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Professional Diploma of Family Medicine in Egypt and Sudan: Face-to-Face Versus Synchronous Distant Learning

Received: 15 November 2015    Accepted: 24 November 2015    Published: 8 December 2015
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Abstract

Background: Videoconferencing technology reduces time and costs between remote locations, fill gaps in teaching services, enables meetings that would not be possible due to prohibitive travel costs, and improves access to learning Aim: To explore the effectiveness of the theoretical module of PDFM (Professional Diploma of Family Medicine) in Sudan delivered via distant learning compared to that of PDFM in Egypt delivered via conventional learning by comparing the achievement level in the post-theoretical-module exam and the results of the exam analysis. Methods: This comparative study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015. In PDFM Egypt and Sudan, the theoretical part was delivered via face-to face learning and synchronous videoconference respectively. The same exam was used to assess candidates' knowledge in PDFM in Egypt and Sudan at the same time. Item analysis was done to obtain item and test statistics. Also, candidates' feedback was assessed using a Web-based questionnaire Results: Thirty-two candidates (84.2%) passed the exam of PDFM in Egypt while 77 candidates (86.5%) passed it in Sudan. The reliability co-efficient of the exam in Egypt and Sudan were 0.9188 and 0.8140 respectively. There was no significant difference between the discrimination index of the exam (p value=0.074), while there was significant difference between the difficulty index; 70% of the exam questions were considered easy in PDFM Sudan compared to 40% in PDFM Egypt. Conclusion: Synchronous videoconferencing can be used to expand educational capacity and international cooperation between academic institutions in developing countries, a particular priority in the growing field of Family Medicine.

Published in European Journal of Preventive Medicine (Volume 3, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17
Page(s) 197-200
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Distant Learning, Family Medicine, Face-to-Face Learning, Videoconferencing

References
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[3] Moridani M: Asynchronous video streaming vs. synchronous videoconferencing for teaching a pharmacogenetic pharmacotherapy course. Am J Pharma Educ 2007, 71(1): 16.
[4] Chipps J, Brysiewicz P, Mars M. A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Videoconference-Based Tele-Education for Medical and Nursing Education. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing 2012: doi: 10.1111/j.1741-6787.2012.00241.x.
[5] Chipps J, Ramlall S, Mars M.Videoconference-based education for psychiatry registrars at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Afr J Psychiatry 2012; 15:248-254. doi: 10.4314/ajpsy.v15i4.32.
[6] Ekblad S, Manicavasagar V, Silove D, Bäärnhielm S, Reczycki M, Mollica R, Coello M. The Use of International Videoconferencing as a Strategy for Teaching Medical Students about Transcultural Psychiatry. Transculture psychiatry 2004. Vol 41(1): 120–129. DOI: 10.1177 / 1363461504041357.
[7] Doggett MA. The Videoconferencing Classroom: What Do Students Think? Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 2008; 44(4): 29-41.
[8] Understanding item analysis reports, University of Washington, (http://www.washington.edu/oea/services/scanning_scoring/scoring/item_analysis.html(2005), Date of access: 4/7/2015).
[9] Gajjar S., Sharma R., Kumar P., and Rana M. Item and Test Analysis to Identify Quality Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) from an Assessment of Medical Students of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Indian J Community Med. 2014; 39(1): 17–20.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Marwa Mostafa Ahmed, Ghada Mahmoud Khafajy, Nagwa Eid Saad. (2015). Professional Diploma of Family Medicine in Egypt and Sudan: Face-to-Face Versus Synchronous Distant Learning. European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 3(6), 197-200. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17

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    ACS Style

    Marwa Mostafa Ahmed; Ghada Mahmoud Khafajy; Nagwa Eid Saad. Professional Diploma of Family Medicine in Egypt and Sudan: Face-to-Face Versus Synchronous Distant Learning. Eur. J. Prev. Med. 2015, 3(6), 197-200. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17

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    AMA Style

    Marwa Mostafa Ahmed, Ghada Mahmoud Khafajy, Nagwa Eid Saad. Professional Diploma of Family Medicine in Egypt and Sudan: Face-to-Face Versus Synchronous Distant Learning. Eur J Prev Med. 2015;3(6):197-200. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17,
      author = {Marwa Mostafa Ahmed and Ghada Mahmoud Khafajy and Nagwa Eid Saad},
      title = {Professional Diploma of Family Medicine in Egypt and Sudan: Face-to-Face Versus Synchronous Distant Learning},
      journal = {European Journal of Preventive Medicine},
      volume = {3},
      number = {6},
      pages = {197-200},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ejpm.20150306.17},
      abstract = {Background: Videoconferencing technology reduces time and costs between remote locations, fill gaps in teaching services, enables meetings that would not be possible due to prohibitive travel costs, and improves access to learning Aim: To explore the effectiveness of the theoretical module of PDFM (Professional Diploma of Family Medicine) in Sudan delivered via distant learning compared to that of PDFM in Egypt delivered via conventional learning by comparing the achievement level in the post-theoretical-module exam and the results of the exam analysis. Methods: This comparative study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015. In PDFM Egypt and Sudan, the theoretical part was delivered via face-to face learning and synchronous videoconference respectively. The same exam was used to assess candidates' knowledge in PDFM in Egypt and Sudan at the same time. Item analysis was done to obtain item and test statistics. Also, candidates' feedback was assessed using a Web-based questionnaire Results: Thirty-two candidates (84.2%) passed the exam of PDFM in Egypt while 77 candidates (86.5%) passed it in Sudan. The reliability co-efficient of the exam in Egypt and Sudan were 0.9188 and 0.8140 respectively. There was no significant difference between the discrimination index of the exam (p value=0.074), while there was significant difference between the difficulty index; 70% of the exam questions were considered easy in PDFM Sudan compared to 40% in PDFM Egypt. Conclusion: Synchronous videoconferencing can be used to expand educational capacity and international cooperation between academic institutions in developing countries, a particular priority in the growing field of Family Medicine.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Professional Diploma of Family Medicine in Egypt and Sudan: Face-to-Face Versus Synchronous Distant Learning
    AU  - Marwa Mostafa Ahmed
    AU  - Ghada Mahmoud Khafajy
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    Y1  - 2015/12/08
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17
    T2  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    JF  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    JO  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    SP  - 197
    EP  - 200
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8230
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150306.17
    AB  - Background: Videoconferencing technology reduces time and costs between remote locations, fill gaps in teaching services, enables meetings that would not be possible due to prohibitive travel costs, and improves access to learning Aim: To explore the effectiveness of the theoretical module of PDFM (Professional Diploma of Family Medicine) in Sudan delivered via distant learning compared to that of PDFM in Egypt delivered via conventional learning by comparing the achievement level in the post-theoretical-module exam and the results of the exam analysis. Methods: This comparative study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015. In PDFM Egypt and Sudan, the theoretical part was delivered via face-to face learning and synchronous videoconference respectively. The same exam was used to assess candidates' knowledge in PDFM in Egypt and Sudan at the same time. Item analysis was done to obtain item and test statistics. Also, candidates' feedback was assessed using a Web-based questionnaire Results: Thirty-two candidates (84.2%) passed the exam of PDFM in Egypt while 77 candidates (86.5%) passed it in Sudan. The reliability co-efficient of the exam in Egypt and Sudan were 0.9188 and 0.8140 respectively. There was no significant difference between the discrimination index of the exam (p value=0.074), while there was significant difference between the difficulty index; 70% of the exam questions were considered easy in PDFM Sudan compared to 40% in PDFM Egypt. Conclusion: Synchronous videoconferencing can be used to expand educational capacity and international cooperation between academic institutions in developing countries, a particular priority in the growing field of Family Medicine.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Family Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

  • Department of Family Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

  • Department of Family Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

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