Elucidating experiences of faculty members in applying effective teaching strategies in the online class during the COVID-19: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Despite the restrictions on providing medical courses online in medical universities, all instructors were required to provide training on virtual platforms. This study aimed to explain faculty members' experiences applying effective strategies in online class teaching.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study has been done with a qualitative approach and using the method of conventional content analysis. Participants included 14 faculty members working at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Semistructured interviews were used to collect data. Faculty members who had experience in conducting online classes were purposefully selected. Graneheim and Lundman's (2004) approach was used to analyze interview data.

RESULTS

Two main categories were obtained from the data analysis: interpersonal communication and supportive behavior. The category of interpersonal communications comprises the subcategories of emotional expression and flexibility. The category of supportive behavior includes the subcategories of educational design, learner encouragement, diversity in evaluation, collaborative learning, and prompt feedback.

CONCLUSION

Our findings confirmed that an appropriate teaching strategy leads to better attention to class and deep learning in learners. The cause is that in online classes, the student's attention is more minor than in daily classes due to its virtual nature. Appropriate educational strategies will motivate learners, interest them, and improve teacher interaction. These strategies increase students' participation in educational activities.

The Concept of Wind in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The use of folk medicine has been widely embraced in many developed countries under the name of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) and is now becoming the mainstream in the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as in North America and Australia. Diversity, easy accessibility, broad continuity, relatively low cost, base levels of technological inputs, fewer side effects, and growing economic importance are some of the positive features of folk medicine. In this framework, a critical need exists to introduce the practice of folk medicine into public healthcare if the goal of reformed access to healthcare facilities is to be achieved. The amount of information available to public health practitioners about traditional medicine concepts and the utilization of that information are inadequate and pose many problems for the delivery of primary healthcare globally. Different societies have evolved various forms of indigenous perceptions that are captured under the broad concept of folk medicine, e.g., Persian, Chinese, Grecian, and African folk medicines, which explain the lack of universally accepted definitions of terms. Thus, the exchange of information on the diverse forms of folk medicine needs to be facilitated. Various concepts of Wind are found in books on traditional medicine, and many of those go beyond the boundaries established in old manuscripts and are not easily understood. This study intends to provide information, context, and guidance for the collection of all important information on the different concepts of Wind and for their simplification. This new vision for understanding earlier Chinese medicine will benefit public health specialists, traditional and complementary medicine practitioners, and those who are interested in historical medicine by providing a theoretical basis for the traditional medicines and the acupuncture that is used to eliminate Wind in order to treat various diseases.

Prevalence and risk factors of alcohol and substance abuse among motorcycle drivers in Fars province, Iran

PURPOSE

The aim of this present study is to investigate the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse (ASA) and its relationship with other risky driving behaviors among motorcycle drivers.

METHODS

This is a cross sectional study which is performed at Shiraz city of Iran. Data from motorcycle drivers were collected using a standard questionnaire in eight major streets at different times of the day. The data includes consumption of alcohol and other substances two hours before driving and some of the risky behaviors during driving.

RESULTS

A total of 414 drivers with a mean ± SD age of (27.0 ± 9.3) years participated in the study. Alcohol or substance consumptions two hours before driving was significantly associated with risky driving behaviors such as using mobile phone during driving, poor maneuvering, and driving over the speed limit (both p < 0.001). It was also associated with carelessness about safety such as driving with technical defects (p < 0.001) and not wearing a crash helmet (p=0.008).

CONCLUSION

Screening for alcohol and substance consumption among motorcycle drivers is an efficient way to identify drivers that are at a greater risk for road traffic accidents.

The prevalence and effective factors of crash helmet usage among motorcyclists in Iran

Background:

Crash helmet plays an important role in protecting the deriver's head during crashes and reduces the rate of severe injuries and fatalities. Although it has been proved that wearing the crash helmet can save the deriver’s life by around 42%; previous studies showed that the rate of wearing crash helmet has not been acceptable in Iran. Due to the huge number of motorcyclists on the roads in Iran, the use of crash helmet is an important area of research. The aim of this study was to assess the factors that could possibly relate to or affect the use of crash helmet by the motorcyclists.

Methods:

This is an observational study on 414 motorcyclists in Shiraz, Southern Iran. All participants completed a questioner containing demographic features, crash helmet use, motorcycle license, and the reasons for using motorcycles.

Results:

All the participants were males and aged from16 to 64 years with mean age 27±9.28. The results of logistic regression model revealed that only the drivers who had motorcycle license (OR=2.73, C.I: 1.40-7.24), employed the motorcycle for reasons other than pleasure (OR=3.18, C.I: 1.42-7.37) and been driving for 10 or more years (OR=1.92 95% C.I: 1.12-3.30) had greater rate of wearing crash helmet. Interestingly, educational levels, age, and other demographical variables had no relationship with crash helmet usage.

Conclusions:

It is believed that in order to increase the rate of crash helmet use, it is necessary to enact obligatory requirement for driving license by motorcyclists and increase the legal age for motorcycle driving.

Burden of transportation injuries among children and adolescents of Fars province: analysis of Iran's 20-year trends

OBJECTIVES:

Transportation injuries are among the top ten causes of burden of disease in all age groups worldwide. The burden of transportation injuries among children and adolescents in Iran is higher than the world average and that of other developing countries. The aims of this study were to investigate the burden of transportation injuries in children and adolescents in the province of Fars in Iran from 2009 to 2013, and to report the burden of these kinds of injuries in children and adolescents in Iran from 1990 to 2010.

METHODS:

The number of deaths due to transportation injuries and the location of fatal injuries in the province of Fars in Iran from 2009 to 2013 were analyzed using data from the Fars Forensic Medicine Organization. The 20-year trend in the burden of transportation injuries in Iran was analyzed using data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

RESULTS:

Similarly to the long-term trend in Iran, the burden of transportation injuries among the male population of Fars province was generally higher than in females. Most fatal accident injuries occurred on roads (males: n=4151, 61.51%; females: n=1182, 65.95%) and in urban areas (males: n=1994, 29.54%; females: n=473, 26.40%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Considering that children and adolescents are high risk groups for transportation injuries, adopting an effective comprehensive multi-sectoral approach, including enacting and enforcing appropriate laws and regulations, developing general knowledge, and facilitating the availability of Personal protective equipment, could be helpful for reducing the burden of these injuries.