E-commerce and graduate education: is educational quality taking a nose dive?

Purpose: Online education has been growing rapidly, but has not had the benefit of the extensive teaching pedagogy development of traditional face-to-face teaching. This paper aims to provide a review of the current literature and present the results of a survey, conducted to determine the effectiveness of a graduate online subject. Design/methodology/approach: The literature was reviewed to identify measures of success and quality in online education delivery. These measures were then considered in relation to their application in practice via a case study based around a survey conducted at Deakin University in Australia. Findings: A total of 16 relevant measures of teaching quality were identified in the literature. Most measures had elements of bias and some were more generally applicable to online learning. The case study suggested that the value of computer mediated learning in an online environment was limited and that a combination of print and computer mediated conferencing performed better in more of the identified quality matrices. Practice implications: Online learning does not save teaching resources if standards of quality are maintained. It can be used to provide a remote teaching facility, provided it is backed up by resources such as printed study guides. For the subject evaluated, online mediated learning did not the provide the same quality of education. Originality/value: Whilst some research has been conducted in this area, no substantive grounded theory has been applied to postgraduate or fee-paying online education regimes. As a result, case studies of such applications can be very helpful in the design of future teaching systems.

Lack of integration of medical education in Australia: the need for change

The lack of cohesion across health and education sections and national and state jurisdictions is counterproductive to effective national policies in medical education and training. Existing systems in Australia for medical education and training lack coordination, and are under resourced and under pressure. There is a need for a coordinated national approach to assessment of international medical graduates, and for meeting their education and training needs. The links between prevocational and vocational training must be improved. Tensions between workforce planning, education and training can only be resolved if workforce and training agencies work collaboratively. All prevocational positions should be designed and structured to ensure that service, training, teaching and research are appropriately balanced. There is a need for more health education research in Australia.

Barriers to continuing medical education in Australian prevocational doctors

To determine perceived barriers to continuing education for Australian hospital-based prevocational doctors, a cross sectional cohort survey was distributed to medical administrators for secondary redistribution to 2607 prevocational doctors from August 2003 to October 2004. Four hundred and seventy valid questionnaires (18.1%) were returned. Only seven per cent (33/470) did not identify any barriers to continuing education. Barriers identified the most were lack of time (85% [371/437]), clinical commitment (65% [284/437]), resistance from registrars (13% [57/437]) and resistance from consultant staff (10% [44/437]). Other barriers included workload issues (27% [27/98]), teaching program inadequacies (26% [25/98]), lack of protected time for education (17% [17/98]), motivational issues (11% [10/98]) and geographic remoteness (10% [10/98]). Australian graduates (87%) identified lack of time more frequently than international medical graduates (77%) (P=0.036). Perceived barriers did not differ significantly between doctors of differing postgraduate years.

Why do medical graduates choose rural careers?

Introduction: This study is based on the metaphor of the ‘rural pipeline’ into medical practice. The four stages of the rural
pipeline are: (1) contact between rural secondary schools and the medical profession; (2) selection of rural students into medical
programs; (3) rural exposure during medical training; and (4) measures to address retention of the rural medical workforce.
Methods: Using the rural pipeline template we conducted a literature review, analysed the selection methods of Australian
graduate entry medical schools and interviewed 17 interns about their medical career aspirations.
Results: Literature review: The literature was reviewed to assess the effectiveness of selection practices to predict successful
gradation and the impact of rural pipeline components on eventual rural practice. Undergraduate academic performance is the
strongest predictor of medical course academic performance. The predictive power of interviews is modest. There are limited data
on the predictive power of other measures of non-cognitive performance or the content of the undergraduate degree. Prior rural
residence is the strongest predictor of choice of a rural career but extended rural exposure during medical training also has a
significant impact. The most significant influencing factors are: professional support at national, state and local levels; career
pathway opportunities; contentedness of the practitioner’s spouse in rural communities; preparedness to adopt a rural lifestyle;
educational opportunities for children; and proximity to extended family and social circle. Analysis of selection methods: Staff
involved in student selection into 9 Australian graduate entry medical schools were interviewed. Four themes were identified:
(1) rurality as a factor in student selection; (2) rurality as a factor in student selection interviews; (3) rural representation on student
selection interview panels; (4) rural experience during the medical course. Interns’ career intentions: Three themes were identified:
(1) the efficacy of the rural pipeline; (2) community connectedness through the rural pipeline; (3) impediments to the effect of the
rural pipeline, the most significant being a partner who was not committed to rural life
Conclusion: Based on the literature review and interviews, 11 strategies are suggested to increase the number of graduates
choosing a career in rural medicine, and one strategy for maintaining practitioners in rural health settings after graduation.

The final piece of the puzzle : assessment of information literacy in graduate medical students

Deakin University graduate entry medical students come from a varied knowledge base with regard to information research.

Assessment for the learning outcomes of information literacy modules will help to determine effective development of information searching skills for future clinical practice, teaching effectiveness, and identification of skills requiring additional support.

Assessment aims to provide encouragement to engage with the content being taught.