Assessment Tools Preferred by the Undergraduate Clinical Medical Students: A Study in National Defense University of Malaysia

Background: Assessment in medical education is necessary to determine the students’ competency as well as other attributes. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the methods of assessment at the end of rotational posting examination and final professional examination at the end of the course, preferred by the undergraduate clinical medical students. Methods: This study was conducted on 89 medical students belonging to 4th and 5th year of the Faculty of Medicine, National Defense University of Malaysia (NDUM).Results: In this study 46 students were males (51.7%) and 43 (48.3%) females; the mean age was 23.5 years. Among the multiple-choice questions (MCQ), a combination that contained multiple true-false and single best answer, was preferred by 55.1% of the students. Among the essay type of written assessments “problem management patient (PMP)” questions were preferred most (46.1%) followed by modified essay questions (MEQ), short essay questions (SEQ), and key feature questions (KFQ). Among the assessments by long case, conventional long case, which had been practiced during the course, was preferred by 67.4% of the students at the end of the medical program rather than the modified or observed long case examinations. While assessment by short case, running commentary on what was being examined, was preferred by 47.2% of students, followed by no commentary (38.2%) and not sure by the rest. 56.2% of students would prefer procedure OSCEs on mannequins and the rest won’t. Picture quizzes were highly preferred (89.9%).Conclusion: At the end of the medical program the clinical medical students prefer those methods which have already been practiced by them during the academic course. For the best achievement, every tool of assessments used in the medical curriculum should be made clear to the students and the students should practice those before they proceed for final evaluation.

Clinical Medical Students’ Preferred Teaching Methods: A Study at the National Defense University of Malaysia

Background: Providing appropriate teachings in the curriculum have a great impact on learning by the students. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical undergraduate medical students’ preferred teaching methods provided by the medical educators. Material and Methods: This study was conducted on 89 medical students in the 4th and 5th year of the Faculty of Medicine and Defense Health, National Defense University of Malaysia, from 1st November 2019 to 31st July 2020. Each of the students was approached with a structured questionnaire for their responses to determine their preferred teaching methods. Results: Out of 89 students, 46 were male (51.7%); the mean age of the study students was 23.5 years. Among the various teaching methods, bedside teaching was the most preferred (76.4%) one followed by lectures (14.6%), tutorials (7.9%) and seminars (1.1%). 66.3% of students would use e-learnings’ uploaded teaching materials, whereas the remainder would not. Bedside demonstrations of clinical skills by the tutors were preferred by 77.5% of students. Practicing clinical skills by the students on a real patient rather than on a mannequin or a simulated patient was preferred by 94.4% of students. Regarding case discussions, problem-based learnings (PBL) were preferred by 80% of students. Conclusions: Bedside teachings, demonstrations of clinical skill by a teacher, practicing skills by the students on a real patient rather than on a simulated patient or a mannequin, and PBLs are highly preferred by the students. Adequate teaching materials uploaded in the e-learning management system provide a good source for the teachings and learnings.

IR4.0 Ready and Aware Academics at the National Defence University of Malaysia

This chapter argues for the importance of equipping academics with the knowledge and impact of IR4.0 and beyond for future graduates. Particularly to prepare for military leaders for Malaysia at the National Defense University of Malaysia (NDUM), a new learning model may be apt and urgently needed. The objectives of the chapter are twofold: firstly, to gauge the readiness and awareness level of academics on implementing IR4.0 during their classroom teaching, and secondly, to investigate academics' views on their own teaching practices. The methodology for this chapter is quantitative in nature, where an online survey was used to collect data from the academics. It is found that, first, there are mixed reactions from academics on their readiness and awareness of IR4.0 and its impacts, and second, should the existing curriculum be revamped to serve students' needs on IR4.0, academics opined that the delivery methods must change too.

Preferred Learning Style and Study Characteristics among Undergraduate Clinical Medical Students: A Study in National Defense University of Malaysia

Purpose: Learning clinical science depends on the learning style and characteristics of the student as well as the learning environment and teaching characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the preferred methods of learning style and study characteristics of undergraduate senior clinical medical students. Methods: This study was conducted among 89 medical students of 4th and 5th year of the Faculty of Medicine and Defense Health, National Defense University of Malaysia, from 1st November 2019 to 31st July 2020. Each of the students was given a structured questionnaire for their responses to determine their preferred learning style and study characteristics. Results: The mean age of the students was 23.5 years (range 23-27 years). A combination of various methods of learning style that included reading/writing, hearing, seeing (observing), and practicing of skills was used in 69.7% of students. Preference of learning from making and reviewing notes of class teachings was 98.9%; e-learning 53.9%; memorizing key features 71.9%; and silent study 94.3% of students. Learning by a discussion with fellow students was preferred by 65.2% and interactions in the class were preferred by 56.2% of students. Observing skill demonstration by a teacher was preferred by 77.5% of students. Learning of a clinical skill by practicing on a real patient was preferred by 94.4% of students. Conclusion: A combination of various learning styles is preferred by the majority of students for their learning. The students prefer to take and review class notes, study silently, use e-learning uploaded materials, interact in the class and learn a clinical skill by practicing on a real patient rather than simulated patients or mannequins. The preference of the student learning style and their choice should be taken into account for constructing teaching methods to achieve a better academic outcome.

Is Grit the Key Element to Improve the Life Attitude? A Study with Military Students from Argentina

The main goal of the study is to analyze the link between Grit and Life Attitude, and its relation with the permanence and academic performance of students from the National Defense University. This paper is mainly focused in the link between the first two constructs. Grit is defined as the passion and constancy to achieving goals, to resisting with effort and interest towards the challenges and difficulties, which is a leader’s attribute (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews y Kelly, 2007). Life Attitude based on the existential belief that life has a purpose, that persons draw meaning from a variety of sources: recreational and creative activities, personal relationships, achievements (Reker - Woo, 2011). A non-probabilistic sample was formed, for convenience, of 162 students; a sociodemographic questionnaire designed ad hoc; the Scale of Determination (Grit Scale) (Duckworth et al., 2007), which is in the process of validation (Tortul and Daura, in evaluation) and the Life Attitude Test (LAP-R (VE-AA)) in the Spanish adaptation of Barni (2017) were administered. Statistical analysis were made from the collected data, in order to corroborate if there were differences in the variables. The first results showed differences according to career and sociodemographic variables; the undergraduate students obtained higher scores in the positive dimensions of the LAP-R than in other researches made in the same geographical context. The work evidences data of interest in the training of defense professionals, for the decision making in the educational style necessary for an integral formation as a lifelong process.