Optimizing the Use of an Online Self-assessment Exam to Promote Self-directed Learning Behaviors in Medical Students

Trainee Love and Breakup Letters to NephSIM: A Free, Mobile-Optimized, Nephrology Teaching Tool

BACKGROUND

It is not known how learners feel about free open access medical education (FOAMed) as they progress through their training from medical school to fellowship. Love and breakup letter methodology (LBM) is a technique that has been used extensively in user experience technology-based research but has not previously been used in evaluating medical education tools. LBM asks participants to creatively write a "love" or "breakup" letter to a product under study to capture their thoughts and emotions when engaging with it. We conducted qualitative analysis of data from focus groups to explore how attitudes toward a learning platform change at various training stages and to broaden our understanding of how we meet learners' needs through a nephrology FOAMed tool, NephSIM.

METHODS

Three virtual, recorded focus groups were conducted with second-year medical students, internal medicine residents, and nephrology fellows ( N =18). At the start of the focus group, participants composed and read their love and breakup letters. Semistructured discussions were then led by facilitator-driven questions and peer comments. After transcription, inductive data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four main themes were seen across all groups: attitudes toward teaching tool, perception of nephrology, learning needs and approach, and application to practice. Preclinical students positively viewed the opportunity to simulate the clinical setting and unanimously wrote love letters. Reactions from residents and fellows were mixed. Residents were interested in brevity and speed of learning, preferring algorithms and succinct approaches to meet their practice-based learning needs. Fellows' learning needs were driven by a desire to prepare for the nephrology board examination and review cases uncommonly seen in practice.

CONCLUSIONS

LBM provided a valuable methodology through which to identify trainee reactions to a FOAMed tool and highlighted the challenges of meeting learning needs of a continuum of trainees with a single learning platform.

The association of loneliness, mindfulness, and optimism with self-directed learning among nursing students in China: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Successful adaption to the increasing demands of the healthcare system involves self-directed learning (SDL) approach, which contributes to professional values and academic and clinical performance. Although many factors are related to SDL, research examining the association between internal factors such as loneliness, mindfulness and optimism with self-directed learning is limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the association between loneliness, mindfulness, and optimism with self-directed learning.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was conducted, and study participants included 568 nursing students from higher education institutes in North, East and South China from May 2020 to October 2020. Data collection instruments included socio-demographics, the self-directed learning scale, the loneliness scale, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Life Orientation Test. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that loneliness was negatively related to SDL, whereas mindfulness and optimism showed a positive relationship to SDL. Optimism did not significantly moderate the relationship between loneliness and SDL, and between optimism and self-directed learning.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that incorporating training programs for reducing loneliness and improving mindfulness and optimism into curricular and extracurricular activities on campuses may help increase SDL.