Category Archives: oa.smile

SMILE: Sustaining Medical Education in A Lockdown Environment. Student Perceptions of a Free Online Access Medical Education Platform as An Adjunct to The Traditional Undergraduate Curriculum During Lockdown | British Journal of Surgery | Oxford Academic

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Abstract:  Introduction

The coronavirus outbreak has had significant impact on medical students worldwide. SMILE is a free online access medical education (FOAMEd) platform. SMILE delivered 200 lectures during lockdown with up to 1400 students per session from UK medical schools and 33 abroad. Here we discuss student perceptions to SMILE during lockdown

Method

A survey was used to collect information from students who had utilised the platform during lockdown. This examined access to learning, impact on mental health during lockdown and the differences between FOAMed and more traditional based campus lecture-based learning.

Results

1306 students responded to the survey. The majority of students were concerned regarding their training during lockdown, with 71% reporting an impact on their stress levels and 44% reporting a negative impact on mental health.

On average students attended 4.3hours of teaching put on by their university per week, vs 7.9hours by SMILE.

Positives included anonymity, making 80% more likely to both ask and answer questions, the informal approach, ease of access and enthusiastic teachers. Negatives included time differences and technical issues.

Conclusions

Lockdown provided challenges in medical education, which platforms like SMILE addressed. Our experiences highlighted many positive outcomes of online medical education that may be applicable to other educators.

P112?SMILE: Sustaining Medical Education In a Lockdown Environment.Using social media to develop a free online access medical education platform during lockdown | BJS Open | Oxford Academic

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Abstract Introduction

SMILE is a free online access medical education (FOAMEd) platform created by two UK surgical trainees and a medical student that delivered over 200 medical lectures during lockdown.

Method

The role of Social Media in the development of SMILE was interrogated using a survey sent to all SMILE participants and by analysing activity on SMILE social media platforms.

Results

1306 students responded to the online survey with 57.2% saying they heard of SMILE through Facebook. Engagement using facebook remained highest with 13,819 members, over 800 user comments and >16,000 user reactions.

4% of the students heard of SMILE through Twitter or Instagram.

Facebook analytics revealed the highest level of traffic when lectures were most commonly held suggesting students used Facebook to access lectures.

Other educators were able to find SMILE on social media, leading to collaborations with other platforms.

Throughout the survey many mentioned how social media created and maintained a community of medical students enhancing group-based learning

Conclusions

We demonstrate that social media platforms provide popular and cost-effective methods to promote, sustain & deliver medical education for students and educators.