Research and Development in Medical Education
Volume:11 Issue: 1, 2022

Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience have provided inspiring opportunities for the current understanding of the language-learning process and its neurological underpinnings. To date, several brain studies investigating the structure and functions of the language-learning process have provided reasonable explanations for biological aspects of language acquisition in addition to behavioral elucidations. Brain-related studies can provide valuable learning information for teachers to apply in classrooms. Accordingly, the current study investigated the impact of brain-based language instruction on medical students’ English-speaking skills.

A quantitative quasi-experimental approach with a control group, using a pretest/ post-test format with a four-month follow-up in brain-based language instruction, was used for this study. To test the hypotheses underpinning this research, 64 medical students (40 women and 24 men) in a required course in general English in the Department of Foreign Languages at the Islamic Azad University of Kerman participated in this study during the 2021-2022 academic year. Pre- and post-tests of speaking skills were administered to ascertain differences in participants from the beginning to the end of the study.

Analysis revealed that the experimental group, who received treatment in the form of a brain-based teaching approach, improved considerably in their speaking skill from the pre-test to the post-test (P < 0.01). Although the control group improved from the pre-test to the post-test, the improvement was not significant, nor was it as large as the progress in the experimental group.

In brief, a collaboration between medicine and education elevates both fields of study and illuminates the process of language learning regarding the structural and functional operation of the brain. Findings around the new trend of brain network connectivity have paved the way for educational curricula to use teaching methods, materials, and tasks compatible with cognitive brain functions, potentially fostering learners in general and medical students in particular to reap the result.

Traditional teaching and learning methods are losing their effectiveness due to the advancement of communication technology and science in the new century. Therefore, educational software development can improve medical and paramedical students’ learning in modern medical education. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of software on the principles of surgical table setting on the learning and practical skills of the students of operating room technology.

A semi-experimental study was conducted using a census method among 57 operating room students who met the inclusion criteria. The students were divided into two groups, intervention, and control. The two groups were pre-tested before the intervention to assess their knowledge and practical skills. Additionally, the control group was regularly trained, and the intervention group was provided with educational software simultaneously with routine training. A post-test was given to both groups at the end of the semester. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22 using the descriptive and inferential statistical indicators of paired t test and Mann-Whitney test.

The results of this study showed that the intervention group and the control group did not differ significantly in any of the demographic parameters (P < 0.05). Considering the normality of the data, comparing the level of knowledge and practical skills of the operating room technology students before and after the intervention in both groups using paired t-test showed that the level of knowledge and practical skills in the intervention group increased significantly (P > 0.001).

According to the results of this study, educational methods in conjunction with the appropriate software can effectively increase students’ awareness of operating room technology and help improve their practical skills. Therefore, educational aid software is a useful tool to be used during internship courses as an effective method of training operating room students.

The alarming outbreak of the COVID-19 virus significantly disrupted all aspects of human life, including education. As a result, e-learning has become a vital tool for education. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of medical and anesthesia students toward e-learning in physiology during the pandemic of COVID-19.

This descriptive study was conducted among 67 medical and anesthesiology students at Abadan University of Medical Sciences who studied physiology in the second semester of 2020-2021 in the form of e-learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A researcher-created questionnaire was used, rating items on a five-point Likert scale. Data were entered into SPSS 21 for statistical analysis and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

A total of 73.1% of the participants in this study were women. The favorable opinions of students by percentage were as follows: satisfactory access to the Internet, 71.0%; the possibility of downloading educational content from the educational system, 88.2%; effective communication between teacher and student through e-learning, 20.6%; e-learning by combining online and offline education, 69.1%; the suitability of offline educational content due to accessibility convenient to learn at any time and place where the student wants to learn, 75%; face-to-face education is more suitable than e-learning, 60.3%.

Effective communication between teacher and student is weak in virtual/online education. Students were generally positive about a combination of online and offline virtual education together and liked offline educational content due to ease of access at any time and place. In general, students preferred face-to-face teaching to virtual education.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are a common assessment method, and it is crucial to design them carefully. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the item analysis of MCQ exams in clerkship tests for general medicine students.

Following a cross-sectional study, a total of 1202 MCQs designed for fourth-year clerkship medical students in the second semester of 2019 were analyzed. Difficulty and discrimination indices of student scores and taxonomy levels were then computed. Furthermore, the prepared standard structural Millman checklist was utilized.

Of the 1202 MCQs, according to difficulty indices, most questions (666) were considered acceptable (55.39%). In terms of the discrimination index (DI), 530 (44.09%) questions had an average discrimination coefficient. Additionally, 215 (17.88%) had a negative or poor DI and required revision or elimination from the tests bank. Of the 1202 MCQs, 669 (50.7 %) were designed at a lower cognitive level (taxonomy I), 174 (14.5 %) belonged to taxonomy II, and 419 (34.8%) of the questions had taxonomy III. Moreover, according to the structural flaws of the Millman checklist, the most common structural flaw was a lack of negative choices for Stems 1127 (93.8 %), while vertical options 376 (31.3%) were the least common.

Based on the results, it is recommended that easy questions and negative/poor DI of items, a high level of Bloom’s taxonomy type I, and questions with unstructured flaws be reviewed and reconstructed to improve the quality of the question banks. Holding training courses on designing test questions could effectively improve the quality of the questions.

Vice Chairs for Education are experienced educators who oversee a wide array of departmental activities. Through the lens of servant leadership, we investigate how Vice Chairs for Education approach the role, support others, and navigate complexities while impacting the clinical learning environment.

A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted at our academic multiinstitutional medical center. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed thematically from July to October 2019. CVs were collected; metrics were abstracted and analyzed descriptively. Qualitative and quantitative data were aligned, integrated, and verified.

In all, 14 of 16 (87.5%) Vice Chairs for Education responded. These Vice Chairs are MD faculty members from three affiliated hospitals representing 11 specialties. Five themes were identified. These Vice Chairs are trusted departmental leaders who attained the role through experience and engagement. Intentionally inclusive and collaborative, they build and sustain relationships while navigating challenges. They take pride in supporting others and prioritize mentorship. Relying on institutional knowledge, they unite educational efforts by building rapport and encouraging community. In addition to envisioning the development of their departments, Vice Chairs are eager to value them attentively and thoughtfully.

Vice Chairs for Education embody servant leadership principles by supporting others, building community, embracing open communication, maintaining authenticity, modeling fairness, focusing on improvement, and navigating challenges. They know that prioritizing education is not a matter of chance and must be cultivated and even defended at times. Vice Chairs for Education embrace, unify, empower, and protect their trainees, colleagues, departments, and institution. Ultimately, as servant leaders, they demonstrate humility and professionalism.

The traditional pattern of theory assessment may not address the principles of assessment due to faulty paper-setting practices. This interventional study aimed to sensitize the faculty in designing a test blueprint template to set question papers (QPs). The set QPs were reviewed by experts to evaluate the effectiveness of blueprinting in the quality of the QPs.

Based on the validated weightage of the biochemistry syllabus, each of the 10 faculty prepared a test blueprint, and set theory QPs without and with those test blueprints. The QPs were blinded and randomly allocated to 9 experts for evaluation. The test paper review score and feedback from both faculty and subject experts were statistically analyzed.

Reliability check of faculty feedback and review checklist of test papers validated its internal consistency. In all, 95% of participants expressed their agreement with various attributes of blueprinting and its future application in assessment. Statistically significant improvement (P < 0.005) was observed in the overall quality of the QPs with blueprinting.

It was determined that blueprinting aligns objectives, content areas, and curriculum with assessment, thus improving reliability and content validity. Validated weightage of the biochemistry syllabus and blueprints for written examination were systematized.

Critical events can cause panic in the university community and raise the question of whether universities can prepare for and respond to these events while effectively maintaining a culture of inclusiveness and free access.

The current study was conducted based on a scoping review of texts using the Arkesy and O’Malley frameworks and the PRISMA checklist to improve the quality of the report. For this study, crisis management programs at universities and institutes of higher education in all countries of the world within a period of 10 years (2010-2020) were searched using appropriate keywords approved in MeSH and various databases such as Embase, PubMed and Scopus, Proquest, and Iranian SID and Magiran databases. Finally, according to the search parameters, 21 studies were included in the final study, and an output table was extracted.

The goals of university crisis programs when encountering existing accidents and crises are divided into several general categories: planning and creating a framework for dealing with the crisis, continuing to work in times of crisis, communicating in times of crisis, and providing supplies and continuity of training. The next most crucial element in the university crisis program is the formation of a crisis management team.

It is indispensable for students, faculty, and administrators to receive training in crisis management to prevent any possible harm to individuals when dealing with crises in universities. As a result, it is recommended that crisis management officials in universities pay serious attention.

It is crucial to glare at the lacunae of the current competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum. Certain areas are inadequately addressed, namely issues about gender health and development with a particular focus on the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ + community. It is needed to insist more on health care of disadvantaged sections of the population like primitive tribal groups, the scope dimensions and utilities of palliative and rehabilitative care in patient care, addressing workplace violence against health care professionals, the role of universal health coverage and health insurance in addressing inequitable health care accessibility, the sensitization and application of digital and machine learning technologies in health care, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D printing to solve complex health issues, the utilities of telemedicine to address inaccessible quality health care and most notably the absence of sensitization and training on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) casualty management as a subset of disaster.

Academic libraries play a crucial and constructive role in managing information resources. Because medical universities have an essential role in promoting public health, the position of libraries at these universities is both important and influential. Therefore, this study investigated factors that affect the provision of health information resources in central libraries at Iranian universities of medical sciences.

This applied-descriptive study reviewed factors affecting the provision of health information resources based on document study and the Delphi method. A total of 62 managers of these central libraries were asked to participate. The sample was based on the fuzzy Delphi technique, which provides a solution in two phases. The data were obtained from a qualitative analysis of interviews and results from a researcher-created questionnaire.

Six factors were found to be vital to providing health information resources, including support, maintenance costs, country policies, economics, cooperation with high-tech companies, and political challenges. Some suggestions are given to address the challenges of providing resources; the most important was to create visual and audio media with a high diffusion coefficient.

Numerous factors can affect the provision of health information resources at Iranian universities of medical sciences. The foundations of these factors are varied, some stemming from economic fluctuations and others from technological developments.

The adequacy and efficiency of an educational system in the academic settings depend on the teachers’ philosophical mindedness and the ruling approach of educational philosophy. Therefore, the lack of knowledge about the philosophical foundations of education can adversely affect the educational system. The current study investigates the faculty members’ philosophical mindedness and educational philosophy of the Semnan University of Medical Sciences.

This descriptive correlational study was conducted on full-time faculty members of Semnan University of Medical Sciences selected by convenience sampling method in 2020. Zinn’s Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory and Komeli’s philosophical mindedness questionnaire were used to assess participants’ educational philosophy and philosophical mindedness, respectively. Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients and the regression analysis were used for the inferential analysis.

Data collected from 62 faculty members were finally analyzed. It was found that most of them (56 faculty members, 95.2%), had an average philosophical mindedness, and behaviorism dominated their educational philosophy. The variable components of philosophical mindedness (i.e., comprehensiveness, penetration, and flexibility) were not significantly different between participating faculty members from different faculties (P > 0.05). The highest mean score of philosophical mindedness was related to comprehensiveness (47.54 ± 4.9), followed by penetration (43.40 ± 4), and finally flexibility (32.38 ± 3.7). Based on the results, philosophical mindedness and educational philosophy are significantly correlated. The regression coefficients revealed that, flexibility affected predicting the tendency towards liberalism and progressivism, among the elements of philosophical mindedness. In contrast, comprehensiveness and penetration affected predicting radicalism. The results obtained showed an average level of philosophical mindedness among the professors participating in this study.

The results indicated an average level of philosophical mindedness among faculty members participating in this study. Therefore, courses should be held in their empowerment programs to strengthen the philosophical mindedness of the faculty members. Furthermore, these courses will positively affect educational philosophy. In addition, courses in critical thinking are required. This type of thinking is beyond the ability to solve problems; it gives a philosophical orientation to thinking.

Due to the limitations of clinical learning and the consideration of patients’ rights, the emphasis on educating clinical and communication skills and creating attitudes in students has received much attention, which requires an appropriate educational environment.

In a descriptive study, we examined challenges and proposed solutions in a clinical skills center in 2017. The study participants were 60 medical students and 29 faculty members at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences who were selected randomly and followed for 12 months, from October 2016 to October 2017. The classical modified Delphi technique was used to collect data and study execution in three rounds.

From the perspectives of academic board members, the most critical weaknesses included “small and limited educational environment of workshops” (weight of consensus = 212.5), “severe lack of educational facilities such as simulators” (weight of consensus = 158.9), and “lack of adequate facilities for assessing students’ skills” (weight of consensus = 140.9) based on the results. From the perspectives of academic board members, the most crucial weaknesses in the field of management and execution were “lack of adequate constructional infrastructure” (weight of consensus = 239.2), “lack of adequate funding for the clinical skills center” (weight of consensus = 200.1) and “lack of approved organizational chart for clinical skills center” (weight of consensus = 200.1).

The main challenges of the Clinical Skills Center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences included the lack of definition of an organizational chart, lack of sufficient funding to provide educational facilities, lack of standard educational space, and clinical skills evaluation, which the Center for Clinical Skills developed. Most of the center’s problems were resolved by allocating sufficient funds to provide educational facilities and cultivate a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration supported by university authorities.

Suicide among medical students is a global public health concern; however, it is often addressed poorly in developing countries like Bangladesh. This study aims to examine suicidal behaviors among undergraduate medical students in Bangladesh.

This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between February and July of 2019. Data were collected from 583 MBBS students at Bangladesh’s public and private medical colleges. A convenience sampling method was used, and data were collected through a pretested semi-constructed questionnaire.

A lifetime suicidal ideation was found among 23.8% of the participants. Significant associations were found among lifetime suicidal ideation, plan and attempt with depression, comorbidity, and family history. Multivariable logistic regression models revealed that a family history of suicide attempts or death by suicide increased the odds six-fold for ideation, over sixfold for a plan, and threefold for an attempt. Females were twice likely to be susceptible to suicide ideation, plan, and attempt.

Suicidality appears high among medical students in Bangladesh. Levels of depression, comorbidities, as well as substance abuse affect lifetime suicide ideation. A previous history of attempting or committing suicide in the respondent’s family increases the individual risk for ideation, plan, and attempt. Females are more vulnerable than males.

Evaluation is one of the most critical issues in the training process. Kirkpatrick’s model is one method in educational evaluation that can accurately evaluate programs. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an operating room master of scienc (MS) program om based on Kirkpatrick’s model.

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling with 46 students and graduates from the operating room MS degree at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2020-2021. A valid and reliable questionnaire with 47 items in three levels of reaction, learning, and performance was used to evaluate the opinions of graduates and students. The survey was sent to their email addresses and returned to the researcher after completion.

Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model showed that the overall evaluation of the operating room program was 70.97 ± 9.32, which can be considered a moderate level. Students’ satisfaction with the program was moderate (68.00 ± 14.97); their learning (84.54 ± 15.69) and performance (84.30 ± 9.28) were evaluated to be at a reasonable level.

Considering the average effectiveness of the whole program, it is suggested that the educational managers of the operating room department plan and attempt to increase their indicators by considering the weaknesses and strengths of the program.

A training course on burn infection and care is one of the courses that medical students take during their internship. This training course has not yet been taught through e-learning in medical schools in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of two

traditional lecturing and employing a vid-cast with interactive electronic content, on the knowledge of interns in a training course on burns.

This quasi-experimental study with a pre-post non-equivalent group design was conducted among medical interns taking burn rotation training courses at the Motahari burn hospital, affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences. The two groups were given a pre-test at the beginning of the course. One group was given in-person lectures, and the other was given the same content in the form of a vid-cast with interactive electronic files. At the end of the rotation course, a post-test was administered on the planned content, and scores of both groups were compared.

The pre-test mean scores in the lecture group before and after the training intervention were 8 and 14.2, respectively; this difference was significant (P < 0.001). The difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores in the vid-cast group was also significant (P < 0.001).The mean of post-test scores in the lecture group was 14.92 and 17.24 in the e-learning group; this difference was also significant (P < 0.001).

Post-test scores in the e-learning group were higher with a significant statistical difference, suggesting that the e-learning outperformed their counterparts in the traditional lecture model. It is recommended that e-learning be used either as a supplementary or the main method of training in burn infection and care for interns.

There are increasing challenges related to mental health in the public health system, and almost 80% of mental illnesses are reported in low- and middle-income countries. The stigma associated with mental illness leads to reduced access to health services, inadequate treatment, and poor outcomes. This paper, drawing on Norton1 conceptualization of language investment, investigates the effect of English language learning on self-stigma among patients suffering from mental disorders.

An experimental design with a pre-post test format and a six-month follow-up with English language instruction and a control group was used for this study. A total of 52 adults with mental illness diagnoses from a center for patients suffering from mental disorders in Isfahan, Iran, participated in this study. Data were collected using an English language proficiency test and the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (SSMIS), a self-report questionnaire to assess the internalization of stigmatic views.

The analysis indicated that the experimental group showed significant improvements in being empowered with higher levels of English language proficiency and stigma reduction (P < 0.01). The findings of this study provide theoretical support for Norton’s model of investment and demonstrate its applicability among people with mental problems. Furthermore, the study provides evidence that it is feasible to implement successful English language teaching among patients with mental illness, which has received insufficient attention in academic studies.

Policymakers, psychiatrists, doctors, and people dealing with mental diseases can use English language instruction to reduce stigma and promote a non-stigmatizing attitude among people with mental illnesses. The current study contributes to our understanding of English language teaching in the medical field. Results of the study support the use of secondlanguage teaching to reduce stigma among people suffering from mental illnesses.

New horizons have been opened for educational excellence in medical universities by commencing the role of scholarship for medical teachers in recent years. The low rate of faculty reception towards educational scholarship and their low interest in continuing scholarly activities indicated a need for the current study.

In this qualitative research, a non-probability purposive sample of thirteen participants(n = 13) engaged in two focus group discussions (FGDs), consisting of executors, collaborators, consultants, and referees of university or national educational processes in the last ten years. Participants were asked several critical questions concerning factors affecting educational scholarship development and sustainability. Qualitative content analysis with a conventional approach was used to analyze the data obtained from the discussions.

Merging the codes extracted from the two FGD sessions and repeated review yielded 101 codes classified into two themes: educational scholarship development and sustainability. In all, 19 categories were identified: personal commitment, educational requirements, financial support, faculty development, team building, information resources, educational leadership and management, institutional motivation, culture building, individual characteristics, outcome evaluation of educational scholarship, material and spiritual support, mentorship, sustained training, supportive learning environments, curriculum development, organizational administration and leadership, application of results, and publication of results.

Our findings show that encouraging educational scholarship among faculty members and ensuring the sustainability of innovative educational processes are influenced by factors rooted in both individual and institutional dynamics.

Practical courses in oral pathology are currently taught in classrooms. However, traditional in-person learning does not meet current educational needs. On the other hand, electronic learning has its own drawbacks. Blended learning is a combination of traditional in-person and electronic learning. This study aimed to compare the effects of traditional and blended educational methods in a practical oral pathology course.

The current study was a quasi-experimental study conducted at the Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2021. The study participants consisted of students in their fourth year of a dentistry program. In all, 34 students who were selected randomly participated. A portion of the lessons of the practical oral pathology course two were uploaded to the Birjand University of Medical Sciences content management system, Navid, as digital images. Participants were assigned to one of two groups based on the average of all students rather than randomly. One group studied digital material from the Navid system before attending class (blended) and one group only attended class in person (traditional). Both groups attended the same classroom teaching sessions. After a period of time, students taking the blended and traditional methods were evaluated. Evaluation data were entered into statistical software, and the effect of traditional and web-based blended learning on students’ learning was compared using a t-test.

A total of 34 students taking Practical Oral Pathology II in the first semester of 2020-2021 participated in the study. There were 23 female (67.6%) and 11 male (32.4%) students. The mean age of was 22.42 years. Of 34 participants, 17 students attended traditional classes (6 male and 11 female). In addition, 17 students attended blended traditional-virtual classes (5 male and 12 female). Learning was evaluated based on the students’ evaluations scores in a range of 0 (lowest) to 6 (highest). The traditional and blended groups had mean scores of 3.6 and 4.3, respectively. The mean difference between the traditional and blended groups’ final exam score was statistically significant (P = 0.015).

Web-based education can be used as a complementary educational method alongside traditional education to have a greater impact on student learning.

Medical students carry a huge academic load which can be a contributing factor in sleep disturbances. Studies have shown that the prevalence of sleep disturbance is comparatively higher in medical students than in non-medical students or the general population. Despite various psychological and behavioral interventions for sleep improvement, not much is known about their effectiveness in real-world scenarios. Our study aims to compare the effectiveness of psychobehavioural interventions on sleep disturbances compared to sleep hygiene for undergraduate medical students.

A randomized trial will be used to assess the effectiveness of psychobehavioural interventions in improving sleep quality using the following tools: Semi-structured sociodemographic proforma, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Glasgow Sleep Effort (GSE) scale, Pre-sleep Arousal Scale (PAAS), and Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS). Inclusion criteria: participants scoring 5 or higher on the PSQI will be recruited for psychobehavioural interventions after obtaining informed consent. The participants will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups.

SPSS will be used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the sample. An intention-to-treat analysis will be performed to assess the effectiveness of the interventions. This study will provide valuable insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of non-pharmacological sleep interventions to address sleep difficulties among undergraduate medical students.

The autonomy of faculty members is vital for making the right decision in their work and professional development. Given the need and lack of appropriate tools to measure the autonomous work behavior of faculty members, the current study was conducted with the collaboration of the faculty members from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, aiming at assessing the psychometrics of the Persian version of a scale for assessing autonomous work behavior of faculty members in Iran.

The Persian version of a scale developed by Evers et alwas validated in this psychometric study. A total of 480 faculty members were selected using convenience sampling. After translation and cultural adaptation, face and content validity and reliability were checked, and construct validity was calculated using confirmatory factor analysis with Lisrel factor analysis software.

Of the 480 study participants, 225 (46.9%) were males, and 255 (53.1%) were females. The mean age of the subjects was 37.39±7.58 years. The majority (360; 75%) had the rank of assistant professor, and 360 (75%) had less than 15 years of work experience. Content validity among 20 experts was 0.88. Confirmatory factor analysis for all 25 items loaded across four factors, and this four-factor scale showed a good fit in the Iranian community. Reliability using Cronbach’s alpha was calculated at 0.85, and 0.9 using the test-retest method.

The Persian version of this scale has good validity and reliability in Iran and is a useful tool for assessing the autonomous work behavior of faculty members that educational administrators can use.

Competency-based medical education (CBME) was introduced in India in 2019 to transform the educational environment. Students’ perspectives are vital to incorporate positive changes and ameliorate shortcomings as important stakeholders. The authors have tried to capture these perceptions in the study.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and May 2021 with randomly selected undergraduate student volunteers at a government medical college in Delhi, India. In all, 50 students were included from the first year enrolled in a competencybased curriculum and 50 from the second year studying a traditional curriculum. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to evaluate the perceptions of the educational environments.

Perception of learning (PL) showed a more positive response among the first-year students (using CBME) with a mean score of 32.18±6.32 in comparison to the second-year students following the traditional curriculum with a mean score of 29.04±7.29 (P=0.04). Total score, PL, students’ perception of teachers/teaching (PT), and academic self-perception (ASP) (P=0.03,<0.01, 0.02, 0.05 respectively), were higher in day-scholars in comparison to those who stayed in college-based housing (hostellers). Overall, no gender differences were seen.

Better PL, a reduction in problem areas, and a favorable environment in day scholars compared to hostellers were all seen in students following the CBME method. Perceptions of the two groups of students concerning support systems and other aspects such as students irritating teachers, cheating, and perceived boredom were different. This analysis of the educational environment can serve as helpful feedback to curriculum designers.

One of the critical needs of governmental agencies and educational institutions is meeting community needs. Organizations and governmental systems that rely on social capital are considered inefficient and vulnerable if they are unable to meet the needs of society. Thus, accountability is a critical pillar of government management that leads to effective actions and better service delivery.

Critical review methodology was used in the first phase to review texts and documents available in the field of social accountability and to collect items used to develop the social accountability assessment tool. The Delphi method was then used to finalize and approve the model and assessment tool. University processes were investigated and evaluated based on the social accountability tool in the second phase.

In all, 422 university processes were investigated and evaluated to determine their accountability in different fields. The mean score of the evaluated processes was 11.9 out of 100.

The results show that social accountability is a relatively new topic that has received considerable attention in medical education in Iran. Given the relative newness of this topic, these results could be expected; social accountability should try and be expected to improve in the coming years.

Medical students need problem-solving skills because these are crucial in diagnosing cases in the future. This study aimed to improve medical students’ problemsolving abilities through analysis, reasoning, and application.

A four-month prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at MNR Medical College and Hospital (March to June 2021). Six case scenarios were developed and created in PowerPoint. Each scenario was broken down into the following sections: title, history, clinical findings, investigations, and treatment. The slides were arranged randomly to produce a medley which was then shown to the students. They were tasked with sorting the slides and diagnosing each case. Student responses were gathered using a Google Forms questionnaire.

The number of participants who completed the activity within the stipulated time was 132. The majority of students (85%) scored over 80% in the activity. The activity was interesting (63.6%), promoted active learning (65.2%), helped students correlate the different aspects of the case scenario and make a diagnosis (69.7%), helped build problembased skills, and activated prior knowledge (71.2%), improved clinical orientation to the curriculum (65.2%), exposed students to aspects of the diseases not dealt with in the classroom (40.9%), students felt such an activity should be required of future students (68.2%).

This novel learning method of integrating case scenarios using a digital platform provided multiple opportunities for testing and developing skills necessary for clinical practice. The fact that the activity was well received by students strengthens the argument to create additional activities of this type that may be applied to any topic.

The expansion of roles and the professionalization of nursing obligates instructors to use novel teaching methods, especially problem-based learning (PBL), which provides students with clinical problem-solving skills and promotes lifelong learning.

In a quasi-experimental study, the effects of two teaching methods (traditional lectures and PBL) on academic achievement and educational motivation of nursing students were compared. The study participants consisted of four different classes across four academic semesters of students who had taken a “Respiratory System Diseases and Disorders” theoretical course. The Solomon four-group test was used to remove the sensitizing effect of the pre-test and avoid compromising the external validity of the research. Two classes used the PBL method and two classes used the lecture method. An academic achievement test and the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM) were used to compare the pre-and post-test results.

The pre-test indicated the same random effect on all the participants (P>0.05). Both control groups were treated as one general control group (n=52) and both experimental groups were treated as one general experimental group (n=56). The difference between the post-test mean scores of academic achievement and educational motivation was not significant between the two PBL groups (P>0.05) nor the two lecture groups (P>0.05). The PBL and lecture groups differed in their mean post-test scores of academic achievement and educational motivation (P < 0.05), wherein the PBL group showed higher scores than the control group.

In traditional learning methods, students gain required knowledge for problem-solving before encountering problems. In PBL, however, knowledge is acquired by actually working on problems. The advantages of PBL include gaining basic knowledge for clinical use, developing effective care, developing personal learning skills, and increasing the desire to learn.

Inter-professional education is a new approach in education in which professionals in various fields of health systems learn from each other based on educational events in a real environment, actively and interactively. This systematic review and metaanalysis aims to investigate inter-professional education in advanced and developing countries.

Persian and English keywords were used to search these databases: ISI Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed/Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, ERIC, Magiran, Irandoc, and Barakat with an English language restriction and for the years 2000 to 2019, using these terms: Embase, Meshand and free. Two evaluators assessed the extracted articles using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist. CMA 3.1 software was used for the analysis with a fixed-effects model.

A total of 1425 articles formed the basis of this study. In all, nine articles were extracted that examined the effect of inter-professional education from the viewpoints of professors and students (three for professors and six for students). Heterogeneity among the nine studies was not significant. Teamwork scores, communication skills, and healing of the participants in the study increased by 0.339, 0.283, and 0.275 points after the intervention, respectively.

Inter-professional education is one method of educational integration. Students become aware of how their role overlaps with other medical professions as well as the limitations of their role in treating patients. However, inter-professional education implementation requires infrastructure, such as training professors and preparing them and students to accept inter-professional education.