The Use of Telegram in Surgical Education: Exploratory Study

A Systematic Scoping Review of the Current Applications of Digital Technology in Undergraduate Surgical Education

Over the past few decades, technological advancements have established digital tools as an indispensable pedagogical resource in the realm of modern education. In the field of medical education, there is growing interest in how these digital tools can be effectively integrated to enhance undergraduate surgical education. However, despite their well-documented potential benefits, research specifically investigating the current use of digital technology in undergraduate surgical education remains limited, highlighting a critical gap in the existing literature. To address this research gap, this scoping review aims to elucidate the current utilisation of digital technologies in undergraduate surgical education by addressing the research question: 'How are digital technologies currently being utilised in undergraduate surgical education to meet surgical learning outcomes'. A scoping review was performed, adopting the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework. A comprehensive search strategy was conducted using the search terms 'technology' OR 'simulation' OR 'virtual reality' OR 'augmented reality' OR 'digital' OR 'online' AND 'undergraduate' AND 'surgical' on multiple electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Medline, ERIC, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. These search terms were executed using both free-text and MeSH terms, with search terms combined using Boolean operators to ensure all relevant citations were captured. All search results were screened against the eligibility criteria using Covidence, a web-based software platform, using a two-stage process. Subsequently, all included studies were reviewed, and the extracted data was systematically sorted and organised, with the findings presented graphically accompanied by descriptive narratives. A thematic analysis was also performed to identify themes within the data to synthesise key findings. This scoping review revealed three key findings. First, the use of digital tools in surgical education has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the integration of technology into surgical education. Second, this review also highlighted the key role of anatomy within surgical education, with most included studies reporting the use of digital technologies to enhance anatomy teaching. Finally, this review provided an overview of various digital tools used in surgical education and their associated user experiences. Overall, most studies indicated that digital technologies are well-received by students, with many advocating for their continued use in supplementing surgical education even beyond the pandemic. This review provides a crucial foundation for understanding the evolving role of digital innovations in shaping undergraduate surgical education. To enhance undergraduate surgical education, integrating appropriate digital learning tools can provide more learner-centred and personalised learning experiences. Educators must recognise that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach, and a flexible multimodal strategy is necessary to meet diverse learning needs. As technology continues to evolve and its role in education grows, this review offers valuable insights into the current use of digital tools in surgical education, highlighting opportunities for improvement and innovation to further enhance undergraduate surgical experience.

Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study

INTRODUCTION

Mobile learning has gained significant attention in medical education in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated its adoption. A lack of research on student perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics limits strategies for maintaining education during these times. This study examines the perceptions of medical students in Iran regarding the mobile learning during COVID-19. It is imperative that these perceptions are understood to optimize mobile learning effectiveness in medical education during disruptions.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was done in 2022 among 785 medical students in Iran who spent summer semester. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample. We used Biswas et al.'s scale for measuring medical students' perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics. Face and content validity was determined by qualitative methods. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's Alpha (0.79). Data was collected through an online questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted with SPSS software at a significance level of p<0.05.

RESULTS

In total, 1,200 medical students were asked to complete the survey, and 785 responded, resulting in a 65.4% response rate. Mobile learning has been embraced by majority of medical students, with Android devices being used the most frequently. They also have frequent access to the internet, and they rely on a wide range of apps and platforms for academic purposes. Students perceive mobile devices to be highly advantageous for improving subject knowledge (Mean = 4.71±0.58), accessing study materials (Mean = 4.44±0.75), and providing flexible learning opportunities (Mean = 4.40±0.79). Despite this, participants were less confident about the ability of mobile devices to assist with specific study problems (Mean = 3.12 ± 1.28), facilitate class discussions (Mean = 3.33 ± 1.38), and overcome screen size limitations (Mean = 3.32 ± 1.38).

CONCLUSION

Medical students in Iran have widely adopted mobile learning and perceive it as beneficial for acquiring knowledge, accessing material, and being flexible during COVID-19. M-learning's effectiveness in specific learning activities must be investigated in further research, and concerns regarding problem-solving, discussion facilitation, and screen size limitations should be addressed.

Nursing students' learning strategies for e-learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in Iran: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

In response to the emergency brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, many universities around the world had to change their teaching methods from in-person classes to e-learning. The purpose of this study was to identify the learning strategies of nursing students in e-learning during the pandemic.

METHODS

This study had a qualitative design and used content analysis approach to collect and analyze the data. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Iranian undergraduate nursing students who were selected using purposive sampling method.

RESULTS

Most nursing students in this study generally used two different strategies for e-learning, namely self-centered learning strategies and collaborative learning strategies. Some students, on the other hand, adopted a passive approach in which they did not take any effective action to contribute to their learning.

CONCLUSION

In e-learning during the pandemic, students adopted different learning strategies. Therefore, designing teaching strategies tailored to the students' strategies can promote their learning and academic achievement. Also, knowledge of these strategies helps policy makers and nursing educators to take necessary measures in order to optimize and facilitate student learning in an e-learning environment.