Introducing the 4Ps Model of Transitioning to Distance Learning: A convergent mixed methods study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic

  1. Farah Otaki
  2. Shroque Zaher
  3. Stefan Du Plessis
  4. Ritu Lakhtakia
  5. Nabil Zary
  6. Ibrahim M. Inuwa

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Abstract

Significant concern has been raised regarding the effect of COVID-19 on medical education. This study aimed to shed light on the distance learning experiences of medical students and their instructors at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A convergent mixed methods approach was utilized. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected using a survey of closed-ended followed by open-ended questions. The percentage of the total average of satisfaction among stakeholders was 76.4%. The qualitative analysis led to developing the 4Ps Model of Transitioning to Distance Learning, which encapsulates four interrelated themes. It would be helpful to leverage the lessons learned to tailor blended medical programs with a reasonable mélange of experiences. The study also contributes to the mixed methods research by showcasing a means of adapting it to evaluate critical situations reliably and rapidly.

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  1. Version published to 10.1371/journal.pone.0253662
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.03.23.21254165: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board StatementIRB: Research Design: Ethical approval for the study was granted by the MBRU, Institutional Review Board (Reference # MBRU-IRB-2020-032).
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    No key resources detected.

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the impact on education of the pandemic highlights, among many of the factors discussed in the preceding paragraphs, the opportunity for educational leadership in times of crisis and the challenge of executing it with budgetary constraints (36). The COVID-19 experience is also a living example to demonstrate to students the health inequities and difficult ethical decisions in a contemporary life or death scenarios; it constituted an invaluable experience that reinforces knowledge of health systems and standards of practice (7). Resilience, grit, and tolerance have transformed from mere teaching points to demonstrable practice (7). The tag: front-liner, has become a proud identity, inspirational for the budding physician. This study is characterized by several limitations that are worth shedding light on. Although the focus on a single program enabled the development of thorough reflections and insights, the generalizability of the generated findings is limited to institutions that are characteristically and contextually like MBRU. It would be worthwhile for future studies to collect data from several programs and run a comparative analysis. The small sample size and low response rate were also limitations. The data collection extended until after the end of course assessments, and hence, the perception of the participating students might have been influenced by their performance in the respective exams and...

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

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  3. Version published to 10.1101/2021.03.23.21254165v1 on medRxiv