Learning

This study aimed to investigate health anxiety and its relationships with academic performance and learning styles among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 365 participants selected through stratified random sampling in Iran in 2021. Data were collected using Health Anxiety Inventory, Visual, Aural, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic Learning Styles Questionnaire and students’ self-reported grade point average (GPA). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and chi-square test) by SPSS version 13.

The mean (SD) health anxiety score among nursing students was 24.33(9.79) on a range of 0-54; and the mean (SD) of GPA was 15.60 (1.51) on a range of 0-20. The majority of students (85.8%) had a unimodal learning style, with the dominant pattern being kinetic-motor (39.7%). The study found a negative correlation between health anxiety and academic performance (r=-0.19, P≤0.05). However, no significant association was identified between health anxiety and learning style (r=-0.27, P=0.42). The analysis of health anxiety among participants indicated notable differences based on demographic factors such as sex, interest in nursing, and education level (P<0.001).

This study revealed a moderate level of health anxiety among Iranian nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified a significant negative correlation between health anxiety and academic performance. These findings underscore the need for interventions targeting health anxiety to potentially improve academic outcomes for nursing students, as reducing anxiety levels can enhance focus, learning capacity, and overall academic performance.

“Competency Based Medical Education” in the Indian undergraduate medical curriculum has demanded the medical students to be “Competent learners” in addition to other explicit roles expressed by the regulatory body. Fostering the learning skills plays a major role in helping to attain clinical competence. Hence, this study aimed to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive “Workshop on Learning Skills” organized for the first-year medical undergraduates. A mixed-method study was carried out by the Medical Education Unit. Based on purposive sampling, 100 first-year undergraduates were included as the study participants. Aninteractive, activity-oriented workshop on the “Learning skills module” was conducted for the participants in small groups on textbook reading, note-taking, presentation skills, interpretation ofillustrations, and enhancing memory. The reaction of the learners and the retro-pre-evaluation of the learning skills were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Dennis-Congo’s studyskills inventory was administered before and readministered 10 months after the workshop. Quantitative data were analysed with Mean±SD, and a cluster analysis with frequency count was done for qualitative data. Around 57% of the participants rated the workshop as “excellent”. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) in the mean scores of the “Retro-Pre evaluation” on textbook reading, note-taking, presentation skills, interpretation of illustrations, and enhancing memory. However, there was no significant difference in Dennis Congo Study Skills Inventory scores. Students expressed practical difficulties in applying the learning strategies and demanded reinforcement and follow-up sessions to induce a strong behavioural change. The workshop-based approach in instilling learning skills is well received by the students. However, behavioural changes strongly demand reinforcement and follow-up sessions.

Formative Assessment is integral to medical education, serving the purpose of enhancing learning efficacy, providing feedback to students and faculty, and refining teaching methodologies for student advancement and academic progression. This study was therefore designed with the aim of investigating formative assessment and its impact on the education of students.

This study was a scoping review are based on Arksey and O'Malley's framework. Published studies from 2000 to 2024 were retrieved from Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, PubMed/Medline (NLM), and ERIC. The keywords of education, teaching, learning, medical education, Formative Assessment and their English equivalents were used.

A total of 2,433 articles were initially identified, with 53 meeting the inclusion criteria. After screening, 16 key conceptual areas related to the impact of Formative Assessment in medical education were identified. These areas include web-based self-assessment, feedback, longitudinal assessment, classroom interaction, dynamic evaluation, motivation, cumulative learning impact, continuous revision, reflection, OSCE, clinical reasoning, instructor experience, and strategies for student success.

The findings of this review show the impact of Formative Assessment on learning, teaching and introduce some methods of Formative Assessment in medical education and the benefits of using them. By integrating these strategies into your teaching practice, you can generate a dynamic learning environment that supports ongoing student development and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

The increase in migration movements, global health challenges, and the requirements of different organizations have emphasized the importance of Constructing Intercultural Competence (ICC). However, not all countries have policies to achieve this. Therefore, this research aimed to understand the process of constructing Intercultural Competence in theprofessional training of Health Sciences students. A qualitative study with a Grounded Theory design was conducted. Semi-structured interviews, lasting 40 to 50 minutes, were conducted with students in their last year of training tocomply with the intensity sampling. Theoretical sampling was achieved using the Constant Comparative Methods, interview refinements, and data saturation by program and university topropose theoretical codes. Focused Coding allowed grouping and establishing relationships between the codes and categories. Two accredited Ethics Committees in Chile approved the study. 106 students from three universities, including medicine, midwifery, nursing, nutrition, dentistry, pharmacy, and kinesiology, participated. Two categories were formed: 1) the construct of Intercultural Competence, composed of seven stages which were named Sentient Intercultural Self-Efficacy; and 2) precursors of the construct of Intercultural Competence, composed of intrapersonal characteristics, the nature of empathy and the materialization of will. The precursors to the construction seem to favor critical thinking, which enables the development of Sentient Intercultural Self-Efficacy. However, the strong influence of validscientific evidence, combined with vicarious learning, causes a setback in achieving the construction. This demonstrates the need to develop a critical perspective among students to challenge the prevailing status quo characterized by an equality and ethnocentric approach to patient care. Achieving Intercultural Alternative Thinking, where individuals are open to incorporating other treatment alternatives that may not necessarily have scientific evidence but could benefit patient recovery, is essential.

Critical thinking is one of the most key skills needed by an outstanding student, which can lead to beneficial results by influencing the learning process. Measuring the state of critical thinking among students and searching for the relationship of this variable with factors such as learning styles can be a guide for policymakers and educational managers in designing and revising educational strategies. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between critical thinking and learning styles.

The current study was a cross sectional research which conducted in 2023. The participants were 110 first-year students who studying at Ilam University of Medical Sciences in the fields of health, nursing and midwifery, medical emergencies and allied health professions. The data were collected using VARK learning styles questionnaire and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test Questionnaire Form B. Statistical tests included independent t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) which imported to SPSS V.21 at the level of significance less than 0.05.

The average critical thinking score of the participants was 8.55. More than half of the studied students had two or more learning styles. There is a statistically significant relationship between single-style and multi-style modes of VARK learning and evaluation skills (p=0.034) and inductive reasoning (p=0.009) of critical thinking.

It is necessary to strengthen the skills related to reasoning and critical thinking among students of medical sciences with a longitudinal theme approach, both in the form of official curriculum and in the form of short-term training courses.

Appropriate training methods enhance the quality of chest compressions (CC), a critical component of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), thereby improving outcomes for cardiac arrest patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of visual, direct, and combined feedback on improving the quality of CC.

In this field trial study, 90 nurses in Birjand were randomly assigned to three groups: Direct feedback, visual feedback, and combined feedback. The quality of CC on a manikin was assessed using a CPR METER (Q-CPR) before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and two months later. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software, employing one-way ANOVA, one-way repeated measures ANOVA, paired samples t -test, and chi-square tests at a significance level of 0.05.

The baseline characteristics (resuscitation experience, work experience, participation in CPR workshops, age, and education level) showed no significant differences among the three groups. Before the intervention, the CC quality scores were similar across the groups (P < 0.05). Immediately after the intervention, the average CC quality scores in the direct, visual, and combined feedback groups increased significantly to 74.45 ± 8.17, 85.14 ± 5.15, and 95.67 ± 6.32, respectively (P < 0.05). In the two-month follow-up, compared to the immediate post-intervention scores, the average CC quality scores decreased to 66.29 ± 8.40, 78.13 ± 6.88, and 91.26 ± 7.29 in the direct, visual, and combined feedback groups, respectively. However, the rate of reduction in the combined feedback group was significantly lower than in the other groups (P < 0.0001).

The quality of CC among nurses can be significantly improved through the use of direct, visual, and combined feedback. The combined feedback approach demonstrated superior effectiveness in both immediate improvement and sustained quality over time, highlighting its value in resuscitation training programs.

Three physiological processes interact: sleep, learning, and stress. It is essential to understand how stress affects and interacts with the link between sleep, learning, and memory since it has long been recognized that sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and learning. Through naloxone injection in the Baso Lateral Amygdala (BLA), this study intends to shed light on the interactions between stress, learning, and sleep, as well as the function of the opioid system and its impact on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) production in the hippocampus.

Male Wistar rats (n=77) in eleven groups were implanted with electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) recording electrodes, and the BLA area was bilaterally cannulated. Recordings of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep and wakefulness steps were made for the three hours prior to and three hours following the implementation of the immobility stress protocol and learning with the Barnes maze for three consecutive days. Also, the animals’ memory was tasted 48 hr later. Before the stress and learning procedure, naloxone was injected into each BLA three times in a row at a dosage of 0.05 μg or 0.1 μg in a volume of 0.5 μl. A molecular biomarker of learning and stress, BDNF, was also examined.

The study demonstrated that the immobility stress model lowers REM and NREM sleep. On the other hand, putting the learning technique into practice results in more REM and NREM sleep, and stress situations do not stop this rise after learning. Naloxone injections in the BLA region also enhance learning and memory, preventing stress-related REM and NREM sleep loss. Additionally, stress lowers BDNF expression in the hippocampal region. BDNF expression rises in the hippocampus throughout the learning process, and naloxone administration in the BLA area also raises BDNF expression in the hippocampus.

Stress generally reduces REM, NREM, and BDNF expression in the hippocampal region. Under stress, using the learning protocol increases REM, NREM sleep, and BDNF. Naloxone injection in BLA improves memory and learning, reducing stress-induced memory loss.

Medical education requires systematic strategies to optimize the incorporation of technology into educational strategies. A prominent framework for achieving this integration is the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly influenced all aspects of education, impacting both teachers and students in their academic endeavors. Integrating AI with TPACK has created a new approach, the AI-TPACK framework, which is explored in this study. By incorporating AI-specific knowledge and skills, this framework enables educators to effectively utilize AI technologies in their teaching, adapting to their students' diverse contexts and needs. The significance of this integrated model is underscored by various studies that highlight AI's transformative effects on teaching and learning methods. A strong TPACK, combined with AI tools, appears to enhance teaching outcomes and enrich learning experiences. Furthermore, research demonstrates the crucial role of AI-driven intelligent tutoring systems in improving student performance in medical education by providing tailored feedback and dynamically adjusting educational content to individual learning needs. This article further investigates the transformative influence of AI in medical and health sciences education through the lens of the AI-TPACK framework. It explores how educators can align technological innovation with pedagogical effectiveness and content mastery to create meaningful learning experiences. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity of AI-TPACK while addressing its advantages, considerations, and implications.

The impact of technological changes on life and business has been profound, creating new demands for enterprises today. The concept of labor in the modern era necessitates a workforce with new capabilities. Educational institutions address these needs by aligning their programs with labor market demands. As the global economy increasingly relies on knowledge, a growing academic focus has been on universities' roles in regional economies. This trend acknowledges their role as catalysts for economic development and innovation. The current article reviews the book “The Future of Education and Labor,” which explores the multifaceted impacts of technological changes, along with their economic and educational effects. The book posits that as automation and technological advancements transform the labor landscape, educational institutions must adapt to prepare future workers effectively. Each chapter features insights from various experts, offering a comprehensive view of the pertinent issues.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common dementias, which is initially characterized by synaptic damage and subsequently accompanied by neuronal loss and cognitive impairments, such as anxiety and depression. Urolithins are natural phenolic compounds found abundantly in the human diet and are catabolized from the hydrolysis of ellagitannins by the gut microbiota. They possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and have been found to be effective in brain disorders, particularly memory dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Urolithin A and B administration on learning and memory impairments as well as anxiety-like behaviors in adult male rat models of Alzheimer’s disease.

In this experimental study, 70 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 10 groups of seven, including the healthy control group, the Sham group: received streptozotocin solvent (ascorbic acid 0.1% in saline) as intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection and urolithins solvent (DMSO) as intraperitoneal (IP) injection, Positive control group: received streptozotocin as ICV injection and memantine as IP injection, Negative control group: received streptozotocin as ICV injection, Treatment groups 1 to 6: received streptozotocin as ICV injection and urolithin A and urolithin B as IP injection for 14 days. After the treatment period, the learning and memory of the rats were measured by the passive avoidance test, and the elevated plus maze test measured anxiety-like behaviors.

The results of statistical analysis using one-way variance test (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test, performed in R software, showed that in the passive avoidance test, streptozotocin caused a significant impairment in learning and memory in the negative control group (P<0.01), while the treatment with urolithin A and B significantly improved memory performance, much better than the standard treatment (memantine) (P<0.05). Furthermore, the results of the elevated plus maze test also indicated a significant increase in anxiety-like behaviors in the negative control group compared to the control group (P<0.001), while the treatment with urolithin A and B significantly reduced these behaviors (P<0.01).

The results of this study indicated that urolithin A and B, probably due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, protected the brain against the effects of streptozotocin injection, and consequently, improved learning and memory performance and reduced anxiety-like behaviors.

The assessment of learners is a fundamental element in medical science curricula. The Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) exam is a valuable way to assess clinical skills. The present study aimed to assess the clinical skills of operating room students of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Iran, using the DOPS exam, and determine the effect of the exam on the learning and satisfaction of the learners.

The current study was a semi‑experimental study that used a single‑group posttest study design. The statistical sample included 30 operating room students. The 5 skills were selected for assessment and the assessment checklist was designed by the researcher and approved by the expert panel. Moreover, 3 researcher‑made questionnaires were used to examine the students’ skills and opinions regarding facilitating learning and their satisfaction with the DOPS examination. Mann‑Whitney, Kruskal‑Wallis, and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of the students in the first and second examinations (z = ‑4.243, p < 0.001), and the students› scores increased significantly on the second examination. The learners were satisfied with the way the DOPS exam was conducted, and their satisfaction score of this exam was 90.7 out of 120. Furthermore, students agreed that this exam affected learning facilitation. Their score on the effectiveness of this exam was 93.9/120.

Although the DOPS examination is one of the clinical assessment methods for learners, it can be used as an instructional tool in the learning process.

Nursing education, requires critical attention to the science of pharmacology as well as employment of the relevant clinical skills. Therefore, the present study intends to investigate the insights of nursing students about clinical pharmacology courses. This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on a community consisted of all nursing students who selected their clinical pharmacology course. The researcher-built questionnaire was the tool for collecting the data. Descriptive (percentage, mean and standard deviation) and analytical (t-test and Mann-Whitney non-parametric test) statistics were utilized to analyze the data using SPSS-22. The ethical considerations of the research were observed. Based on the findings, the variables of gender and the pharmacology grade achieved in the second semester predicted the level of satisfaction with clinical pharmacology course among the students as well as studying about the medicines before starting the internship. Regarding the relative satisfaction in this study, 85% of the students found the applications employed for learning clinical pharmacology contents effective to boost their skills and knowledge so that it would be recommended to use the novel educational methods for better learning of the course.

With increased interest in understanding the role of the Learning Environment (LE) in effective teaching and learning, this study explores how medical students in Nigeria perceived their LE and its impact on their education.

A thematic analysis approach was adopted for this qualitative study, using focus group discussion to gather data on students’ experiences. Purposive sampling was used to choose participants after considering the representation of different subgroups and genders in the study population. Four focus groups were conducted to ensure data saturation. Each focus group consisted of eight participants, each with at least two females, a ratio similar to what was obtained in the study population. An interview guide based on some concepts of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) and other areas of interest was employed to navigate the interviews. An inductive thematic analysis involving a line-by-line examination of the transcripts was conducted to generate codes and identify various sub-themes and themes from the data.

Three main themes were identified. The first theme—pedagogical bedrock includes basic necessities, resource sufficiency, and expectations versus realities. These elements contribute to an effective teaching and learning environment, while their absence impedes learning. The second, the Promoters, encompasses factors in the learning environment that facilitate learning and comprises two sub-themes: the learning atmosphere and social perception. The third theme, Proficiency appraisal, focuses on students’ perceived achievement of learning outcomes and the relevance of their learning experiences, incorporating both alignment and strategies.

This research provided a sound understanding of the strengths and challenges in the LE and how these may influence the overall learning outcomes. Focused interventions can ensure an enhanced LE that will ultimately translate to enhanced teaching and learning outcomes.

Ischemic stroke can lead to cognitive impairment, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been shown to slow down the progression of Alzheimer›s disease (AD). This study focused on rodent models to investigate the impact of ischemic stroke and the potential benefits of aspirin in reducing cognitive impairment.

The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to evaluate memory and learning in seven groups (N=63) of Wistar rats. Brain ischemia was induced in rat models through temporary blocking of both common carotid arteries and permanent blocking of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Aspirin 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg IP was administered 30 minutes and 2 hours after stroke induction in both ischemic and non-ischemic rats. Injections were continued for seven consecutive days in these groups, and learning and memory were evaluated after the last injection.

Data analysis of the MWM test showed a significant increase in escape latency and swim path length to find the platform in the ischemic groups compared to control rats (P<0.005). Despite improvement in all experimental groups after intervention (P<0.001), the scores for spatial learning were significantly decreased by aspirin in no-ischemia+ASA groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). In the ischemia+ASA groups, aspirin at the dose of 20 mg/kg but not at the high dose (80 mg/kg) improved spatial learning compared to the control group.

Repeated treatments with aspirin may impair spatial learning and memory in normal rats, however, aspirin at a low dose of 20 mg/kg may improve learning impairment after ischemic stroke.