Tangrams: a simple visual tool for communicating the complexities of professionalism

Professionalism is vital for high quality healthcare and fundamental to health profession education. It is however complex, hard to define and can be challenging to teach, learn about and assess. We describe the development and use of an innovative visual tool, using a tangram analogy, to introduce and explore core professionalism concepts, which are often troublesome for both learners and educators. These include the hidden curriculum, capability, professional identity and the difference between unprofessionalism and high professional standards. Understanding these concepts can help individuals to see professionalism differently, encourage faculty to design professionalism programmes which focus on professional excellence, support assessors to feel more confident in identifying and addressing underperformance and facilitate learners to appreciate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in professionalism and to become more alert to the hidden curriculum and its potential impact. We have used the tangram model to educate for professionalism in multiple contexts with learners and educators. Participants regularly report that it leads to a deeper understanding and important new insights around professionalism and helps them identify ways of changing their practice. We believe this approach has relevance across the health professions and suggest ways it could be further developed to explore wider professionalism issues such as reflective practice, resilience and teamworking.

Health professionalism and health profession education in the 21st century

The dramatic, rapid and uncertain changes from the 20th to the 21st century are called global megatrends. Such trends are the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, an aging society, environmental hazards, behavioural risks, and more complicated lifestyles of humans in the digital age with advanced information technology (IT) that impact much on epidemiological transitions, health security and healthcare. Health professionals are the key persons for dealing with these challenging healthcare trends. The next generation of health professionals should be equipped with high professionalism especially for the components of humanism that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot replicate. Moreover, interprofessional collaborative teamwork among health professionals is a required skill for working in dynamic transitions such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Interprofessional education (IPE) is one of the essential strategies for enhancing teamwork skills in learners. Six previously reported trends in health profession education for the 21st century are summarized, including interprofessional education, longitudinal integrated clinical education, understanding partnerships and social determination of health in patients, life-long learning, competency-based skills changeable over time, and AI and IT integrated in education. The connection among megatrends, trends in healthcare, health professionalism and health professional’s education will be important issues in academia for both health educators and health professionals.

Exploring the “Ups and Downs” of using WhatsApp Messenger amongst postgraduate students.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the use of the WhatsApp instant messaging as a source of learning for postgraduate students enrolled in Master of Health Profession Education. Study Design: Mixed Method Study. Setting: University of Lahore. Period: January 2017 to January 2018. Material & Methods: Eighteen students filled the questionnaire after giving informed consent. This was followed by eight individual interviews of students consenting for interview. Results: The findings of the research suggest that the use of WhatsApp instant messaging may assist students in learning as it fosters a social constructivist environment. This environment supported students in reinforcing various concepts by enhancing interaction within the groups, among teachers as well as assimilation of the content material shared. Conclusion: WhatsApp is perceived to be an acceptable supplementary application for educational purposes, if used appropriately.

The Relation between Social Capital and Academic Motivation of Students: A Study of Health Professional Education in Japan

Academic motivation consists of reward-based extrinsic motivation and curiosity-based intrinsic motivation. Students studying at university or college develop several new social connections with friends, classmates, and teachers, in addition to their family and community. Belonging to their networks, students acquire opinions, appreciation, trust, and norms of the society. Whether those social connections enhance the motivation of university students for academic work is a question yet to be answered in the context of health profession education in Japan. Judo-therapist education is a form of health profession education in Japan. This study aimed to measure the academic motivation and social capital (SC) of judo-therapist students in Japan, and to find the relation between social capital and academic motivation. This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 2247 students applying multi-stage sampling across Japan. A Japanese version Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) measured the learning motivation in three constructs: (1) intrinsic motivation (IM); (2) extrinsic motivation (EM); and (3) amotivation (alpha 0.94). A newly-developed 46-itemed, 4-pointed scale measured social capital (SC) in five constructs: (1) family relations, (2) on-campus friends, (3) off-campus friends, (4) classroom social capital; and (5) regional social capital (alpha 0.85). Robust regression analysis treated all constructs of SC as independent variables and IM and EM as dependent variables respectively in the three models. Among the average level of constructs, the family SC average level was the highest. Classroom SC was less than family SC and community SC was the lowest. Intrinsic motivation is positively influenced by classroom SC the most, followed by family SC, on-campus friends’ SC, and community SC. Extrinsic motivation is positively influenced by classroom SC the most, followed by family SC, on-campus friends’ SC, and community SC. Amotivation is negatively influenced by social capital constructs except external friends’ SC. In conclusion, social connections have the power to enhance the motivation of university students’ academic work within health profession education. The relations, trust and bonds developed in the classroom may allow an adult learner’s motivation to evolve into autonomous intrinsic motivation and prevent amotivation.

A Pilot Study of Team-based Learning in Paediatric Clerkships

Background: Team-based learning (TBL) is widely used in health profession education. However, the use of TBL in paediatric clerkships is rare. In this study, we explore the efficacy and feasibility of TBL in paediatric clerkships. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the TBL course for paediatric clerkships from August to October 2019 at the Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. The TBL group (with 107 students) was compared to the students from the prior year who learned via case-based discussion (control group with 222 students). The learning outcomes were measured using theoretical exams when the paediatric clerkships ended. The satisfaction with TBL was evaluated by an anonymous questionnaire administered to the TBL group. Results: The grade point averages before paediatric clerkships in the TBL group (3.58, 3.04-3.96) were similar to those in the control group (3.62, 3.16-4.00) (p=0.839). However, the theoretical exam scores in the TBL group (76, 67-82) were significantly higher than those in the control group (72, 64-78) (p=0.002). In addition, 92.5% of the students in the TBL group rated their level of satisfaction higher than 90%. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that TBL in paediatric clerkships was effective and feasible and that it led to better learning outcomes.

The evaluation of stomatology English education in China based on ‘Guanghua cup’ international clinical skill exhibition activity

Background English education in professional areas has become more and more important with the increasing internationalization of health profession education in countries around the world. In this study, we aimed to evaluate current Chinese stomatology English education based on Chinese participants’ ability to apply stomatology English during an international stomatology skill competition called the ‘Guanghua Cup activity’. Methods The registration rate of English and Chinese volunteers and the answer rate and accuracy of Chinese and international contestants on the English knowledge quiz were statistically described. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was delivered to all participants. The data were analyzed using the Spearman test, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results Among the 194 students, the English and Chinese volunteer registration rate was 7.73 and 30.93%, respectively. The answer rate of Chinese contestants and international contestants in the English quiz was 25 and 75%, with an accuracy rate of 50 and 66.70%, respectively. The questionnaire was graded by Likert five-level classification. There was a positive correlation between the use of English textbooks in classes and the communication with international teachers and students in the competition (Rs = 0.348, p = 0.016). English volunteers had more preparation in English before the competition, more opportunities to communicate with international peers, and greater improvement in English ability than the contestants and Chinese volunteers (p < 0.001). After the competition, all participants paid more attention to stomatology English (p < 0.001). Conclusions Chinese stomatology students have difficulty in stomatology English application. The ‘Guanghua Cup’ helps to improve English proficiency of English volunteers and arouses the interest of stomatology English for all participants. Chinese stomatology school needs to strengthen and reach a consensus in stomatology English education.

The Evaluation of stomatology English Education in China Based on ‘Guanghua Cup’ International Clinical Skill Exhibition Activity

Background: English education in professional areas has become more and more important with the increasing internationalization of health profession education in countries around the world. In this study, we aimed to evaluate current Chinese stomatology English education based on Chinese participants’ ability to apply stomatology English during an international stomatology skill competition called the ‘Guanghua Cup activity’.Methods: The registration rate of English and Chinese volunteers and the answer rate and accuracy of Chinese and international contestants on the English knowledge quiz were statistically described. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was delivered to all participants. The data were analyzed using the Spearman test, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and Mann-Whitney U test.Results: Among the 194 students, the English and Chinese volunteer registration rate was 7.73% and 30.93%, respectively. The answer rate of Chinese contestants and international contestants in the English quiz was 25% and 75%, with an accuracy rate of 50% and 66.70%, respectively. The questionnaire was graded by Likert five-level classification. There was a positive correlation between the use of English textbooks in classes and the communication with international teachers and students in the competition (Rs=0.348, p=0.016). English volunteers had more preparation in English before the competition, more opportunities to communicate with international peers, and greater improvement in English ability than the contestants and Chinese volunteers(p<0.001). After the competition, all participants paid more attention to stomatology English (p<0.001).Conclusions: Chinese stomatology students have difficulty in stomatology English application. The ‘Guanghua Cup’ helps to improve English proficiency of English volunteers and arouses the interest of stomatology English for all participants. Chinese stomatology school needs to strengthen and reach a consensus in stomatology English education.

The Evaluation of Dental English Education in China Based on ‘Guanghua Cup’ International Clinical Skill Exhibition Activity

Background: English education in professional areas has become more and more important with the increasing internationalization of health profession education in countries around the world. In this study, we aimed to evaluate current Chinese stomatology English education based on Chinese participants’ ability to apply stomatology English during an international stomatology skill competition called the ‘Guanghua Cup activity’.Methods: The enrollment ratio of English and Chinese volunteers and the answer rate and accuracy of Chinese and international contestants on the English knowledge quiz were statistically described. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was delivered to all participants. The data were analyzed using the Spearman test, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and Mann-Whitney U test.Results: Among the 194 students, the English and Chinese volunteer enrollment rate was 7.73% and 30.93%, respectively. The answer rate of Chinese contestants and international contestants in the English quiz was 25% and 75%, with an accuracy rate of 50% and 66.70%, respectively. The questionnaire was graded by Likert 5-level classification. There was a positive correlation between the use of English textbooks in classes and the communication with international teachers and students in the competition (Rs=0.348, p=0.016). English volunteers had more preparation in English before the competition, more opportunities to communicate with international peers, and greater improvement in English ability than the contestants and Chinese volunteers(p<0.001). After the competition, all participants paid more attention to stomatology English (p<0.001).Conclusions: Chinese stomatology students have difficulty in stomatology English application. The ‘Guanghua Cup’ helps to improve English proficiency of English volunteers and arouses the interest of stomatology English for all participants. Chinese stomatology scho