Efforts to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus based on recommendations from government agencies across the world, such as physical distancing requirements, propelled university and college training programs into virtual learning environments in 2020. This unprecedented and largely unplanned shift to online/remote learning has led to novel…

Purpose: Little is known about the use of think tanks in higher education to support faculty growth and organizational culture. The purpose of this study is to explore potential benefits of think tanks within a health sciences department at a large regional university. Methods: Seven qualitative interviews of faculty that participated in at least…

The paper reviews 50 years of research in health sciences education and identifies several recurring controversies--formative versus summative assessment, high and low fidelity simulation, expertise as knowledge versus skills, and the impact of teaching versus curriculum. I then look at the role these may play in the current situation where COVID…

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with noteworthy didactic applications in different educational levels and areas of knowledge. The study of the perceptions of the agents involved about the use of VR in lectures is a fruitful line of research because it has implications in terms of the measures to be taken to improve the…

Federal policy in the United States has urged high schools to expand offerings in career and technical education (CTE) coursework to address persistent gender inequities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical (STEMM) fields. Unfortunately, gender composition in engineering and health sciences CTE enrollment is highly…

Confronted by the disruption of work-integrated learning (WIL) placements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology experienced multiple academic and mental health challenges. This study highlights the impact the pandemic had on students from the Departments of Homeopathy,…

Changes in the national examination structures have renewed interest in the development of test-taking strategies for professional students in the health sciences. It is often assumed that these high-achieving students have developed proficient test-taking skills and abilities before admittance. However, the assessments in these programs and for…

Hikitia te Ora (Certificate in Health Sciences) is a 1 year Indigenous bridging foundation programme at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme aims to increase Maori and Pacific health workforce representation. This qualitative study applied a Kaupapa Maori positioning to elucidate the strengths, challenges, and…

The level of reliance on AI-Powered Writing Tools (AI-PWT) profoundly impacts the independent writing skill of English as Second Language (ESL) learners. The present study explores the familiarity and utility of two different types of AI -Powered Writing Tools (Independent Writing with AI editing assistance; Generative writing with AI assistance)…

A growing number of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health sciences (STEM-H) faculty are interested and find value in learning how to conduct research in the education setting of their discipline. Recent funding initiatives have been announced that aim to expand education research efforts and capability with discipline faculty…

Simulation is a pedagogy that has been widely used in a number of educational settings (e.g., aviation, transport, social work, nursing education). While it can take numerous forms, it often involves an assortment of high-tech equipment (e.g., flight simulators, manikins) that seek to replicate real settings. Specifically, this paper provides an…

This study examines food insecurity in a novel population: health professions students. Their academic success has a unique impact on our nation's future health care system. We administered a 39-question survey, including open-ended questions that were coded for qualitative analyses, to 2,853 students to delineate the scope of this problem and…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the transition to an online educational platform for future health professional students at a southern health sciences system due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The majority of health professional students received their education via face-to-face prior to the…

Physics instruction for aspiring health care professionals, medical researchers, and biologists often fails to capture the interest of students. This is despite the many ways physics is used in research, diagnostics, and treatment. Universities are revising the introductory physics courses to be more relevant to pre-health students. Part of this…

As the number of students with recognized learning disabilities who are pursuing higher education, strategies for success become important. The problem addressed by this study is a lack of understanding of learning styles of students with learning disabilities enrolled in health science disciplines incorporated in both the classroom and clinical…