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Stress and behavioral changes with remote E-exams during the Covid-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among undergraduates of medical sciences.

ABSTRACT: Emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) forced the worldwide higher educational institutes to adopt distance learning mode. Further, remote electronic exams (E-exams) were considered as mode of assessment. Objectives: This cross-sectional study evaluated the students' experience of remote E-exams during the COVID-19 pandemic among Medical Sciences students in Jordan. Materials and Methods: A survey of 29 questions was prepared on Google forms and distributed among students at Faculties of Medical Sciences (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Applied Medical Sciences) at Jordan University of Science and Technology. The questions include students' demographics, stress experience, and factors contributing to stress as well as behavioral changes related to remote E-exams. Responses were analyzed using descriptive, cross tabulation and Chi-square tests. Results: Among 1019 respondents, 32% reported more stress with remote E-exams. This was associated with academic major and gender. Among students with more stress during remote E-exams, the exam duration, mode of questions navigation and technical problems (exam platform and internet connectivity) appeared as the main factors related to stress in 78%, 76% and >60%, respectively. Other factors include concern regarding the teaching methods, exam environment and students' dishonesty. Remote E-exams had negative impact on students' dietary habits (increase consumption of caffeine and high energy drinks, high sugar food, fast food), sleep (reduction in sleeping hours, more consumption of insomnia medications), physical activity (less exercises) and smoking habits (increase). Conclusion: Results suggested a negative impact of E-exams on students within Medical Faculties. Robust exam platform and remote mock E-exams are recommended to reduce students' potential stress. A stress-free environment is very essential to encourage students to adopt remote E-exams, particularly if the pandemic will take longer. Various awareness programs about students' habits related to dietary, sleep quality, physical activity and smoking are highly valuable for students' health benefits. This is of particular importance since the current students at Faculties of Medical Sciences are the future health care providers.

SUBMITTER: Elsalem L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7604013 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundSince the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), distance education has been extensively implemented in all educational institutes and remote electronic exams (E-exams) have been adopted as a primary mode of assessment.ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the experience of students at faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Applied Medical Sciences at Jordan University of Science and Technology regarding remote E-exams preferences and academic dishonesty during the pandemic.Materials and methodsThe survey composed of 16 questions, prepared using Google forms and distributed through students' E-learning platforms. The survey explored factors affecting students' preference for remote E-exams, methods for course assessment/evaluation, factors related to students' exam dishonesty/misconduct during remote E-exams and measures that can be considered to reduce this behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive, cross tabulation and Chi-square tests.ResultsAmong 730 students, approximately only one third preferred remote E-exams. This was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with academic major, efforts/time for remote E-exam preparation, questions appropriateness with study material, and academic achievements (students Grade Point Average (GPA), curriculum objectives). Combining both exams and quizzes was the most preferred method of assessment (30%), while submission of reports or short written assignments were the least preferred ones. Exam dishonesty/misconduct appears as one of the major challenges with remote E-exams. The main measures considered by students to reduce exam dishonesty included substituting the exam with other forms of assessment, using different exam forms, the use of online proctoring solutions and considering compulsory pass/fail grades.ConclusionResults suggested less preference of remote E-exams among students at medical faculties. Findings from this study are highly valuable to plan for academic strategies to overcome difficulties and challenges of remote E-exams. These might include improvement for the distance teaching methodologies, rearrangement of assessment options, modification of the academic curriculum to fit the current situation, and adopting certain measures to prevent exam dishonesty and maintain academic integrity.

Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence of and attitudes to smoking among third year medical, pharmacy, dentistry and nursing students in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR).DesignA cross-sectional survey conducted among third year university level, health professional students. The survey used a self-administered questionnaire which was originally developed by WHO, and modified to suit the setting.SettingThe setting was the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR. Participants were recruited from the Faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing. At the time of the survey, 521 third year students were enrolled.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was prevalence of current cigarette smoking and other tobacco use. Smoking status was categorised as: current smoker, ex-smoker and non-smoker with current smokers defined as those who had smoked cigarettes or used other tobacco on one or more days during the previous 30 days.ResultsIn total, 506 respondents completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 97.1% to 98.5% across the different faculties. Overall smoking prevalence was 5.07% (95% CI 3.2% to 7.1%), which is lower than previously reported national prevalence rates. Women reported smoking less than men did (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.013 to 0.242; p=0.003). The majority of students supported tobacco control measures. The number of people who reported receiving formal training in tobacco cessation counselling ranged from 10.9% (95% CI 5.3% to 19.1%) among nursing students to 51.1% (95% CI 40.4% to 61.7%) among medical students.ConclusionsSmoking prevalence among this cohort was relatively low. Students were supportive of tobacco control policies. Further research is needed to understand what is working in this context, in order to apply lessons learnt in similar settings. In the meantime, health professional students should be provided health education to discourage tobacco use. Information on tobacco control policies needs to be more widely disseminated.

Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest viral pandemic of the 21st century. We aimed to study COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among medical and health sciences students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We performed a cross-sectional study between 2 June and 19 August 2020. The survey was distributed online using Survey Monkey. It was conducted in English and comprised two parts: socio-demographic characteristics, and KAP towards COVID-19. 712 responses to the questionnaire were collected. 90% of respondents (n = 695) were undergraduate students, while 10% (n = 81) were postgraduates. The majority (87%, n = 647) stated that they obtained COVID-19 information from multiple reliable sources. They were highly knowledgeable about the COVID-19 pandemic, but 76% (n = 539) did not recognize its routes of transmission. Medical students were significantly more knowledgeable compared with allied health students (P<0.0001, Mann Whitney U test) but there was no difference in knowledge between undergraduate and postgraduate students (P = 0.14, Mann Whitney U test). Medical students thought that more could be done to mitigate the COVID-19 situation compared with the allied health students (66.2% compared with 51.6%, p = 0.002 Fisher's Exact test). 63% (n = 431) were worried about getting COVID-19 infection, while 92% (n = 633)) were worried that a family member could be infected with the virus. 97% (n = 655) took precautions when accepting home deliveries, 94% (n = 637) had been washing their hands more frequently, and 95% (n = 643) had been wearing face masks. In conclusion, medical and health sciences students in the UAE showed high levels of knowledge and good attitudes and practices towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, they were worried about themselves or their family members becoming infected. Medical students had more knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic which was reflected in their opinion that more can be done to mitigate its effects.

Project description:BackgroundUndergraduate medical education was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As traditional clinical rotations were suspended, medical students quickly began alternative, novel educational experiences. Third-year medical students at an academic medical center were given the opportunity to join inpatient eConsult teams within the department of medicine. This study describes the development and implementation of this program as well as the experiences of student and faculty participants.MethodsStudent eConsult participation was rapidly developed and implemented within medical subspecialty teams in either infectious diseases (ID) or nephrology. Twelve third-year medical students and 15 subspecialty attendings participated in this program during an eight-week period from April 6 through May 29, 2020. Breadth of student clinical experience was assessed via review of clinical documentation and surveys. Participating students and attending physicians completed surveys to reflect upon their impressions of the program. Surveys were returned by nine students and eight faculty members. Survey responses were summarized with descriptive statistics.ResultsOver an eight-week period, student consultants wrote 126 notes on 100 patients; 74 of these patients (74%) were hospitalized with COVID-19. Student experiences were largely positive with most strongly agreeing that attendings promoted interactive and engaged learning (N = 8 of 8, 100%), that the experience helped to expand their knowledge about consultant roles (N = 6, 75%), and that they would participate in a remote eConsult program again if given the opportunity (N = 6, 75%). Faculty also were largely positive about the experience with most agreeing or strongly agreeing with the importance of teaching medical students about telehealth (N = 7 of 8, 88%) and eConsults (N = 6, 75%). In narrative responses, students and faculty agreed that teaching was a strength of the program whereas lack of in-person contact was a challenge.ConclusionsRapid development of an inpatient eConsult-based educational experience for third-year medical students was feasible and successful. Student-consultants saw a range of pathology including COVID-19 and related complications. Students were satisfied with the program. They were able to develop a strong relationship with attendings while learning about the role of a consultant. Faculty agreed with the importance of teaching students about telehealth and eConsults specifically.

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Stress and behavioral changes with remote E-exams during the Covid-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among undergraduates of medical sciences.

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