Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences
Volume:6 Issue: 1, 2015

In this study, we analyzed the relationship between collaborative learning and student persistence in online education. In fact, the purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between synchronous interactive methods of instruction (e.g. Chat) and asynchronous interactive methods (e.g. Discussion Forum and Email) with the student persistence in online courses. The study was descriptive-analytic with survey research methodology. The participants consisted of 744 undergraduate students of electronic education from three Iranian universities. They were selected using a random stratified sampling. The instruments of the study were two researcher-made questionnaires for persistent and non-persistent students with the reliability of 0.79 and 0.82, respectively. The findings of research indicated that in 40% of online courses the main method of interaction between the students and instructors was the same (a combination of chat and email). We also found that there was a positive relationship between the persistence and the students’ attitudes to (p<0.05 and r= 0.744) and cooperation in (p<0.01 and r= 0.863) online courses. As the research literature has confirmed, our findings showed that the instructor’s choice of a specific method of interaction can increase the use of that method by the students. This emphasizes the important role of the instructor –as a facilitator– in the online learning process and the longer student persistence in online courses, in spite of focus on the learners in such courses.

The Ministry of Health, as one of the vital and large organizations of Iran, needs to adapt itself to the changes of the world to move from a traditional to a modern knowledge-based organization. The main aim of the present survey was to study the level of use of knowledge-based organizations components in the Department of Health Education from the staff’s viewpoint. The present study was a descriptive one whose statistical population consisted of all Department of Health Education staff (about 136). Almost all of them were surveyed because of the small size of the population. A research-made questionnaire was used to collect the data. One professor and two experts of the field evaluated the questionnaire and based on their views its validity was confirmed. The reliability of the research instrument was found to be 0.90, using Cronbach’s alpha. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, T test, Pearson correlation coefficient and Friedman test were used to analyze the collected data. According to the results, the means for the objectives, culture, structure and technology application components were 2.28, 2.23, 2.19, and 2.25, respectively. Therefore, all knowledge-based organizations components in the Department of Health Education were at a poor level. To become a knowledge-based organization, the managers and organizers of this department should pay more attention to providing more opportunities for open communication with the staff and their greater involvement in decision-making and overall strategies, and respecting the expertise of employees.

E-learning can result in the promotion of efficiency in the educational processes. However, the development of E-Learning may fail to succeed if the users’ attitudes are not considered. The users’ attitudes are very effective in the adoption and use of E-learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of faculty members of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences on E-Learning.

This cross-sectional study was conducted, using a stratified proportional random sampling. The participants consisted of the faculties members of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The instrument for data collection was a researcher made questionnaire based on similar studies in two parts: part one with eleven background items, and part two with twelve attitude items. The validity of the questionnaire was approved, using experts’ comments and the reliability was found to be 0.73, using Cronbach's Alpha test. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS-21, using independent T-tests and ANOVA with α=0.05.

Maximum scores were 47.23 percent of the total score. Three items, “saving the students’ time”, “solving many problems of teaching” and “saving the teachers’ time” achieved the highest mean score, respectively. Only the faculty members with experience in E-learning education had better attitudes (p=0.003).

The attitude of faculty members of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences toward e-learning was not appropriate. Holding workshops in the field of E-learning by EDC can help to improve the condition.

Development of new technologies including multimedia in teaching has revolutionized the educational process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of multimedia education on learning and retention in the physiology course for the students of anesthesiology at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. In this study, the pretest-posttest design with a control group was used. The population of this study consisted of all students of Anesthesiology at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, who were selected using convenience sampling method. The total sample size included 57 students in two classes of 29 and 28 students. The instruments used in this study were a pre-test with the reliability of 0.90, a post-test with the reliability of 0.88, a self-made retention test with the reliability of 0.88, and a self-made multi-media course with the reliability of 0.83. The face and content validity of all these instruments were approved by the experts. The independent T-test and the Levine test were used to analyze the collected data. The findings showed that: 1) the students undergoing multimedia teaching were superior to those with traditional methods (Levin test = 0.968 and p<0.001) 2) the retention rate of students who have been trained through multimedia techniques was higher than that of the students who underwent traditional methods (Levin test = 0.429 and p<0.001). Due to the impact of multimedia on learning and retention of the students, it seems that this method is useful in medical universities.

The aim of this research was to determine the effects of cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies training on self-directed learning readiness and its subscales. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and a control group. The sampling was based on the multistage cluster random method. The participants were 54 students from Kerman and Rafsanjan Payamnoor universities in the fields of basic and human sciences. They were randomly assigned into two groups. After taking the pre-test, the experimental group was trained on cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies for 8 sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Then the participants were evaluated by the guglielminoself-directed learning questioner. The SPSS software was used for analyzing the data, using ANCOVA. The results of this research showed that education on cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies improved self –directed learning. The most influence was on study skills, problem solving and independence learning. The findings indicated that learning strategies could affected self-directed learning readiness. Therefore, teachers should educate these strategies to their students to improve their skills.

Help seeking is one of the meta-cognitive strategies that are used by learners in self-regulated learning. The main purpose of this study was to compare the dimensions of students’ academic help seeking in e-learning courses and on campus courses. The research used a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population consisted of all virtual and on campus students of Isfahan University in three majors of librarianship, Management and MBA in 1389-1390. 300 students were selected by stratified random sampling method. For gathering data a self-made questionnaire was used. This questionnaire was made according to Verhaselt (2008) inventory. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability was found to be 0.94, using alpha coefficient of Cronbach’s. The results indicated that there was no significant difference between the virtual and on campus students in terms of different dimensions of help seeking behaviors (p≥05). There was a significant relationship between help seeking aspects (types, resources, threats, avoidance and cultural beliefs) and students’ academic achievements and their satisfaction. Regarding this, there was a statistically significant difference between the virtual and on campus students. From the results of this study we conclude that the virtual universities and producers of educational media could identify the students’ attitudes toward help seeking behaviors and investigate the reasons for help seeking avoidance. Having recognizing the related issues, we can develop and expand the culture of help giving and help seeking behaviors and decrease a lot of problems learners might face.

Providing learners with effective feedback during clinical training is one of the indicators of effective teaching. This study compares the views of residents and medical students on the way they receive feedback at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This is a descriptive–analytical study. In the present study, random sampling method was employed. The sample consisted of 50 medical students and 50 residents, whose views on the feedback were obtained as the required data. The data were collected through a valid and reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS software, version18, using descriptive (frequency and percentage index) and analytical (chi-square) statistics. 46% of the students answered “always” to the option that the feedback "has generally been useful" versus 33.3% of residents who had this view. There was a significant relationship between the residents and medical student's responses to items 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16 and 18. Except for the item (variable) 9, the majority of participants [students and residents] chose the option "sometimes" for the items. This study showed that the residents and medical students in clinical education did not get feedback properly. The residents were less satisfied than the medical students with the feedback they received during their clinical training at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Evidence-based Medicine is a new approach for physicians to integrate their clinical experiences. It can provide the best evidence to apply such experiences to the right and precise diagnostic and treatment decisions. There have been a lot of studies concerning teaching methods in and efficiency of evidence-based medicine in recent years. As such, the present study, with an analytic view, aims to deal with diverse teaching methods and the levels of efficiency in evidence-based medicine. This research, with an analytical-theoretical view, is a library-based study, seeking data from articles in scientific data-bases. Primarily, 42 articles were reviewed. Out of them, 21 articles with more data on teaching methods and level of efficiency were included in the study. The review revealed that evidence-based medical education would usually start in the early years of medical education. Although lecturing was the dominant teaching method, other methods as integrated approaches, interaction, and group discussion were also common. In addition the studies on the level of efficacy were more concerned with assessing the students’ satisfaction and knowledge but not the application of evidence-based medicine. Therefore, in medical education more attention should be paid to interactive and integrated methods with an interdisciplinary approach. Evidence-based medical education should be presented step by step, based on the students’ educational needs in basic sciences and clinical levels. It is necessary to have more studies on the efficiency of evidence-based medicine in practice and students’ behavioral change.