Telegram Education for Surgical Learning and Application (TESLA): An exploratory study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted medical education, shifting a huge portion of learning online. Social media platforms have long been well-integrated into medical education. However, Telegram’s role in medical education remains relatively unexplored. A Telegram channel titled “Telegram Education for Surgery Learning and Application (TESLA)” focusing on General Surgery education was created to supplement medical students’ learning. It encompassed weekly multiple-choice questions and resources such as illustrations and journal articles. OBJECTIVE This study explored students’ experience of TESLA and their views on the role of messaging apps in medical education. METHODS We invited thirteen medical students from Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore who were in the TESLA channel for at least a month to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted via video conference using an interview guide. Interviews were transcribed and analysed by two researchers using inductive thematic content analysis. RESULTS Three themes were identified: (1) Learning as a medical student, (2) The role of mobile learning in medical education and (3) TESLA for surgical education. Students shared that pandemic-related safety measures such as reduced clinic allocations and the inability to cross between wards led to a decrease in clinical exposure. Students used a variety of messaging and study apps to aid their medical education. Telegram was preferred over other messaging apps. Concerning the use of TESLA, students felt that the questions were clinically relevant and of appropriate difficulty. Students offered suggestions for improvement relating to the organization, content and format of TESLA. CONCLUSIONS Medical students found TESLA useful as a supplementary learning instrument in surgical education. They were supportive of integrating TESLA into formal undergraduate education and using Telegram as an educational tool in other areas of medicine. In line with our findings, we outlined recommendations for the use of Telegram in medical education.

Evaluating TESLA-G, a gamified, telegram-delivered, quizzing platform for surgical education in medical students: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

“…The interviews will be conducted based on the interview guide ( online supplemental file 2 ) which has been adapted from a previous exploratory study on using Telegram for surgical education. 38 The interviews will also be piloted on up to five students and/or research team members prior to the beginning of the study.…”

Evaluating TESLA-G, a gamified, Telegram-delivered, quizzing platform for surgical education in medical students: a protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

“…We aim to obtain qualitative feedback regarding the overall experience of TESLA-G, along with the benefits, drawbacks, receptiveness and usefulness of the platform as a supplement to surgical education. The interviews will be conducted based on the interview guide (Supplementary File, Interview Guide) which has been adapted from a previous exploratory study on using Telegram for surgical education [38]. The interviews will also be piloted on up to five students and/or research team members prior to the beginning of the study.…”