Iranian Journal of Medical Education

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Introduction: E-learning is one of the usual educational methods all over the world. Rapid technological advances and easy access to Internet have had an effective role in the development of this method. The only factor needing more investigation is students' performance towards e-learning. This study was designed to compare the effect of two methods of e-learning and lecture on students' learning in the department of Health and Management of Mashad University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 191students of different disciplines in the department of Health and Management. During the term, half of the courses were presented by lecture and the other half through e-learning. At the end of the term, the students' opinion toward the educational methods was asked using a researcher-made questionnaire. The exams covering the contents of both educational methods was administered in sparated sheets at the same time. The Data were analyzed by t-test and ANOVA through SPSS. Results: There was no significant difference between students' mean scores in attendance and e-learning courses. E-learning course was optimal regarding goal achievement and educational needs fulfillment, content, methodology, sequence, material and evaluation. There was a significant relationship between students' computer skills and their success in working with e-learning system as well as their scores on the on-line final exam (P=0.001). Conclusion: E-learning is a new and successful teaching method which needs continuity, enough time, and enhanced access to computer and internet in the whole society, in order to achieve its final goals. It is recommended to present some introductory courses in computer and internet for first term students to be able to overcome the problems of using e-learning system.

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Introduction: Curriculum orientations are effective in curriculum success and failure. This study aimed to investigate faculties’ curriculum orientations based on gender, academic level and teaching approaches. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive research was conducted in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2011. The research population included the faculty of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. A sample size of 145 faculties teaching in Mashhad University of Medical Science completed the Mahlios curriculum orientation questionnaire. Data were analyzed using MANOVA, Pearson coefficient, and Tukey post-hoc tests. Results: The findings showed that faculty preferred Behaviorism, Eclectic and Cognitive processes rather than Academic Rationalism, Social Reconstruction, Constructivism and Humanistic ones. We found significant differences between teachers’ curriculum orientation based on teaching approaches (face-to-face and virtual) and the faculty academic level. The instructors’ evaluation of humanistic orientation was higher than that of the professors’. Gender had no significance for curriculum orientation. There were significant correlations between all curriculum orientations. Conclusion: Considering importance of curriculum orientations in teaching and learning process, it is recommended that higher education administrators initiate measures to shift curriculum orientation toward humanistic and social constructivism.

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Introduction: Information and communication technology has changed the traditional role of teachers and learners. It’s important to detect factors influencing e-teachers’ role to improve their performance more than ever. So in this study we identified and prioritized factors influencing e-teacher’s effective performance. Methods: In this descriptive study, 15 e-learning experts from Tehran University of Medical Sciences were selected through purposeful sampling. Having focus group sessions held, their viewpoints about main factors affecting e-teacher’s performance were collected. In order to collect the views toward the significance of each criterion, a questionnaire was developed regarding the main criterion and its subordinates in which there was a comparison table for each criterion. Then Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process decision making was used for prioritizing and weighting factors (ie., criteria). Results: Totally 5 factors influencing e-teachers’ performance were extracted. The factor of professional knowledge had the highest weight (0.28) was recognized as the most important factor. This factor did not have any subordinate. Technology with the lowest weight (0.137) was identified as the least important factors affecting e-teacher’s performance. Factors (and their most important subordinates with the highest coefficients) were as follows: skillfulness in e-teacher role playing (mastery in pedagogy), technology (mastery in information technology), management (management of virtual classroom), and personality factor (interest in virtual training). Conclusion: In order to select an e-teacher and develop his capabilities, it must be considered that IT expertise is of the least importance and teachers who encompass factors such as professional knowledge and are able to act as an effective teacher, are also able to act as a successful e-teacher.

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Introduction: Neonatal care unit nurses should acquire and maintain the necessary specialized knowledge for providing skillful and high quality care during their professional career. This study aimed to examine the impact of virtual-based education on nurses’ psychological empowerment in the level II neonatal care unit.

Methods: This quasi- experimental study was carried out in 2015 on 80 nurses working in level II neonatal care units of hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences; subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and control groups. The level of nurses’ psychological empowerment was measured using Spreitzer’s psychological empowerment questionnaire on the first day of study and after the course. For the intervention group, the educational content of level II neonatal cares was developed and presented on Namad System of the virtual faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) for two months. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, Fisher’s exact test, chi-square and independent t-test.

Results: The research units were homogeneous in all demographic variables except work experience in the neonatal unit. The respective mean scores and standard deviations of empowerment in the intervention and control groups were 61.57±7.8 and 56.74±6.386 (out of 84) before the intervention and 60.71±7.595 and 63.60±5.6 after the intervention. The results of the independent t-test and paired t-test showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of psychological empowerment of the two groups before the intervention (p=0.006), of the control group before and after the intervention (p≤0.001), and of the intervention group before and after the intervention (p≤0.001).

Conclusion: The results indicated the effectiveness of virtual-based education on nurses’ psychological empowerment in level II neonatal care units. With regard to the benefits of virtual-based education, its application is recommended in continuing education programs for nurses. 

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Letter To Editor

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Introduction: Clinical medical education is important due to the impact it can exert on improving patient care and quality of care. This study endeavored to compare traditional and blended education in teaching orthopedic general medicine internship students in terms of learning and educational satisfaction in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2018.
Method: This study was an educational intervention with a post-test design was performed on 106 interns in the orthopedic department of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Samples were selected by convenience sampling and divided into two groups of blended education (virtual and clinical) and traditional (clinical) education in a sequential and non-random manner. The final OSCE test scores were used to assess learning and the researcher-made questionnaire was a tool for measuring educational satisfaction. Significance level was considered less than 0.05.
Results: It was revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean and standard deviation of the OSCE exam score in the traditional education group (17.81±2.21) and in the combined education group (17.75±1.76) (P=0.85). In terms of the total score of educational satisfaction and its subgroups including academic competence, dynamism and interest, strengthening the motivation and academic competence of students, the relationship between teacher and student in and outside the department, evaluation and feedback system, curriculum planning, ethical issues, educational rules, and regulations; there was a significant difference between the scores of the traditional education group (116.04±24.83) and the blended education group (147.71±26.53) (P<0.001).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study and the satisfaction of interns, it seems that by increasing the quality of virtual education equipment and its expansion in clinical medicine, the ultimate goal of improving the quality of education and continuing the educational process in crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic can be achieved.
 

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Letter To Editors

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