needs for quantum sensing experiments based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds. Commercially available setups for optically detected magnetic resonance in microdiamonds used as quantum sensor for magnetic fields are not only beyond the reach of any high school (>10 000 €), but also have shortcomings from a didactical point of view, as all the components of the setup are hidden within a ’black box’, doomed to be successful ’plug and play’. In contrast, our open-source experimental kit consists of optical components that are placed inside 3D printed open-framed cubes, that can be arranged freely on a grid. This modular and flexible design can provide an inquiry-based learning experience both at undergraduate and high school level.

Mobile Technology – An Innovative Instructional Design Model in Distance Education

This research aims to introduce and examine the innovative instructional design model with Mobile Technology for undergraduates of School of Liberal Arts at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. Furthermore, it will evaluate the innovative instructional design model with Mobile Technology accordingly. The participants in the project comprised 30 undergraduates from the Information Science program, Thai Studies program, and English program who took the Science, Technology and Environment for Life course. They were selected through the cluster sampling technique. The research instruments comprised the innovative instructional design model, evaluation forms and the pre- and post- achievement tests. Included as well was the questionnaire on undergraduates’ opinions towards the model. The data analysis used the mean, the standard deviation, and the t-test. In addition, the model contains distance learning lessons which have been developed by Mobile Technology, and have passed educational quality assurance measures. It has been categorized regarding content, educational technology, and assessment by experts in content, educational technology, and assessment. The innovative instructional design with Mobile Technology has also been rated as “most appropriate” by five experts in the areas of distance education, mobile technology, educational technology, assessment, and content. The undergraduates learning from the innovative instructional design model showed significant achievement at the .05 level and their satisfaction was rated at the “high satisfaction” level. This paper reports the research findings regarding selected elements of the innovative instructional design model. It comprises the input, the process, the output and the feedback. There are nine steps to the innovative instructional design model with Mobile Technology.

학술적 문장에 대한 ‘문장 검토 커뮤니케이션’의 경험에 대한 고찰 - ‘코멘트 주체’의 ‘신경 쓰이는 경험’에 대한 인터뷰 내용을 중심으로 -

본 연구의 목적은 문장 검토에 관하여 코멘트를 주고받는 커뮤니케이션 (이하 ‘문장 검토 커뮤니케이션’이라 함)의 경험을 연구하기 위한 시점을 모색하는 것이다. 본고에서는 학술적 문장에 대한 ‘문장 검토 커뮤니케이션"의 경험에 초점을 두어 그 경험을 반구조화 인터뷰를 통해 조사했다. 특히 코멘트하는 주체(이하 ‘코멘트 주체"라 함)의 경험을 중심적으로 다루어 ‘코멘트에 관한 표현, 이해 등의 커뮤니케이션이 잘 이루어지지 않아, 어딘가 마음에 걸리는 경험이 되어, 신경 쓰이는 경험’(이하 ‘신경 쓰이는 경험’이라 함)이 언급된 부분에 주목했다. 본고에서는 특히 ‘깊은 이야기’를 한 3명의 조사 협력자의 인터뷰 내용을 대상으로, 어떤 요인이 ‘신경 쓰이는 경험"으로 이어지는지를 질적연구 입장에서 분석했다. 연구 결과 ‘신경 쓰이는 경험"의 요인의 기저에 커뮤니케이션 장면을 넘는 요소가 있는 것이 제시되었다. 구체적으로는 ‘문장 검토 커뮤니케이션"에 대한 생각과 신념 등 개인의 내면적 요소가 관련이 있는 결과가 제시되었다. 이 결과 ‘문장 검토 커뮤니케이션"의 경험을 연구함에 있어서는 개인의 내면적 요소와 같은 시점도 포함하여 분석할 필요성이 시사되었다. 이러한 연구성과를 토대로 여러 ‘문장 검토 커뮤니케이션" 장면의 이해를 높여 학술적 문장의 지도가 이루어지는 대학 및 대학원 등의 고등교육기관의 일본어 교육으로 환원되는 것을 목표로 한다. The present study aims to explore perspectives for capturing the experience of communication for the exchange of feedback on academic writing (hereinafter “text comment communication”). This paper captures the experience of text comment communication through semi-structured interviews. In particular, this paper focuses on the narratives of persons who provided comments (hereinafter “reviewers”) of their experiences of becoming worried or concerned as a result of miscommunication (hereinafter “concerning experiences”). This paper reports the results of qualitative analysis of the narratives of three participants who provided particularly “deep narratives”, in order to identify the factors that underlie concerning experiences. The results of the analysis revealed that factors that underlie concerning experiences exist beyond the scenes of communication. Specifically, it is shown that individuals’ internal factors such as attitudes and beliefs toward text comment communication are involved. The results suggest the need to include such internal factors as perspectives in analyses for capturing the experiences of academic writing text comment communication. Based on these results, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of various situations of text comment communication on academic writing, and apply them to Japanese language education at undergraduate and graduate schools and other higher education institutions where academic writing is taught.