The lack of language skills among ESL learners could affect their ability to work collaboratively at the undergraduate level. This study looks at how collaborative writing in a language course could be enhanced by the use of an interactive on-line tool called Padlet. 87 participants taking a language course in a public university in Malaysia were involved in the research. The study was aimed to improve language and communication skills, increase motivation, lower anxiety and encourage students to become more autonomous. A series of tasks were designed using Padlet and carried out through the semester. Student's posts and feedback in the form of a questionnaire were analysed. The findings showed that Padlet motivates students to participate in class activities, lower anxiety, encourages interaction among class members and instructor, and improves language accuracy through learning from peers. Padlet could be effectively used in an undergraduate course to facilitate collaborative writing among lower proficiency ESL learners.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected institution of higher learning as some teaching and learning activities had to halt due to safety of the students and staff. Face to face teaching was stopped, and lecturers had to find other methods of teaching. Online teaching was the only allowed method. The methods were synchronous and asynchronous. Lecturers have had to find innovative ways to practice effective teaching methods. Assessments had to also be done online taking important factors into consideration, following steps given by authorities. This article discusses issues around medical teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.19(0) 2020 p. S 77-S 81

Objective: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is the development of pathological dependence at the expense of performing activities of daily living, thus having a negative health and psychosocial impact on the users. Previous PSU studies focused on medical students and little is known regarding its effect on students undergoing other fields of study. The objective of this study is to identify the pattern of smartphone usage and determine the psychosocial factors affecting PSU among undergraduate students in Malaysia and compare the pattern among different fields of study. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted using validated Smartphone Addiction Scale −Malay version (SAS −M) questionnaire. One−way ANOVA was used to determine the correlation between the patterns of smartphone usage among the students categorised by their ethnic groups, hand dominance and by their field of study. MLR analysis was applied to predict PSU based on socio−demographic data, smartphone usage patterns, psychosocial factors and field of study. Results: A total of 1060 students completed the questionnaire. The majority of students had PSU (60.7%). Students used smartphones predominantly to access SNAs, namely Instagram. Longer duration on the smartphone per day (>9 hours), age at first using a smartphone and depression carried higher risk of developing PSU, whereas the field of study (science vs. arts based) did not contribute to an increased risk of developing PSU.Conclusion: Findings from this study can help better inform university administrators about atrisk groups of undergraduate students who may benefit from targeted intervention designed to re−duce their addictive behavior patterns. Keywords: Smartphone Addiction Scale, education, social networking, Malaysia

Background: Problematic Instagram use (PIGU), a specific type of internet addiction, is prevalent among adolescents and young adults. In certain instances, Instagram acts as a platform for exhibiting photos of risk-taking behavior that the subjects with PIGU upload to gain likes as a surrogate for gaining peer acceptance and popularity. Aims: The primary objective was to evaluate whether addiction-specific cues compared with neutral cues, i.e., negative emotional valence cues vs. positive emotional valence cues, would elicit activation of the dopaminergic reward network (i.e., precuneus, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala) and consecutive deactivation of the executive control network [i.e., medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)], in the PIGU subjects. Method: An fMRI cue-induced reactivity study was performed using negative emotional valence, positive emotional valence, and truly neutral cues, using Instagram themes. Thirty subjects were divided into PIGU and healthy control (HC) groups, based on a set of diagnostic criteria using behavioral tests, including the Modified Instagram Addiction Test (IGAT), to assess the severity of PIGU. In-scanner recordings of the subjects' responses to the images and regional activity of the neural addiction pathways were recorded. Results: Negative emotional valence > positive emotional valence cues elicited increased activations in the precuneus in the PIGU group. A negative and moderate correlation was observed between PSC at the right mPFC with the IGAT scores of the PIGU subjects when corrected for multiple comparisons [r = −0.777, (p < 0.004, two-tailed)].

Background Despite rapid advances in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) management, many healthcare professionals (HCPs) might not be aware of the latest recommended management of AIS patients. Therefore, we aimed to determine the level and factors associated with AIS management knowledge among Malaysian HCPs. Methods This cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted nationwide among 627 HCPs in Malaysia using the Acute Stroke Management Questionnaire (ASMaQ). Multiple logistic regression was used to predict the relationship between the independent variables (age, gender, years of service, profession, work setting, work sector, seeing stroke patients in daily practice, and working with specialists) and the outcome variable (good vs poor knowledge). Results Approximately 76% (95% CI [73–79%]) of HCPs had good overall knowledge of stroke. The highest proportion of HCPs with good knowledge was noted for General Stroke Knowledge (GSK) [88.5% (95% CI [86–91%])], followed by Advanced Stroke Management (ASM) [61.2% (95% CI [57–65%])] and Hyperacute Stroke Management (HSM) [58.1% (95% CI [54–62%])]. The odds of having poor knowledge of stroke were significantly higher among non-doctor HCPs [adjusted OR = 3.46 (95% CI [1.49–8.03]), P = 0.004]; among those not seeing stroke patients in daily practice [adjusted OR = 2.67 (95% CI [1.73–4.10]), P < 0.001]; and among those working without specialists [adjusted OR = 2.41 (95% CI [1.38–4.18]), P = 0.002]. Conclusions Stroke education should be prioritised for HCPs with limited experience and guidance. All HCPs need to be up-to-date on the latest AIS management and be able to make a prompt referral to an appropriate facility. Therefore, more stroke patients will benefit from advanced stroke care.