Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1482
R. Moodley, S. Singh, I. Moodley
Background. Many institutions of higher education transitioned from classroom-based settings to remote settings as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear how undergraduate dental therapy and oral hygiene students responded to this transition in the learning environment. Objectives. To explore undergraduate dental students’ knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and practices related to clinical and theory-based learning at a South African university. Methods. A mixed-methods approach comprising a concurrent dominant status design (QUAN/qual) was used. Therefore, the study was a cross- sectional quantitative survey with descriptive qualitative data. An online, self-administered questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was developed to gain insights into students’ knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and learning practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. Most respondents (n=86; 80.4%) agreed that they had the necessary skills to engage with online learning (p=0.04). Respondents in the first year (n=25; 76%), second year (n=24; 73%) and third year (n=32; 28%) were either unsure or did not agree that they understood online platform-based lectures better than classroom-based lectures. The major emergent themes included external (internet connectivity) and internal (students’ coping skills) barriers to online learning. Conclusions. This study highlighted dental student challenges in embracing the blended approach of teaching and learning. While this may be a new norm for curriculum delivery, it is important to include student input in curriculum-related decision-making processes.
{"title":"Undergraduate dental students’ perspectives on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from an online survey conducted at a South African university using a mixed-methods approach","authors":"R. Moodley, S. Singh, I. Moodley","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1482","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1482","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Many institutions of higher education transitioned from classroom-based settings to remote settings as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear how undergraduate dental therapy and oral hygiene students responded to this transition in the learning environment. Objectives. To explore undergraduate dental students’ knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and practices related to clinical and theory-based learning at a South African university. Methods. A mixed-methods approach comprising a concurrent dominant status design (QUAN/qual) was used. Therefore, the study was a cross- sectional quantitative survey with descriptive qualitative data. An online, self-administered questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was developed to gain insights into students’ knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and learning practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. Most respondents (n=86; 80.4%) agreed that they had the necessary skills to engage with online learning (p=0.04). Respondents in the first year (n=25; 76%), second year (n=24; 73%) and third year (n=32; 28%) were either unsure or did not agree that they understood online platform-based lectures better than classroom-based lectures. The major emergent themes included external (internet connectivity) and internal (students’ coping skills) barriers to online learning. Conclusions. This study highlighted dental student challenges in embracing the blended approach of teaching and learning. While this may be a new norm for curriculum delivery, it is important to include student input in curriculum-related decision-making processes.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48440131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1497
C. Nyoni, A. Fichardt, Y. Botma
Background. Educational institutions were compelled to adapt their educational strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovation of boot camps as a strategy for learning and teaching clinical skills was applied by a school of nursing immediately after the hard lockdown in South Africa. Objectives. To describe the outcomes of implementing an innovative educational strategy for the learning and teaching of clinical skills in an undergraduate nursing programme. Methods. The study comprised a parallel convergent mixed-methods design. Qualitative data were collected from educators (n=7) involved with the boot camps, while the quantitative data comprised module evaluations by 219 students and summative practical assessment scores. Thematic analysis through an inductive approach was applied for the qualitative data, while central tendency and frequencies were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results. Three themes emerged from the narrative data, i.e. rationalising the boot camps, executing the boot camps and learning from the boot camps. Quantitative data support each of the themes. The boot camps appeared to have been appreciated as an emergency innovative educational strategy, with improved student assessment outcomes. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic forced education institutions to adopt a variety of innovative educational strategies. Boot camps appear to have positively influenced the learning and teaching of clinical skills at a school of nursing. There is a need for robust longitudinal research evaluating the long-term effect of such innovative educational strategies.
{"title":"An innovative educational strategy for learning and teaching clinical skills during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"C. Nyoni, A. Fichardt, Y. Botma","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1497","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Educational institutions were compelled to adapt their educational strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovation of boot camps as a strategy for learning and teaching clinical skills was applied by a school of nursing immediately after the hard lockdown in South Africa. Objectives. To describe the outcomes of implementing an innovative educational strategy for the learning and teaching of clinical skills in an undergraduate nursing programme. Methods. The study comprised a parallel convergent mixed-methods design. Qualitative data were collected from educators (n=7) involved with the boot camps, while the quantitative data comprised module evaluations by 219 students and summative practical assessment scores. Thematic analysis through an inductive approach was applied for the qualitative data, while central tendency and frequencies were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results. Three themes emerged from the narrative data, i.e. rationalising the boot camps, executing the boot camps and learning from the boot camps. Quantitative data support each of the themes. The boot camps appeared to have been appreciated as an emergency innovative educational strategy, with improved student assessment outcomes. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic forced education institutions to adopt a variety of innovative educational strategies. Boot camps appear to have positively influenced the learning and teaching of clinical skills at a school of nursing. There is a need for robust longitudinal research evaluating the long-term effect of such innovative educational strategies.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49597868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1468
F. Ally, J. Pillay, N. Govender
Background. The advent of COVID‐19 and the subsequent national lockdown has catapulted higher education institutions into emergency remote teaching (ERT). A principal challenge in this shift is the ability to stimulate student interest towards engagement with, and retention of, course content. The creation of teaching and learning (T&L) resources and activities using a combination of the visual, aural, read/write and kinaesthetic (VARK) modes is fundamental in ensuring student engagement. Objectives. To determine the learning style profiles of undergraduate students and to explore how student learning profiles may be incorporated in T&L approaches during ERT. Methods. This descriptive study profiles the learning preferences of undergraduate students in a health science faculty using the VARK questionnaire. The study further outlines modifications in T&L implemented to support the varied learning preferences during the COVID‐19 ERT response. Results. Our findings demonstrate that the majority of our students have a multimodal learning preference, with the kinaesthetic modality being the most preferred. Voice‐over PowerPoint presentations with transitioning images, and audio files, supported the visual and aural learners through asynchronous engagement. Additionally, online discussion forums and applied projects (such as theme park designs) enhanced asynchronous learning by stimulating the visual, read/write and kinaesthetic preferences, respectively. Microsoft Team sessions with PowerPoint presentations supported visual and aural learning preferences through synchronous engagement. Conclusions. Rethinking traditional T&L approaches towards supporting the diverse student learning preferences is critical in student‐centred T&L amidst the many challenges that ERT has precipitated. Academics need to be dynamic in their T&L approaches and intuitive in their awareness of how subject content may be modified/enhanced in the ERT environment.
{"title":"Teaching and learning considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic: Supporting multimodal student learning preferences","authors":"F. Ally, J. Pillay, N. Govender","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i1.1468","url":null,"abstract":"Background. The advent of COVID‐19 and the subsequent national lockdown has catapulted higher education institutions into emergency remote teaching (ERT). A principal challenge in this shift is the ability to stimulate student interest towards engagement with, and retention of, course content. The creation of teaching and learning (T&L) resources and activities using a combination of the visual, aural, read/write and kinaesthetic (VARK) modes is fundamental in ensuring student engagement. Objectives. To determine the learning style profiles of undergraduate students and to explore how student learning profiles may be incorporated in T&L approaches during ERT. Methods. This descriptive study profiles the learning preferences of undergraduate students in a health science faculty using the VARK questionnaire. The study further outlines modifications in T&L implemented to support the varied learning preferences during the COVID‐19 ERT response. Results. Our findings demonstrate that the majority of our students have a multimodal learning preference, with the kinaesthetic modality being the most preferred. Voice‐over PowerPoint presentations with transitioning images, and audio files, supported the visual and aural learners through asynchronous engagement. Additionally, online discussion forums and applied projects (such as theme park designs) enhanced asynchronous learning by stimulating the visual, read/write and kinaesthetic preferences, respectively. Microsoft Team sessions with PowerPoint presentations supported visual and aural learning preferences through synchronous engagement. Conclusions. Rethinking traditional T&L approaches towards supporting the diverse student learning preferences is critical in student‐centred T&L amidst the many challenges that ERT has precipitated. Academics need to be dynamic in their T&L approaches and intuitive in their awareness of how subject content may be modified/enhanced in the ERT environment.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46709128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-01DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i2.1471
A. Dreyer, L. Rispel
Background. An important strategy in the transformation and scaling up of medical education is the inclusion and utilisation of decentralised training platforms (DTPs). Objective. In light of the dearth of research on the activities of medical students at DTPs, the purpose of this study was to determine how final-year medical students spent their time during the integrated primary care (IPC) rotation at a DTP. Methods. The study was conducted at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and Walter Sisulu University (WSU). At each of the participating universities, a voluntary group of final-year medical students completed a log diary by entering all activities for a period of 1 week during the IPC rotation. The log diary contained five activity codes: clinical time teaching time, skill time, community time and free time, with each subdivided into additional categories. The data were analysed for students at each university separately, using frequencies and proportions. Results. A total of 60 students volunteered to complete the diaries: at WSU n=21; UKZN n=11; Wits n=18; and SMU n=10. At each university, students reported that they spent large amounts of time on clinical activities: WSU=46.0%; UKZN=33.8%; Wits=29.6%; and SMU=44.1%. They reported low amounts of time spent on community-based activities: WSU 0.8%; UKZN 7.6%; Wits 6.8%; and SMU 0.0%. Conclusion. Students reported that they spent a sizeable proportion of their time on clinical activities, while reported time spent on community-based activities was negligible. The transformation potential of DTPs will only be realised when students spend more time on community-based activities.
{"title":"Using log diaries to examine the activities of final-year medical students at decentralised training platforms of four South African universities","authors":"A. Dreyer, L. Rispel","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i2.1471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i2.1471","url":null,"abstract":"Background. An important strategy in the transformation and scaling up of medical education is the inclusion and utilisation of decentralised training platforms (DTPs). Objective. In light of the dearth of research on the activities of medical students at DTPs, the purpose of this study was to determine how final-year medical students spent their time during the integrated primary care (IPC) rotation at a DTP. Methods. The study was conducted at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and Walter Sisulu University (WSU). At each of the participating universities, a voluntary group of final-year medical students completed a log diary by entering all activities for a period of 1 week during the IPC rotation. The log diary contained five activity codes: clinical time teaching time, skill time, community time and free time, with each subdivided into additional categories. The data were analysed for students at each university separately, using frequencies and proportions. Results. A total of 60 students volunteered to complete the diaries: at WSU n=21; UKZN n=11; Wits n=18; and SMU n=10. At each university, students reported that they spent large amounts of time on clinical activities: WSU=46.0%; UKZN=33.8%; Wits=29.6%; and SMU=44.1%. They reported low amounts of time spent on community-based activities: WSU 0.8%; UKZN 7.6%; Wits 6.8%; and SMU 0.0%. Conclusion. Students reported that they spent a sizeable proportion of their time on clinical activities, while reported time spent on community-based activities was negligible. The transformation potential of DTPs will only be realised when students spend more time on community-based activities.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43371245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-01DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i2.1341
M. Kloppers, F. Bardien, A. Titus, J. Bester, G. Inglis-Jassiem
Background. Collaborative approaches in healthcare contexts may provide better care for patients. Interprofessional circuit-based group therapy could counter profession-specific tribalism. There is no evidence on interprofessional education (IPE) community-based interventions on student learning in the health professions. Objective. To explore undergraduate health sciences students’ experience of being involved in community-based interprofessional circuit-based group therapy. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were inductively analysed exploring undergraduate health sciences students’ experience of involvement in an IPE community-based stroke intervention. Results. A total of 12 final-year students participated, with representation from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. This IPE opportunity beneficially impacted students’ collaborative competencies in knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviours. This community-based rotation immersed students in a service-delivery environment where patient management was co-ordinated by a multiprofessional rehabilitation team. The integrated stroke circuit group activity aimed to enhance further interconnectedness between student participants. Students who were exposed to this clinical activity reported an understanding of (i) patients’ unique contexts; (ii) role development and complementary overlap between health professions; and (iii) the value of joint interventions to both patients and rehabilitation teams in resource-constrained settings. Conclusion. These students have been primed in their practice-readiness as healthcare professionals for the 21st century who will promote quality care, and embrace collaborative professional practice and person-centredness.
{"title":"The lived experience of health sciences students’ participation in an interprofessional community-based stroke class","authors":"M. Kloppers, F. Bardien, A. Titus, J. Bester, G. Inglis-Jassiem","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i2.1341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2022.v14i2.1341","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Collaborative approaches in healthcare contexts may provide better care for patients. Interprofessional circuit-based group therapy could counter profession-specific tribalism. There is no evidence on interprofessional education (IPE) community-based interventions on student learning in the health professions. Objective. To explore undergraduate health sciences students’ experience of being involved in community-based interprofessional circuit-based group therapy. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were inductively analysed exploring undergraduate health sciences students’ experience of involvement in an IPE community-based stroke intervention. Results. A total of 12 final-year students participated, with representation from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. This IPE opportunity beneficially impacted students’ collaborative competencies in knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviours. This community-based rotation immersed students in a service-delivery environment where patient management was co-ordinated by a multiprofessional rehabilitation team. The integrated stroke circuit group activity aimed to enhance further interconnectedness between student participants. Students who were exposed to this clinical activity reported an understanding of (i) patients’ unique contexts; (ii) role development and complementary overlap between health professions; and (iii) the value of joint interventions to both patients and rehabilitation teams in resource-constrained settings. Conclusion. These students have been primed in their practice-readiness as healthcare professionals for the 21st century who will promote quality care, and embrace collaborative professional practice and person-centredness.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47442562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-31DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1251
H. Lister, K. Mostert, M. Pillay
Background. Food security is a significant challenge in South Africa, especially for persons with disabilities. This topic is therefore important for educators in the health sciences. Nevertheless, little is known about educators’ awareness of the relationship between food security and people with disabilities, or to what extent the topic is included in their curricula or what their attitudes are regarding this topic. Objectives. We explored the knowledge and attitudes of educators pertaining to food security and people with disabilities. We assessed the current teaching practice associated with the food security of people with disabilities in the School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Methods. Thirty-five participants completed a cross-sectional online survey. The participants represented diverse disciplines including audiology, occupational therapy, optometry, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology and sports science. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results. The participants had limited self-reported knowledge about the definition of food security. Fewer than 60% of the participants reported a relationship between three of the dimensions of food security and disability, and 80% for one of the dimensions (food utilisation). Of the participants, 88% did not teach food security and disability theoretically, and 80% did not teach it practically. According to the participants, students were not equipped to assess if their clients with disability had food security problems, and were unsure of appropriate interventions. Conclusion. Despite a lack of knowledge, participants had positive attitudes towards including food security into their teaching, although limited teaching existed at the time of the study.
{"title":"Teaching about disability and food security in the School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa","authors":"H. Lister, K. Mostert, M. Pillay","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1251","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Food security is a significant challenge in South Africa, especially for persons with disabilities. This topic is therefore important for educators in the health sciences. Nevertheless, little is known about educators’ awareness of the relationship between food security and people with disabilities, or to what extent the topic is included in their curricula or what their attitudes are regarding this topic. Objectives. We explored the knowledge and attitudes of educators pertaining to food security and people with disabilities. We assessed the current teaching practice associated with the food security of people with disabilities in the School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Methods. Thirty-five participants completed a cross-sectional online survey. The participants represented diverse disciplines including audiology, occupational therapy, optometry, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology and sports science. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results. The participants had limited self-reported knowledge about the definition of food security. Fewer than 60% of the participants reported a relationship between three of the dimensions of food security and disability, and 80% for one of the dimensions (food utilisation). Of the participants, 88% did not teach food security and disability theoretically, and 80% did not teach it practically. According to the participants, students were not equipped to assess if their clients with disability had food security problems, and were unsure of appropriate interventions. Conclusion. Despite a lack of knowledge, participants had positive attitudes towards including food security into their teaching, although limited teaching existed at the time of the study.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43872685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-31DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1293
H. Talberg, F. Camroodien-Surve, S. Amosun
Background. Clinical reasoning (CR) is a skill acquired by students under supervision of clinical educators (CEs) when transitioning from classroom to clinical practice to optimise patient care. However, intra- and inter-professional differences in the definition and facilitation of CR have been reported. At the University of Cape Town, a teaching development grant was obtained and used for a staff development initiative aimed at improving the CR skills of undergraduate health and rehabilitation students. Objectives. To gain insight into the understanding of CR among CEs and a cohort of third-year students across 4 professional programmes, using an interpretive approach. Methods. The CEs responsible for third-year supervision (n=45) were invited to take part in a self-developed electronic survey and an initial workshop that explored their understanding of CR. The qualitative survey data, as well as workshop feedback and discussion, were analysed. Students’ understanding was explored during focus group discussions. Results. There were areas of commonality and differences among CEs. They agreed on a cyclical step-like process to CR and the need to cue students to develop this expertise in clinical settings. The approach of CEs in occupational therapy was client focused; physiotherapy CEs described a higher- order thinking; and audiology and speech and language pathology CEs described a structured procedure informed by evidence. Students were unable to conceptualise a complete picture to reasoning and decision-making. Conclusion. The difference between students’ understanding of CR and their poor awareness of strategies employed by CEs to facilitate reasoning could account for difficulties in transitioning from classroom to practice. This scenario suggests that divisions need to look at creating more purposeful strategies to teach students about the CR process and how the facilitation may occur within the clinical setting.
{"title":"Understanding of clinical reasoning by undergraduate students and clinical educators in health and rehabilitation sciences at a South African University: The implications for teaching practice","authors":"H. Talberg, F. Camroodien-Surve, S. Amosun","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1293","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1293","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Clinical reasoning (CR) is a skill acquired by students under supervision of clinical educators (CEs) when transitioning from classroom to clinical practice to optimise patient care. However, intra- and inter-professional differences in the definition and facilitation of CR have been reported. At the University of Cape Town, a teaching development grant was obtained and used for a staff development initiative aimed at improving the CR skills of undergraduate health and rehabilitation students. Objectives. To gain insight into the understanding of CR among CEs and a cohort of third-year students across 4 professional programmes, using an interpretive approach. Methods. The CEs responsible for third-year supervision (n=45) were invited to take part in a self-developed electronic survey and an initial workshop that explored their understanding of CR. The qualitative survey data, as well as workshop feedback and discussion, were analysed. Students’ understanding was explored during focus group discussions. Results. There were areas of commonality and differences among CEs. They agreed on a cyclical step-like process to CR and the need to cue students to develop this expertise in clinical settings. The approach of CEs in occupational therapy was client focused; physiotherapy CEs described a higher- order thinking; and audiology and speech and language pathology CEs described a structured procedure informed by evidence. Students were unable to conceptualise a complete picture to reasoning and decision-making. Conclusion. The difference between students’ understanding of CR and their poor awareness of strategies employed by CEs to facilitate reasoning could account for difficulties in transitioning from classroom to practice. This scenario suggests that divisions need to look at creating more purposeful strategies to teach students about the CR process and how the facilitation may occur within the clinical setting.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45505618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-31DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1338
M. Potter, P. Naidoo, L. Pohl, K. Chu
Background. Global health competencies are an increasingly important part of medical training; however, there is currently no integrated formal global health curriculum at South African (SA) medical schools, and perceptions of medical students towards global health have not been reported. Objectives. To describe SA medical students’: (i) perceptions of global health; (ii) access to global health education (GHE); (iii) awareness of global surgery as a global health priority; and (iv) perceived relevance of select medical specialties to global health. Methods. Medical students at the University of Cape Town (UCT), SA, were invited to complete a 35-item survey over 2 months in 2018. The survey was designed on REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) and distributed by email. All responses were anonymised and self-reported. Results. Of 1 640 medical students, 245 (18%) completed the survey. Only 66 (27%) reported GHE in medical school, whereas 213 (87%) reported a career interest in global health. Childhood in a rural setting was a positive predictor of a career interest in global health, while lack of medical resources and infrastructure in resource-limited communities was the most commonly cited barrier to a career in global health. Most students identified family medicine and infectious diseases as the two most important specialties in global health delivery. The majority of students had limited insight into global surgery, which ranked low as a past and future global health priority. Conclusion. UCT medical students are interested in global health careers, but lack formalised GHE or global surgery education during their medical studies to support and encourage integrating global health into their future careers.
{"title":"Medical students’ perceptions of global health at the University of Cape Town, South Africa: The gap between interest and education","authors":"M. Potter, P. Naidoo, L. Pohl, K. Chu","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1338","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1338","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Global health competencies are an increasingly important part of medical training; however, there is currently no integrated formal global health curriculum at South African (SA) medical schools, and perceptions of medical students towards global health have not been reported. Objectives. To describe SA medical students’: (i) perceptions of global health; (ii) access to global health education (GHE); (iii) awareness of global surgery as a global health priority; and (iv) perceived relevance of select medical specialties to global health. Methods. Medical students at the University of Cape Town (UCT), SA, were invited to complete a 35-item survey over 2 months in 2018. The survey was designed on REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) and distributed by email. All responses were anonymised and self-reported. Results. Of 1 640 medical students, 245 (18%) completed the survey. Only 66 (27%) reported GHE in medical school, whereas 213 (87%) reported a career interest in global health. Childhood in a rural setting was a positive predictor of a career interest in global health, while lack of medical resources and infrastructure in resource-limited communities was the most commonly cited barrier to a career in global health. Most students identified family medicine and infectious diseases as the two most important specialties in global health delivery. The majority of students had limited insight into global surgery, which ranked low as a past and future global health priority. Conclusion. UCT medical students are interested in global health careers, but lack formalised GHE or global surgery education during their medical studies to support and encourage integrating global health into their future careers.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44368551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-31DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1379
H. Brits, G. Joubert, J. Bezuidenhout, L. J. van der Merwe
Background. In high-stakes assessments, the accuracy and consistency of the decision to pass or fail a student is as important as the reliability of the assessment. Objective. To evaluate the reliability of results of high-stakes assessments in the clinical phase of the undergraduate medical programme at the University of the Free State, as a step to make recommendations for improving quality assessment. Methods. A cohort analytical study design was used. The final, end-of-block marks and the end-of-year assessment marks of both fourth-year and final-year medical students over 3 years were compared for decision reliability, test-retest reliability, stability and reproducibility. Results. 1 380 marks in 26 assessments were evaluated. The G-index of agreement for decision reliability ranged from 0.86 to 0.98. In 88.9% of assessments, the test-retest correlation coefficient was <0.7. Mean marks for end-of-block and end-of-year assessments were similar. However, the standard deviations of differences between end-of-block and end-of-year assessment marks were high. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) yielded good reliability results. Conclusion. The reliability of pass/fail outcome decisions was good. The test reliability, as well as stability and reproducibility of individual student marks, could not be accurately replicated. The use of MCQs and OSCEs are practical examples of where the number of assessments can be increased to improve reliability. In order to increase the number of assessments and to reduce the stress of high-stake assessments, more workplace-based assessment with observed clinical cases is recommended.
{"title":"Evaluation of assessment marks in the clinical years of an undergraduate medical training programme: Where are we and how can we improve?","authors":"H. Brits, G. Joubert, J. Bezuidenhout, L. J. van der Merwe","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1379","url":null,"abstract":"Background. In high-stakes assessments, the accuracy and consistency of the decision to pass or fail a student is as important as the reliability of the assessment. Objective. To evaluate the reliability of results of high-stakes assessments in the clinical phase of the undergraduate medical programme at the University of the Free State, as a step to make recommendations for improving quality assessment. Methods. A cohort analytical study design was used. The final, end-of-block marks and the end-of-year assessment marks of both fourth-year and final-year medical students over 3 years were compared for decision reliability, test-retest reliability, stability and reproducibility. Results. 1 380 marks in 26 assessments were evaluated. The G-index of agreement for decision reliability ranged from 0.86 to 0.98. In 88.9% of assessments, the test-retest correlation coefficient was <0.7. Mean marks for end-of-block and end-of-year assessments were similar. However, the standard deviations of differences between end-of-block and end-of-year assessment marks were high. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) yielded good reliability results. Conclusion. The reliability of pass/fail outcome decisions was good. The test reliability, as well as stability and reproducibility of individual student marks, could not be accurately replicated. The use of MCQs and OSCEs are practical examples of where the number of assessments can be increased to improve reliability. In order to increase the number of assessments and to reduce the stress of high-stake assessments, more workplace-based assessment with observed clinical cases is recommended.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44212337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-31DOI: 10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1321
T. Hagemeister
Background. Handling medical emergencies is essential for medical practitioners. Medical students at the University of the Free State have an emergency care block in their third year. Nominal group technique (NGT) has been introduced for programme development, and has been used for the assessment of educational programmes. Objectives. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current teaching programme, as experienced by the students, and to obtain advice from lecturers on available resources and additional requirements. Methods. A two-stage NGT was used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the programme from the ‘clients’ (students), and for the ‘experts’ (clinicians and educators) to suggest possible improvements. Two NGT sessions were conducted with students that had either recently (third-year students) or 2 years ago (fifth-year students) been exposed to the module. Students were asked to identify positive and negative aspects. Based on these sessions, two further NGTs were conducted with groups of ‘experts’ from the School of Medicine, asking for suggestions for improvement in the current resources, and for additional resources necessary. Results. Students valued the practical skills obtained and some of the format of the teaching, but requested an increase of practical content, as well as additional tools and modes of teaching. Lecturers suggested co-ordinating outcomes to clarify basic concepts and to use additional media, but emphasised the need for human resources, teaching tools and functional clinical equipment. Conclusion. NGT provides a valuable tool to obtain critical suggestions from students and lecturers for improvement of the clinical teaching of emergency care.
{"title":"Nominal group technique review of the emergency care content of the clinical skills module in the undergraduate medical programme at the University of the Free State","authors":"T. Hagemeister","doi":"10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2021.v13i4.1321","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Handling medical emergencies is essential for medical practitioners. Medical students at the University of the Free State have an emergency care block in their third year. Nominal group technique (NGT) has been introduced for programme development, and has been used for the assessment of educational programmes. Objectives. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current teaching programme, as experienced by the students, and to obtain advice from lecturers on available resources and additional requirements. Methods. A two-stage NGT was used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the programme from the ‘clients’ (students), and for the ‘experts’ (clinicians and educators) to suggest possible improvements. Two NGT sessions were conducted with students that had either recently (third-year students) or 2 years ago (fifth-year students) been exposed to the module. Students were asked to identify positive and negative aspects. Based on these sessions, two further NGTs were conducted with groups of ‘experts’ from the School of Medicine, asking for suggestions for improvement in the current resources, and for additional resources necessary. Results. Students valued the practical skills obtained and some of the format of the teaching, but requested an increase of practical content, as well as additional tools and modes of teaching. Lecturers suggested co-ordinating outcomes to clarify basic concepts and to use additional media, but emphasised the need for human resources, teaching tools and functional clinical equipment. Conclusion. NGT provides a valuable tool to obtain critical suggestions from students and lecturers for improvement of the clinical teaching of emergency care.","PeriodicalId":43683,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Health Professions Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45406736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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