A prospective case-control study on online teaching of ultrasonography skills to medical students during COVID-19 pandemic

Extended reality in surgical education: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of extended reality-based training in surgical education.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 33 studies were included in the qualitative analysis. Nine studies evaluated the effectiveness of virtual reality-based training against no substitutional training. Seven studies looked at training for laparoscopic surgery, and the results were contradicting. Two studies focused on orthopedics training, and the outcomes were positive. Fourteen studies compared the outcomes of virtual reality-based training to conventional didactic teaching, all demonstrating superior outcomes for virtual reality-based training. Nine studies compared the outcomes of virtual reality simulation training to dry lab simulation training. The inferior outcomes of virtual reality simulation training were demonstrated by 5 studies for laparoscopic surgery, 1 study for arthroscopic procedures, 1 study for robotic surgery, and 1 study for dental procedures. One study found potential benefits of virtual reality simulation training on orthopedics surgeries. One study found virtual reality simulation training to be superior to cadaveric training, and 3 studies found augmented reality and virtual reality-based training to be comparable to supervised operative opportunities.

CONCLUSION

Extended reality-based training is a potentially useful modality to serve as an adjunct to the current physical surgical training.

Assessing the students' readiness for E-Learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study

The aim of this study was to scrutinize the E-learning readiness among the students of the Faculty of Health at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study was conducted as a descriptive-analytic study on 165 the students of the Faculty of Health in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2021. To examine the level of the participants' readiness for E-learning during the Covid-19 pandemic period, the questionnaire developed by Watkins et al, was administered. Finally, the data analysis was performed with SPSS₂₄ software. The results showed that the mean and standard deviation were 97.44 and 17.67, respectively. Only 1.2% of the participants had a low level of E-learning readiness. 27.9% were at the intermediate level and 70.9% were at the high level. Moreover, the results revealed that the participants had the highest degree of readiness in "Technology Access" and "Internet discussions" dimensions (0.79) and the lowest degree of readiness in "motivation" dimension (0.67). The results of this study indicated that the majority of the participants in this study had a high E-learning readiness, so the university can implement the virtual education. However, the students' learning motivation should be enhanced through providing the required infrastructure and holding training courses for the students specially the BA ones.

The perception of e-learning during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by students of medical universities in Poland - a survey-based study

BACKGROUND

In March 2020 lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced Polish Medical Universities to implement e-learning. The aim of the study was to evaluate the perception of e-learning by students of Medical Universities in Poland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Survey was performed nationwide via the Internet from 30th November 2020 to 10th February 2021. Six hundred fifteen (615) medical students completed the survey. The study questionnaire included questions concerning sociodemographic data, perception of lecturers' effectiveness, assessment of stationary and online classes, changes in learning habits and restrictions on education, and advantages and disadvantages of e-learning.

RESULTS

The respondents reported that 96.1% of lectures, 85.5% of seminars, and 40.0% of clinical classes were implemented by e-learning. The lectures conducted by e-learning were assessed as good and very good by 78.4% and seminars by 51.2% of respondents. While the clinical classes conducted by e-learning were assessed as bad and very bad by 62.9% of respondents. The most frequently indicated limitations of e-learning were the quality of the content and available materials (26.9%), restrictions in direct contact with the lecturer (19.6%), Internet connection (16.8%), and home conditions (13.8%). Only 4% of the students had to buy or retrofit computer equipment. Any other limitations were indicated by 9.7% of the respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

Students were highly accepting of lectures and seminars conducted in the form of e-learning, but not laboratory and clinical classes. The main problems in e-learning are the quality of the classes conducted and the Internet connection. The students expect e-learning classes to be conducted in real-time, with direct, face-to-face contact with the lecturer.