Measuring the Quality of University Lectures: Development and Validation of the Instructional Skills Questionnaire (ISQ)

Perception of health care students towards lectures as a teaching and learning method in the COVID era - A multicentric cross-sectional study from India

The sudden precipitation of the pandemic forced undergraduates to take refuge at home, deserting the campus. Consequently, the age-old classroom in person teaching-learning (T-L) method shifted and lessons had to be conducted online. In previous decades, archetypical classroom lectures survived a lot of criticism in the face of the quasi-passive nature of T-L  methodology. There are very few studies that reflect undergraduate students' perceptions of lectures. This study aimed to evaluate undergraduate students' perceptions of lectures using an online questionnaire with 13 items, which was circulated to undergraduate students of medical, physiotherapy, and nursing courses in three settings at different locations of private and public health schools. There was a total of 877 responses. The surveyed students were in favor of lectures and considered them indispensable for undergraduate learning. They preferred it as a kind of organized learning through the teacher's own experiences. Our study suggests that it is not the 'lecture' that requires mending but possibly teachers require better training, application of effective audio-visual aids, and innovative techniques to sustain students' interest in the class.

"Air Anatomy" - Teaching Complex Spatial Anatomy Using Simple Hand Gestures

Spatial understanding of complex anatomical concepts is often a challenge for learners, as well as for educators. It is even more challenging for students with low mental spatial abilities. There are many options to teach spatial relationships, ranging from simple models to high-end three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality tools. Using a randomized controlled trial design, this study explored the use of a unique combination of deictic and iconic hand gestures to enhance spatial anatomical understanding, coining the term "Air Anatomy". The control group (n = 45) was given a lecture on the anatomy of extraocular muscles, while the intervention group (n = 49) received the same lecture including "Air Anatomy" hand gestures. When compared to the control group, the post-test scores for the intervention group were significantly higher for basic recall (P < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U test) and for the application of knowledge (P = 0.015; Mann-Whitney U test). Students with low to moderate spatial ability (as assessed by a mental rotation test) were found to benefit most by this technique. Students in the intervention group also reported a lower extrinsic cognitive load and higher germane load, when compared to the control group. An instructional skills questionnaire survey indicated the effectiveness of this technique in improving overall classroom experience. Feedback of the students in the intervention group was also favorable for instruction using "Air Anatomy". The study suggests that "Air Anatomy" is a useful, "no-cost", accessible method that aids spatial understanding of anatomical concepts.

The Medical Training Evaluation Questionnaire (MeTrE-Q): a multidimensional self-report instrument for assessing the quality of midwifery students' education

This study aims to understand the factors that can hinder Italian midwifery students' educational process, what messages are given to students during their clinical practice, and how students interact with tutors and other professionals. Seven hundred and eighty Italian students of midwifery were asked to answer an Internet-based questionnaire regarding their own opinions concerning their theoretical-practical formative path. For male Italian students, satisfaction is lower than female students as well as for students from Southern than Northern Italy. Students are dissatisfied with the quality of their academic and practical training, particularly regarding recognising their professional role and their relationship with tutors. Based on these data, it is essential to design a formative path for midwives that considers students' opinions and the positive experiences of other countries.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Several studies underscore the poor preparation of students for learning in clinical settings. The current reality of the Italian academic path in most universities disregards midwifery students' expectations and formative needs.What do the results of this study add? For male Italian students, satisfaction is lower than for female students and students from Southern than Northern Italy. Students are dissatisfied with the quality of their academic and practical training, particularly regarding recognising their professional role and their relationship with tutors.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? It is essential to design a formative path for midwives that considers students' opinions and other countries' positive experiences.

Assessment of Pharmacy Students’ Satisfaction towards Pharmacotherapy Lectures Delivered at the University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia

Background. Quality healthcare can be assured by fostering quality teaching-learning process. Students are well-equipped to judge the quality of the teaching-learning process. Consequently, students’ satisfaction should be considered for the improvement of quality teaching. Objective. The study aimed to explore how far the University of Gondar (UoG) provides quality pharmacy education based on the perspective of students using the validated Instructional Skills Questionnaire (ISQ). Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on May 2018 GC on 105 pharmacy students at the University of Gondar, Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected using the suspected demographic information and the validated Instructional Skills Questionnaire (ISQ). Data were entered into IBM SPSS Statistics® version 25, and the results of the analysis were described using descriptive and inferential statistics. A letter of ethical approval was obtained from the ethical review board of the University of Gondar prior to data collection. Results. More than half (58.6%) of the participants were female, and 85.1% of the subjects aged between 21 and 25 years. The highest students’ satisfaction was in the ISQ dimension of explication (58.03%) followed by instruction (56.13%) and comprehension (52.78). Student’s T-test showed that extension (night-shift) students have a higher average satisfaction score (3.54  $\pm$  0.34) compared to regular (day-shift) students (3.31  $\pm$  0.41) (t (103) = 2.422, $p=0.017$ ). Similarly, fourth-year students showed higher average satisfaction (3.54  $\pm$  0.33) as compared to fifth-year students (3.28  $\pm$  0.42) (t (103) = 3.41, $p=0.002$ ). Conclusion. In the present study, a higher students’ satisfaction was obtained about explication (58.03%) among seven ISQ dimensions, while students’ satisfaction related to activation was minimal (49%). Students’ satisfaction related to the learning outcome was found to be relatively high (67.23%). The study also showed that there is a significant difference in students’ satisfaction within the different study programs and years of study. Hence, the instructors should work to improve students’ satisfaction, thereby increasing the number of qualified professionals in the market.

Confirming the Factor Structure of a Research-Based Mid-Semester Evaluation of College Teaching

End-of-semester evaluations provide scalable data for university administrators, but typically do not provide instructors with timely feedback to inform their teaching practices. Midsemester evaluations have the potential to provide instructors with beneficial formative feedback that can contribute to improved teaching practices and student engagement. However, existing research on the construction of valid, reliable midsemester tools is rare, and there are no existing midsemester evaluation scales that were constructed using education research and psychometric analysis. To address this gap, we designed and piloted a midsemester evaluation of teaching with 29 instructors and 1,350 undergraduate students. We found evidence that our Mid-Semester Evaluation of College Teaching (MSECT) is a valid and reliable measure of four constructs of effective teaching: classroom climate, content, teaching practices, and assessment. Furthermore, our factor structure remained consistent across instructor genders, providing evidence that the MSECT may be less susceptible to gender bias than prior student evaluation measures.