Utilizing gamification effect through Kahoot in remote teaching of immunology: Medical students’ perceptions

Introduction: Gamification of learning is a novel pedagogical approach in education, and Kahoot is one of the game-based learning platforms widely used for formative assessments in realtime. This study aimed to explore the medical students’ perception of using Kahoot in remote learning.Methods: The mixed-method study was carried out among 72 medical students (in third-year) at Eastern University, Sri Lanka, following a formative assessment on immunology conducted via zoom video conferencing and Kahoot. The students’ perception was collected through a google form, which consisted of 13 statements with a 5-point Likert scale and an open-ended question. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney test were computed using SPSS ver. 25. A content analysis was employed to interpret the qualitative statements.Results: The participants’ age ranges from 23-28 years with male-female ratio of 1:1.57. The majority of the students felthappy (73.6%) while playing Kahoot remotely and recommended it (84.7%) for formative assessment in future. The participants agreed that Kahoot increased the focus, understanding of the subject, helped retain knowledge, motivated them to learn, provided fun during learning, and kept them active throughout. The majority of the participants agreed that Kahoot was an effective tool for distance learning. Internet connectivity and switching between two applications were identified as difficulties while playing remote mode Kahoot quizzes. Conclusion: The online gaming platform Kahoot has a positive impact on learning immunology. Kahoot maintains its fun and enjoyable nature and motivates students to learn during remote teaching of immunology

Viral aetiologies of acute encephalitis in a hospital-based South Asian population

Abstract Background The aetiological spectrum of acute encephalitis shows inter- and intra-geographical variations. We aimed to identify the viruses that cause infectious encephalitis in Sri Lanka, which represents a South Asian population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 99 patients with encephalitis/meningoencephalitis admitted to two tertiary-care hospitals in Colombo. Cerebrospinal fluid and serum were tested for conventional and emerging encephalitogenic viruses. Specific nucleic acid amplification and antibody assays were used to identify viruses. Plaque reduction neutralization test was done to confirm the diagnosis of West Nile virus (WNV). Results Patients’ age ranged from 1 month to 73 years (mean = 24.91; SD = 21.33) with a male:female ratio of 1.75:1. A viral aetiology was identified in only 27.3%. These included dengue virus (40.7%), Japanese encephalitis virus (25.9%), varicella zoster virus, WNV and probable Epstein Barr virus (11.1% each). None were positive for herpes simplex viruses or cytomegalovirus. Screening for bacterial aetiologies was negative for all patients. There were no distinguishable clinical or laboratory findings between the different viral aetiologies. The case fatality rate was 7%, which was higher among patients with an identified viral aetiology. Conclusions A viral aetiology was identified in only about a quarter of patients with encephalitis. Dengue virus accounted for the majority

Additional file 1: of Viral aetiologies of acute encephalitis in a hospital-based South Asian population

Primers and their target genes. (DOCX 14 kb