Web-based Learning Resources Research Articles

Web-Based Tools of Technology in Future Teaching Learning Strategies

Information and communication technology advanced, people's lives have changed. Teachers are interested in technology, but they do not promote joyful learning due to a lack of trust. Using these web-based resources makes learning fun and will inspire students to think higher-order that traditional classrooms cannot do. Learning happens when there is happiness, and learning becomes a part of getting marks without pleasure. Several web-based technology resources can use in teaching-learning strategies, but some of them discussed here. We are Facebook, Glogster, Prezi, Diigo, Dropbox, and it is possible to use Moodle in class. Tertiary educational institutions have widely adopted Web-based learning resources. As a result, a great deal of work has devoted to exploring factors that affect the degree of learners ' acceptance of these tools. Few studies have explored the antecedents of these causes. In this paper, it claimed that learning styles are a significant antecedent that will indirectly influence acceptance by directly influencing factors. The specific focus of attention was a web-based quiz tool, as these instruments used for evaluation in many organizations without knowing how individual learner characteristics impact their acceptance and use.

Enhancing intern emergency medicine education using a combined didactic and web-based learning curriculum: The EDGE programme.

To assess the effectiveness of an education programme that integrates web-based learning into classroom sessions. This prospective study involved a convenience sample of ED interns rotating at two study site hospitals between April 2015 and January 2017. Interns undertook weekly ED classroom-based education and were given access to a web-based learning resource with completion being voluntary. To assess change in medical knowledge multiple choice examinations were administered during week 1 and week 10 of the term. The study's primary end-point was the effect of the web-based resource on participants' knowledge. The median % of online modules completed by participants (75%) was used as a cut-off to create two groups. The % improvement between the test scores at week 1 and week 10 of each group were then compared. Intern satisfaction with the programme was also assessed using a satisfaction survey. The average examination score for all participants was significantly higher at week 10 than week 1 (80% vs 68%; P < 0.001). The primary end-point, % improvement between the week 1 and week 10 scores of those that completed ≤75% of web-based modules (mean 16%; 95% CI 12-20%) and those that completed >75% of web-based modules (mean 27%; 95% CI 20-34%), showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0.03). Interns surveyed were also highly satisfied with programme. This blended curriculum that integrates a web-based resource into classroom learning shows promise in enhancing intern emergency medicine education.

Why Medical Students Choose to Use or Not to Use a Web-Based Electrocardiogram Learning Resource: Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundElectrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation is a core competence and can make a significant difference to patient outcomes. However, ECG interpretation is a complex skill to learn, and research has showed that students often lack enough competence. Web-based learning has been shown to be effective. However, little is known regarding why and how students use Web-based learning when offered in a blended learning situation.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper was to study students’ use of Web-based ECG learning resources which has not previously been studied in relation to study strategies.MethodsA qualitative explanatory design using mixed methods was adopted to explore how medical students reason around their choice to use or not to use a Web-based ECG learning resource. Overall, 15 of 33 undergraduate medical students attending a course in clinical medicine were interviewed. Data on usage of the resource were obtained via the learning management system for all students. At the final examination, all the students answered a questionnaire on study strategies and questions about internet access and estimated their own skills in ECG interpretation. Furthermore, study strategies and use patterns were correlated with results from an ECG Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and a written course examination.ResultsIn total, 2 themes were central in the students’ reasoning about usage of Web-based ECG: assessment of learning needs and planning according to learning goals. Reasons for using the Web resource were to train in skills, regarding it as a valuable complement to books and lectures. The main reasons for not using the resource were believing they already had good enough skills and a lack of awareness of its availability. Usage data showed that 21 students (63%) used the Web resource. Of these, 11 were minimal users and 10 were major users based on usage activity. Large variations were found in the time spent in different functional parts of the resource. No differences were found between users and nonusers regarding the OSCE score, final examination score, self-estimate of knowledge, or favoring self-regulated learning.ConclusionsTo use or not to use a Web-based ECG learning resource is largely based on self-regulated learning aspects. Decisions to use such a resource are based on multifactorial aspects such as experiences during clinical rotations, former study experiences, and perceived learning needs. The students’ own judgment of whether there was a need for a Web-based resource to achieve the learning goals and to pass the examination was crucial for their decisions to use it or not. An increased understanding of students’ regulation of learning and awareness of variations in their ECG learning needs can contribute to the improvement of course design for blended learning of ECG contexts for medical students.

Making it real: The development of a web-based simulated learning resource for occupational therapy students

Equipping students with graduate attributes that ensure they are ready to work in complex health environments is highly important. Recently there has been increased use of simulation in health education to assist in the acquisition of graduate attributes, and to provide meaningful and authentic learning opportunities. The Deakin University Occupational Therapy program developed a unique web-based Occupational Therapy Simulations for Learning resource. This resource comprised 18 filmed scenarios that were previously non-existent or only available to students in written format. The scenarios depict people with a range of health conditions, mock graduate interviews, and occupational therapists conducting simulated clinical assessments and interventions. This study explored the effectiveness of the resource in the development of empathy, active listening, and information gathering skills. It also compared experiences of students and academics who had previously used written case studies. Survey results demonstrated statistically significant differences in relation to the realness of case studies, understanding how the client was feeling, development of empathy, clinical assessment skills, and the usefulness of the resource overall. This study demonstrates that the use of simulated case studies offers authentic learning for occupational therapy students and promotes development of key graduate attributes.

Web-based learning in inflammatory bowel diseases: General truths and current specifics.

In a field rapidly evolving over the past few years, the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is becoming increasingly complex, demanding and challenging. In the recent years, IBD quality measures aiming to improve patients’ care have been developed, multiple new medical therapies have been approved, new treatment goals have been set with the “treat-to-target” concept and drug monitoring has been implemented into IBD clinical management. Moreover, patients are increasingly using Internet resources to obtain information about their health conditions. The healthcare professional with an interest in treating IBD patients should deal with all these challenges in everyday practice by establishing, enhancing and maintaining a strong core of knowledge and skills related to IBD. This is an ongoing process and traditionally these needs are covered with additional reading of textbook or journal articles, attendance at meetings or conferences, or at local rounds. Web-based learning resources expand the options for knowledge acquisition and save time and costs as well. In the new era of communications technology, web-based resources can cover the educational needs of both patients and healthcare professionals and can contribute to improvement of disease management and patient care. Healthcare professionals can individually visit and navigate regularly relevant websites and tailor choices for educational activities according to their existing needs. They can also provide their patients with a few certified suitable internet resources. In this review, we explored the Internet using PubMed and Startpage (Google), for web-based IBD-related educational resources aiming to provide a guide for those interested in obtaining certified knowledge in this subject.

A sectional anatomy learning tool for medical students: development and user-usage analytics.

A sound knowledge of cross-sectional anatomy is needed to interpret radiological images. Ultrathin E12-plastinated slices serve as good learning resources to begin with, but effective utilisation of these resources are often challenging due to their fragility and lack of adequate laboratory time. To enhance interpretation of E12 slices, and also to promote independent learning, we developed a web-based self learning resource. An interactive online sectional anatomy learning tool (SALT) to learn the cross-sectional anatomy of the spinal levels, thorax, abdomen and pelvis was developed using Courselab software. SALT was piloted on third-year medical students learning regional and clinical anatomy of the human body. At the end of the academic year, student participation within the resource was analysed, and the resource usage was compared with the users' academic performance. Each aspect of SALT was accessed 338 times on average, by 51% of the class. The majority medical students accessed the resource after class hours. Continued research usage was observed on weekends and holidays, which peaked during exam periods. SALT usage also had a positive impact on the users' academic performance (p < 0.05). Students also used the resource after exams and during their subsequent years of study. SALT promoted independent learning, as well as enhanced students' learning experience and academic performance. Having the benefit of online access, the resource was used almost 24/7, both on and off-campus. Educators should be encouraged to develop and trial their own simple inexpensive online resources tailormade to meet student needs and supplement to the existing traditional teaching techniques.

Engaging students in a community of learning: Renegotiating the learning environment.

Promoting student engagement in a student led environment can be challenging. This article reports on the process of design, implementation and evaluation of a student led learning approach in a small group tutorial environment in a three year Bachelor of Nursing program at an Australian university. The research employed three phases of data collection. The first phase explored student perceptions of learning and engagement in tutorials. The results informed the development of a web based learning resource. Phase two centred on implementation of a community of learning approach where students were supported to lead tutorial learning with peers. The final phase constituted an evaluation of the new approach. Findings suggest that students have the capacity to lead and engage in a community of learning and to assume greater ownership and responsibility where scaffolding is provided. Nonetheless, an ongoing whole of course approach to pedagogical change would better support this form of teaching and learning innovation.

A Web-Based Training Resource for Therapists to Deliver an Evidence-Based Exercise Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (iSARAH): Design, Development, and Usability Testing.

BackgroundThe Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH) is a tailored, progressive exercise program for people having difficulties with wrist and hand function due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The program was evaluated in a large-scale clinical trial and was found to improve hand function, was safe to deliver, and was cost-effective. These findings led to the SARAH program being recommended in the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for the management of adults with RA. To facilitate the uptake of this evidence-based program by clinicians, we proposed a Web-based training program for SARAH (iSARAH) to educate and train physiotherapists and occupational therapists on delivering the SARAH program in their practice. The overall iSARAH implementation project was guided by the 5 phases of the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) system design model.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to conduct the first 3 phases of the model in the development of the iSARAH project.MethodsFollowing publication of the trial, the SARAH program materials were made available to therapists to download from the trial website for use in clinical practice. A total of 35 therapists who downloaded these materials completed an online survey to provide feedback on practice trends in prescribing hand exercises for people with RA, perceived barriers and facilitators to using the SARAH program in clinical practice, and their preferences for the content and Web features of iSARAH. The development and design of iSARAH were further guided by a team of multidisciplinary health professionals (n=17) who took part in a half-day development meeting. We developed the preliminary version of iSARAH and tested it among therapists (n=10) to identify and rectify usability issues and to produce the final version.ResultsThe major recommendations made by therapists and the multidisciplinary team were having a simple Web design and layout, clear exercise pictures and videos, and compatibility of iSARAH on various browsers and devices. We rectified all usability issues in the preliminary version to develop the final version of iSARAH, which included 4 short modules and additional sections on self-assessment, frequently asked questions, and a resource library.ConclusionsThe use of the ADDIE design model and engagement of end users in the development and evaluation phases have rendered iSARAH a convenient, easy-to-use, and effective Web-based learning resource for therapists on how to deliver the SARAH program. There is also huge potential for adapting iSARAH across different cultures and languages, thus opening more opportunities for wider uptake and application of the SARAH program into practice.

Web-Based Information on the Treatment of Tobacco Dependence for Oral Health Professionals: Analysis of English-Written Websites.

BackgroundStudies have been conducted on the content and quality of Web-based information for patients who are interested in smoking cessation advice and for health care practitioners regarding the content of e-learning programs about tobacco cessation. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no such information about the quality of Web-based learning resources regarding smoking cessation dedicated to oral health professionals.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the quality of the content of webpages providing information about smoking cessation for oral health care professionals.MethodsWebsites were identified using Google and Health on Net (HON) search engines using the terms: smoking cessation OR quit smoking OR stop smoking OR 3As OR 5As OR tobacco counselling AND dentistry OR dental clinic OR dentist OR dental hygienist OR oral health professionals. The first 100 consecutive results of the 2 search engines were considered for the study. Quality assessment was rated using the DISCERN questionnaire, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and the HON seal. In addition, smoking cessation content on each site was assessed using an abbreviated version of the Smoke Treatment Scale (STS-C) and the Smoking Treatment Scale-Rating (STS-R). To assess legibility of the selected websites, the Flesch Reading Ease (FRES) and the Flesch-Kinkaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL) were used. Websites were also classified into multimedia and nonmultimedia and friendly and nonfriendly usability.ResultsOf the first 200 sites selected (100 of Google and 100 of HON), only 11 met the inclusion criteria and mainly belonged to governmental institutions (n=8), with the others being prepared by Professional Associations (n=2) and nonprofit organizations (n=1). Only 3 were exclusively dedicated to smoking cessation. The average score obtained with the DISCERN was 3.0, and the average score in the FKRGL and FRES was 13.31 (standard deviation, SD 3.34) and 40.73 (SD 15.46), respectively. Of the 11 websites evaluated, none achieved all the four JAMA benchmarks. The mean score of STS-R among all the websites was 2.81 (SD 0.95) out of 5. A significant strong positive correlation was obtained between the DISCERN mean values and the STS-R (R=.89, P=.01).ConclusionsThe mean quality of webpages with information for oral health care professionals about smoking cessation is low and displayed a high heterogeneity. These webpages are also difficult to read and often lack multimedia resources, which further limits their usefulness.

Web上の学習リソースを対象としたナビゲーションプランニング情報のオーサリング支援(教育システム開発論文, 学習・教育支援のための技術開発)

Web上の学習リソースを対象としたナビゲーションプランニング情報のオーサリング支援(教育システム開発論文, 学習・教育支援のための技術開発)

Dynamics of study strategies and teacher regulation in virtual patient learning activities: a cross sectional survey.

BackgroundStudents’ self-regulated learning becomes essential with increased use of exploratory web-based activities such as virtual patients (VPs). The purpose was to investigate the interplay between students’ self-regulated learning strategies and perceived benefit in VP learning activities.MethodA cross-sectional study (n = 150) comparing students’ study strategies and perceived benefit of a virtual patient learning activity in a clinical clerkship preparatory course. Teacher regulation varied among three settings and was classified from shared to strong. These settings were compared regarding their respective relations between regulation strategies and perceived benefit of the virtual patient activity.ResultsSelf-regulation learning strategy was generally associated with perceived benefit of the VP activities (rho 0.27, p < 0.001), but was not true in all settings. The association was higher in the two strongly regulated settings. The external regulation strategy did generally associate weakly with perceived benefit (rho 0.17, p < 0.05) with large variations between settings.ConclusionsThe flexible student-autonomous appeal of virtual patients should not lead to the dismissal of guidance and related course activities. External teacher and peer regulation seem to be productive for increasing learners’ perceived benefit. Awareness of the interplay among teacher regulation (external) and various study strategies can increase the value of flexible web-based learning resources to students.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-016-0644-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Enhancing Web-Based Learning Resources With Existing and Custom Quizzes Through an Authoring Tool

Quizzes are among the most widely used resources in Web-based education due to their many benefits. However, educators need suitable authoring tools that can be used to create reusable quizzes and to enhance existing materials with them. This paper presents an online e-Learning authoring tool for creating and integrating reusable quizzes and enhancing existing learning resources with them. The evaluation of this authoring tool showed that teachers found it useful and easy to use. A total of 246 educational resources created with the tool were evaluated, and the results were analyzed, showing that the resources that included quizzes had higher quality and that the resources that had higher quality were more likely to contain quizzes. These findings are the main contribution of this paper, and they show that educators can enhance existing learning resources by adding assessment resources if suitable authoring tools are provided. Finally, the different factors that assure the reusability of the created quizzes and resources are also exposed.

Interacting orientations and instrumentalities to adapt a learning tool for health professionals

Web-based instructional software offers new opportunities for collaborative, task-oriented in-service training. Planning and negotiation of content to adapt a web-based learning resource for nursing is the topic of this paper. We draw from Cultural Historical Activity Theory to elaborate the dialectical relationship of changing and stabilizing organizational practice. Local adaptation to create a domain-specific resource plays out as interactions of orientations and instrumentalities. Our analysis traces how orientations, i.e., in situ selection of knowledge and mobilization of experiences, and instrumentality, i.e., interpreted affordances of available cultural tools, interact. The adaptation processes are mediated by a set of new and current tools that interact with multiple orientations to ensure stability and promote change. Practice and project are introduced as intermediate, analytic concepts to assess tensions in the observed activity. Our analysis shows three central tensions, how they are introduced, addressed and subsequently resolved. Considering the opportunities help understand how engagement with technology can lead to new representations for introduction to a local knowledge domain.

What motivates high school teachers to use web-based learning resources for classroom instruction? An exploratory case study in an Iranian smart school

This exploratory case study reports on the findings of Persian teachers’ motivation and use of Farsi-Web-based Learning Resources (FWBLRs) in classroom instruction. Data were inductively gathered from ten teachers’ and five students’ use experiences of FWBLRs in the context of a smart school in Tehran, Iran. Focus groups and face-to-face semi-structured interviews, repeated in several rounds, were used for data collection. Thematic analysis elaborate on the teachers’ perceived pedagogical usability of FWBLRs. Five main motivations of pedagogical usability emerged from the findings: (a) desirability; (b) content accessibility; (c) student-centred teaching support; (d) multimedia interactivity; and (e) feasible classroom instruction via simulation. The study suggests that the effective use of Web-based Learning Resources (WBLRs) would require some considerations, including the use context and corresponding educational policies. This can be of value to the researchers in the field as well as stakeholders of WBLRs. In practice, this can support the development of effective and fun teaching–learning environments.

French Art at the Saint Louis Art Museum: A Bilingual Learning Resource

This article describes a bilingual web-based learning resource devoted to French artworks at the Saint Louis Art Museum. The website is designed to enable high school and college language educators to incorporate these artworks into their curriculum. It includes information about each work, the historical context, the artistic genre, and the artist, as well as questions for discussion and suggested activities for the classroom or a museum visit. The site has parallel versions in English and French, and downloadable Educator’s Guides are provided in both languages. The article includes assessments from language teachers and their suggestions for using the website.

Human Anatomy Module: An Interactive Web-Based Learning Resource

OPEN ACCESSJuly 8, 2014Human Anatomy Module: An Interactive Web-Based Learning Resource Aaron Lee, Ran Zhao, Patrick Cooper, James Watras Aaron Lee University of Connecticut School of Medicine Google Scholar More articles by this author , Ran Zhao University of Connecticut School of Medicine Google Scholar More articles by this author , Patrick Cooper University of Connecticut Health Center Google Scholar More articles by this author , James Watras University of Connecticut Health Center Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9836 SectionsAboutAbstract ToolsDownload Citations ShareFacebookTwitterEmail AbstractAbstract Introduction: Having a solid foundation in human anatomy is essential for all medical students. It is a widely-accepted dogma that achieving competency in any field requires hours of practice. When studying human anatomy, this practice is acquired by studying the structures of interest in an anatomy atlas and in a human cadaver. Methods: The Human Anatomy Module (HAM) was designed to provide students with a supplemental resource for learning the anatomy of the extremities. The HAM has three sections that are designated Atlas, Learn, and Identify. The Atlas section contains photos from prosected cadavers, and it allows for the learner to toggle labels for the structures on and off. The Learn section contains tables, outlines, interactive learning activities, and multiple choice quizzes, all of which were created to help students establish a strong conceptual understanding of anatomy of the extremities. The Identify section allows students to practice identifying structures displayed in photos from prosected cadavers. The learner receives instant feedback upon submitting an answer so that knowledge gaps can immediately be corrected. Results: The Human Anatomy Module (HAM) has been used by first-year medical and dental students at our institution for the past two school years (classes of 2016 and 2017). We have received positive feedback from students who have chosen to use it as a resource to study anatomy of the extremities. The module was hosted on our university web server, and usage statistics show that 95% of students accessed the module. A voluntary survey administered to both classes showed that 95% of students found the module to be useful and 87% felt that it helped them to prepare for the anatomy practical exam. Students felt that the most important sections of the module were the Identify section (96%), Atlas section (90%), and quizzes (77%). Discussion: E-learning is becoming increasingly prevalent in medical education, and the HAM delivers content in an online format that is very comfortable for students to navigate. This module is not meant to replace the traditional resources that are used for learning anatomy such as atlases, cadavers, and direct instruction from faculty, but rather as a supplemental resource. Educational Objectives By the end of this module, the learner will be able to: Identify muscles, arteries, and nerves that are highlighted in photographs of prosected human cadavers.Apply knowledge of anatomy of the extremities to correctly identify the underlying abnormality in clinical scenarios. Sign up for the latest publications from MedEdPORTAL Add your email below FILES INCLUDEDReferencesRelatedDetails FILES INCLUDED Included in this publication: Instructor's Guide.docx Anatomy Module folder To view all publication components, extract (i.e., unzip) them from the downloaded .zip file. Download editor’s noteThis publication may contain technology or a display format that is no longer in use. Copyright & Permissions© 2014 Lee et al. This is an open-access publication distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license.KeywordsAtlasesDissectionCadaverAnatomy and HistologyExercisesPracticalMusclesInteractiveQuizzesExtremities Disclosures None to report. Funding/Support None to report. Loading ...

The Picmonic(®) Learning System: enhancing memory retention of medical sciences, using an audiovisual mnemonic Web-based learning platform.

BackgroundMedical students are required to retain vast amounts of medical knowledge on the path to becoming physicians. To address this challenge, multimedia Web-based learning resources have been developed to supplement traditional text-based materials. The Picmonic® Learning System (PLS; Picmonic, Phoenix, AZ, USA) is a novel multimedia Web-based learning platform that delivers audiovisual mnemonics designed to improve memory retention of medical sciences.MethodsA single-center, randomized, subject-blinded, controlled study was conducted to compare the PLS with traditional text-based material for retention of medical science topics. Subjects were randomly assigned to use two different types of study materials covering several diseases. Subjects randomly assigned to the PLS group were given audiovisual mnemonics along with text-based materials, whereas subjects in the control group were given the same text-based materials with key terms highlighted. The primary endpoints were the differences in performance on immediate, 1 week, and 1 month delayed free-recall and paired-matching tests. The secondary endpoints were the difference in performance on a 1 week delayed multiple-choice test and self-reported satisfaction with the study materials. Differences were calculated using unpaired two-tailed t-tests.ResultsPLS group subjects demonstrated improvements of 65%, 161%, and 208% compared with control group subjects on free-recall tests conducted immediately, 1 week, and 1 month after study of materials, respectively. The results of performance on paired-matching tests showed an improvement of up to 331% for PLS group subjects. PLS group subjects also performed 55% greater than control group subjects on a 1 week delayed multiple choice test requiring higher-order thinking. The differences in test performance between the PLS group subjects and the control group subjects were statistically significant (P<0.001), and the PLS group subjects reported higher overall satisfaction with the material.ConclusionThe data of this pilot site demonstrate marked improvements in the retention of disease topics when using the PLS compared with traditional text-based materials. The use of the PLS in medical education is supported.

Health Quality Improvement Using Instructional Communication and Teamwork Videos: An Outcome Study

Many factors contribute to errors that occur during emergency Cesarean birth under general anesthesia. The Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JACO) reports that 70% of sentinel events in obstetric practice are attributable to errors in communication and teamwork. Our objective was to develop a video training module to address these deficiencies, and measure its effectiveness. A webbased learning resource was created using professionally made videos that depicted effective and non-effective communication/teamwork techniques in an obstetrical event. This resource could be accessed by a facilitator of small group sessions or by self directed learners. Obstetrical nurses watched this learning resource and were then debriefed by a facilitator to highlight examples of how human factors contribute to the evolution of adverse events. The knowledge and skills, as well as, perceptions of their own behaviors and of other health professionals in the team, were evaluated preand post intervention. The performance of a subgroup of participants in a high-fidelity simulation of an emergency Cesarean birth was assessed to measure the outcome of intervention. Ninety-five obstetrical nurses were given the pre-intervention questionnaires, and 52 completed the post-intervention questionnaires one year later. Participants had significantly higher scores post-intervention (M = 0.78, SD = 0.09) as compared to pre-intervention (M = 0.73, SD = 0.12; t(53) = ?3.07, p d = .47). Following intervention, participants were more conscious of the behaviors of those they worked with (t(51) = ?4.99, p d = ?0.66). Ten months after intervention, nurses indicated that they were able to identify challenges in teamwork and communication in their practice, and were more willing to speak up and be more assertive, and use strategies of conflict resolution and communication that they had learned. There was an improvement in performance of a sub-group of participant when assessed using a simulation scenario. The video web-based learning resource used in small group sessions effectively improved performance of obstetrical nurses as evaluated using questionnaires and high fidelity simulation. Future work will determine if the web-based version will be as effective in orienting new staff to the challenges of working in acute care obstetrical practice.

Information quality problems in Farsi web-based learning resources: how do teachers assure of the content quality for classroom use?

Although the Web has been seen as a critical source of information in K–12 education, Iranian educators’ acceptance for the web technology to become mainstream in the classroom remains a big challenge. Quality of information might be taken into account towards successful use of web-based learning resources. This study identifies the perceived information quality problems of Farsi web resources to be used in classroom instruction. This qualitative study employs focus group and interviews as the data collection technique, involving 10 secondary school teachers in Iran. It analyzed the information quality problems and information quality assurance applied or suggested by the participants in the context of web resources used in classroom instruction. Eleven dimensions of information quality problems emerged from the focus group discussion, seven of which are associated with content quality. Educators’ perceptions about the quality of web resources might be considered as critical in terms of usage of web resources in the Iranian school context. Not only the information quality dimensions highlighted in this study may help them, but also increased theoretical understanding can translate into practical insights that will benefit professionals who seek to design educational websites for credibility.

A new national introductory simulation based course for ST3 level cardiothoracic surgical trainees

A new national introductory simulation based course for ST3 level cardiothoracic surgical trainees