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Background Assessments, such as summative structured examinations, aim to verify whether students have acquired the necessary competencies. It is important to familiarize students with the examination format prior to the assessment to ensure that true competency is measured. However, it is unclear whether students can demonstrate their true potential or possibly perform less effectively due to the unfamiliar examination format. Hence, we questioned whether a 10-min active familiarization in the form of simulation improved medical students´ OSCE performance. Next, we wanted to elucidate whether the effect depends on whether the familiarization procedure is active or passive. Methods We implemented an intervention consisting of a 10-min active simulation to prepare the students for the OSCE setting. We compared the impact of this intervention on performance to no intervention in 5th-year medical students ( n  = 1284) from 2018 until 2022. Recently, a passive lecture, in which the OSCE setting is explained without active participation of the students, was introduced as a comparator group. Students who participated in neither the intervention nor the passive lecture group formed the control group. The OSCE performance between the groups and the impact of gender was assessed using X 2 , nonparametric tests and regression analysis (total n  = 362). Results We found that active familiarization of students ( n  = 188) yields significantly better performance compared to the passive comparator (Cohen´s d = 0.857, p  < 0.001, n  = 52) and control group (Cohen´s d = 0.473, p  < 0.001, n  = 122). In multivariate regression analysis, active intervention remained the only significant variable with a 2.945-fold increase in the probability of passing the exam ( p  = 0.018). Conclusions A short 10-min active intervention to familiarize students with the OSCE setting significantly improved student performance. We suggest that curricula should include simulations on the exam setting in addition to courses that increase knowledge or skills to mitigate the negative effect of nonfamiliarity with the OSCE exam setting on the students.

Objective. To examine pharmacy students’ perceptions of an elective course on evidence-based learning strategies. Methods. Pre- and post-course survey questionnaires were administered to students who enrolled in an elective course, to determine the learning strategies they used prior to course attendance, track their use of evidence-based learning strategies and observance of healthy lifestyle habits, and assess their perception of the course. A written assignment was given that required students to reflect on the learning outcomes that resulted from their application of evidence-based learning strategies. Mean scores on the pre- and post-course survey were analyzed using a general linear model repeated measures test. Results. The 59 students in this study predominantly used less-effective strategies (eg, re-reading and re-writing of notes) prior to taking the course. They reported increased use of evidence-based learning strategies, particularly retrieval practice and elaboration, and practice of healthy lifestyle habits (ie, enough sleep, exercise, good nutrition) after course completion. Students believed that using the above learning strategies improved their learning and memory and performance on graded assessments, among other benefits. Students had a positive perception of the course. Conclusion. The elective course was associated with increased use of effective learning strategies, adoption of healthy lifestyle practices that aid learning, and increased appreciation for evidence-based learning strategies by the students. Future studies are needed to examine actual learning outcomes and barriers to implementation of evidence-based learning techniques.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate students’ attitude based on affective, behavioural and cognitive components. It will ascertain whether there is a link between the three components of attitude, which leads the possible classification of the elective courses. Design/methodology/approach The current study considers the students of the International Business Administration Department from Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, Ministry of Higher Education, Sultanate of Oman, during the academic year 2016–2017. The list of the elective courses was obtained from the existing study plan. A total of 101 students assessed elective courses’ affective and cognitive learning with the use of a web-based survey instrument. Findings An empirical analysis of the selection criterion was performed employing fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. The results of this study found that students rated 17 elective courses into 8 different configurations (triodes) based on various degrees assigned to attitudinal variables. Research limitations/implications The present study explores the interaction between affective and cognitive factors in determining the selection behaviour of students. It is an investigation into the context of student choices regarding elective courses, especially the decision to select or not to select available courses. Originality/value The world of feelings and beliefs is always open to learning and self-development for the students. Students are continuously involved in taking charge of high-stakes decisions; one of them is the selection of elective courses. However, the critical components into the overall evaluations of their selection behaviour, such as feelings and beliefs, are not well studied.

Outdoor STEM is an instructional approach that connects the teaching of STEM subjects to the natural environmental context. This study aims to enhance students' STEM literacy through outdoor STEM activities within the elective course, and to evaluate students’ satisfaction with Outdoor STEM. This research employs a quasi-experimental design involving 29 Thai eighth-grade students enrolled in a secondary school. The primary instruments utilized in this study are the STEM literacy test, which consists of seven open-ended questions, and ‘The Student Satisfaction Survey Form,’ which uses a 13-item Likert scale. The findings indicate that the mean post-study score for STEM literacy (M = 14.62, SD = 3.40) significantly exceeds the pre-study score (M = 8.59, SD = 3.42). Furthermore, students exhibited growth in STEM literacy across all six components and expressed a high level of overall satisfaction with their learning experience. Consequently, it is recommended that outdoor STEM activities be integrated into the school curriculum as elective courses, as they effectively promote the development of STEM literacy and foster student interest in learning STEM subjects.

This study aims to describe one service-learning program and evaluate the primary learning competencies students identified while engaged in the service. The Patient Advocacy Program was established as an upper-level elective course in 2014 and has been offered three semesters per year since its inception. The structure of the course is a truly collaborative effort of preceptor organizations and educators. Students are scheduled for two four-hour shifts per week in either a hospital emergency department or safety-net clinics. Along with their on-site work, they participate in monthly classes, online quizzes, weekly reflective journals, and quantitative reports. Although the course is not easy, students have overwhelmingly reported positively on their experiences and noted their patient advocacy experience to support graduate school or job applications. Data were gathered from 51 health administration students' weekly journals, totaling approximately 850 pages. Using content analysis and an abbreviated list of Healthcare Leadership Alliance (HLA) competencies, the most common learning themes were identified. These competency-based learning themes were: (1) understanding the patient experience, (2) collaborating with clinicians, (3) understanding the sociocultural environment that impacts patients' health, and (4) professional accountability. The student quotes and reflections provided here demonstrate that this program is one academic option that can facilitate student competencies.

Introduction This scoping review aimed to review the various challenges facing dental education. Dental education faces multiple institutional, student and faculty-based challenges. Institutional challenges include updating infrastructure resources, recruiting qualified faculty, and implementing administrative policies that enhance dental education. Student-based challenges include implementing teaching/learning strategies that will enable students to acquire adequate knowledge, skill, and logical reasoning to identify and execute evidence-based treatment. Faculty-based challenges include regular updating of the dental curriculum, including recent advances in teaching methodology, and adding elective courses that can enhance the readiness of future dentists to address the evolving oral health needs of the public. Methodology The scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA-ScR, focusing on the current challenges in dental education. Articles were identified via searches of Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science and Embase for the period 2019 to 2024. Only English language papers detailing challenges in dental education were included. At the culmination of the search protocol, twelve articles were selected for inclusion in this scoping review. Results Analysis of these twelve papers identified several themes, which apply to the dental education systems of many, but not all, nations: (1) the correlation between the basic science and clinical phases of the curriculium remains poor; (2) dental students receive inadequate patient care experience to truly develop the competency needed for unsupervised dental practice after graduation; (3) dental students often graduate with inadequate foundational knowledge and clinical experience to provide care for geriatric, specialized pediatric and medically compromised patients, and recieve limited clinical experience in public health settings; (4) dental schools struggle to provide students with training in the technology advancements that are increasingly prevalent in dental practice; (5) difficulties in hiring, training and retaining dentists in faculty positions diminishes the quality of the education experience for students; and (6) an increased number of graduates in some countries struggle to find employment. Conclusion A variety of studies and advocacy papers over the past 25 years have identified or described similar challenges facing dental education in many nations of the world. The fact that these challenges persist signals the urgent need for curricular and infrastructure reform to better prepare dental students for the realities of dental practice in the 21st century and to provide an environment that will provide an attractive workplace for dentists who desire to participate in the education of the next generation of dentists.

藝術教育促進個體理解美感經驗之意義與實踐，是個體全人素養之重要環節，然鑑於課程發展具層次差異性，藝術課程於學校發展影響之因素值得探討。本研究採混合研究法之解釋性序列設計，針對高中學校背景屬性因素與藝術選修課程分析開設之關聯性分析，繼之訪談學校藝術教師之觀點以探究藝術選修課程發展因素。分析結果顯示，藝術加深加廣課程發展情形與設置藝術才能班因素具顯著相關，藝術多元選修課程發展情形則分別與學校規模、公私立與設置藝術才能班等因素有顯著關聯。綜合訪談整體結果指出，學校藝術選修課程發展受到社會環境關注學生生涯發展與升學之共通因素影響，學校規模、空間設備與發展亮點等各校異質性因素影響多元選修課程發展，在此境況下，藝術教師普遍關注專業提升與充實相關資源，並希冀釐清學校定位及藝術選修課程之價值，本研究根據結果提出相關建議

To describe the development, implementation, and assessment of an advanced elective course on infectious diseases using active-learning strategies. Pedagogy for active learning was incorporated by means of mini-lecture, journal club, and debate with follow-up discussion. Forty-eight students were enrolled in this 4-week elective course, in which 30% of course time was allocated for active-learning exercises. All activities were fundamentally designed as a stepwise approach in complementing each active-learning exercise. Achievement of the course learning objectives was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale survey instrument. Students’ awareness of the significance of antimicrobial resistance was improved (p ≤ 0.05). Students’ ability to critically evaluate the infectious-disease literature and its application in informed clinical judgments was also enhanced through these active-learning exercises (p ≤ 0.05). Students agreed that active learning should be part of the pharmacy curriculum and that active-learning exercises improved their critical-thinking, literature-evaluation, and self-learning skills. An elective course using active-learning strategies allowed students to combine information gained from the evaluation of infectious-disease literature, critical thinking, and informed clinical judgment. This blended approach ultimately resulted in an increased knowledge and awareness of infectious diseases.

Background Working in a culturally diverse environment entails a moral and professional responsibility to provide culturally competent care. This has been recognised as an important measure to reduce health inequalities, improve the quality of care and increase patient satisfaction. The aim of this study was to assess the level of cultural competence in nursing students a decade after the introduction of transcultural nursing content into the nursing curriculum in Slovenia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design with 180 s-year nursing students as a convenience sample was used. Cultural competence was assessed using the Cultural Competence Assessment Tool (CCATool) via an online survey. IBM SPSS facilitated statistical analysis, using descriptive statistics and inferential methods, including the chi-square test. Non-parametric tests (Mann Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H and Wilcoxon signed-rank) were used for non-normally distributed data (Shapiro-Wilk test, p < 0.05). The significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results The results indicate that students demonstrate a high level of cultural competence, although there is room for improvement in terms of cultural sensitivity, as determined by coding the CCATool. The results also show a remarkable contrast between their self-assessed scores and the objective scores obtained from CCATool coding of the statements in each subscale (p < 0.005). In addition, significant differences (p = 0.002) are found in subscale “Cultural Knowledge” particularly between students who have lived abroad for more than 6 months and those who have not. The latter group has a higher score in the CCATool, indicating greater cultural knowledge. Conclusions The study suggests that the presence of transcultural elements in the Slovenian nursing curriculum is associated with higher self-reported levels of cultural competence among nursing students, although the present research design does not allow for causal interpretations. This competence is of immense importance in preparing students for their future professional environment. However, it is crucial to further refine the nursing curriculum, especially through greater integration of transcultural content in all health disciplines. In addition, the introduction of innovative teaching and learning approaches can better prepare students to deal with the diverse cultural experiences they will encounter in their nursing careers.

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) and Metaverse applications are gaining attention in the educational field, showing potentials in transforming traditional learning methods by supporting active and experiential forms of learning. Our study, conducted within the context of an Italian university course, employs the Extended Expectation-Confirmation Model (EECM) as a theoretical framework to explore the key aspects of students’ acceptance and continued intention to use IVR and Metaverse integrated learning environments in educational settings. The EECM, which bridges the gap between pre-adoption expectations and post-adoption experiences, provides a comprehensive perspective for exploring technology adoption in education. Students’ attitudes were assessed before and after they completed an elective course offered by the university that delved into IVR and Metaverse applications. During the course, students explored the theoretical and practical applications of these technologies, engaging in a variety of experiences, from immersive relaxation exercises to immersive educational platforms in the emerging Metaverse. Contrary to common assumptions, pre-adoption factors like performance and effort expectancy had limited impact on expectancy confirmation. However, when students’ initial expectations matched their experiences, their perceptions of the technology’s usefulness, satisfaction, and confidence in its use were positively enhanced, influencing their continued intention to integrate these tools in education.