Authors : Maria Thomas, Maria Thomas, Niket Verma, Niket Verma, Dinesh K Badyal, Dinesh K Badyal
DOI : 10.18231/j.jeths.2021.010
Volume : 8
Issue : 2
Year : 2021
Page No : 48-52
Introduction: Online discussion forums engage learners in higher-level thinking, allowing them to explore topics in much greater depth. One such formal online professional discussion platform is the two-year Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) Fellowship offered by the Christian Medical College Ludhiana (CMCL) - FAIMER Regional Institute (CMCL-FRI). In this study, we report the results of a survey conducted among FAIMER fellows after attending online discussions on Simulation-based teaching (SBT) to evaluate their change in knowledge levels on the topic.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of pre-moderation and post-moderation questionnaire responses. The questions/statements were designed to cover the entire range of topics planned to be discussed during the moderation month.
Results: While the median score between the pre-moderation and post-moderation month questionnaires remained the same, the average score showed an increase from 9.5 to 10.37. The number of fellows who scored the maximum possible score of 12 showed a significant increase from 2.94% to 23.33% between the pre-session to the post-moderation month questionnaires (p-value=0.015). The percentage of respondents who answered the questions correctly in the post-moderation month questionnaire showed an increase over the pre-moderation month questionnaire in 10 out of 12 questions, with the increase being highly significant in 2 out of these 10 questions.
Conclusion: Attending online ML web discussions leads to an increase in knowledge levels among participants and is an effective way to introduce medical educationists to essential concepts in medical education.
Keywords: Education Medical, Faculty Medical, Fellowships and Scholarships, Learning.