BackgroundMedical education has grown beyond the boundaries of the classroom, and social media is seen as the bridge between informal and formal learning as it keeps students highly engaged with educational content outside the classroom.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of medical educators and medical students regarding the use of social media for educational purposes.MethodsBoth groups (medical educators and students) were invited to take a survey. The surveys consisted of 29 questions, including Likert-style, multiple choice, yes/no, ranking, and short answer questions. The survey forms and statistics were built using Google Drive analytics with the free Spanning Stats module. To compare between professors and students, results were exported to a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA). The study protocol was approved by The Ottawa Health Science Network Research Ethics Board (OHSN-REB:20140680-01H).ResultsThe overall response rate to the survey was 40.9% (63/154) for students, and 36% (72/200) for medical educators. The majority of educators (79%, 57/72) and students (100.0%, 63/63) had presence on social networking sites (SNSs). Only (33% 19/57) of educators used SNSs with their students, the most used sites were Facebook (52%, 10/19) and Twitter (47%, 9/19), followed by LinkedIn (21%, 4/19), Google+ (16%, 3/19),YouTube (11%, 2/19), and blogs (11%, 2/19). Facebook (100%, 63/63), YouTube (43%, 27/63), Twitter (31%, 20/63), and Instagram (30%, 19/63) were the sites most commonly used by students. The educators used SNSs mainly to post opinions (86%, 49/57), share videos (81%, 46/57), chat (71%, 41/57), engage in medical education (68%, 40/57), take surveys (24%, 14/57), and play games (5%, 3/57). On the other hand, students used SNSs mainly to chat with friends (94%, 59/63), for medical education purposes (67%, 42/63), to share videos (62%, 39/63), to post opinions (49%, 31/63), to take surveys (11%, 7/63), and to play games (6%, 4/63). Most educators (67%, 38/57) do not use social media in their education Although most of the educators (89%, 17/19) and students (73%, 46/63) found the use of social media time-effective, that it offered an inviting atmosphere (89%, 17/19 and 70%, 44/63), and that it enhanced the learning experience (95%, 18/19 and 70%, 44/63), both groups stated that they had colleagues who refused to use social media. The detractors’ concerns included privacy issues (47%, 18/38), time-wasting (34%, 13/38), distraction (21%, 8/38), and that these media might not be suitable for education (11%, 4/38). When it came to using SNSs with the students, the educators most often used SNSs to post articles (42%, 8/19), explanatory comments (31%, 6/19), and videos (27%, 5/19).While students preferred the following posts : Quizzes (87% 55/63), revision files (82% 52/63) and explanatory comments (29% 21/63).ConclusionsAlthough social media continue to grow, some educators find that they do not offer suitable modes of learning. However, it is important...

Introduction: As the online environment has evolved, the use of social networking sites (SNSs) has been integrated into the methods of teaching. Students across the world are currently using SNSs to enhance their learning. Objective: This study sought to explore the students' use of social media, in particular that of Facebook groups in medical education at the University of Ottawa. Methods: Pre-clerkship medical students (n = 160) were surveyed regarding the trends of use of SNSs in their learning. The survey consisted of 23 questions (Likert-style, multiple choice, yes/no, and short answer questions). Results: 94% of respondents use SNSs to facilitate their learning with Facebook (n = 98, 97%). Students mostly use Facebook groups for histology (30%), physiology (21%), etc. They mostly use SNSs for these particular subjects because the material posted is engaging. Sixty percent (60%) of students use SNSs to communicate with their colleagues and 59.8% stated that they prefer Facebook groups over pages. They prefer sample tests/quizzes and study guides (65.6%), followed by explanatory comments and an answer to a question (54.2%), etc. The downside of the use of social media in education is distraction and privacy issues. Conclusion: SNSs are used by the majority of students to enhance their learning, but to use them to their fullest; the material posted has to be concise, engaging and aligned with the learning objectives. Social media are contemporary and efficient communication tools that educators cannot overlook; the challenge is to choose the right platform, the amount and quality of the information shared to ensure optimal benefit and collaboration of the students.

Gross anatomy has been seen as one of the basic bodies of knowledge that must be mastered as part of medical training. Likewise, neuroanatomy has been seen as foundational to clinical neurosciences. However, Neuroanatomy is different from gross anatomy and this is due to the complexity of the central nervous system, moreover, some of its structures cannot be dissected or demonstrated in anatomy cadaveric lab. The use of anatomical models in medical curricula has been reported as an effective way in teaching and learning anatomy. They have been used to replace cadaveric material when the latter is difficult to acquire, or when the anatomical structures cannot be dissected like the brain ventricles for instance, moreover they have the privilege of visualizing the structures in a 3 dimensional modality. The goal of this study was to create a 3 D printed neuroanatomy model in order to complement the University of Ottawa anatomy models’ library, and help medical students visualize the pathway of different nervous tracts on a 3 D simulation model.To assist with this, 2D images of slices of the cerebrum, brainstem, cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal cord were downloaded online to be imported to Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. The images were manually converted to black and white, and separated into different layers to export each components separately into Tinker CAD (online software). The different components were then assembled on Tinker CAD to create 3D printer compatible files. The files were printed using white ABS on a Replicator 2X MakerBot printer at the library of University of Ottawa.  

Medical education has seen significant progress and innovation over the last decade. Today's students utilise a variety of contemporary devices that have replaced the good old pencil and pen. During preclinical years, the students carry around tablet-PCs instead of notebooks to access the web-based curriculum. In their clinical years, smartphones have largely replaced reference books. As much as the teaching methods have revolutionised in medical education, one reality remains constant: during their first two years of study, medical students need to absorb a tremendous volume of information. Students are further challenged by a lack of study time prior to writing summative examinations. Podcasting is a method for distributing multimedia audio and video files over the Internet using the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format; these can be played back on mobile devices and personal computers. RSS is a web feed format used to publish frequently updated content on the web. In implementing an educational podcasting project, the investigator recommends following the five steps of the Instructional Design Process: Define, Design, Develop, Delivery, and Demonstrate. The following tips are intended to help the reader with design, production and publication of a successful educational podcast.

Acquiring teaching resources is challenging for many medical schools, in particular the acquisition of cadavers for anatomy labs. Cadavers are not easy to store, and are costly to maintain. With threedimensional (3 D) printing, one can create nonperishable anatomy specimens that will overcome some of those challenges. For the purpose of teaching human anatomy at University of Ottawa, highly realistic 3 D printed models (heart, kidney and gastrointestinal system) were created. Images in stereolithography (STL) format were downloaded for free from Thingverse community and printed using Makerbot replicator 2 X machines, using the makerspace facility, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa. The primary advantage of this technique is its ability to create almost any shape or geometric feature. Unlike cadavers, 3 D printed models will not deteriorate so they are also cost effective. This technological development is becoming more and more popular. Eventually, it will impact every single aspect of our lives.

Lecture has historically been a core method used for content delivery in healthcare profession education. However, lecture attendance has decreased within the recent generations of students. The current study focus was to assess the medical and nursing students’ perceptions regarding lecture attendance. To assist with this, second year medical (110/320) and nursing students (95/215) were requested to answer a 10-item survey. The results show that the top reasons why medical and nursing students attended lectures, respectively included: “lectures were mandatory” (81.8% and 68.8%), “socializing with peers” (68.2% and 30.1%), and “professor emphasized important points” (67.3% and 90.3%).  While some reasons for students not attending lectures were that the lecture format was not effective (63.5% and 67.7%), students preferred to use recordings of the lectures (43.3% and 18.1%). Overall, 64.6% of medical students and 63.4% of nursing students agree that traditional lectures are an effective way of learning.  Sixty two percent of medical students (62% n=68) of medical students stated that traditional lectures is their preferred method of learning compared to flipped classroom (27%), small group learning (30%), and online learning (31%). While (39%) of nursing students stated that traditional lectures is their preferred method of learning compared to flipped classroom (21.5% ), small group learning (3.2%), and online learning (7.4%). The results suggest that there is variability in students’ preferred learning style. While some prefer the face-to-face interaction with the professor, other students favour studying at their own pace. The majority of medical and nursing students think traditional lectures continue to play a major educational role.