distance education

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted educational systems, leading to the rapid adoption of distance education. This shift affected midwifery departments in Turkey, raising items about its appropriateness for such a practical discipline.

This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of educators in Turkish university midwifery departments toward distance education during the pandemic.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 87 academic midwives in midwifery departments of universities in Turkey from June to December 2020. Data was collected online using a structured survey by a researcher. A survey was developed by trainers based on literature to understand the attitudes and opinions of the trainers towards distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mean (SD) age of participants was 36.13 (12.92) years and 12.64 (8.83) years of university teaching experience. A majority strongly disagreed that distance education suits midwifery curricula (36.8%), and 77% strongly disagreed with using distance education for practical courses. However, 27.6% were undecided on its suitability for theoretical classes.

Most midwifery educators believe that distance education is not entirely suitable for teaching the midwifery curriculum. To increase the effectiveness of distance education, a hybrid education model should be adopted; theoretical courses should be conducted remotely, and practical courses should be conducted face-to-face. Digital simulations and virtual laboratories should be expanded to support practical training. Academicians should be trained on interactive methods to increase student participation, the infrastructure of universities' distance education systems should be strengthened, and access problems should be resolved.

Updating the knowledge and having the best performance of nurses in the ICUs, due to their heavy work shifts, requires choosing the appropriate educational method.

This study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of e-learning through social media on the knowledge and performance of ICU nurses regarding tube feeding.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 76 ICU nurses who were eligible to enter the study and were divided into two intervention and control groups using the random allocation method. The data collection tools included demographic, knowledge level questionnaires, and nurses' performance checklist regarding tube feeding. The intervention group was given 8 sessions of group training using PowerPoint and Online questions and answers through WhatsApp social media. Before and two weeks after the training, the questionnaire and checklist of nurses' knowledge and performance were completed. Finally, the data was analyzed with SPSS 22 software.

The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic variables (P > 0.05), except for gender. To compare the knowledge score after the intervention, by controlling the confounding effects and the possible effects of the knowledge score before the intervention, analysis of covariance was used. There was a significant difference between the knowledge score of the intervention and control groups after training on WhatsApp (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the mean performance scores before the intervention (P = 0.833). This difference was significant after the intervention (P < 0.001), so that the performance scores of the intervention group were higher than the control group.

Due to nurses' heavy work shifts, the possibility of face-to-face education program is less; learning using social media can lead to an increase in the knowledge and performance of nurses in ICU in the field of tube feeding.

Interdisciplinary collaboration (IDC) faces several long-standing challenges including poor teamwork, resistance to socialization, inadequate attention given to learners' abilities, incomplete reporting, lack of quality methodology, and vague understanding of reflexivity. In an attempt to tackle these challenges, the purpose of this case study was to report an interdisciplinary educational-research collaboration (IDERC) involving two faculty members (NS and SA) from different departments who were simultaneously instructing a master’s student (St) in two separate courses. The methodology involved addressed the learning needs of St in two concurrent courses as well as fulfilling particular research activities. A few different reflection-gathering tools were adopted to elicit the two participants’ (SA and St) views on the impacts of the IDERC. Thematic analysis of SA’s interview concerning her experiences with the IDERC indicated that she was motivated by a range of personal, educational, and research factors. It also showed her positive outlook on how a similar IDERC could benefit faculty members and students as well as knowledge development. SA also went through the reasons why educators may be hesitant or resistant to deal with IDC. When probing St’s experiences with the IDERC incorporated inside his class tasks and an open-ended questionnaire, he not only highlighted the educational and research outcomes he gained, but also mentioned how he was influenced by the instructors' socialization behavior. Regarding the requirements of an IDC, St's main focus was on successful implementation and prioritizing efficiency. Suggestions are provided as to how this collaboration can be extended to larger contexts.

Professors in universities and educational institutions hold a crucial role in crafting educational approaches utilizing cutting-edge technologies. They need to possess significant expertise in e-learning and tackle the obstacles associated with delivering education and utilizing Information and communication technologies within higher education. To effectively navigate these challenges and adaptations, professors need to equip themselves with new educational techniques through training and readiness to adeptly incorporate emerging technologies into their teaching practices, thus enhancing the educational journey for students. By identifying, understanding, and ranking professors' requirements and preferences, effective and diverse educational initiatives can be tailored to meet their needs.

This research aimed to recognize the educational needs of medical science professors in the field of e-learning from the experts' point of view and prioritize these needs utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

This practical study was conducted in 2022 using a process-oriented approach and AHP. The main stages included the creation of a hierarchical structure, comparative judgment, and determining priorities. In the first step, 13 criteria were identified, which were derived from scientific articles and previous research. In the second step, the pairwise comparison matrix was used for comparative judgment, and the weight of each criterion was calculated. The third step involved determining priorities based on the weight of each criterion and the inconsistency ratio. The participants of this study included professors of basic and clinical sciences from different faculties.

The results of this study demonstrated that from the point of view of experts and participants, among the 13 criteria, the skills of virtual teaching (with weights of 0.146 and 0.148), electronic content production (with weights of 0.093 and 0.092), and holding online training courses (with the weights of 0.092 and 0.100) formed the three main needs of medical science professors in the field of e-learning and had the highest degree of importance and necessity compared to other criteria.

Identifying the educational needs of medical science professors for organizing and designing necessary programs to enhance knowledge, skills, and empowerment will lead to improving the quality of e-learning, and eventually, reducing professors’ concerns in this area.

Persian medicine is an ancient medical school that prioritizes preserving health over treatment. It is a holistic approach that considers genetics, lifestyle, and other factors to find the root cause of a disease. This study investigated the virtual course of Persian and complementary medicine from the perspective of students. We conducted a cross-sectional study. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data from 750 participants. The tool's validity was confirmed based on its content validity, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to estimate the internal consistency of this questionnaire. The questionnaire measured the effectiveness of the virtual education system in various dimensions, and the participants completed it electronically at the end of the course. SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze the collected data. The study used frequency, percentage, and mean to describe data and a desirability score was calculated for each question to evaluate course quality from participants' perspective. The results of the one-sample t-test indicate that the sample mean (57.111) is higher than the population mean (90) (p < 0.01). Based on the independent samples t-test, the mean attitude score of female students towards course is higher than that of male students (p > 0.05). The ANOVA analysis results regarding the mean attitude scores of students towards the course based on their field of study show that the mean attitude scores vary across different fields of study (p < 0.05). The result of present study emphasizes the importance of developing education in Persian medicine in universities to meet the clinical needs of the community and improve health and well-being. This can also promote the status of Persian medicine globally.

Myopia, the most common refractive error, is a global public health problem with substantial visual impairment if left untreated. Several studies have investigated the association between increased near-work and restricted outdoor activities in children with myopia; however, such studies in children without myopia are scarce. We aimed to monitor the effect of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) home confinement and mandatory virtual learning on myopic progression among myopic and non-myopic school-aged children.

We conducted a retrospective chart review of children aged 6 – 12 years attending regular visits to the pediatric ophthalmology clinic in a tertiary eye hospital in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Cycloplegic refraction was determined from three visits at least six months apart: two visits before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and one during the COVID-19 home confinement. Parents were asked about the time spent in near-work and outdoor activities, the devices used during virtual learning, and the demographic characteristics of the children. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare myopia progression before and during the COVID-19 home confinement.

A total of 160 eyes of 80 children were analyzed. The boy (n = 46) to girl (n = 34) ratio was 1.4:1. The hyperopia (n = 131 eyes) to myopia (n = 29 eyes) ratio was 4.5:1. Most eyes exhibited a hyperopic shift before the confinement; however, all eyes displayed a myopic shift during the confinement. When comparing both eyes of the same individual, the more myopic or less hyperopic eye in the same child had a significantly greater myopic shift than the fellow eye (both P < 0.05). Children who used tablets showed a significant myopic shift (P< 0.05). Likewise, children in both age categories ( ≤ 8 and > 8 years), boys, those living in an apartment, and those having parents with bachelor’s degrees experienced a significant myopic shift during COVID-19 home confinement compared to before (all P < 0.05). The mean myopic shift was greater in children aged > 8 years than in those aged ≤ 8 years. Children with and without a family history of myopia had a myopic shift in the mean spherical equivalent during COVID-19 home confinement; however, that of children with no family history was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Progression of myopia accelerated in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive time spent on digital screen devices at near distances is considered a substantial environmental contributor to myopic shift in children. Further multicenter studies with extended follow-up periods are needed to assess the factors contributing to myopic progression in our population.

 In medical education, determining the strengths, weaknesses, desirability, and success of training courses from the perspective of its stakeholders is of particular importance because it can be the basis for subsequent decisions.

 This cross-sectional research investigated the virtual summer semester from the perspectives of its many stakeholders.

 We conducted a multi-methods cross-sectional study. First, remote qualitative interviews were conducted with teachers and heads of departments to explain the features of the virtual summer semester course from their perspective. Twelve teachers and heads of departments participated in qualitative interviews using the intensity sampling method. A matrix was created in Microsoft Word according to the qualitative interview questions (web and telephone), and the answers were categorized based on thematic review. In the second phase, a mini literature review was conducted to develop the desirability and success indicators of online learning courses using questionnaires and checklists. In the third phase, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among students (82 people). In the last phase, a checklist-based survey was performed among various stakeholders (100 people). Quantitative and qualitative data about the virtual summer semester course have been collected from 194 individuals.

 Based on the thematic review of remote qualitative interviews and created matrix, strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improving this course were categorized. Based on descriptive statistics, the mean and SD of the age of teachers and heads of departments participating in the interview was (52.5 ± 8.68), and the mean and SD of the age of students participating in the questionnaire-based survey was (22.10 ± 2.78). In addition, the mean and SD of the age of students, teachers, heads of departments, and course executive team participating in the checklist-based survey were respectively (22.5 ± 3.5), (49.1 ± 7.5), (54.0 ± 2.8) and (34.3 ± 4.9). The findings of the questionnaire-based survey revealed that about 91% of the students have a positive attitude towards the course. In this regard, the average score of the students on all items about the desirability of the course was higher than the hypothetical average (P = 0.048). In addition, the quantitative findings indicated that all the stakeholders had evaluated the course as successful in terms of the organizational capacity of Smart University of Medical Sciences, pedagogy and educational effectiveness, and sufficient and capable human resources. In this regard, the average score of the course success factors differs from stakeholder to stakeholder for the organizational capacity (P = 0.004) and for the two components of pedagogy and educational effectiveness (P = 0.035) and sufficient and competent human resources (P = 0.043).

 According to the results and the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on medical education, these short-term and intensive structured virtual courses can be expanded and developed into regular semesters. The course's sustainability can be maintained by continual improvement.

This study investigates the effect of virtual training on the stress of mothers of children with febrile seizures.

This quasi-experimental research was conducted on 64 mothers of children with febrile seizures in Shahrekord in 2022. The samples were randomly distributed into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received WhatsApp training during three individual and 3 group sessions, and the control group received routine training. Mothers' stress was measured using the Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP) questionnaire, completed by two groups before, immediately, and two months after the intervention. Data analysis was done using the SPSS 18 version, descriptive statistics, repeated measure analysis of variance, independent t-test, chisquare, and Fisher tests.

Before the intervention, the average total score of stress in frequency level in intervention and control groups was 117.29 ± 20/70 and 122.50 ± 24.69 and in difficulty level in intervention and control groups were 122.21 ± 25.32 and 129.83 ± 3.24. There was no statistically significant difference on the two levels between the groups (P = 0.363) and (P = 0.285). Immediately after the intervention, the average total score on the two levels in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P = 0.001) and (P = 0.003). Two months after the intervention, the average score on two levels in the intervention group was lower than the control group (P < 0.001).

Using virtual training is suggested as an effective method to reduce the stress of mothers of children with febrile seizures.