In the paper, the authors offer perspectives on the uses of technology and assessment, that support learning. The perspectives are viewed through validity (from the field of assessment) as a framework and they discuss four aspects of an interconnected technology, learning and assessment space that represent theory informed, authentic practice. The four are: 1) integrated coherence for learning, assessment and technology; 2) responsibilities for equity, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing; 3) sustainability; and 4) balancing resources in global contexts. The authors propose steps and considerations for medical and health professions educators who need to contextualise applications for technology, learning and assessment, for positive impact for learners, faculty, institutions and patient care.
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Concept maps are evidence based pedagogical tools to fathom how meaningfully students have accomplished their learning objectives. They also give intuitive insights to improvise instruction to enable better and deeper understanding the foundations of learning. In this paper we provide an overview of concept maps and share our experiences of using concept maps for the 4 t's of education - teaching, training, testing and thinking.
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Ample data demonstrates that sleep deprivation leads to impaired functioning including cognitive performance, memory and fine motor skills. Medical students represent a professional sector in which optimizing cognitive performance and functioning is critical from a personal, public health and safety perspective. Aims: To characterize chronotypes of an international cohort of medical students and determine if chronotype is affected by demographics or latitude. Samples: 328 students from medical schools in the United States (US), Malaysia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) were assessed for differences in chronotype and sleep habits. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study from medical schools in the US, Malaysia and UAE between 2013 and 2015. Results: There was a significant difference in mean waking times for Malaysian students who reported awakening earlier than US or UAE students. Malaysian students were most likely to feel their best earlier in the day and consider themselves a "morning type." UAE students were more likely to do "hard physical work" later in the day, followed by US and Malaysian. On average, US students were less likely to shift their bedtime later if they had no commitments the next day. Overall, mean chronotype score was "neither" type for all three groups however the Malaysian group showed a significant preference for morning hours in some individual questions. Conclusion: Medical student sleep patterns vary internationally but chronotype may not. Improving sleep education globally, with awareness of the effects of chronotype, could ultimately result in improved sleep awareness, potentially influencing physician wellbeing, patient care and safety.
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities world over are aggressively moving their learning, teaching and assessment to online platforms. Educators suddenly feel unsettled, unprepared and unsupported. This inevitable segue from a traditional to online environment will need faculty to grapple quickly and efficiently with the technological imperatives. The purpose of this article is to present ten maxims to navigate the academic challenges posed by out of class learning. The article includes a user-friendly checklist to facilitate the blooming of online teachers.
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. A conducive educational environment is vital to successful learning. Perception of students about their particular educational environment may vary depending on their educational background, gender, level of study, and many other factors. Awareness and understanding of the students' perception of educational environment are a key to improve our teaching and learning environment. The aim of the study was to determine the perception of undergraduate medical students of Taylor's University, Malaysia on their educational environment. A cross sectional cohort study was conducted among preclinical and clinical students simultaneously at Taylor's University, School of Medicine in July 2019. Overall total scores of perceptions (136.55 ± 19.6) and those for the subscales were very satisfactory and similar to those of other local universities as well as international universities. There was a significant difference between preclinical and clinical students in two domains; Perception of Course Organizers and Academic Self-Perception, with higher scores among clinical students in all. There was a significant difference between students with Grade 'B' and those with Grade 'C' in the mean total score and Perceptions of Atmosphere. These results, in spite of being satisfactory, urge us to seek methods of and opportunities for further enhancement of the students' education environment.
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Millennials are the most prevalent generation of medical learners today. These individuals have a unique outlook on education and have different preferences and expectations than their predecessors. The majority of our learners belong to the Millennial Generation, while most faculty belongs to the Baby Boomer or Generation X cohorts. Millennial learners have distinct perspectives on their learning needs that differ with their faculty's perspectives on teaching and learning. These learning differences may contribute to intergenerational conflict. In order to be successful teachers, it is important to educate ourselves on these generational differences and cater to the needs of the learners. Heutagogy is a self-determined approach of learning, which appears to suit the millennial learners. Derived from the word " Heureskein" which means to discover, the term heutagogy was coined to describe self-learning, independent of formal teaching. This adds yet another learning theory to the established fields of pedagogy (child learning) and andragogy (adult learning). Heutagogy acknowledges that learner do immensely valuable work for themselves by filling in the gaps of their formal education through discovery and reflection. Heutagogy offers models of learning that are (1) self-determined, (2) peer-led, and (3) non-linear. These characteristics map onto social media applications and the democratization of knowledge and information. Heutagogical approach is an extension of the traditional andragogical and adult learning frameworks through its emphasis on meta learning, or learning how to learn. This article presents the paradigm shift of educational strategies from pedagogy to andragogy to heutagogy and focuses on the ground principles governing heutagogy. It also describes an innovative case study where principles of heutagogy were applied to train dental students using Facebook.