Measuring the extent and nature of use of Social Networking Sites in Medical Education (SNSME) by university students: Results of a multi-center study

Reclaiming the concept of professionalism in the digital context: a principle-based concept analysis

BACKGROUND

There has been an alarming surge in the usage of social networking sites (SNSs) by healthcare professionals (HCPs) without adherence to the principles of professionalism. The widespread use of SNSs in medical practices has been coupled with reports of breaches of professional behaviors. Despite the benefits of SNSs, skepticism prevails about a clearly defined role for SNSs within medicine based upon the core principles of professionalism. Thus, there is a need to understand the manifestations of professionalism in the digital context, classically known as e-professionalism. This study systematically examines HCPs' perceptions of e-professionalism to advance a thorough understanding of e-professionalism.

METHODS

This concept analysis was performed using the principle-based approach of Penrod and Hupcey. In January 2023, we searched the databases of PubMed and ISI Web of Science for English-language articles specific to 'e-professionalism' in the medical field. The final selected research corpus of 63 articles was analyzed in this study.

RESULTS

A comprehensive analysis of the selected articles highlighted that e-professionalism is an epistemologically mature and distinct concept by a standard definition. However, inconsistencies in conceptual meanings were reported due to varied interpretations despite digital literacy. The pragmatic utility showed a lack of sound methodological and philosophical paradigms. Perhaps the rapid technological advancements and manifestations have hampered linguistic maturity. However, logically, e-professionalism is perceived as an extension of conventional professionalism but with a focus on a distinct framework with a set of attributes to be digitally relevant.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies a scarcity of research about the collective perspective of essential stakeholders, underpinning the need to further explore e-professionalism due to its emerging complex nature within the digital context. There is also a recognition that a framework is essential to guide future HCPs to yield a profound understanding and to provide remediation strategies in the rapidly advancing medical field in digital realm.

"How is social media used for learning?": relationships between social media use by medical students with their self-regulated learning skills

BACKGROUND

Social media is widely used by medical students, including for learning purposes since it facilitates their involvement in the communities of inquiry where they can share, express, and engage in the development of knowledge. Navigating the use of social media requires self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. Hence, studies on the relationships between social media use and SRL skills are necessary.

AIM

This study aims to investigate the relationships between social media use and students' SRL skills.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using two validated questionnaires: the Social Networking Sites for Medical Education questionnaire (SNSME, 19 items) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ, 81 items). Cross-cultural adaptation and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were also completed for the SNSME questionnaire, followed by descriptive and bivariate analysis.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The SNSME questionnaire is valid for use in the current setting and consists of three subscales: (1) attitudes towards the use of social media for learning and knowledge development, (2) the use of social media for information sharing and interaction, and (3) the use of social media for knowledge development and research. Among 1,122 respondents, male students presented lower scores than female students in the total score of social media for learning (80 vs. 82, p 0.007), and public medical students showed higher scores in terms of attitudes towards the use of social media for learning and knowledge development compared to private medical students (83 vs. 81, p 0.007). The differences in SRL scores for different education stages and among students from public and private medical schools were statistically significant (426 vs. 418, p 0.003, and 436 vs. 418, p < 0.001, respectively). Levels of correlation between social media use and SRL scores were low to moderate (R 0.195-0.462, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The adapted SNSME questionnaire in the current setting is valid and the use of social media for learning is influenced by gender and the learning environment. This study highlights the importance of supporting students in using social media for learning purposes as well as using social media as a means to increase their SRL skills.

Understanding medical professionalism using express team-based learning; a qualitative case-based study

Medical Professionalism (MP) defined as values, behaviours and attitudes that promote professional relationships, public trust and patient safety is a vital competency in health profession education. MP has a distinctive uniqueness due to cultural, contextual, conceptual, and generational variations. There is no standard instructional strategy to probe the understanding of MP in a cohesive, structured, interactive manner. This study aimed to investigate undergraduate medical students' understanding of MP using express team-based learning (e-TBL) at both campuses of Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI). Using the key principles of a sociocultural theoretical lens in adult learning theory, we designed e-TBL as a context-learning-based educational strategy. We conducted three e-TBL sessions on cross-cultural communication and health disparities, a reflective report on clinical encounters, and professionalism in practice. We collected, collated, and analyzed the student experiences qualitatively using data gathered from team-based case discussions during e-TBL sessions. A dedicated working group developed very short-answer questions for the individual readiness assurance test (IRAT) and MP-based case scenarios for team discussions. In this adapted 4-step e-TBL session, pre-class material was administered, IRAT was undertaken, and team-based discussions were facilitated, followed by facilitator feedback. A qualitative inductive thematic analysis was performed, which generated subthemes and themes illustrated in excerpts. Our thematic analysis of data from 172 students (101 from Bahrain and 71 from Dublin) yielded four unique themes: incoming professional attitudes, transformative experiences, sociological understanding of professionalism, and new professional identity formation. This qualitative study provides a deeper understanding of medical students' perceptions of medical professionalism. The generated themes resonated with divergent and evolving elements of MP in an era of socioeconomic and cultural diversity, transformative experiences, and professional identity formation. The core elements of these themes can be integrated into the teaching of MP to prepare fit-to-practice future doctors.

Paradigms unfolded - developing, validating, and evaluating the Medical Education e-Professionalism framework from a philosophical perspective

In order to ensure a strong research design, literature stresses the adoption of a research paradigm that is consistent with the researcher's beliefs about the nature of reality. In this article we provide an overview of research paradigm choices in relation to the creation of a Medical Education e-Professionalism (MEeP) framework discussing the research design, research methods, data collection and analysis to enhance the transparency of our previously published research. The MEeP framework was conceived to help Health Care Professionals (HCPs) safeguard the construct of professionalism in the digital context. This entire process was heavily informed by wider readings and deliberations of published literature on e-professionalism. Although the MEeP framework research journey has been published, the paradigms approach was not discussed in any detail. Considering that one of the duties of medical educator is to balance the service and science by bringing the theoretical underpinnings of one's research to public attention and scrutiny so as to nullify the notion of 'weak' research. We were compelled to unfold this paradigm story of the MEeP framework in a detailed manner. In an effort to make our research both robust and effective, this study portrays a philosophical approach to guide future research designs and methodological choices by detailing our rationale for pragmatism as a choice of paradigm.

Perceived Use Behavior of Social Networking Sites Among the Healthcare Students in India

Introduction

The use of social networking sites (SNSs) is growing among higher education students, including healthcare students. Nonetheless, limited research has examined the perceived use behavior among healthcare students in developing countries such as India.

Objective

This study attempts to assess the use behavior of SNSs by undergraduate students in the fields of nursing and pharmacy in India through the lens of Connectivism and New Social Learning theories.

Method

The study used a Google form to collect data through an online questionnaire. A sample of 483 participants included 258 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, 161 General Nursing and Midwifery students, and 64 Bachelor of Pharmacy students from various Indian nursing and pharmacy schools.

Results

The majority of the respondents prefer to use SNSs for several purposes such as watching academic videos on YouTube, sharing their ideas, thoughts, and current development in their respective fields through WhatsApp, getting job-related information from different Facebook pages, etc. A substantial number of nursing students believed that these SNSs help them build relationships with professionals across the country. At the same time, many students also indicated that extensive use of SNSs might cause sleep difficulties, data privacy concerns, and a lack of focus while studying.

Conclusion

To have an impact on how SNSs are used in healthcare education, more attention should be paid to build connectivism between educators and their students on social learning environment, which the findings of this study's suggestions could be put into practice.

Social media usage of chinese nursing students: Attitudes, motivations, mental health problems, and self-disclosure

BACKGROUND

Excessive self-disclosure online may risk the reputations, mental health problems, and professional lives of nursing students. This study investigated nursing students' usage of social media, their attitudes towards social media, mental health problems and self-disclosures, and the relationships of these variables.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted online (n = 1054) with questionnaires of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), Social Media Fatigue (SMF), Students' Uses and Views of Social Media (SUVSM) and self-disclosure in social media which included self-information shown on social media and information viewed by others.

RESULTS

Although most of them held positive attitudes towards social media, 17.4% of the participants acknowledged that they had posted inappropriate contents online and 37.6% witnessed improper posts from schoolmates or teachers online. SMF was affected by familiar with relevant regulations on the social media usage (β = -.10, p < .001), FoMO (β = .41, p < .001), and SUVSM (β = .17, p < .001). Additionally, nearly 1/3 participants reported their net-friends could view following information: gender, age, occupation, education level and location. Self- disclosure in social media was positively influenced by education (β = .10, p < .001), sharing moments or Weibo, etc. (β = .009, P = 0.009), time spent on social media daily (β = .11, p < .001), accepting stranger's "friend request" (β = .06, P = 0.047), FoMO (β = .14, p < .001) and SMF (β = .19, p < .001). Furthermore, effect of SUVSM on self-disclosure in social media was mediated by FoMO and SMF.

CONCLUSION

Inappropriate contents are posted and witnessed by appreciable proportions of nursing students. Positive attitude towards social media may strengthen FoMO and SMF, which may increase self-disclosure in social media in turn.

Which Types of Facebook Posts Yield the Best Response for Radiology Education: A One-Year Analysis of What We Learned

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

We post several times daily on our Facebook page, CTisus, to educate radiology students and professionals globally. We aimed to determine how our data compared for different types of posts and ascertain the popularity of videos versus case images, illustrations versus case images, and whether cinematic rendering performed better than traditional computed tomography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We exported data for one year's worth of Facebook posts (November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021) and categorized posts into 18 types. Our primary outcome was popularity of each post, measured by "reach" and "engagement" counts provided by Facebook.

RESULTS

Among the 9057 posts exported, "just for fun" posts performed the best, followed by quiz images. Case images performed significantly better than instructional videos (p < 0.0001). However, the opposite was true for engagement, where instructional videos performed significantly better than case images (p = 0.0012). For both reach and engagement, case images performed better than medical illustrations (p < 0.0001). For both reach (p < 0.0005) and engagement (p < 0.0001), traditional computed tomography performed significantly better than cinematic rendering. All video types had better engagement than case images and medical illustrations (p < 0.0001) and both had significantly better engagement than text (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Our results may help other educators choose what types of content to create and post on social media to achieve the best impact on learners.

The educational use of social networking sites among medical and health sciences students: a cross campus interventional study

BACKGROUND

In recent years, social networking sites (SNSs) have evolved beyond connection and networking to become a powerful instructional tool. There is still a dearth of knowledge on the professional use of SNSs for education particularly among students from diverse backgrounds. This study examined the extent and pattern of SNSs usage for education across six institutions and then conducted an interventional workshop to fortify and regulate the educational use of SNSs.

METHODS

This multicenter study was done in two phases. In the first phase, an online cross-sectional survey using a validated inventory was administered to determine the prevalence, extent, and preferences of SNSs usage by undergraduate students in medicine, health sciences and dentistry across five centers. Later, the second phase of the study was undertaken in a 75-min guided live workshop about the appropriate use of SNSs in academia. Additionally, pre- and post-test surveys were conducted to assess the impact and outcome of workshop.

RESULTS

Of the 1722 respondents, 1553 (90%) reported using SNSs with the frequency of once a month to three to five times per day for education and to stay in touch with others. Most students agreed with the benefits of SNSs for education mainly in terms of information gathering, networking and collaboration. Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest were noted as the most preferred SNSs for education. Nevertheless, 63% perceived that proper instruction was required for the efficient use of SNSs. Following the guided workshop, there was a significant improvement in web technology understanding, digital professionalism, skills and knowledge on the productive use of SNSs. Students rated the efficient for conceptual learning, connection to community practice, e-portfolio, and collaborative learning as the top four major teaching and learning strategies, respectively, in the post-workshop survey.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that SNSs can be used as learning tools in medical education. However, SNSs usage should be regulated and guided for a more collegial and coherent learning climate in the digital realm. We urge medical educators to integrate SNSs into their courses for a technologically advanced and impactful curriculum.

Medical Education e-Professionalism (MEeP) framework; from conception to development

BACKGROUND

Medical professionalism education intends to produce virtuous and humanistic healthcare professionals who demonstrate perseverance and professional integrity. However, today's medicine has embodied a mammoth transformation of medical practice towards sns and the digital realm. Such paradigm shift has challenged the medical professional's values, behaviors, and identities, and the distinct boundaries between personal and professional lives are blurred. This study aims to develop a framework for healthcare professionals coping with the challenges of medical professionalism in the digital realm.

METHODS

We followed a systematic approach for the development of a framework about e-professionalism. Qualitative data was collected from a systematic review and a delphi study, while quantitative data was collected by administering a validated questionnaire social networking sites for medical education (snsme). Subsequently, categorization of the selected data and identifying concepts, deconstruction and further categorizing concepts (philosophical triangulation), integration of concepts (theoretical triangulation), and synthesis and resynthesis of concepts were performed.

RESULTS

The initial process yielded six overlapping concepts from personal, professional, character (implicit) and characteristic (explicit) domains: environment, behavior, competence, virtues, identity, and mission. Further integration of data was done for the development of the medical education e-professionalism (meep) framework with a central concept of a commitment to mission. The mission showed deep connections with values (conformity, beneficence, universalism, and integrity), behaviours (communication, self-awareness, tolerance, power), and identity (reflection, conscientiousness, self-directed, self-actualization). The data demonstrated that all medical professionals require updated expertise in sns participation.

CONCLUSION

The meep framework recognises a mission-based social contract by the medical community. This mission is largely driven by professional values, behaviors and identity. Adherence to digital standards, accountability, empathy, sensitivity, and commitment to society are essential elements of the meep framework.

Social media in undergraduate medical education: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

There are over 3.81 billion worldwide active social media (SoMe) users. SoMe are ubiquitous in medical education, with roles across undergraduate programmes, including professionalism, blended learning, well being and mentoring. Previous systematic reviews took place before recent explosions in SoMe popularity and revealed a paucity of high-quality empirical studies assessing its effectiveness in medical education. This review aimed to synthesise evidence regarding SoMe interventions in undergraduate medical education, to identify features associated with positive and negative outcomes.

METHODS

Authors searched 31 key terms through seven databases, in addition to references, citation and hand searching, between 16 June and 16 July 2020. Studies describing SoMe interventions and research on exposure to existing SoMe were included. Title, abstract and full paper screening were undertaken independently by two reviewers. Included papers were assessed for methodological quality using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and/or the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) instrument. Extracted data were synthesised using narrative synthesis.

RESULTS

112 studies from 26 countries met inclusion criteria. Methodological quality of included studies had not significantly improved since 2013. Engagement and satisfaction with SoMe platforms in medical education are described. Students felt SoMe flattened hierarchies and improved communication with educators. SoMe use was associated with improvement in objective knowledge assessment scores and self-reported clinical and professional performance, however evidence for long term knowledge retention was limited. SoMe use was occasionally linked to adverse impacts upon mental and physical health. Professionalism was heavily investigated and considered important, though generally negative correlations between SoMe use and medical professionalism may exist.

CONCLUSIONS

Social media is enjoyable for students who may improve short term knowledge retention and can aid communication between learners and educators. However, higher-quality study is required to identify longer-term impact upon knowledge and skills, provide clarification on professionalism standards and protect against harms.

The impact of an online intervention on the medical, dental and health sciences students about interprofessional education; a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional education (IPE) encompasses integration, communication, mutual trust and shared decision-making with a common goal of improved patient care and safety. Despite its crucial role, IPE has not gained its anticipated popularity. This study aims to determine the impact of an online educational intervention about IPE on medical, dental and health sciences students in the University of Sharjah (UoS).

METHODS

This quasi-experimental research was conducted in three phases; a pre-intervention phase where the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) inventory was administered online to the medical, dental and health sciences students of UoS; an intervention phase where an online workshop was organized via Microsoft Teams®; and a post-intervention phase where RIPLS was used to gather the students' attitudes towards IPE. The independent t test was used to compare the responses between genders and junior and senior students. A paired sample t test was used to determine the impact of the intervention on the students' understandings and attitudes about IPE.

RESULTS

Out of 800 invited students, 530 students responded to the pre-intervention RIPLS survey. A comparison of the pre-post intervention for the RIPLS subscales of teamwork and collaboration, professional identification, and professional roles showed a significant improvement of students' attitudes with p-values 0.03, 0.00 and 0.00, respectively. All workshop moderators scored a median of 4 or 5 to the essential elements of IPE during intervention except for a median of 3 for group dynamics.

CONCLUSION

The present data, derived from the application of a brief online educational intervention, underpins the readiness and positive attitudes of undergraduate medical students towards IPE. The positive impact of online intervention necessitates the development of a structured and unified IPE curriculum to enhance the receptiveness and application of IPE in the medical field.

E- Learning experience of the medical profession's college students during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, most of educational institutions have moved to online electronic learning methods because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 8, 2020, the Saudi Ministry of Education announced remote learning for public and private schools and universities as a preventive and precautionary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The objective of this study was to explore the e-learning experience of the students of the colleges of health sciences with regard to the technical preparedness, academic achievements, e-learning advantages and limitations. A well-structured and validated questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions about their e-learning experience was distributed to a heterogeneous purposive sample of the health sciences students in Saudi Arabian universities.

RESULTS

Of the 1288 respondents, of various demographical features a relatively higher proportion of 58.2 % agreed that they had enough information about the online learning. However, the proportion who reported receiving adequate guidance, technical support, and having satisfactory hardware and internet access to online learning were 48.1 %, 42, and 35.4 %, respectively. Of all participants, 40.8 % agreed that they had gained a good understanding of their courses learning outcomes. Only 30.0 % agreed that the quality of the online teaching was similar to traditional classes and 56.1 % agreed that the online learning is unsuitable for the medical sciences studies. E-learning advantages mentioned were the flexible accessibility of the learning materials, time, effort, and money saving, acquiring and improving technical and self-learning skills, health safety, interaction without shyness, and better academic accomplishment. On the other hand, disadvantages and difficulties included inadequate tools to facilitate online learning, poor internet connection, lack of technological skills by the educators and students. In addition, there was inadequate or lack of practical classes, lack of a unified clear policy for the conduct of online classes and exams and grade distribution, limited online exam time.

CONCLUSIONS

The sudden shift to e-learning without prior preparedness has revealed some pitfalls that need to be adjusted. The initial findings were considered satisfactory for such a new experience for both learners and students. However, there is a great chance for improving and expanding the e-learning process.

The Impact of Social Network Site Addiction on Depression in Chinese Medical Students: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model Involving Loneliness and Unmet Interpersonal Needs

The use of social network sites (SNSs) is inevitable in daily life. Everyone is likely to be addicted to SNSs, especially medical students. This study is aimed to assess the degree of SNS addiction and its relation to psychosocial factors such as depression, loneliness and unmet interpersonal needs among Chinese medical students. The cross-section survey was conducted from March to May in 2018 in Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Of the total 1067 participants, 33.18% had an SNS addiction, 87.7% of the participants used SNSs every day during last month and 53.42% of the participants used SNSs for at least an hour per day during the last week. SNS addiction is positively related with depression both directly and indirectly. The mediating roles of loneliness and unmet interpersonal needs on the relationship between SNS addiction and depression are significant. For the well-being of medical students, efforts should be taken to prevent them from becoming addicted to SNSs.

Preserving professional identities, behaviors, and values in digital professionalism using social networking sites; a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Despite a rapid rise of use of social media in medical disciplines, uncertainty prevails among healthcare professionals for providing medical content on social media. There are also growing concerns about unprofessional behaviors and blurring of professional identities that are undermining digital professionalism. This review tapped the literature to determine the impact of social media on medical professionalism and how can professional identities and values be maintained in digital era.

METHODS

We searched the databases of PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and EBSCO host using (professionalism AND (professionalism OR (professional identity) OR (professional behaviors) OR (professional values) OR (professional ethics))) AND ((social media) AND ((social media) OR (social networking sites) OR Twitter OR Facebook)) AND (health professionals). The research questions were based on sample (health professionals), phenomenon of interest (digital professionalism), design, evaluation and research type. We screened initial yield of titles using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria and selected a group of articles for qualitative analysis. We used the Biblioshiny® software package for the generation of popular concepts as clustered keywords.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 44 articles with four leading themes; marked rise in the use of social media by healthcare professionals and students, negative impact of social media on digital professionalism, blurring of medical professional values, behaviors, and identity in the digital era, and limited evidence for teaching and assessing digital professionalism. A high occurrence of violation of patient privacy, professional integrity and cyberbullying were identified. Our search revealed a paucity of existing guidelines and policies for digital professionalism that can safeguard healthcare professionals, students and patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our systematic review reports a significant rise of unprofessional behaviors in social media among healthcare professionals. We could not identify the desired professional behaviors and values essential for digital identity formation. The boundaries between personal and professional practices are mystified in digital professionalism. These findings call for potential educational ramifications to resurrect professional virtues, behaviors and identities of healthcare professionals and students.

Pharmacy and medical students' attitudes and perspectives on social media usage and e-professionalism in United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND

It is imperative to establish how students view and present themselves on social media and to assess level of awareness regarding the implications of their social media presence, e-professionalism, and accountability. The study objectives were to: 1) Determine the social media usage levels among medical and pharmacy students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); 2) Characterize the students' views and perceptions, including their awareness of e-professionalism; and 3) Compare the responses in behavior between the two groups.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was performed on 575 undergraduate students from two study disciplines, pharmacy (n = 325) and medicine (n = 250). Minor revisions were made to previously validated assessment tools and pilot tested. The study sample included students from five different universities across the country.

RESULTS

In comparison to medical students, pharmacy students were observed to use social media more for learning purposes (χ² = 6.8, P < .05). However, medical students' opinions reflected more strongly on the context of accountability and e-professionalism (χ² = 15.8, P < .05). A considerable proportion (89%) of students felt it was discriminatory for prospective employers to use their social media profile information for investigative purposes while hiring. One-third of respondents reported sharing information that they would not want their employers to view, and 67.1% reported the same for information relevant to patients.

CONCLUSION

The research findings converge to address the need for educators and administrators in the UAE to develop guidelines concerning its safe use and proactively integrate e-professionalism into their respective curriculum.

Utilization and professionalism toward social media among undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND

Social media has become an integrated part of nursing profession, requiring nursing students to develop confidentiality and professional fitness to practice. The aim of this study was to investigate nursing students' usage, professionalism and attitudes toward social media.

METHODS

A cross-section study was conducted online among undergraduate nursing students (n = 654). Questionnaires of self-directed learning, self-efficacy and usage and views toward social media were administered.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Ethical approval was obtained from the Hubei University of Chinese Medicine.

RESULTS

All participants were social media users. QQ (93.2%) was the most frequently used. 74.5% respondents spent 2-6 h on social media daily. The majority held positive attitudes toward social media. Year group and gender had influence on perceptions and attitudes toward social media. Furthermore, 81.5% students believed that social media positively influenced self-directed learning. Self-directed learning and learning motivation acted as predictors of the attitudes toward social media. Meanwhile, 67.3% students had posted personal photos and videos online, and 82.4% of them did not have privacy setting on social media. In addition,13.8% students attacked others or posted improper photos online. 22.9% participants witnessed improper posts from schoolmates or teachers, such as complaints about schoolmates or teachers (22.2%), foul language (11.1%), violence (3.9%), sexually suggestive photos (2.6%) and patient confidentiality (0.7%). In all, 15.0% respondents accepted "friend request" from patients. A total of 58.2% students were not aware of professional standards of behavior online for health care providers. In addition, 52.3% participants insisted that it is essential to develop social media and professionalism course for nursing students.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students use social media extensively. Some students are at risk of carrying out unprofessional behavior which have detrimental effects on students' future opportunities. This suggests that best practices and training in nurse education should be implemented to help students to be informed of professionalism.

Determining the usage of social media for medical information by the medical and dental students in northern Jordan

Objectives

Using social media to gain medical and dental information may have significant effects on the students’ academic performance and career development. Therefore, we assessed the usage of social media for medical information among medical and dental students.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we administered a self-reported questionnaire to medical and dental students at the Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Results

A total of 856 students completed the questionnaire; two-thirds of them were medical students. Most students did not consider social media as a trusted source for medical information. In contrast, the source for treatment decisions for the majority (96.6%) was speciality physicians and not the management plans posted on social media. Females used more social media applications (p = .05) and spent more time on social media (p = .001) than males. The amount of educational information gained was directly associated with time spent on social media (p < .001). Those who completed more years of their medical or dental education were less likely to use social media for medical information and were more likely to follow medical online sites or forums.

Conclusions

This study showed general reluctance among medical and dental students to use social media for medical information. This could be explained by cultural beliefs that social media is mainly for socialisation and entertainment. However, further research is needed to estimate the effects of social media usage on academic performance. This will help us decide whether to encourage students to use social media for education.

Comparison of the Professionalism Behaviours of Medical Students from Four GCC Universities with Single-gender and Co-educational Learning Climates

Background:

Medical professionalism is a multi-dimensional construct that is viewed differently across institutions. Such variations might be related to diverse cultural and societal characteristics of learners and faculty.

Objectives:

This study determined whether differences exist between proposed sanctions for a one-time academic integrity infraction associated with unprofessional behaviors. We selected four medical schools with either single-gender or co-educational learning environments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Methods:

The 34-statement Dundee Polyprofessionalism Inventory I was disseminated to all medical students across years in selected institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, and median scores were used to determine the respondents’ proposed sanctions.

Results:

Of the 1941 invitees, 1313 students responded (response rate of 68%). Significant similarity, as recorded by median sanction scores was recorded for 21 (62%) of the 34 inventory items from two medical schools. However, significant differences of one level of difference between all the median sanction scores for single-gender and co-educational students were found for 32% of inventory items. In co-educational schools, males were stricter than females for 9% and seniors were stricter than juniors for 12% of the inventory items. In contrast, in single-gender schools, females were stricter than males for only 6% of the inventory and seniors were more lenient than juniors for another 6% of the inventory.

Conclusions:

This study reports significant congruence and some differences in medical students’ perceptions of unprofessional behaviors. Educators are urged to develop a unified framework for enforcing sanctions to unprofessional behaviors.

Comparing the extent and pattern of use of social networking sites by medical and non medical university students: a multi-center study

Objectives

Although use of social networking sites (SNSs) for fun and leisure is escalating, educational use of SNSs by students is low. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of data about the use of SNSs by students from different faculties. This study compared patterns and extent of use of SNSs among medical and nonmedical university students.

Methods

A 21-statement questionnaire was administered to the students of medical colleges of two Saudi universities and nonmedical students of two Chinese universities. Demographic data, nature of SNSs, and strategies used for sharing knowledge were collected and analyzed.

Results

Of 2,350 respondents, 92% used SNSs for various reasons. Overall, 624 (26.6%) students used SNSs for education and found these sites to be useful (P=0). Educational use of SNSs was significantly higher in medical than nonmedical students (P=0). However, nonmedical students found SNSs more useful for social connections than medical students, with mean rankings of 1,328 and 978, respectively. WhatsApp use was significantly greater among medical students, while WeChat was more popular with nonmedical students (P=0).

Conclusion

This study reports low use of SNSs for education by university students. For sharing knowledge, WhatsApp was more popular among medical students and WeChat for nonmedical students. This research demands educational reforms that can uniformly embed the use of social media in teaching and learning pedagogies across disciplines.

Gender variations in social media usage and academic performance among the students of University of Sharjah

Objective

Social media usage is considered one of the most common activities among university students that could impact their daily lives. There is a great variation of the level of this impact depending on gender and some other factors. The impact of social media usage on academic performance is not known. This study aims to evaluate gender differences amongst students at the University of Sharjah (UoS) for predicting the impact of social media usage on their academic performance.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 328 medical UoS students across all years of study. Social media usage was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire titled Social Media and Academic Performance of Students Questionnaire (SMAAPOS). This tool used a 4-point Linkert rating scale and contained two sections: a section for participants' demographics, year of study and time spent on social media and another section collected participants' views about the impact and addictiveness of social media. Chi-square test using SPSS (v 20) was used for data analysis.

Results

Of the 500 invitees, 328 students responded; a response rate of 66%. The respondents were 61% female and 39% male students. The average time spent on social media usage was reported as 2–3 h per day. Furthermore, males were more addicted to social media than females (49.6%) and (32%), respectively. Additionally, females' academic performance was more highly influenced by the usage of social media than that of males, although males were more addicted to social media networks.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a significant difference in the academic performance of medical students as influenced by social media usage. Medical educators are urged to frame guidelines for using social media for educational purposes that will help improve the academic performance of the students.