Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
Volume:6 Issue: 2, 2015

Web-based teaching and cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies are active teaching methods to enhance the academic achievement and self-efficacy. This study aimed to compare the effect of web-based teaching and cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies on academic achievement and self-efficacy.

This study was a quasi-experimental with a pre-test، post-test and follow-up design. The statistical population included nursing students of Islamic Azad University، Pishva Branch in the academic year، 2013-14. Totally 60 students were selected through available sampling method and randomly assigned to three groups (each group 20 students). All groups completed a teacher-made test of academic achievement and a self-efficacy questionnaire of Sherer، et al. (1982) as the pre-test، post-test and follow-up. The experimental groups were educated the course، “Children Nursing” in 10 sessions (each session 80 minutes). One group was taught through web-based and the other through cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies method. The data were analyzed by SPSS-19 software، using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The findings showed the mean grades of the experimental groups were significantly different (higher than) from those of the control group in both academic achievement and self-efficacy in both the post-test and the follow-up stages. However، there was not any significant difference between the mean grades of those who underwent the web-based instruction and those who were taught through cognitive and metacognitive strategies method in the post-test and follow-up stages (p<0/05).

The results of this research showed that both instruction methods could foster the academic achievement and self-efficacy of the students. Therefore، teachers can use any of these methods to improve the academic achievement and self-efficacy of nursing students.

The improvement of health and medical sciences، and the need for continuous training and retraining of medical graduates have become a necessity. To fulfil this need، the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education، with the aim of improving the quality of knowledge، attitude and performance of the medical community، has implemented the continuing education program. Considering the significance and role of e-learning and mobile learning، in particular، this study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting the implementation of mobile learning in continuing medical education programs using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences، Tehran، Iran. This study used a descriptive research method based on the TRA model. The statistical population of this research was 2375 employees taking part in the continuing medical education program at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The sample size was determined 330 according to Morgan table and the data were collected using the stratified random sampling method. The instrument of the study was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of four domains including attitude، subjective norms، knowledge and mindset، and intention learning. The reliability of the questionnaire، using Cronbach''s alpha، was found o be 0. 88. Its validity was confirmed by 25 professors in the field. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS software، version 14، using t-test and Pearson''s correlation coefficients. There was a significant relationship (p<0. 05) between the intention of mobile learning in continuing medical education program at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and each of the three factors affecting the model. Furthermore، the intention of mobile learning was mostly correlated with mentality of mobile learning، tendency to mobile learning and behavioral control، respectively. Among the variables influencing the intention of mobile learning (p<0. 01، r= 0. 845) based on TRA، mentality and knowledge of learner was the main parameter. Therefore، the managers of the continuing education programs should the learners’ level of knowledge on mobile learning before implementing mobile learning system.

Mentorship develops a personal relationship in which a more experienced and knowledgeable person helps a less experienced person. In this study we aimed to investigate the characteristics of an ideal mentor based on the viewpoints of clinical professors of Shiraz Medical School. In this descriptive، cross-sectional study، 114 clinical professors of medicine at Shiraz Medical School were investigated using simple random sampling. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used to collect the data. The clinical teachers were asked to express their viewpoints about characteristics of an ideal mentor. A 5 point Likert scale was used for scoring the questionnaire. The statistical analysis was performed through SPSS software، version 16، using both descriptive (frequency، percentage and mean) and inferential (correlation coefficient) statistics. According to the clinical teachers، among the various features، «being provocative» was the most important feature of an ideal clinical Mentor (mean score: 4. 67، SD: 0. 55). The mentor has a significant role in the professional development of learners. To train teachers as mentors، we can use short-term courses and workshops with emphasis on learning and teaching process، adult learning principles، role clarity، setting educational goals، assessment and evaluation of learner and use of proper feedback.

The students’ interest in virtual social networks may have an effect on their academic capabilities. Therefore، the present study aimed to investigate the role of virtual social networks in the research capabilities of postgraduate students. Regarding the basic strategy، the methodology of the research was quantitative; regarding the executive strategy، it was survey research; and regarding the analytical techniques، it was ex-post facto research. The population of the study consisted of postgraduate students in the master''s program in Tehran، Allameh Tabatabai، Mohaghegh Ardabil and Shahid Beheshti Universities in the academic year 2013-2014 with an approximate volume of 20،000. Simple random sampling was used in this study. 377 students selected based on Kregci-Morgan table with the error α=0/05served as the participants of the study. The instruments for data collection included two questionnaires، one on Virtual Social Networks (reliability α=0. 66)، and the other on Research Capabilities (reliability α=0. 97) in eight subscales. The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by experts in the field. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS software، version 20 using Multivariate Analysis Test. We found that the use of social networks by the students had a statistically significant effect on their research capabilities such as ability to choose the topic and explain eight components of research problems، the ability to search the web، proficiency in academic writing، data collection، the ability to categorize and analyze data، the ability to develop، interpret and report the results. However، the effect on the students’ ability to take notes and follow research ethics was not found to be significant. Also the effect of gender on choosing the topic، explaining the research problem and writing well was significant، but on the other components was not significant. Social networks، with their reliance on hypertext capabilities، have resulted in more research capabilities in students who use such networks. Thus، policy-makers and practitioners in virtual domains should pay more attention to education، expert and continual monitoring of the networks، and planning for the future.

Social capital، as a network of communication and mutual trust in an organization، has a significant role the production and development of knowledge. This article studies the relationship between social capital and knowledge management among the personnel of Shiraz University of medical sciences. The study is a descriptive- correlative one. The statistical population included 1300 employees working at Shiraz University of Medical Science with a sample of 296، using Cochran formula. Two questionnaires were used as the instruments of the study. The first questionnaire، used to assess the level of social capital، was designed by Nahapyt and Ghoshal (1998) and contains three components- cognitive، structural and relational. The second questionnaire was Haddad’s standard questionnaire (2003) for assessing knowledge management، with four components: knowledge creation، knowledge registration، knowledge establishment، and knowledge sharing. The reliability of social capital and knowledge management questionnaires were 0. 682 and 0. 803، respectively using Cronbach''s alpha coefficient. The data were analyzed، using descriptive and inferential statistics (Spearman correlation coefficients). The findings showed that there was a positive relationship between social capital and the component of knowledge management such as creation، registration، establishment and sharing. Also the correlation coefficients showed that the correlation between social capital and creation and registration components was more. That is، by raising social capital، creation and registration components increase more than other components. The authorities of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences are recommended to provide the proper ground for knowledge promotion through social capital.

Office automation has recently drawn a lot of attention in the field of IT. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of automation on the efficiency of the staff in the management area at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The present research is a descriptive، survey study. The study population consisted of all the personnel in the management area at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The sample included 13، who were selected using stratified random sampling method. The instruments of the study were two researcher-made questionnaires on automation efficacy and staff efficiency. The content and face validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by experts in the field and the reliability was found to be 0. 95 for the questionnaire on automation efficacy and 0. 93 for the questionnaire on staff efficiency، using Cronbach’s alpha. The data were analyzed through SPSS software، version 18، using Pearson correlation، and multi-correlation regression. The findings indicated that the correlation between office automation and staff efficiency was 0. 84، which was significant at p=0. 01. the correlation between the components of staff efficiency (relevancy، sensitivity، accuracy، being economical، and speed) and office automation were 0. 707، 0. 641، 0. 640، 0. 638، 0. 630، 0. 368، respectively. All these correlations were statistically significant at p=0. 01. The office automation is a secure، economical، and efficient system for information exchange of information inter and intra-office.

The importance of research among students is known for all educational and research administrative staff. Involving students in research projects leads to an increase of knowledge and competency in research among students، and improves students’ ability to analyze studies in basic and clinical sciences. The main aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of workshop on learning statistics and research by dental students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2012. The study was experimental. 50 dental students from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences participated in a 3-day workshop. We used a pretest and posttest in four panels to evaluate the process of learning in the workshop. The data were analyzed through paired t-test and ANOVA using SPSS software، version 19. 0. Using the Cronbach''s alpha، we found the reliability of 0. 81 and 0. 83 for the pre-test and the post-test، respectively. 47 students participated in the workshop and the pretest and posttest. The mean score in the pretest was 8±3. 6 and in the posttest 9. 75±3. The difference between the participants’ mean score in the pretest and posttest was significant (Paired t-test، P-value=0. 007). Of course، in the analysis of the scores، we found that the difference between the mean score of questions related to the statistics panel in the pretest and posttest was not significant (P=0. 13). The results of this study showed that holding workshops could be effective for learning research by students. Of course، it is recommended to use more effective teaching methods to train students on statistics.

Review of the literature shows that clinical decision-making is not often based on scientific evidence and in many cases it results from personal experience، subjectivity، and previous models or methods used in clinical wards. In other words، we cannot say with confidence whether the diagnostic decisions are the best possible decisions in clinical settings and most beneficial for the patient? Is it possible to make all decisions based on strong scientific evidence? As the element of «decision» constitutes the core of medical education، this paper aims to review the status of evidence-based medicine in terms of nature of science and circumstances of decision making in order to extend the concept of evidence-based medicine. This research was qualitative، using an analytical-theoretical method through the integration of the decision making theories and nature of science based on these criteria: certainty of situation، predictability، certainty of theories، objectivity، thinking، and openness. Based on the existing theoretical methods of decision making in the range of certainty to uncertainty، decision-making was classified into three categories. Also based on the mentioned indicators، science was classified into basic sciences (non-living systems)، experimental sciences (living systems) and humanities (social sciences). Finally، based on the analytical approach، the conceptual framework was drawn. As the nature of medical sciences is experimental، the development of evidence-based medicine approach can foster the critical evaluation of scientific evidence، reduce subjective judgment، and lead to the gradual formation of new ideas.