Table 1.
Activities and timeframe pertaining to each step of the designed blended lesson plan of gagne and peyton, implemented in the first-year fundamentals of epidemiology and biostatistics course, medical students (N = 60), during COVID-19 distance learning lockdown, 2020. a
| Step | Key event (allocated time) | Activity on Microsoft teams (MST) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gain attention (5 minutes) | A pre-recorded ping was used as the sudden auditory stimulus. |
| An epidemic curve relating to the current situation of COVID-19 was displayed on the screen via MS Teams (MST) Platform. Tutor posed the following critical-thinking question: ‘How would you describe the UAE curve compared to that of China?’. | ||
| 2 | Inform the student learner about the learning objectives (5 minutes) | Tutor presented the learning objectives for the session. |
| Upon completion of this session, the student should be able
to: 1. Recall the epidemiological terms endemic, epidemic, outbreak and pandemic. 2. Enumerate the use of SPSS generated graphs to describe a health-related state or event. 3. Recognize a descriptive study design by its description. 4. Describe the extent of a public health problem in terms of person, place and time. 5. Recognize an epidemic curve. 6. Differentiate between the shapes of epidemic curves. | ||
| 3 | Stimulate recall of prior learning (15 minutes) | Students participated in a group discussion (in sub-teams) on MST to recall the different types of epidemiologic graphs and the different epidemiological terms. The guide plan for discussing the graphs and terms were uploaded by the tutor on the learning management system (LMS) a week prior to the session. References to these aspects were also uploaded. c |
| 4 b | Present content material (20 minutes) | Tutor presented through live-stream modality the current COVID-19 epidemic curves for selected countries d ; along with pertinent questions to be responded to or solved by students. The detailed steps involving the construction method for these curves using SPSS statistical package and interpretation of an epidemic curve were depicted in a flowchart and presented. |
| 5 b | Provide learning guidance (15 minutes) | Tutor explained the descriptive epidemiologic measures used to describe the different epidemic curves and emphasized the essential ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ pertaining to each step of the SPSS analysis and interpretation. |
| Tutor encouraged students to ask questions to clarify any doubts relating to the SPSS analysis and the curves. | ||
| 6 b | Eliciting performance (30 minutes) | Students were distributed in sub-teams on MST according to selected countries. Predesigned and reviewed SPSS data was shared with the students. Students analysed the data and constructed the appropriate curve using SPSS modules. This was followed by intra- and inter-group discussions to construe and compare the plotted curves. |
| 7 | Provide informative feedback (20 minutes) | Tutor and students provided feedback to each other, using the Pendleton’s feedback model on A. the ease of applicability of SPSS to interpret/plot epidemiological data on a virtual platform; B. Pre-reading material uploaded on LMS; C. Guide plan to tackle epidemiological data using SPSS. |
| 8 | Assessing performance (25 minutes) | An assignment with specific deliverables in the form of formative assessment was uploaded on the LMS by the tutor prior to the session. Students addressed the deliverables and submitted the assignment on the LMS. The tutor assessed the student’s formative assignments according to a pre-set rubric shared with the students earlier. This step was concluded by revisiting the learning objectives and clarifying any doubts stemming from the deliverables. |
| 9 | Enhance retention and transfer (10 minutes) | At the conclusion of the session, the tutor addressed general misconceptions emanating from the assignment and the session |
| Practice questions with specific deliverables (along the with model answers) aligned with the learning objectives were provided to the students by the tutor. | ||
| Tutor concluded the session by summarising the key concepts delivered using the lesson plan, urging the students to go through the pre-reading material for the next session. |
Distance learning was implemented in the Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Biostatistics course for the first-year medical students enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Dubai, United Arab Emirates. These students had no prior knowledge in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Blended step incorporating events of both Gagne’s and Peyton’s instructional models.
A dictionary of epidemiology. A handbook sponsored by the IEA. Sander Greenland, Miguel Hernán Isabel dos Santos Silva John M. Andrea Burón, 2014.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports#, retrieved 28 April 2020.