Empowering Medical Education: Unveiling the Impact of Reflective Writing and Tailored Assessment on Deep Learning.

Introduction: Reflective thinking offers learners insight and encourages deeper understanding by leveraging past experiences. This study explores the impact of reflective writing, a self-assessment tool, on undergraduate medical students. The focus is on training students using author-specific reflection rubrics based on Moon's model. Methods: A mixed-methods study involving 32 volunteered students undertaking an interactive 3-hour session on reflective thinking and writing (RT&W). 19 students submitted reflections, which were self-graded by students and two faculties independently. The perceptions of students were gathered through questionnaires and focus group discussions. The analysis was done using the mean, inter-class correlational coefficient, and thematic analysis. Results: Inter-rater reliability and inter-class correlation coefficient for reflective writing rubric scores was 63.2%, i.e. below the acceptable threshold. Cronbach's Alpha for the learner perception questionnaire was 0.90. The outcome of the student's perception questionnaire recognized the value of reflective writing in terms of professional skills enhancement (4.83±0.39) and improvement after feedback (4.17±0.72). However, satisfaction with overall training was comparatively lower (2.5±0.52). Focus group discussions revealed six themes. Conclusion: Reflective writing enhances the learning outcomes, deepens understanding, and refines judgment. The author-specific reflection rubric, though reliable, warrants empirical validation with a larger and more diverse participant pool. Undergraduate programs should prioritize mastery of reflection and meta-cognitive learning approaches to optimize educational outcomes.

Development and implementation of a self-directed learning readiness scale for undergraduate health professional students.

BACKGROUND: To motivate students toward the path of lifelong learning, it is important to train them for a self-directed learning (SDL) approach, where they identify the need of learning the content as well as look forward to attaining the learning outcome, independently. The level of readiness for SDL will allow the learner to be self-disciplined, self-organized, an effective team builder and communicator, a self-assessor, and a self-reflector, thus being a self-learner with the ability to accept and give constructive feedback. The aim of the study was to develop, validate, and implement the SDL readiness scale for health professional students. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The readiness scale of 43 items was used in four sub-titles (awareness, learning strategies, and style, motivation, team building) was developed using the Delphi method with 12 experts and was implemented for the medical students at Karamsad, Gujarat as a cross-sectional survey after a pilot trial scale from May 2021 to September 2021, using mean, the standard deviation for each item, and arrived sub-titles. The ANOVA test was used to find differences in readiness scores as per different years of the medical program. RESULT: The result demonstrates that the maximum score was obtained for the first-year medical student (149.89 ± 24.72), which dropped in year 2 (136.35 ± 32.26) but increased by the final year (147.67 ± 56.66), although not as high as the initial joining year. However, a statistically significant difference per gender was identified for a few items of the scale [(items 24 (P < 0.034), 26 (P < 0.0005), 37 (P < 0.035), and 40 (P < 0.013)]. The logistic regression analysis showed no statistical significance for the DSVS-self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) score and demographic variables. CONCLUSION: The outcome of the study strongly suggests training/sensitization sessions for students to highlight the importance of a SDL approach in a digital millennium. Moreover, a longitudinal follow-up needs to be conducted for the readiness score of the students based on the developed scale and subsequent training sessions need to be organized for students as well as faculty for better outcomes for the students toward SDL sessions.

Digital technology for facilitating inquiry-based learning during the COVID pandemic for human anatomy course.

BACKGROUND: Linking anatomy with the clinical approach for creating an inquisitive mind for a millennium via the digital platform is the need of the hour. Traditional lecturing makes students have rote memorization of the human anatomy. The inquiry-based project will allow undergraduate medical students to have a deeper understanding of human anatomy along with team building and interpersonal skill development. This approach of teaching would allow students to link the content taught for human anatomy with its clinical applicability and probably generate inquisitiveness for further exploring the course content. The study aimed to appraise and assess the perception of medical students and faculty about the inquiry-based digitalized project presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted for inquiry-based project presentation where students were divided into 15 groups with 15 inquiries, which were presented as projects on a digital platform under the guidance of the facilitator. The perception of students and faculty for the inquiry-based approach was collected using a validated survey questionnaire. The quantitative data were analyzed by SPSS-version 15, using descriptive statistics, Friedman's rank, and thematic analysis for qualitative data. RESULT: In total, 117 students participated in the pre-test and 129 in the post-test part of the study. Also, 79.1% of students appreciated that the inquiry-based project presentation approach allowed them to link anatomy with different courses; 73.6% agreed that this approach has a positive impact on their attitude toward learning anatomy. Then, 75.2% students appreciated of learning new skills using the digital platform. They agreed to have developed leadership (65.1%) and team-building skills (83.7%) and self-directed learning (SDL) improvement (71.3%). However, some students (9.3%) and faculty (16.7%) had been ostracized for presenting their inquiry-based projects on a digital platform, whereas 65.1% of students appreciated this approach. CONCLUSION: Inquiry-based learning approach would allow students to have a deeper understanding of the subject knowledge and skills for the SDL and learn strategies for the usage of virtual technology for literature search.

Students' perception and learning on case based teaching in anatomy and physiology: An e-learning approach.

INTRODUCTION: Case based teaching (CBT) has been accepted as an effective interactive learning strategy. Digital portals allow the students to learn the content at their own pace, explore various resources and finally enable them to discuss within group and build team work approach, which is a prime focus in the health care professional field. The aim of this study was to assess the perception and learning outcome of first year medical students towards CBT using e-learning approach. METHOD: This is a non-randomized, interventional study on first year undergraduate medical students from 2017-18 batch (43) and 2018-19 batch (41) of Sumandeep Vidyapeeth University. They were divided into a group of 8-10 members, who attended six sessions of case-based teaching via Google group. Learning outcome was analyzed by comparing the students who participated in the sessions and those who did not. Feedback survey questionnaire was analyzed by Mann Whitney ranking test and focus group discussion by thematic analysis for qualitative analysis manually. RESULT: A p value <0.01 was considered statistically significant for post-test by e-learning tool for CBT. Participants agreed that CBT is a good way to conceptualize applied aspect of basic science, enhance critical thinking, and explore varied resources. Thus, they confirmed that team building approach and leadership qualities for managing the group contributed to better understanding of the course and would be useful to them in near future. CONCLUSION: Usage of Google group technology for CBT allowed medical students to explore clinical application of basic sciences course from the first year of the program, going beyond the classroom, thus developing self-directed learning and team building approach.

Life Orientation Test- Revised (LOT-R) Versus Academic Score in Various First Year Health Professional Students.

INTRODUCTION: Health field per se requires mental, physical and psychological steadiness and wellbeing. In modern times decline in psychological and physical health has been observed in student after admission in health education program. Factors like perfectionism, self-esteem, personal and professional consequence have affected their academic score directly or indirectly. Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) instrument measures optimism in relation to self-esteem of individual. A better score will show more confidence level of the student. AIM: To find an association of LOT-R with the academic score of health professional students and assess gender variation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 350 students enrolled for academic year 2015-16 in health professional program of medicine, dental and physiotherapy institutes of Sumandeep Vidyapeeth University were considered. Non-randomized and purposive study was done by providing LOT-R questionnaire to students. Average academic score of Anatomy and Physiology course was used for analysis excluding the biochemistry due to non-availability of tangible data at the time of study. Data was collected, analysed statistically using independent t-test, ANOVA with post-hoc and correlation analysis. RESULT: Statistical significant for one-way ANOVA was assessed for academic score between the group of health professional students. While no statistical correlation of significance was observed for LOT-R score with that of academic score. As per gender distribution there was no statistical significant observation for LOT-R score within the groups. CONCLUSION: The present study highlighted the need of student's counseling for their approach towards health education; as their career. Psychological self-reliance and optimism improves the academic score. A study needs to be compared with the socio-economic status of the student to have a better understanding of the LOT-R.

Changes in serum calcium, magnesium and inorganic phosphorus levels during different phases of the menstrual cycle.

BACKGROUND: The menstrual cycle is a complex process involving the interaction of the hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary, the ovaries and the uterus. The hormonal changes occurring during this cyclic process not only affect oocyte maturation and the endometrial and vaginal environments but can also have an effect on a number of other physiological and biochemical phenomena. AIM AND METHOD: We investigated the changes in serum calcium, magnesium and inorganic phosphorus levels during different phases of the menstrual cycle in fifty healthy young women. We found subtle but significant variations in these levels in the menstrual, follicular and luteal phases. RESULT: The serum calcium level was highest in the follicular phase whereas the serum magnesium level was lowest in the follicular phase; the serum inorganic phosphorus levels was highest in the menstrual phase. CONCLUSION: These variations could be due to the impact of the changing estrogen and progesterone secretion on the parathyroid glands.