Comparisons Between Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students' Perceptions of the Educational Climate at the College of Dentistry, Jazan University

Perceptions of students and faculty on NCAAA-accredited health informatics programs in Saudi Arabia: an evaluative study

BACKGROUND

As the healthcare sector becomes increasingly reliant on technology, it is crucial for universities to offer bachelor's degrees in health informatics (HI). HI professionals bridge the gap between IT and healthcare, ensuring that technology complements patient care and clinical workflows; they promote enhanced patient outcomes, support clinical research, and uphold data security and privacy standards. This study aims to evaluate accredited HI academic programs in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This study employed a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design utilising a self-reported electronic questionnaire consisting of predetermined items and response alternatives. Probability-stratified random sampling was also performed.

RESULT

The responses rates were 39% (n = 241) for students and 62% (n = 53) for faculty members. While the participants expressed different opinions regarding the eight variables being examined, the faculty members and students generally exhibited a strong level of consensus on many variables. A notable association was observed between facilities and various other characteristics, including student engagement, research activities, admission processes, and curriculum. Similarly, a notable correlation exists between student engagement and the curriculum in connection to research, attrition, the function of faculty members, and academic outcomes.

CONCLUSION

While faculty members and students hold similar views about the institution and its offerings, certain areas of divergence highlight the distinct perspectives and priorities of each group. The perception disparity between students and faculty in areas such as admission, faculty roles, and internships sheds light on areas of improvement and alignment for universities.

Students' perception of the educational environment at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for health sciences using DREEM tool

BACKGROUND

Students' learning results are influenced by the educational environment. The best learning environment is created when students are involved in the evaluation process of their education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' perceptions of their learning environment at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) instrument.

METHODS

This observational cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire using the Arabic version of the DREEM tool. Students from six colleges at KSAU-HS Riyadh campus were asked to complete the questionnaire through emails. The study was carried out between November 2021 and April 2022. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were performed for DREEM as both a continuous (two-way ANOVA test) and categorical variable (Chi-squared and Monte-Carlo test).

RESULTS

A total of 370 students completed the questionnaire. The overall DREEM score for the study was 125.88/200, with a standard deviation of 58.79. SSP items received the highest scores, while SAP items earned the lowest scores. The college and the academic level showed statistically significant differences in the DREEM overall score and the five subscales, whereas gender showed no significant difference. The college of pharmacy scored the highest total DREEM score (140.35 ± 27.75), and scored higher among the five subscales than both colleges of dentistry (114.13 ± 29.74) and medicine (113.87 ± 33.03). Students in their third year had the greatest overall DREEM score (132.23 ± 29.76), and scored higher in SPL, SPA and SSP compared to students in their sixth year, in which the total DREEM score was (111.65 ± 27.58).

CONCLUSIONS

Students of KSAU-HS generally perceived the educational environment as having more positive than negative. The educational level and college differed significantly in the overall DREEM score and the five subscales. Junior students had better perception of the educational environment and they differed significantly in the SPL and SPA subscales. The faculty of pharmacy had higher scores in the overall DREEM and the five subsequent scales than colleges of dentistry and medicine. Further research is needed in order to optimize the educational environment by investigating different solutions.