Beyond words: analyzing non-verbal communication techniques in a medical communication skills course via synchronous online platform

BackgroundEffective doctor-patient relationships hinge on robust communication skills, with non-verbal communication techniques (NVC) often overlooked, particularly in online synchronous interactions. This study delves into the exploration of NVC types during online feedback sessions for communication skill activities in a medical education module.MethodsA cohort of 100 first-year medical students and 10 lecturers at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), engaged in communication skills activities via Microsoft Teams. Sessions were recorded, and lecturer NVC, encompassing body position, facial expressions, voice intonation, body movements, eye contact, and paralinguistics, were meticulously observed. Following these sessions, students provided reflective writings highlighting their perceptions of the feedback, specifically focusing on observed NVC.ResultsThe study identified consistent non-verbal communication patterns during feedback sessions. Lecturers predominantly leaned forward and toward the camera, maintained direct eye contact, and exhibited dynamic voice intonation. They frequently engaged in tactile gestures and paused to formulate thoughts, often accompanied by filler sounds like “um” and “okay.” This consistency suggests proficient use of NVC in providing synchronous online feedback. Less observed NVC included body touching and certain paralinguistic cues like long sighs. Initial student apprehension, rooted in feelings of poor performance during activities, transformed positively upon observing the lecturer’s facial expressions and cheerful intonation. This transformation fostered an open reception of feedback, motivating students to address communication skill deficiencies. Additionally, students expressed a preference for comfortable learning environments to alleviate uncertainties during feedback reception. Potential contrivances in non-verbal communication (NVC) due to lecturer awareness of being recorded, a small sample size of 10 lecturers limiting generalizability, a focus solely on preclinical lecturers, and the need for future research to address these constraints and explore diverse educational contexts.ConclusionMedical schools globally should prioritize integrating NVC training into their curricula to equip students with essential communication skills for diverse healthcare settings. The study’s findings serve as a valuable reference for lecturers, emphasizing the importance of employing effective NVC during online feedback sessions. This is crucial as NVC, though occurring online synchronously, remains pivotal in conveying nuanced information. Additionally, educators require ongoing professional development to enhance proficiency in utilizing NVC techniques in virtual learning environments. Potential research directions stemming from the study’s findings include longitudinal investigations into the evolution of NVC patterns, comparative analyses across disciplines, cross-cultural examinations, interventions to improve NVC skills, exploration of technology’s role in NVC enhancement, qualitative studies on student perceptions, and interdisciplinary collaborations to deepen understanding of NVC in virtual learning environments

Kepuasan pelanggan terhadap kualiti perkhidmatan kaunter: kajian perbandingan di jabatan imigresen dan jabatan pendaftaran negara

Counter services quality is being considered as one of the most important research topics in the context of human resource development, since it closely relates to customer satisfaction. Employee apathy, lacks of knowledge and skill, inadequate service operation systems, inflated customer expectation are some reasons often attributed to poor service. Hence, this study was conducted to identify customer satisfaction towards counter services and the difference of counter services quality at Jabatan Imigresen and Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara. Four hundreds of seventy sets of questionnaires were received and analysed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to achieve the outcome of the study. The findings show that customer’s expectation is high towards service quality that was delivered. However, the customer’s perception towards counter services that perceived from the organization is in moderate level. Based on the customer satisfaction, most of the customers have a moderate perception towards the quality of staff, equipments and facilities, work operation and communication behaviour. Furthermore, results also depict that there is no difference of counter services quality that received by the customers between both organizations. Four elements namely tangibility, reliability, responsiveness and assurance have showed that there is difference between customers perception towards counter services provided by both organizations. The result also shows that there is correlation between acquirement of counter services quality and customer satisfaction at Jabatan Imigresen. Meanwhile in Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, the finding indicates that there is correlation between counter services quality and customer satisfaction based on elements of responsiveness, assurance and empathy. Several recommendations were suggested to both organizations in order to improve their counter services quality and also to achieve customer satisfaction

Aktiviti Keusahawanan di Kalangan Ibu Tunggal di Negeri Johor : Kajian Terhadap Faktor Penglibatan dan Kejayaan Dalam Bidang Perniagaan

Bidang keusahawanan merupakan suatu bidang yang mencabar tetapi menguntungkan dari segi pendapatan. Jika dahulu bidang ini lebih banyak dipelopori oleh kaum lelaki berbanding dengan kaum wan ita, namun keadaan ini telah berubah selaras dengan perubahan arus zaman apabila lebih ramai kaum wanita mula menyahut cabaran dengan melibatkan diri dalam dunia perniagaan pada masa kini. Tidak ketinggalan golongan ibu tunggal juga turut mengejar peluang yang ada dalam bidang keusahawanan ini. Ibu tunggal merupakan wan ita-wan ita yang terpaksa hidup sendirian tanpa suami. Keadaan hidup yang bersendirian tanpa suami dan ditambah lagi dengan tanggungjawab untuk menyara keluarga menyebabkan mereka terpaksa mencari pekerjaan dan sesetengahnya menjalankan perniagaan secara kecil-kecilan bagi memperolehi pendapatan. Dorongan dan motivasi ibu tunggal ini untuk memberanikan diri menceburi bidang perniagaan merupakan suatu perkara yang perlu dikagumi dan dipuji. Untuk itu satu kajian telah dibuat bagi mengkaji aktiviti keusahawanan di kalangan ibu tunggal di negeri Johor. Aspek-aspek yang menjadi fokus kajian ialah melihat profil perniagaan ibu tunggal, faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi penglibatan dan kejayaan ibu tunggal dalam bidang perniagaan. Kajian ini melibatkan 75 orang ibu tunggal yang berdaftar dengan Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Negeri Johor yang terlibat dalam aktiviti keusahawanan. Hasil dapatan kajian menunjukkan kebanyakan usahawan ibu tunggal menceburi bidang perusahaan makanandan minuman serta perusahaan yang berasaskan kain. Majoriti ibu tunggal menyatakan bahawa penglibatan mereka dalam bidang keusahawanan adalah sebagai punca pendapatan selain faktor minat dan faktor kerja sampinga

Medical students’ perceptions on the adequacy and effectiveness of pharmacology teaching during preclinical years

Pharmacology teaching during preclinical years is important for medical students to make rational choices in choosing suitable treatment for patients in future. Therefore, the present study determined the adequacy and effectiveness of pharmacology teaching in the undergraduate medical program at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (UKMMC). Suggestions for improvement of the curriculum were also identified. An online questionnaire on the perceptions of pharmacology teaching methodology was distributed to a total of 459 medical students in 4th and 5th year at UKMMC. The questionnaire covered demographics, perceptions about pharmacology teaching, the ideal teaching learning methodology for learning pharmacology, pharmacology topics which are useful for future clinical practice, the pharmacology topic which was most interesting and recommendations for improvement. The response rate was 46.4% and majority of the participants were females (65.7%). Most of the students agreed that interactive learning was more helpful than didactic lectures (88.0%). Seventy percent of the students reported that pharmacology lectures in the preclinical years were helpful during the clinical years. Percentage of students who agreed that pharmacology teaching in their preclinical was adequate for their clinical practice was 47.0%. There was no association between demographic variables (gender, race, year of study and medical family background) and interest in pharmacology (p>0.05). In conclusion, the pharmacology teaching during preclinical years was perceived to be effective and useful for students’ clinical practice. More pharmacology teaching sessions in clinical years was suggested which may improve adequacy of pharmacology teaching

Data_Sheet_1_Beyond words: analyzing non-verbal communication techniques in a medical communication skills course via synchronous online platform.docx

BackgroundEffective doctor-patient relationships hinge on robust communication skills, with non-verbal communication techniques (NVC) often overlooked, particularly in online synchronous interactions. This study delves into the exploration of NVC types during online feedback sessions for communication skill activities in a medical education module.MethodsA cohort of 100 first-year medical students and 10 lecturers at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), engaged in communication skills activities via Microsoft Teams. Sessions were recorded, and lecturer NVC, encompassing body position, facial expressions, voice intonation, body movements, eye contact, and paralinguistics, were meticulously observed. Following these sessions, students provided reflective writings highlighting their perceptions of the feedback, specifically focusing on observed NVC.ResultsThe study identified consistent non-verbal communication patterns during feedback sessions. Lecturers predominantly leaned forward and toward the camera, maintained direct eye contact, and exhibited dynamic voice intonation. They frequently engaged in tactile gestures and paused to formulate thoughts, often accompanied by filler sounds like “um” and “okay.” This consistency suggests proficient use of NVC in providing synchronous online feedback. Less observed NVC included body touching and certain paralinguistic cues like long sighs. Initial student apprehension, rooted in feelings of poor performance during activities, transformed positively upon observing the lecturer’s facial expressions and cheerful intonation. This transformation fostered an open reception of feedback, motivating students to address communication skill deficiencies. Additionally, students expressed a preference for comfortable learning environments to alleviate uncertainties during feedback reception. Potential contrivances in non-verbal communication (NVC) due to lecturer awareness of being recorded, a small sample size of 10 lecturers limiting generalizability, a focus solely on preclinical lecturers, and the need for future research to address these constraints and explore diverse educational contexts.ConclusionMedical schools globally should prioritize integrating NVC training into their curricula to equip students with essential communication skills for diverse healthcare settings. The study’s findings serve as a valuable reference for lecturers, emphasizing the importance of employing effective NVC during online feedback sessions. This is crucial as NVC, though occurring online synchronously, remains pivotal in conveying nuanced information. Additionally, educators require ongoing professional development to enhance proficiency in utilizing NVC techniques in virtual learning environments. Potential research directions stemming from the study’s findings include longitudinal investigations into the evolution of NVC patterns, comparative analyses across disciplines, cross-cultural examinations, interventions to improve NVC skills, exploration of technology’s role in NVC enhancement, qualitative studies on student perceptions, and interdisciplinary collaborations to deepen understanding of NVC in virtual learning environments.</p

Conceptualizing critical thinking learning transfer model: A qualitative approach

Purpose: Although there is a growing interest in Critical Thinking Learning Transfer (CTLT), previous studies have presented less detailed information regarding the transfer. Besides, a few pieces of literature have been focusing on medical contexts. In Malaysia, there are small number of reviews regarding the concept compared to other countries. This issue raises the question: How do the medical undergraduates in Malaysia transfer their critical thinking learning? Thus, the authors sought to explore CTLT process among medical undergraduates in Malaysia. Then, the authors synthesized the CTLT model which presented the types of CTLT. Methodology: This study adopted a qualitative case study approach. Eight medical undergraduates in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia were selected using two sampling strategies under the purposive sampling. Data obtained using in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings showed three types of CTLT, namely near transfer, far transfer, and integrated transfer. Each types of the transfer were specified into components. In summary, the medical undergraduates’ conceptions on the CTLT process led to the development of a model. The model presented the types of CTLT that provide a better understanding about the extension of occurrence of CTLT among the medical undergraduates. Significance: The CTLT model presented extra value to the description of the CTLT process. This model led to a better understanding of the extension of critical thinking learning transfer occurrence among students especially in the context of early clinical year medical programme. Besides, the model may influence the future development of critical thinking pedagogies

Implementing Formative Assessment at the Workplace: A Retrospective Analyses

[EN] Nurturing formative assessment at the workplace is worthwhile to enhance students’ learning in real performance. Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX) is a work based assessment conducted at the community clinic during Family Medicine posting at the Faculty of Medicine of The National University of Malaysia. As part of formative assessment, students would be given immediate feedback after performing the first mini-CEX to improve their performance in the following mini-CEXs examination. This study was designed to evaluate the final year medical students’ achievement in formative assessment at the workplace. A quasi-experimental with repeated intervention methodological design by analysing a the scores of a group of 232 final year medical students who performed in mini-CEX 1 without receiving a feedback (intervention), and the scores after receiving a feedback in mini-CEX 2 and mini-CEX 3. This study was conducted at the Family Medicine Department in Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 19.0. A One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA was conducted to compare mean scores in three mini CEXs (mini-CEX 1 and mini-CEX 2 and mini-CEX 3). The mean score of the students’ achievement was 5.35±0.84 on the mini-CEX 1; 5.8±0.82 on the miniCEX 2; and 5.79±0.78 on the mini-CEX 3. The ANOVA showed that the mean scores were significantly different, F(2,462) = 34.36, p<0.0005). Further analyses showed that there were significant improvement of the students’ achievement in mini-CEX 2 or mini-CEX 3 compare to mini-CEX 1 (p<0.0005). However, result showed a non-significant improvement between mini-CEX 2 and mini-CEX 3. We concluded the element of feedback at the end of mini-CEX’s in the formative assessment may contribute to the improvement of the students’ achievement. The authenticity of the mini-CEX assessment and the reliability of the mini-CEX scores might explained to the poor students’ achievement. Further analyses are critical to explore the content of the feedback and its relation to the students’ achievement.Awang Besar, MN.; Ahmad, S.; Yaman, MN.; Kamarudin, MA.; Bujang, SM.; Davies, M.; Taras, M. (2015). Implementing Formative Assessment at the Workplace: A Retrospective Analyses. En 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD' 15). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 613-619. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd15.2015.44661361

Laporan pelan halatuju pengajian siswazah Malaysia 2017-2025

Program Pengajian Siswazah menjadi lebih relevan dalam landskap pendidikan negara apabila negara mensasarkan seramai 60,000 pemegang PhD di Malaysia pada tahun 2023. Program ini bukan sahaja menggarap usaha untuk menyediakan graduan berkelayakan tinggi yang dapat menyumbang kepada tenaga kerja minda kelas pertama, tetapi juga sebagai kaedah mencapai matlamat pekerja berpendapatan tinggi di negara ini. Sebagaimana program pengajian siswazah lain di dunia, pengajian siswazah di Malaysia juga tidak terkecuali daripada menghadapi pelbagai isu dan cabaran. Kajian Majlis Dekan Pengajian Siswazah Malaysia (MDPS) ini bertujuan membentuk Pelan Halatuju Pengajian Siswazah Malaysia bagi 2017-2025. Pelan halatuju ini dibentuk hasil daripada kajian terhadap amalan pengurusan, proses penyampaian pembelajaran dan pengajaran, dan isu serta cabaran yang dihadapinya. Sebanyak 22 buah universiti tempatan telah mengambil bahagian dalam kajian ini. Soal selidik ke atas pelajar, pensyarah dan pentadbir endapati isu kualiti, relevansi dan kelestarian pengajian siswazah perlu diberi perhatian khusus oleh para pentadbir program pengajian siswazah. Universiti di Malaysia juga masih perlu memperbaiki dan memperkasa kualiti pentadbiran, pengambilan pelajar dan kaedah penyampaian dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran