Effectiveness of an e-Learning Platform for Image Interpretation Education of Medical Staff and Students

An analytical model of college students' self-assessed satisfaction with the effectiveness of online learning: a structural equation model integrating LICE and S-O-R models

Background

Nowadays, e-learning significantly affects college students' academic life. This study aims to examine the factors that influence college students' satisfaction with online learning outcomes.

Method

The study population consisted of undergraduate students from Dalian Medical University, with a total of 715 college students participating in the study. Out of these participants, 602 valid questionnaires were obtained. Demographic data was analyzed using SPSS.22, and the data was cleaned and prepared for testing the research hypotheses. The proposed research framework was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) through Smart-PLS 3.0.

Results

The results of the study showed that student satisfaction with learning outcomes was positively correlated with several factors: quality of teacher instruction (β = 0.100, p < 0.0001), quality of e-learning platforms (β = 0.059, p < 0.0001), individual learner factors such as learning motivation (β = 0.112, p < 0.001), and e-learning environment (β = 0.469, p < 0.001). Additionally, self-learning efficacy (β = 0.081, p < 0.0001), learning strategies (β = 0.031, p < 0.001), and learning motivation (β = 0.039, p < 0.001) were found to have mediating effects.

Conclusion

Understanding the satisfaction of college students with the effect of e-learning holds great significance in coping with teaching methods in unexpected situations. It enables adjustments to teaching strategies, improvements to learning platforms, and mobilization of students' motivation. Thus, it serves as a valuable reference in addressing unexpected teaching scenarios.

Using Rubrics to Evaluate E-Learning Tools in Radiology Education

Recent trends in medical education with an emphasis on active learning strategies and blended learning techniques have resulted in a growing volume and utilization of online educational resources. Integration of online learning tools into medical curricula has been further necessitated during the COVID-19 pandemic. With access to abundant digital radiology education resources, it has become increasingly important for educators to be able to evaluate the efficacy of e-learning tools for use in radiology education. In this manuscript, the authors describe their successful search for a vetted method to evaluate e-learning tools in radiology education. The selected rubric was designed by educational developers supporting technology to be used as a formative tool in higher education. The rubric was applied in condensed and noncondensed formats to 2 existing popular highly subscribed radiology e-learning resources and results were displayed in narrative and visual formats. More widespread application of this rubric would be beneficial to the content creators and learners alike.

Advances in e-learning in undergraduate clinical medicine: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

E-learning is recognised as a useful educational tool and is becoming more common in undergraduate medical education. This review aims to examine the scope and impact of e-learning interventions on medical student learning in clinical medicine, in order to aid medical educators when implementing e-learning strategies in programme curricula.

METHODS

A systematic review compliant with PRISMA guidelines that appraises study design, setting and population, context and type of evaluations. Specific search terms were used to locate articles across nine databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Scopus and Google Scholar. Only studies evaluating e-learning interventions in undergraduate clinical medical education between January 1990 and August 2021 were selected. Of the 4,829 papers identified by the search, 42 studies met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The 42 studies included varied in scope, cognitive domain, subject matter, design, quality and evaluation. The most popular approaches involved multimedia platforms (33%) and case-based approaches (26%), were interactive (83%), asynchronous (71%) and accessible from home (83%). Twelve studies (29%) evaluated usability, all of which reported positive feedback. Competence in use of technology, high motivation and an open attitude were key characteristics of successful students and preceptors.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical education is evolving consistently to accommodate rapid changes in therapies and procedures. In today's technologically adept world, e-learning is an effective and convenient pedagogical approach for the teaching of undergraduate clinical medicine.

A study to investigate the effectiveness of the application of virtual reality technology in dental education

BACKGROUND

Today, the use of virtual reality (VR) technology as an educational tool in dental education has expanded considerably. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using VR technology in teaching neutral zone and teeth arrangement.

METHODS

This randomized trial was conducted at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2019. The study sample consisted of 50 six-year dental students who were randomly divided into experimental (n = 25) and control (n = 25) groups. Students' performance in both groups was assessed using tests. A questionnaire was used to assess the usability of VR technology and students' satisfaction with it.

RESULTS

All faculty members confirmed the usability of VR technology in dental education. The majority of students (76%) were highly satisfied with the use of this technology in their learning process. The mean score of students was significantly higher in the experimental group (16.92 ± 1.12) than in the control group (16.14 ± 1.18).

CONCLUSION

In general, it can be argued that VR technology is useful and effective in the teaching-learning process. Therefore, its use in medical and dental schools can play an effective role in creating a dynamic, attractive, and successful learning environment.

[Evaluation of a structured e-learning-based approach to CT anatomy of the paranasal sinuses for medical students : A pilot study]

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography (CT) anatomy is not an integral part of undergraduate medical training in many countries. Radiology seems to be well suited for new online-based teaching methods.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether e‑learning is appropriate for introducing complex learning contents such as sinus CT anatomy to novices and to assess whether identification of relevant anatomical variants in sinus CT scans by medical students can be improved with a sinus CT checklist.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical students were asked to assess sinus CT scans for anatomical variants before and after implementation of the CLOSE mnemonic (cribriform plate, lamina papyracea, Onodi cell, sphenoid sinus pneumatization, and [anterior] ethmoidal artery). Sinus CT anatomy and the CLOSE mnemonic were introduced by e‑learning. The rate of correctly identified variants and the results of the individual CLOSE items were recorded. A questionnaire was distributed for subjective evaluation of the usefulness of the checklist and e‑learning.

RESULTS

Ten students took part in this pilot study. The rate of correctly identified variants improved significantly, from 33.3 to 61.1%. The analysis of the individual CLOSE items showed a significant improvement for C, S, and E. The subjective evaluation of the CLOSE mnemonic and e‑learning was very positive.

CONCLUSION

E‑learning was able to transfer complex learning contents in previously non-trained medical students and was evaluated as an appropriate introduction to the topics. Structured assessment of paranasal sinus CT scans using the CLOSE criteria can significantly improve the recognition of anatomical variants.

Web-Based Radiology Learning Module Design: The Author Perspective

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Over recent years, e-learning has become an integral component of radiology education. While demands for innovative, interactive e-learning resources have increased, the availability of viable solutions have not kept pace. As a result, many educators are authoring their own e-learning content. This study describes the six-year experience of faculty clinician educators and residents who participated in this authoring process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From 2014 to 2020, 62 radiology faculty and residents created a total of 89 peer reviewed web-based learning modules. Authors were given instructions and materials to support their design process. Following completion of their module(s), authors were asked to complete an anonymous and voluntary survey on their perspective.

RESULTS

Hundred percent of survey respondents reported that they enjoyed creating their module and 97.8% would recommend the experience to others. Reported educational value of authoring a learning module was 4.18 per 5, with 65% of resident authors reporting that they felt more likely to retain the information they learned through authoring a module rather than reading a chapter on the same topic. A total of 77.3% of respondents reported that the experience would make them more likely to teach medical students in the future.

CONCLUSION

With the appropriate resources and support, radiology faculty and residents succeed in authorship of innovative e-learning modules for medical student learners. In addition to enhancing subject matter knowledge and satisfying Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements for teaching and scholarly activity, authorship provides mentoring opportunities and cultivates interest in medical student education.

E-learning as an Effective Method in the Prevention of Patient Falls

Objectives

Patient falls deteriorate patients’ functional condition and quality of life, and increase their treatment costs. E-learning is considered an effective way to gain knowledge and competencies for quality and safety in nursing practice. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an e-learning course for nurses in preventing in-patient falls.

Methods

The research design was mixed. In the first phase of the study, a five-year retrospective analysis of 2,280 in-patient falls was performed. Based on the analysis of risk factors for patient falls and group interviews with clinic managers an e-learning course was designed and completed by 250 nurses from five surgical and internal departments. The course’s effectiveness was evaluated based on the incidence of patient falls and the consequences of the falls before and after e-learning.

Results

At surgical departments, there was a statistically significant decrease in patient fall indices after the implementation of the e-learning course (from 4.4 to 2.6 falls per 1,000 patients; p=0.022). On the contrary, in internal departments, this index increased in the monitored period (from 19.0 to 26.9 falls per 1,000 patients; p=0.001). In all departments, there was a decrease in the incidence of patient injuries caused by falls after the implementation of the e-learning course; in internal medicine, this decrease was statistically significant (from 54.5% to 33.3%; p=0.014).

Conclusions

The study confirmed that e-learning forms of education for healthcare professionals have a positive effect in preventing patient falls.

Synchronous distance teaching of radiology clerkship promotes medical students' learning and engagement

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education in myriad ways, primarily leading to an abrupt paradigm shift in teaching and learning practices towards distance learning. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of teaching radiology to undergraduate medical students using synchronous distance learning compared to traditional on-campus learning through exploring students’ perceived satisfaction and concerns. Students’ perceptions were correlated with their attendance, grades, and frequency of technical difficulties.

Methods

The study was designed as an observational study involving fourth-year medical students (2019/2020) from two institutions. The cohort students were exposed to traditional learning, distance learning, or both. Students completed an online self-administered questionnaire concerning their perceptions of distance learning. Students’ attendance, engagement, technical difficulties, and post-clerkship knowledge assessments were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

A total of 145 participants completed the clerkship using the following strategies: traditional learning (n = 66), both traditional and distance learning (n = 67), and distance learning alone (n = 12). The most important result indicates that the abrupt transition to distance learning was well perceived. Most students preferred distance learning over traditional learning in the radiology clerkship (p = .05). During the synchronous sessions, student attendance was high, reaching to 100%. Technical difficulties were limited (1.9%), and they did not affect learning.

Conclusion

Synchronous distance teaching promotes learning, interaction, and enjoyment in undergraduate radiology education, and it can be as effective as traditional on-campus learning. The technical difficulties encountered, although they were limited, can be overcome by recording the synchronous sessions.

Role of chest radiographs in early lung cancer detection

Background

Lung cancer is the second most common and the most fatal form of cancer. Although annual low-dose computed tomography is used as the primary method of cancer screening, it presents challenges regarding resources as well as potential health risks from radiation exposure. Chest radiography (CXR), though less effective, is used frequently and commonly. Moreover, often in clinical settings, CXR is the first imaging modality used; computed tomography is subsequently performed if abnormalities are detected on CXRs. This study examined whether controlling for distractors and time constraints, as well as side-by-side comparison of multiple CXRs in clinical settings can aid earlier detection of radiological abnormalities indicative of lung cancer lesions.

Methods

Thirty-two attending physicians in the Republic of Korea examined 1,750 radiographs of 50 lung cancer cases. Using “hot spot” technology, participants indicated the possible locations of cancer lesions on each radiograph. Subsequently, the same radiographs, cropped to focus the anatomical regions where lung cancers were diagnosed, were shown side-by-side to the participants. The participants were asked to identify the radiograph which first enabled the diagnosis of lung cancer and which first showed a possible lesion.

Results

Removal of systemic constraints alone significantly improved lesion identification by 221.72±9.69 days. Presenting radiographs side-by-side, cropped to relevant areas, had an additional significant and positive impact on cancer detection in both hidden and open areas on CXRs. Also, lesions were detected at smaller sizes and earlier than when actually diagnosed.

Conclusions

CXR with improved methods and settings provides an easily accessible and low-risk imaging method for earlier detection of lung cancer compared to current clinical imaging settings. Further, this study demonstrates the potential effectiveness of programs that allow side-by-side comparisons of cropped areas of multiple radiographs to detect radiological abnormalities.