An Interactive Mapping and Case Discussion Seminar Introducing Medical Students to Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Health.

Introduction: Integrating climate change and health into a medical school curriculum is critical for future physicians who will manage health crises caused by a rapidly changing climate. Although medical schools have increasingly included climate change in the curriculum, there remains a need to address the link between the climate crisis, environmental justice, and historical policies that shape environmental health disparities in local communities. Methods: In academic years 2021-2022 (AY22) and 2022-2023 (AY23), second-year medical students participated in a 2.5-hour seminar utilizing didactic teaching and small breakout groups that included interactive mapping activities and case scenarios. Learner knowledge and attitudes were self-assessed using pre- and postcurriculum surveys and a quiz. Qualitative thematic and content analysis was used to evaluate short-answer quiz responses and feedback. Results: Of 357 students who participated in the seminar, 208 (58%) completed both the precurriculum and postcurriculum surveys. Self-assessed ability increased significantly for all educational objectives across both years. Attitudes on the importance of climate change knowledge for patient health also improved from a mean of 3.5 precurriculum to 4.2 postcurriculum (difference = 0.7, p < .01) in AY22 and from 3.6 pre- to 4.3 postcurriculum (difference = 0.7, p < .01) in AY23 on a 5-point Likert scale. Discussion: This climate change and health session highlighting the link between environmental policy and climate change health vulnerability in the local context was successful in improving students' self-assessed ability across all stated educational objectives. Students cited the interactive small-group sessions as a major strength.

Updated core competencies in pharmacoepidemiology to inform contemporary curricula and training for academia, government, and industry.

PURPOSE: The first paper to specify the core content of pharmacoepidemiology as a profession was published by an ISPE (International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology) workgroup in 2012 (Jones JK et al. PDS 2012; 21[7]:677-689). Due to the broader and evolving scope of pharmacoepidemiology, ISPE considers it important to proactively identify, update and expand the list of core competencies to inform curricula of education programs; thus, better positioning pharmacoepidemiologists across academic, government (including regulatory), and industry positions. The aim of this project was to update the list of core competencies in pharmacoepidemiology. METHODS: To ensure applicability of findings to multiple areas, a working group was established consisting of ISPE members with positions in academia, industry, government, and other settings. All competencies outlined by Jones et al. were extracted from the initial manuscript and presented to the working group for review. Expert-based judgments were collated and used to identify consensus. It was noted that some competencies could contribute to multiple groups and could be directly or indirectly related to a group. RESULTS: Five core domains were proposed: (1) Epidemiology, (2) Clinical Pharmacology, (3) Regulatory Science, (4) Statistics and data science, and (5) Communication and other professional skills. In total, 55 individual competencies were proposed, of which 25 were new competencies. No competencies from the original work were dropped but aggregation or amendments were made where considered necessary. CONCLUSIONS: While many core competencies in pharmacoepidemiology have remained the same over the past 10 years, there have also been several updates to reflect new and emerging concepts in the field.

Development of a master of science, nursing and interprofessional leadership program: AACN essentials in action.

BACKGROUND: Leadership acumen, interprofessional relationships, and knowledge of healthcare operations are essential proficiencies for nurses to navigate the dynamic and complex healthcare landscape. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) re-envisioned the academic nursing standards, The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (Essentials), to guide curricular development in preparing nurses with the aptitude to meet these challenges. PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to develop an innovative Master of Science nursing program to address the challenges facing the RN workforce. METHODS: A relationship-based framework and the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) model were used to guide the development of the program using the Essentials to inform curricular design. RESULTS: A Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership Master of Science program was designed comprising seven core courses with two tracks, Bachelor of Nursing and Post Graduate Option. LIMITATION: The program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced the data used for the program's design. CONCLUSION: Healthcare complexities are requiring nursing education to evaluate curricula for advanced knowledge and skills. A Nursing and Interprofessional Leadership Master of Science degree program guided by the Essentials was developed to meet this challenge.

Traveling the road toward academic promotion for faculty with a DNP degree.

There is a widely recognized need for nursing faculty in the United States. To prepare a practice-ready workforce, schools of nursing are hiring faculty with Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) preparation to ensure clinical expertise is embedded into curriculum by practice experts. However, nurses transitioning from clinical nursing to faculty positions require tailored support and guidance in navigating the academic environment. Preparation for academic promotion is essential to integration into an academic setting. Support in navigating the new environment is essential for building confidence, to lay a foundation for a successful transition, and ultimately retaining these qualified educators. This article provides strategies to support nursing faculty planning to embark on an academic career track and provides guidance on how to prepare these DNP-prepared faculty for career progression and future promotion along academic ranks. These strategies include school and institutional orientation, faculty development plans, mentorship, leadership development, and performance review processes.

Faculty Development on the Use of a Clinical Judgment Model in the Pre-licensure Nursing Curriculum.

Clinical judgment is an essential component of safe nursing practice that pre-licensure nursing students should develop by graduation from accredited nursing programs. For novice nurses, the consequences of underdeveloped clinical judgment skills that do not meet the demands of clinical practice are serious. This theory-practice gap correlates with increased numbers of errors occurring during care delivery, resulting in poorer patient outcomes. From a student perspective, this problem correlates with lower first-time pass rates on the NCLEX licensing exam. For nurse educators, there are uncertainties about how to resolve this complex and costly problem, but faculty development is one evidence-based solution to explore. The purpose of this article is to describe a three-pronged quality improvement project consisting of: 1) a faculty development session to teach faculty to implement the National Council State Boards of Nursing's Clinical Judgment Model (CJM) in their courses; 2) the use of the Clinical Judgment Tool; and 3) the implementation of a faculty champion to sustain and maintain ongoing faculty momentum to foster clinical judgment. This article focuses on how faculty can develop their own CJM faculty development session and use a CJM across the course curriculum.

The interprofessional practice experiences of final-semester prelicensure BSN students completing clinical immersion: A descriptive qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The goal of interprofessional practice experiences in health professions programs is to develop interprofessional collaborative practice skills. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore the meaning final-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing students attributed to interprofessional practice experiences during clinical immersion. METHODS: The theoretical framework for this descriptive qualitative study was experiential learning theory. A sample of 12 participants was drawn from final-semester prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at a college of nursing at a public research university. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews and analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis yielded four themes: professional and interprofessional identity, working with team members, communication practices, and trusting relationships. Patterns across themes were clinical environment culture, nursing school preparation, nurse preceptor role, fear/concern/worry, and night shift. CONCLUSION: Consistency in preceptors, welcoming clinical environments, and opportunities to practice communicating with team members contributed to interprofessional collaborative practice skill development and improved perceptions of readiness for practice. Academic and clinical educators may use findings to (a) identify immersion placements for interprofessional practice experiences, (b) design curricula reflective of interprofessional practice, (c) advance teaching strategies to promote interprofessional practice, and (d) create learning environments that aid in professional and interprofessional identity formation.

Physiology education in China: the current situation and changes over the past 3 decades.

OBJECTIVE: As an experimental biological science, physiology has been taught as an integral component of medical curricula for a long time in China. The teaching effectiveness of physiology courses will directly affect students' learning of other medical disciplines. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situation and changes in physiology teaching over 30 years in Chinese medical schools. METHODS: National survey was conducted online on the platform SoJump via WeChat and the web. The head of the physiology department in medical school was asked to indicate the information of physiology education from three periods: 1991-2000, 2001-2010, and 2011-2020. The responses of 80 leaders of the Department of Physiology from mainland Chinese medical schools were included in the study for analysis. RESULTS: The survey showed that the class hours, both of theory and practice, had been decreased. During the past 20 years, the total number of physiology teachers, the number of physiology teachers who had been educated in medical schools, and the number of technicians had been reduced, whereas teachers with doctor's degrees had been increased. In addition to traditional didactic teaching, new teaching approaches, including problem-based learning/case-based learning/team-based learning, integrated curriculum and formative evaluation systems, had been employed, mostly for more than 5 years, in some medical schools. CONCLUSION: The present study has provided historical data regarding the current status of physiology education in China and that in the past thirty years by showing that physiology education in China has developed quickly,even it faces many challenges.

Developing an educational "hub": impact of a distance-learning curriculum in a multinational cohort.

PURPOSE: To address a gap in radiation oncology education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we sought to evaluate the effectiveness and generalizability of a refined curriculum on intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) offered to existing radiation therapy (RT) clinics across Africa and Latin America (LATAM) at no cost. METHODS: A curriculum was created based on prior needs assessments and adapted for participating medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, and trainees in LMICs. English-speaking and Spanish-speaking teams of volunteer educators delivered 27 hour-long sessions 1-2 times weekly for 4 months using video conferencing to African and LATAM cohorts, respectively. Pre- and post-course multiple-choice examinations were administered to LATAM participants, and pre- and post-course self-confidence (1-5 Likert-scale) and open-ended feedback were collected from all participants. RESULTS: Twenty-five centers across Africa (13) and LATAM (12) participated, yielding a total of 332 enrolled participants (128 African, 204 LATAM). Sessions were delivered with a mean of 44 (22.5) and 85 (25.4) participants in the African and LATAM programs, respectively. Paired pre and post-course data demonstrated significant (p < 0.001) improvement in knowledge from 47.9 to 89.6% and self-confidence across four domains including foundations (+ 1.1), commissioning (+ 1.3), contouring (+ 1.7), and treatment planning (+ 1.0). Attendance was a significant predictor of change in self-confidence in "high attendance" participants only, suggesting a threshold effect. Qualitative data demonstrates that participants look forward to applying their knowledge in the clinical setting. CONCLUSION: A specialized radiation oncology curriculum adapted for LMIC audiences was effective for both African and LATAM participants. Participant feedback suggests that the refined IMRT course empowered clinics with knowledge and confidence to help train others. This feasible "Hub and Spokes" approach in which a distance-learning course establishes a hub to be leveraged by spokes (learners) may be generalizable to others aiming to reduce global health care disparities through training efforts.

How to design effective educational videos for teaching evidence-based medicine to undergraduate learners - systematic review with complementing qualitative research to develop a practicable guide.

BACKGROUND: eLearning can be an effective tool to achieve learning objectives. It facilitates asynchronous distance learning, increasing flexibility for learners and instructors. In this context, the high educational value of videos provides an invaluable primary component for longitudinal digital curricula, especially for maintaining knowledge on otherwise rarely taught subjects. Although literature concerning eLearning evaluation exists, research comprehensively describing how to design effective educational videos is lacking. In particular, studies on the requirements and design goals of educational videos need to be complemented by qualitative research using grounded theory methodology. METHODS: Due to the paucity of randomized controlled trials in this area, there is an urgent need to generate recommendations based on a broader fundament than a literature search alone. Thus, the authors have employed grounded theory as a guiding framework, augmented by Mayring's qualitative content analysis and commonly used standards. An adaptive approach was conducted based on a literature search and qualitative semi-structured interviews. Drawing on these results, the authors elaborated a guide for creating effective educational videos. RESULTS: The authors identified 40 effective or presumedly effective factors fostering the success of video-based eLearning in teaching evidence-based medicine, providing a ready-to-use checklist. The information collected via the interviews supported and enriched much of the advice found in the literature. DISCUSSION: To the authors' knowledge, this type of comprehensive guide for video-based eLearning needs has not previously been published. The interviews considerably contributed to the results. Due to the grounded theory-based approach, in particular, consensus was achieved without the presence of a formal expert panel. Although the guide was created with a focus on teaching evidence-based medicine, due to the general study selection process and research approach, the recommendations are applicable to a wide range of subjects in medical education where the teaching aim is to impart conceptual knowledge.

Bringing Real Inquiry-Based Science to Diverse Secondary Educational Environments: A Virtual Zebrafish Laboratory to Investigate Environmental Health.

The goal of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WInSTEP SEPA program is to provide valuable and relevant research experiences to students and instructors in diverse secondary educational settings. Introducing an online experience allows the expansion of a proven instructional research program to a national scale and removes many common barriers. These can include lack of access to zebrafish embryos, laboratory equipment, and modern classroom facilities, which often deny disadvantaged and underrepresented students from urban and rural school districts valuable inquiry-based learning opportunities. An online repository of zebrafish embryo imagery was developed in the Carvan laboratory to assess the effects of environmental chemicals. The WInSTEP SEPA program expanded its use as an accessible online tool, complementing the existing classroom experience of our zebrafish module. This virtual laboratory environment contains images of zebrafish embryos grown in the presence of environmental toxicants (ethanol, caffeine, and nicotine), allowing students to collect data on 19 anatomical endpoints and generate significant amounts of data related to developmental toxicology and environmental health. This virtual laboratory offers students and instructors the choice of data sets that differ in the independent variables of chemical concentration and duration of postfertilization exposure. This enables students considerable flexibility in establishing their own experimental design to match the curriculum needs of each instructor.

The InSciEdRS View: A User-Friendly and Accessible Microscope with Easy-to-Follow Companion Curricula.

Microscopes are essential for research and education in science. Unlike computers and online learning tools, however, microscopes are not currently a fixed element in K-12 classrooms, due to steep cost, needless complexity, and often requiring a prohibitive level of staff training to effectively deploy. In a collaboration with Area 10 Labs, Integrated Science Education Outreach (InSciEd Out) developed a state-of-the-art alternative microscope, the InSciEdRS View, to reduce the financial barrier, prohibitive per-student cost, unnecessary complexity, and extensive staff training. Utilizing a 1080p camera and a lunchbox-style case, this Wi-Fi- and USB-connectable microscope comes with all necessary components for visualization of microscopic specimens (10 × -50 × magnification). While built to handle the rigors of classroom use, its imaging capability and battery-operation can make it flexible for a laboratory or fieldwork as well. We further highlight here K-12 curricula that we have developed using larval zebrafish to enable teachers, science outreach leaders, and parents to support active hands-on science observations. The InSciEdRS View microscope and the InSciEd Out curricula are readily scalable, translatable, and accessible for traditional and neurodiverse students and integrating these in various settings can be an efficient way to achieve better outcomes in science education.

Guidelines to support newly qualified professional nurses for effective clinical practice.

BACKGROUND:  Transitioning to a professional role is difficult for newly qualified professional nurses. Given the challenges that these nurses experience during the transition to practice, support is essential for them to become efficient, safe, confident, and competent in their professional roles. OBJECTIVES:  The purpose of this study was to explore the transition experiences of newly qualified professional nurses to develop a preceptorship model. METHOD:  This study employed a qualitative approach to purposively collect data. Concept analyses were conducted applying the steps suggested by Walker and Avant, and the related concepts were classified utilising the survey list of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach's practice theory. RESULTS:  A preceptorship model for the facilitation of guidance and support in the clinical area for newly qualified professional nurses was developed. The model consists of six components, namely, the clinical environment, the operational manager and preceptor, the newly qualified professional nurse, the preceptorship, the assessment of learning, and the outcome. CONCLUSION:  The study revealed that newly qualified professional nurses face many transition challenges when entering clinical practice. They are thrown far in, experience a reality shock, and are not ready to start performing their professional role. The participants agreed that guidance and support are needed for their independent practice role.Contribution: The preceptorship model for newly qualified professional nurses would be necessary for the transition period within hospitals. This preceptorship model may be implemented by nursing education institutions as part of their curriculum to prepare pre-qualifying students for the professional role.

IDEAL: Maintaining PHC-focused training in a MBChB programme through a COVID-induced innovation.

Responding to the need for authentic clinical training for students in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences developed an innovative 12-week longitudinal, integrated rotation for pre-final-year medical students, the Integrated Distributed Engagement to Advance Learning (IDEAL) rotation. This saw 252 students being placed across 30 primary and secondary healthcare facilities in the Western and Northern Cape provinces. With a focus on service learning, the rotation was built on experiences and research of members of the planning team, as well as partnership relationships developed over an extended period. The focus of student learning was on clinical reasoning through being exposed to undifferentiated patient encounters and the development of practical clinical skills. Students on the distributed platform were supported by clinicians on site, alongside whom they worked, and by a set of online supports, in the form of resources placed on the learning management systems, learning facilitators to whom patient studies were submitted and wellness supporters. Important innovations of the rotation included extensive distribution of clinical training, responsiveness to health service need, co-creation of the module with students, the roles of learning facilitators and wellness supporters, the use of mobile apps and the integration of previously siloed learning outcomes. The IDEAL rotation was seen to be so beneficial as a learning experience that it has been incorporated into the medical degree on an ongoing basis.Contribution: Longitudinal exposure of students to undifferentiated patients in a primary health care context allows for integrated, self-regulated learning. This provides excellent opportunities for medical students, with support, to develop both clinical reasoning and practical skills.

Development of entrustable professional activities for family medicine in South Africa.

South Africa is undergoing a significant shift towards implementing enhanced workplace-based assessment methodologies across various specialist training programmes, including family medicine. This paradigm involves the evaluation of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) through comprehensive portfolios of evidence, which a local and national clinical competency committee then assesses. The initial phase of this transformative journey entails the meticulous development of EPAs rooted in discrete units of work. Each EPA delineates the registrar's level of entrustment for autonomous practice, along with the specific supervision requirements. This concise report details the collaborative effort within the discipline of family medicine in South Africa, culminating in the consensus formation of 22 meticulously crafted EPAs for postgraduate family medicine training. The article intricately outlines the systematic structuring and rationale behind the EPAs, elucidating the iterative process employed in their development. Notably, this marks a groundbreaking milestone as the first comprehensive documentation of EPAs nationally for family medicine training in Africa.

Art-based observational training for medical students and surgical residents in two Dutch museums.

Background: Art-based education is gaining interest in the medical field, particularly in specialties with a strong visual focus. Visual arts are increasingly used for the development of observational skills and social competencies. While content and objectives of art-based programs widely differ across medical faculties in the Netherlands, the diverse range of options underscore the interest in and the potential of this educational approach. In this report, we explore the value of art-based observational training for medical students and surgical residents in two prominent Dutch museums in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, respectively. Methods: Our program, conducted at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Depot Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam engaged medical students (n=24) and surgeons (in training) (n=66) in an interactive workshop focused on art observation led by an experienced art-educator and a clinical professional. Learning objectives were defined and a post-workshop questionnaire was devised to evaluate participants' perceptions, with a specific focus on contribution of the program to professional development. Results: Both residents and surgeons acknowledged that the program had a positive impact on their professional skills. The program learned them to postpone their judgements and contributed to the awareness of their personal bias. Notably, medical students believed in the program's potential contribution to their professional development. Surgeons were more critical in their evaluation, emphasizing the challenge of sustainable improvement of skills within the limited duration of the course. Conclusions: An interactive art-based medical education program was offered to medical students, PhD students, house officers, surgical residents and surgeons in two well known Dutch museums. Participants expressed enthusiasm for the innovative educational approach they experienced at the museums. They learned about the importance of critical observation in their professional work, handling of ambiguity and got the opportunity to practice both observational and communicational skills in a creative manner. The findings indicate that medical students and surgical residents can benefit from art-based observational training, using art as a vehicle to develop their professional competencies.

Developing Client Self-Advocacy in Occupational Therapy: Are We Practicing What We Preach?

Background: Developing client self-advocacy is in occupational therapy's (OT) scope of practice; however, there is limited understanding of if, or how, occupational therapists learn about self-advocacy interventions as well as implement self-advocacy into clinical practice. Objective: This study sought to identify if and how therapists learn about self-advocacy intervention approaches and identify if and how therapists implement self-advocacy into their work with clients. Method: A survey was distributed via email to academic and professional listservs in the United States, and data were collected using REDCap survey software. Descriptive statistics were analyzed data using REDCap/SPSS. Comparative statistics, Kruskal-Wallis's tests, Chi-square tests for independence, and Pearson's correlation tests analyzed differences across groups of respondents. Results: Practicing and licensed occupational therapists (n = 138) across the United States completed the survey. Findings indicate a majority (59.5%) of occupational therapists not learning strategies for addressing or developing client self-advocacy. Of significance, 21.7% of participants had never been exposed to concepts of client self-advocacy in academic or clinical education. Practitioners who did address self-advocacy did so indirectly through teaching-related skills (76.6%). Conclusion: Many clients of OT will need self-advocacy skills in order to address issues of exclusion and discrimination that prohibit full participation in society. Occupational therapists must prioritize incorporating client self-advocacy into curricula and clinical practice.

Adapting TeachABI to the local needs of Australian educators - a critical step for successful implementation.

Background The present study is the foundational project of TeachABI-Australia , which aims to develop and implement an accessible, nation-wide digital resource for educators to address their unmet acquired brain injury (ABI)-related professional learning needs. The aim of the present study was to identify the adaptations required to improve the suitability and acceptability of the TeachABI professional development module within the Australian education system from the perspectives of Australian educators. Methods The research design employed an integrated knowledge translation approach and followed the ADAPT Guidance for undertaking adaptability research. A purposive sample of eight educators eligible to teach primary school in Australia provided feedback on the module through a quantitative post-module feedback questionnaire and a qualitative semi-structured interview. Results Participants rated the acceptability of the module as 'Completely Acceptable ' (Mdn = 5, IQR = 1), and reported 'only Minor' changes were required (Mdn = 2, IQR = 0.25) to improve the suitability to the Australian context. Qualitative analysis of transcripts revealed three broad categories: (1) the usefulness of TeachABI , (2) the local fit of TeachABI , and (3) pathways for implementing TeachABI in the local setting. Recommended adaptations to the module collated from participant feedback included changes to language, expansion of content, and inclusion of Australian resources, legislation, and videos. Conclusions TeachABI is acceptable to Australian educators but requires modifications to tailor the resource to align with the unique schooling systems, needs, and culture of the local setting. The systematic methodological approach to adaptation outlined in this study will serve as a guide for future international iterations of TeachABI .

How to HEEAL: A Patient and Peer-Centric Simulation Curriculum for Medical Error Disclosure.

Introduction: Medical errors are an unfortunate certainty with emotional and psychological consequences for patients and health care providers. No standardized medical curriculum on how to disclose medical errors to patients or peers exists. The novel HEEAL (honesty/empathy/education/apology-awareness/lessen chance for future errors) curriculum addresses this gap in medical education through a multimodality workshop. Methods: This 6-hour, two-part curriculum incorporated didactic and standardized patient (SP) simulation education with rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP). The morning focused on provider-patient error disclosure; the afternoon applied the same principles to provider-provider (peer) discussion. Summative simulations with SPs evaluated learners' skill baseline and improvement. Formative simulations run by expert simulation educators used RCDP to provide real-time feedback and opportunities for adjustment. Medical knowledge was measured through pre- and postintervention multiple-choice questions. Learners' confidence and attitude towards medical errors disclosure were surveyed pre- and postintervention with assistance of the Barriers to Error Disclosure Assessment tool, revised with the addition of several questions related to provider-provider disclosure. Results: Fourteen medical students participated in this pilot curriculum. Statistical significance was demonstrated in medical knowledge (p = .01), peer-disclosure skills (p = .001), and confidence in medical error disclosure (p < .001). Although there was improvement in patient-disclosure skills, this did not reach statistical significance (p = .05). Discussion: This curriculum addresses the need for designated training in medical error disclosure. Learners gained knowledge, skills, and confidence in medical error disclosure. We recommend this curriculum for medical students preparing for transition to residency.

Visual plant anatomy: From science to education and vice versa.

Plant biology, mainly plant anatomy, is a less attractive area for students at high school and university, but not much research has been devoted to improve this field. We therefore researched into the teaching of root, stem and leaf anatomy combined with the preparation of native microscopic slides and histochemical reaction using two selected dyes (classic phloroglucinol test combined with textile dye 'Duha green' to visualize xylem and phloem, respectively). The use of reagents in teaching had a positive effect on students' knowledge (control/ experimental class) of root (+70%), stem (+70%) and leaf anatomy (+130%) as well as vascular and mechanical tissues (+170%), leading to an overall improvement of knowledge by ca. 100%. Students' ability to identify individual tissues on microscopic slides increased and they also understood the functions of individual tissues after self-preparing and staining slides. However, we identified that some aspects were still problematic for students after the experimental education (e.g. identification of tissue providing secondary growth, significance of sclerenchyma and transpiration). We also attach correct answers for the anatomy test and worksheets used for practical exercises as motivation for wider use to improve students' knowledge of plant anatomy.

Students' Perception of Online Platform Based Tutorial in Physiology Curriculum.

Tutorial is one of the effective ways of interactive small group teaching activity sessions. The tutorial is a short series of classes that is ideally conducted in the small group. The use of media in the form of online platforms in tutorials could be very useful. Aims of the study to evaluate the response and perception of students about the small group learning activities like Online platform tutorials in the medical undergraduate Physiology curriculum. This was the cross-sectional study done in the Physiology Department, AIIMS, Bhopal, India from 2022 to 2023 which involved first-year MBBS students (n=39). Five online platforms-based tutorials were taken whereby five topics- one for each system were discussed. In this form of tutorial, 20 to 25 minutes were focussed on discussion, followed by assessment by multiple choice questions through an online platform. Perceptions of students were assessed through a predesigned validated questionnaire, which involved open-ended and close-ended questions. Likert scale questionnaires were also used. The chi-square test and odds ratio was used to see the difference between categorical variable (yes vs. no). The mean and Median score of the Likert scale was reported. The major issue faced was the failure to promote writing skills followed by connectivity problems. Seventy-eight percent (78.0%) of participants liked this form of tutorial, and 94.0% of participants advocated using it in the future. Online platform-based tutorials motivated 84.0% of students to learn topics in a better way. However, 41.0% feared that it does not involve communication and 92.0% opined that writing skill is not promoted. Online platform-based tutorials should be used in the Physiology curriculum. However, infrastructure in the form of prior training and internet connection must be provided. Conventional forms of tutorial should also be used to promote communication and writing skills.