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Context.--Because of restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical educators rapidly transitioned to an online curriculum for pathology resident education. The benefits and challenges of the shift to online learning, as well as strategies to maximize learning, are yet to be fully elucidated. Objective.--To assess learner perception and satisfaction with the move to online learning. Understanding the benefits of online learning will allow future curricular changes to most effectively incorporate online learning. Understanding the common challenges will allow our current learning strategies to rapidly adapt and ideally mitigate these challenges as online learning is incorporated into medical education. Design.--This was a survey-based study distributed by email to pathology residents nationwide in Canada in anatomic pathology, general pathology, neuropathology, and hematopathology. Thirty residents participated, from anatomic pathology (n = 23; 76%), from general pathology (n = 5; 16%), and 1 participant each from hematopathology and neuropathology. Results.--All participants indicated that their program had transitioned to online learning at least in part. The majority of participants (n = 16; 53%) did not feel their pathology education was negatively affected by the transition to online learning; however, a significant minority (n = 6; 20%) felt their education had been negatively affected. Convenience and less intimidation were rated as benefits of online learning. Negative effects included technical issues and decreased engagement; we identified a number of strategies used by programs and pathology residents to mitigate these negative effects. Conclusions.--Our survey points to a need to use adaptations and best-practice recommendations to maximize the benefits of online learning moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to identify trends and themes in how academic health sciences libraries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico have supported engagement and outreach with Native Americans, Alaska Natives, First Nations, and Indigenous peoples, in or from those same countries. We also sought to learn and share effective practices for libraries engaging with these communities. Methods: We conducted a scoping review utilizing Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews and followed principles from JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. We searched seven bibliographic databases, E-LIS (Eprints in Library and Information Science repository), and multiple sources of grey literature. Results were screened using Covidence and Google Sheets. We reported our review according to the PRISMA and PRISMA-S guidelines. We determined types of interventions used by academic health sciences libraries in engagement with our included populations, the level of public participation reached by these interventions, what partnerships were established, and what practices emerged. Results: Database searching returned 2,020 unique results. Additional searching resulted in 211 further unique results. Full text screening of relevant articles found 65 reports meeting criteria for inclusion. Data extraction was conducted on these programs to identify partners, intervention type, and evaluation method. The programs were categorized using the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation. Conclusion: Our scoping review found that many programs were health information trainings and did not move beyond informing the public with little further involvement. The need for sustained funding, greater community participation and more publishing on engagement and outreach are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) allows physicians to integrate evidence, clinical experience, and patient values into clinical decision making and thus has been readily incorporated into medical education; however, there is limited research capturing the perceptions of both student and educator in their experiences in engaging with an EBM-based research curriculum. Assessing the perceptions of both these key stakeholders represents an important area of research as it can help to inform EBM curriculum integration and evaluation efforts. Methods: This study utilizes a constructivist framework to assess the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings of students and tutors interacting with a 2-year EBM-based research curriculum. Students completed semi-structured interviews and tutors completed semistructured online surveys to explore their perceptions and experiences. Interview transcripts and qualitative survey responses were analysed using conventional descriptive content analysis to create a set of recommendations for EBM curriculum development. Results: 13 students and 20 tutors participated, and four major themes were identified. Students noted EBM education was most effective when opportunities existed to apply research skills, complete practical research experience, engage actively in learning, and integrate clinical and research concepts. Tutors found the curriculum to be effective but noted it was challenging to accommodate for the diversity of student knowledge and interest in research. Conclusion: This study provides a general set of recommendations for the design, implementation, and refinement of EBM-based research curricula to facilitate student learning through focusing on 1) research consumption, 2) emphasizing application, 3) emphasizing interactivity, 4) curriculum integration, and 5) catering towards student heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Post-Secondary Student Stressors Index (PSSI) was created to facilitate improved evaluation of the sources of post-secondary student stress. This study reports evidence in support of the validity of the tool using a large, nationwide cross-sectional sample of students attending universities across Canada during the 2020–2021 academic year. We provide additional evidence for the construct validation of the PSSI, including internal structure evidence and relations to other variables by estimating multiple-indicator, multiple-cause models and investigating Spearman's rho correlation coefficients between the PSSI and like constructs. Based on index validation guidelines, results provide further support for the internal structure of the PSSI, demonstrating hypothesized relationships with like constructs and manifest variables, as well as acceptable goodness-of-fit statistics. Similarly, correlation coefficients were statistically significant and in line with directionality hypotheses. The results of this research provide further evidence for the validity of the PSSI among varied university student populations in Canada and addresses several of the limitations identified in earlier preliminary psychometric work on the instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern academic libraries are hubs of technology, yet the gap between the library and IT is an issue at several small university libraries across Canada that can inhibit innovation and lead to diminished student experience. This paper outlines results of a survey of small (<5,000 FTE) universities in Canada, focusing on IT and the library when it comes to organizational structure, staffing, and location. It then discusses higher level as well as smaller scale solutions to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Arts-based activities' roles in medical education is to challenge students to cultivate clinical skills using ART (aesthetics, reflection, time). ART activities offer opportunities for students to cultivate creative dimensions of their clinical skills and to reflect on their responses to uncertainty and ambiguity. Faculty, however, are challenged to structure these learning activities in diverse, sometimes unfamiliar, health care settings. Methods: This study explored preclerkship medical students' responses to participating in ART activities presented in the common medical educational format of an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). Activities included interpreting fine art (eg, images and poetry) and drawing a simulated patient. The discussion section transcript and student sketchbooks were analyzed to identify themes related to participating in the study. Results: Use of arts-based activities elicited behaviors similar to those observed in students' responses to formal summative OSCEs, although students also wrestled with challenges and expressed their subjective impressions. Conclusions: This study offers an arts-based tool set capable of being delivered within the familiar medical education setting and established structure of the OSCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the attitude of Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) chiropractic students toward the International Clinical and Professional Chiropractic Education Position Statement and evidence-based practice (EBP) beliefs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to all the UQTR chiropractic students. Using a five-point Likert scale, students were asked to rate their level of agreement with the position statement (10 items), EBP (2 items), interprofessional collaboration (2 items) and vitalistic philosophy (2 items). Results: Survey response rate was 71%. Students most frequently reported strong agreement with the position statement, EBP and interprofessional collaboration. They also most frequently disagreed with vitalistic philosophy. The attitude toward the position statement was positively correlated with the year of study in the program (r=0.10, p=0.019), EBP (r=0.56, p<0.001) and interprofessional collaboration (r=0.45, p <0.001). Conclusions: UQTR chiropractic students demonstrate high levels of agreement with EBP and the Education Position Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health professionals working in oncology face the challenge of a stressful work environment along with impacts of providing care to those suffering from a life-threatening illness and encountering high levels of patient loss. Longitudinal exposure to loss and suffering can lead to grief, which over time can lead to the development of compassion fatigue (CF). Prevalence rates of CF are significant, yet health professionals have little knowledge on the topic. A six-week continuing education program aimed to provide information on CF and support in managing grief and loss and consisted of virtual sessions, case-based learning, and an online community of practice. Content included personal, health system, and team-related risk factors; protective variables associated with CF; grief models; and strategies to help manage grief and loss and to mitigate against CF. Participants also developed personal plans. Pre- and post-course evaluations assessed confidence, knowledge, and overall satisfaction. A total of 189 health professionals completed the program (90% nurses). Reported patient loss was high (58.8% > 10 deaths annually; 12.2% > 50). Improvements in confidence and knowledge across several domains (p < 0.05) related to managing grief and loss were observed, including use of grief assessment tools, risk factors for CF, and strategies to mitigate against CF. Satisfaction level post-program was high. An educational program aiming to improve knowledge of CF and management of grief and loss demonstrated benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When faced with the news that school closures were taking place across Canada due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the small Discover the Universe team knew they wanted to support young families. Within 48 hours, Discover the Universe started an initiative to help entertain and educate youth through daily astronomy content. After 11 weeks of content, more than 50 twice-daily episodes in English and French were presented by science communicators, astronomers, physicists and an astronaut! In the first week, we saw 6,000+ live viewers. Each day, hundreds of families joined us on YouTube where all episodes are still available. The Astro at Home series is now a legacy astronomy educational resource designed for a young audience, in both official languages of Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study examines correlates of lifetime (ie, ever vaped) and past month vape use among students aged 17 to 19 years, 20 to 25 years, and 26+ years from Western University in London, Ontario. The secondary objective is to assess lifetime and past month vape use among students not of legal age to purchase vaping products in Ontario (ie, those 17 to 18 years only). Methods: Using Qualtrics, a cross-sectional survey was sent via email to all students at Western University (N = 38 442), assessing their current and past risk-taking behaviors, mental health, sociodemographic characteristics, as well as questions pertaining to their family structure and socioeconomic background during childhood. Students were asked if they had ever vaped in their lifetime and about past month vape use. Logistic regression models were used to assess correlates of lifetime and past month vape use. Results: The sample consisted of 2626 university students. Compared to those ages 26+ years, teenage university students were 10 times more likely to have vaped in the past month and males were twice as likely as females to have vaped. Alcohol use doubled the odds of vaping in the past month, whereas cigarette, cannabis, or cocaine use approximately tripled the odds. Students who reported many sexual partners were far more likely to have vaped in the past month. Conclusion: Vape use is more common among teenage university students, males, those who drink alcohol, smoke, use cannabis or cocaine, and who report many sexual partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International and migrant students face specific challenges which may impact their mental health, well-being and academic outcomes, and these may be gendered experiences. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on the challenges, coping responses and supportive interventions for international and migrant students in academic nursing programs in major host countries, with a gender lens. Methods: We searched 10 databases to identify literature reporting on the challenges, coping responses and/or supportive interventions for international and migrant nursing students in college or university programs in Canada, the United-States, Australia, New Zealand or a European country. We included peer-reviewed research (any design), discussion papers and literature reviews. English, French and Spanish publications were considered and no time restrictions were applied. Drawing from existing frameworks, we critically assessed each paper and extracted information with a gender lens. Results: One hundred fourteen publications were included. Overall the literature mostly focused on international students, and among migrants, migration history/status and length of time in country were not considered with regards to challenges, coping or interventions. Females and males, respectively, were included in 69 and 59% of studies with student participants, while those students who identify as other genders/sexual orientations were not named or identified in any of the research. Several papers suggest that foreign-born nursing students face challenges associated with different cultural roles, norms and expectations for men and women. Other challenges included perceived discrimination due to wearing a hijab and being a 'foreign-born male nurse', and in general nursing being viewed as a feminine, low-status profession. Only two strategies, accessing support from family and other student mothers, used by women to cope with challenges, were identified. Supportive interventions considering gender were limited; these included matching students with support services' personnel by sex, involving male family members in admission and orientation processes, and using patient simulation as a method to prepare students for care-provision of patients of the opposite-sex. Conclusion: Future work in nursing higher education, especially regarding supportive interventions, needs to address the intersections of gender, gender identity/sexual orientation and foreign-born status, and also consider the complexity of migrant students' contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors highlight the need for a paradigm shift in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) research in Canada in terms of conducting, funding and disseminating research on Indigenous, African and racialized populations. Topics discussed include the importance of acknowledging the presence of systemic racism, role of the investment of the government and philanthropic entities in racialized communities, and significance of a cultural and spiritual perspective on SRHR research.

Introduction: This study examines correlates of lifetime (ie, ever vaped) and past month vape use among students aged 17 to 19 years, 20 to 25 years, and 26+ years from Western University in London, Ontario. The secondary objective is to assess lifetime and past month vape use among students not of legal age to purchase vaping products in Ontario (ie, those 17 to 18 years only). Methods: Using Qualtrics, a cross-sectional survey was sent via email to all students at Western University (N = 38 442), assessing their current and past risk-taking behaviors, mental health, sociodemographic characteristics, as well as questions pertaining to their family structure and socioeconomic background during childhood. Students were asked if they had ever vaped in their lifetime and about past month vape use. Logistic regression models were used to assess correlates of lifetime and past month vape use. Results: The sample consisted of 2626 university students. Compared to those ages 26+ years, teenage university students were 10 times more likely to have vaped in the past month and males were twice as likely as females to have vaped. Alcohol use doubled the odds of vaping in the past month, whereas cigarette, cannabis, or cocaine use approximately tripled the odds. Students who reported many sexual partners were far more likely to have vaped in the past month. Conclusion: Vape use is more common among teenage university students, males, those who drink alcohol, smoke, use cannabis or cocaine, and who report many sexual partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health is central to overall wellbeing and, for students attending university, mental health is critical for learning and academic success. A wealth of research has focused on young people who experience psychosocial declines during academic and developmental transitions, but little is known about how young people flourish in this transition. The first to explore the experiences of flourishing among first-year Canadian university students making the transition directly from high school, this study sought to develop an understanding of: 1) the factors that promote flourishing amidst this academic and developmental transition, and 2) how first-year students define and experience flourishing. An interpretive phenomenological approach underpinned by Gadamerian hermeneutic philosophy was used to explore experiences of flourishing, using semi-structured interviews, in a sample of nine full-time, first-year university students, ages 18–20 years. What it meant to flourish amidst this developmental and academic transition and how participants defined flourishing offer new understandings of the concept associated with: 1) personal/individual aspects of flourishing, 2) contextual nature of flourishing, 3) temporality of flourishing, 4) dialectic aspects of flourishing. Implications for practice, policy, and research in light of these new understandings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allostatic load (AL) is an aggregate measure of wear and tear on the body due to the chronic activation of the stress response system. The goal of this study was to examine the association between racially motivated housing discrimination (HD) and AL score within a sample of Indigenous university students. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from Indigenous adults attending university in a small city in western Canada between 2015 and 2017 (N = 104; mean age = 27.8 years). An item adapted from the Experience of Discrimination Scale was to assess racially motivated HD in the past 12 months. AL was measured as a composite of 7 biomarkers assessing neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune system function. Bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrapped linear regression models were used to examine associations adjusting for age, income, parenthood, and other situations in which discrimination had been experienced. Indigenous university students who experienced racially motivated HD in the past year (16.8% of the sample) had an average AL score of approximately 4, which was almost double that of their peers who had not. In an adjusted model, racially motivated HD was associated with a 1.5 point increase in AL score. This model explained 35% of the adjusted variance in AL score, of which racially motivated HD explained 24%. These results suggest Indigenous adults who experienced racially motivated HD in the past year had early and more pronounced wear and tear on neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune system functioning in young and middle adulthood than Indigenous peers who did not. These findings combine with others to highlight the need for increased efforts to prevent racially motivated HD in urban centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. By April 24, 2020, nearly 3 million cases of COVID-19 with nearly 200 thousand deaths have been confirmed globally. Shortages are being experienced around the world and due to these inefficiencies, physicians are being forced to decide who is more deserving of resources. In response, the world is making the effort to "flatten the curve" so that health care resources and facilities are able to accommodate. As such, the world has employed social distancing measures and encouraged people to stay home. COVID-19 has undoubtedly impacted the world in numerous ways and continues to do so. One such way is its impact on medical education. Medical schools across Canada have cancelled all in-person teaching, including classes and clinical placements. As clerkship rotations are purely clinical in nature, this kind of learning cannot be replicated online, effectively leaving clerkship medical students with their education on hold. Despite no organized placement of medical students into roles, many have organized roles and initiatives for themselves. Medical students across Canada have volunteered in a variety of means, as well as joined together to develop and lead extraordinary initiatives. However, with an uncertainty in establishing an "end" to the pandemic and in determining whether Canada will face a physician shortage, is it worth looking forward and further planning how best to utilize Canadian senior medical students? Medical education prepares students to not only care for the sick, but to function as part of a team and support a larger goal. With the unique skills to be able to assist and the national possibility of needing increased physician support, it may be worth considering how senior medical students can be transitioned into helpful roles in the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency vaccination programs often are needed to control outbreaks of meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) on college campuses. Such campaigns expend multiple campus and public health resources. We conducted a randomized, controlled, multicenter, observer-blinded trial comparing immunogenicity and tolerability of an accelerated vaccine schedule of 0 and 21 days to a longer interval of 0 and 60 days for 4-component MenB vaccine (MenB-4C) in students 17-25 years of age. At day 21 after the first MenB-4C dose, we observed protective human serum bactericidal titers >4 to MenB strains 5/99, H44/76, and NZ 98/254 in 98%-100% of participants. Geometric mean titers increased >22-fold over baseline. At day 180, >95% of participants sustained protective titers regardless of their vaccine schedule. The most common adverse event was injection site pain. An accelerated MenB-4C immunization schedule could be considered for rapid control of campus outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Canadians living in rural and remote communities face difficulty accessing mental health services. This has become a pressing issue in the Canadian healthcare system due to an increased focus on mental health and the high rate of suicide in rural regions as compared to urban communities. The inaccessibility of mental health services in rural Canada can only be partially explained by the lack of psychiatrists working in these areas. Additional access barriers arise from sociocultural nuances within individual rural communities, including an increased value placed on self-reliance and stigmatization of seeking mental health support. It has been challenging for mental health services to adequately address the vast social, economic and cultural differences that exist among individual rural communities - a reality that necessitates holistic mental health programs tailored to the unique complexities of each community. Nonetheless, programs aiming to improve accessibility of rural mental health services do exist across Canada, often employing technology to deliver psychiatric support to rural patients or provide guidance to rural primary care physicians who care for patients with mental illness. This narrative review outlines the barriers that are impeding mental health care in rural Canada, the existing strategies to circumvent these barriers, and the role of current medical students in the future of rural psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although indoor tanning causes cancer, it remains relatively common among adolescents. Little is known about indoor tanning prevalence and habits in Canada, and even less about associated behaviours. This study explores the prevalence of adolescent indoor tanning in Manitoba and its association with other demographic characteristics and health behaviours. Methods: We conducted secondary analyses of the 2012/13 Manitoba Youth Health Survey data collected from Grade 7 to 12 students (n = 64 174) and examined associations between indoor tanning (whether participants had ever used artificial tanning equipment) and 25 variables. Variables with statistically significant associations to indoor tanning were tested for collinearity and grouped based on strong associations. For each group of highly associated variables, the variable with the greatest effect upon indoor tanning was placed into the final logistic regression model. Separate analyses were conducted for males and females to better understand sex-based differences, and analyses were adjusted for age. Results: Overall, 4% of male and 9% of female students reported indoor tanning, and prevalence increased with age. Relationships between indoor tanning and other variables were similar for male and female students. Binary logistic regression models indicated that several variables significantly predicted indoor tanning, including having part-time work, being physically active, engaging in various risk behaviours such as driving after drinking for males and unplanned sex after alcohol/drugs for females, experiencing someone say something bad about one's body shape/size/appearance, identifying as trans or with another gender, consuming creatine/other supplements and, for females only, never/rarely using sun protection. Conclusion: Indoor tanning among adolescents was associated with age, part-time work, physical activity and many consumption behaviours and lifestyle risk factors. Though legislation prohibiting adolescent indoor tanning is critical, health promotion to discourage indoor tanning may be most beneficial if it also addresses these associated factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nutrition labels are an essential source for consumers to obtain nutrition-related information on food products and serve as a population-level intervention with unparalleled reach. The present study systematically reviewed existing evidence on the correlates of nutrition label use among college students and young adults.Design: Keyword and reference searches were conducted in PubMed, EBSCO, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria included: study design (randomized controlled trial, cohort study, pre-post study or cross-sectional study); population (college students and young adults 18-30 years old); main outcome (nutrition label use); article type (peer-reviewed publication); and language (English).Setting: College/university.Subjects: College students and young adults.Results: Sixteen studies based on data from college surveys in four countries (USA, UK, Canada, South Korea) were identified from keyword and reference search. Reported prevalence of nutrition label use varied substantially across studies; a weighted average calculation showed 36·5 % of college students and young adults reported using labels always or often. Females were more likely to use nutrition labels than males. Nutrition label use was found to be associated with attitudes towards healthy diet, beliefs on the importance of nutrition labels in guiding food selection, self-efficacy, and nutrition knowledge and education.Conclusions: The impact of nutrition labelling on food purchase and intake could differ by population subgroups. Nutrition awareness campaigns and education programmes may be important mechanisms for promoting nutrition label use among college students and young adults. Future research is warranted to assess the role of label use on improved dietary decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical fighting is an assaultive behaviour that can lead to injury. Family affluence is a health determinant that can influence injury. This study examines the relationship between family affluence and two outcomes: physical fighting and fighting-related injury in Canadian adolescents. Three measurements were used to represent family affluence and assess whether these measures demonstrated different associations with these outcomes.Methods: Canadian data from the 2009/2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study were used. It consists of a nationally representative sample of 26,078 grade 6-10 students. A subset analysis of 10,429 grade 9-10 students was conducted to account for additional confounders. Modified Poisson regression was used to compare the risk of physical fighting and fighting-related injury in youth from different levels of family affluence. Three indicators were used to represent family affluence: self-perceived affluence, a family affluence scale (FAS), and area-level average household income.Results: The overall prevalence was 35.6% for physical fighting and 2.7% for fighting-related injuries. Both outcomes were more frequent in males than females. An inverse gradient was present where risk for both outcomes increased with decreasing levels of affluence irrespective of the affluence measurement. The self-perceived affluence variable showed a significantly stronger gradient in girls than boys for both outcomes. For both outcomes, FAS showed a similar inverse gradient within females, but a threshold effect in males where there was a strong effect in the low FAS group, but a null effect in the moderate FAS group. The area-level income variable presented a significantly higher likelihood for physical fighting only in females (p = 0.001-0.075). For fighting-related injury, none of the area-level income models showed significant risk estimates with the exception of the bivariate association where low income females were twice as likely to report a fighting-related injury compared to higher income groups (p = 0.030). Post hoc power calculations indicate that there was not sufficient power to detect injury effects associated with the area level income measure.Conclusion: It appears that a socioeconomic gradient exists where lower affluence is associated with a higher risk of reporting a physical fight and fighting-related injury irrespective of the measure used. While the patterns were generally the same with all three measurements, the strength of this gradient varied across measures. This demonstrates that each indicator may measure different aspects of affluence. Further analyses are needed to explore concepts and mechanisms underlying each affluence measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to a national survey of over 900 Canadian medical students, the stereotype of an isolated radiologist working in a dark room persists. The purpose of this study is to use qualitative methods to explore the ways exposure to radiology in medical school impacts students' opinions and perceptions of radiology and radiologists. Methods: After receiving ethics approval, 4 focus groups were conducted, 1 per year of undergraduate medical training at Western University. The transcribed audio recordings and accompanying field notes, together with the open-ended questions obtained from the national survey, were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Five hundred sixty students in medical school years 1 and 2 (preclerkship) participated in the national survey and 18 in the focus groups; 336 students in years 3 and 4 [clerkship] participated in the national survey and 10 in the focus groups. Three major findings emerged from the analysis of the data. First, stereotypes are perpetuated mainly through informal interactions. Second, there is limited exposure to radiology and radiologists in medical school, especially in preclerkship. Third, students want to know what to expect if they choose a career in radiology. Conclusions: Medical students, especially those in preclerkship, are seeking accurate information to modify or reinforce radiology stereotypes. Limited exposure makes interactions with students impactful and mentorship essential. Students want meaningful interactions with radiologists and radiology residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM This qualitative study describes the experience of nursing students who construct and use electronic concepts maps in theoretical and clinical settings. BACKGROUND Although concept maps are seen as innovative and effective teaching and learning tools, little qualitative data exists that describes the process by which students learn to master the skill of concept mapping. METHOD A descriptive approach was used to analyze the data collected during 12 semi-structured interviews. RESULTS Motivated, open-minded students tend to perceive the usefulness of concept mapping, making the experience positive. Workshops, along with constructive feedback, were deemed essential to helping students master the skill of concept mapping. CONCLUSION The results of this study will contribute to the successful integration of group concepts maps as part of a new competency-based nursing program. Results could also be beneficial to programs that wish to adopt concept mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess second-year medical students' views on chiropractic. Methods: A three-step triangulation approach was designed, comprising a 53-item survey, nine key informant interviews and one focus group of 8 subjects. ANOVA was used to assess attitude-response survey totals over grouping variables. Constant comparison method and NVivo was used for thematic analysis. Results: 112 medical students completed the survey (50% response rate). Subjects reporting no previous chiropractic experience/exposure or interest in learning about chiropractic were significantly more attitude-negative towards chiropractic. Thematically, medical students viewed chiropractic as an increasingly evidence-based complementary therapy for low back/chronic pain, but based views on indirect sources. Within formal curriculum, they wanted to learn about clinical conditions and benefits/risks related to treatment, as greater understanding was needed for future patient referrals. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of exposure to chiropractic within the formal medical curriculum to help foster future collaboration between these two professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study on the quantitative reasoning course designed and taught in a university in western Canada which focuses on liberal education. It mentions that quantitative reasoning skills play an important part in the critical thinking skills package of liberal education. It notes that students found the course interesting and relevant to their needs and they were able to understand and use mathematics in their work and personal lives.

A total of 237 students, 10 to 17 years of age, from 14 schools underwent hearing evaluations. Otoscopic examination, tympanometry and air-conduction pure tone audiometry was conducted at low (0.5, 1, 2 kHz) and high (4 and 8 kHz) frequencies. In all schools, hearing thresholds were measured with headphones in a portable audiometric booth. Socio-demographic information from students and their parents were collected using questionnaires. Overall, the prevalence of any hearing loss greater than 15 dB was 22.3% for low or high frequency pure tone averages. Self-reported symptoms of hearing loss, such as tinnitus, difficulty following a conversation with background noise, and having to turn up the TV/radio more than in the past, were associated with audiometric thresholds, most notably at 4 kHz. These study findings are among the first to provide a detailed characterization of hearing status in a sample of youth in a Canadian demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We identify the effect of individual high school principals on graduation rates and English exam scores using an administrative data set of grade 12 students in BC Canada. Many principals were rotated across schools by districts, permitting isolation of the effect of principals from the effect of schools. We estimate the variance of the idiosyncratic effect of principals on student outcomes using a semi-parametric technique assuming the effect is time invariant. We also allow for the possibility that principals take time to realize their full effect at a school. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper uses data from the Grade 3 and 6 assessments conducted in Ontario schools to examine the association between student achievement and both strikes and work-to-rule campaigns by teachers. Between 1998/99 and 2003/04 approximately 5 percent of schools in Ontario were exposed to strikes (including one lockout) and over 10 percent of schools experienced a work-to-rule campaign (the withdrawal of many school activities normally carried out by teachers). This study finds large reductions in academic achievement associated with strikes at disadvantaged schools in both Grade 3 and Grade 6, and substantial reductions in results associated with work-to-rule campaigns. The reductions associated with work-to-rule campaigns vary across schools with the largest reductions at disadvantaged schools in Grade 3 and at advantaged schools in Grade 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examines not only the prevalence of substance abuse in one rural, Canadian high school, but also how teachers understand teaching and learning in relation to substance abuse. Over one third of students reported that they had used marijuana (37%) and alcohol (38%) in the last seven days, a rate considerably higher than typical Canadian averages. Pedagogical implications were informed by three main themes that emerged from staff interviews. Several teachers normalized substance abuse in adolescence, others coped silently "under the radar, " and a few called for specialized support from other human services. Further, in-school approaches require that the entire staff be involved to enhance awareness of substance abuse, interprofessional collaboration, and a sense of interdependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on 60 qualitative interviews with Canada research chairs (CRCs), we explore their careers in context. We develop a model to understand the intersection of individual and institutional factors that shape the everyday experiences of the CRCs. The model shows the dialectical relationship between faculty identity, research, relations with colleagues and students, and institutional practices and structures. We classify individuals’ experiences as “good,” “bad,” or “ugly.” The interviews show that while a majority of CRCs have a positive experience, others have a negative experience that is prone to becoming ugly when institutional practices and systemic factors impede the work of the CRC. We discuss the perceived problems with the CRC program from the standpoint of Chairholders, and the implications of our findings for the CRC program and universities. As well, we propose that additional research on the professoriate is needed to determine whether or not the model from our study is generalizable beyond our sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an account of a teaching trip undertaken by the authors in Canada. The user groups selected by the authors in the teaching initiative include those students who are physically very distant from campus, adult online students and sometimes younger on-campus students who don't use library, and students who don't use computers or the Internet on a regular basis. The authors claim that their teaching trip to Canada have been their most successful library outreach program.

In human geography, member checking is now routine practice for upholding rigour in qualitative studies, yet it can result in conflicting opinions regarding research interpretations. Here we reflect upon divergent outcomes from member checking research exploring the nature of student experiences in a specific space of a Canadian university law school. While member checking did not yield acceptance of the initial interpretations by all informants, we argue that rather than invalidating our findings, the very disagreement exposed through member checks added to our analyses in important ways. As such, results refuted by informants should not necessarily be discarded in human geography research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the way 125 Francophone teachers in Canada used the Internet and museum websites, also called virtual museums, to encourage student learning in history and social studies at the primary and secondary level. The results suggest that Canadian Francophone teachers are making increasing use of the Internet in the classroom for the teaching and learning of these school subjects. This study shows that virtual museum websites provide supplemental learning resources for achieving the learning outcomes set out in the various educational programs across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every way of thinking is both premised on and generative of a way of naming that reflects particular underlying convictions. Over the last 15 years, a way of thinking has reemerged that strives to reposition students in educational research and reform. Best documented in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States, this way of thinking is premised on the following convictions: that young people have unique perspectives on learning, teaching, and schooling; that their insights warrant not only the attention but also the responses of adults; and that they should be afforded opportunities to actively shape their education. Although these convictions mean different things to different people and take different forms in practice, a single term has emerged to capture a range of activities that strive to reposition students in educational research and reform: “student voice.” In this discussion the author explores the emergence of the term “student voice,” identifies underlying premises signaled by two particular words associated with the term, “rights” and “respect,” and explores the many meanings of a word that surfaces repeatedly across discussions of student voice efforts but refers to a wide range of practices: “listening.” The author offers this discussion not as an exhaustive or definitive analysis but rather with the goal of looking across discussions of work that advocates, enacts, and critically analyzes the term “student voice.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the discourse of an intercontinental on-line Master’s programme in adult learning, using English as the lingua franca of the programme and involving four collaborating universities in Sweden, South Africa, Canada and Australia. The programme is highly interactive, emphasising communication between students. Taking the variation in participation as the point of departure, a discourse analysis aiming at analysing the contingencies contributing to the pattern of communication in the programme was undertaken. Data consist of a variety of texts on-line web-documents, written notes, and narratives that participants wrote about their lives related to participation in the programme. The use of English as the lingua franca contributed to a mistake anxiety, which for some students was hampering their communication in the programme. Aspects of the material world such as the vast differences in the efforts and costs for participating in the programme were also highly interrelated to the shaping of socio-culturally situated identities among the students and thereby contributing to the variation in frequency in participation. The results show that the official discourse of the programme as a text, with its emphasis on equity, change and development, gets subordinated to the discourses produced and reproduced by the students in the programme as a discursive practice and social practice. The students’ accounts reveal that there are fragments of an alternative discourse emerging, based on mutual concern and friendship, which might suggest a potential for changing the communicative patterns in the programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world people confront monuments that celebrate historical origins, movements, heroes, and triumphs no longer seen as worthy of celebration. While an analysis of these lieux de mémoire themselves can reveal historical consciousness, the sites become particularly interesting at the moment when they inspire debate, namely, when people ask what can be done with these artifacts of earlier power configurations, outdated modes of understanding, and bygone identities. Recent protests over a series of murals depicting the origins of civilization in British Columbia, located in the central rotunda of the British Columbia Legislative Buildings, offer this opportunity. This article analyzes a sample of 53 essays written by senior high school students, responding to the dilemma of what to do about the murals. It explores four different orientations toward the past implicit in the student responses, using theoretical fi:ames adapted from Nietzsche and Rüsen. These have implications for identities, public policies, and the teaching and learning of history in the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses research on literacy in Canada. Examination of the possibilities for high school English teachers to develop frames of reference for critically analyzing multicultural and postcolonial rhetoric, curricula, texts and activities; Assessment of issues involving media literacy; Overview of the study 'Early Development in Vancouver,' by Clyde Hertzman, Sidney A. McLean, Dafna E. Kohen, Jim Dunn and Terry Evans of the University of British Columbia.

Evaluates the accuracy on the answer feedback of the computer-aided version of Keller's personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Designation of students as test proctors of a computer; Analysis of archived data from a CAPSI-taught behavior modification course; Increase in the overall accuracy of CAPSI in the presence of student proctors.

Background The demographic and socioeconomic profile of medical school classes has implications for where people choose to practise and whether they choose to treat certain disadvantaged groups. We aimed to describe the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of first-year Canadian medical students and compare them with those of the Canadian population to determine whether there are groups that are over- or underrepresented. Furthermore, we wished to test the hypothesis that medical students often come from privileged socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods As part of a larger Internet survey of all students at Canadian medical schools outside Quebec, conducted in January and February 2001, first-year students were asked to give their age, sex, self-described ethnic background using Statistics Canada census descriptions and educational background. Postal code at the time of high school graduation served as a proxy for socioeconomic status. Respondents were also asked for estimates of parental income and education. Responses were compared when possible with Canadian age-group-matched data from the 1996 census. Results Responses were obtained from 981 (80.2%) of 1223 first-year medical students. There were similar numbers of male and female students (51.1% female), with 65% aged 20 to 24 years. Although there were more people from visible minorities in medical school than in the Canadian population (32.4% v. 20.0%) ( p < 0.001), certain minority groups (black and Aboriginal) were underrepresented, and others (Chinese, South Asian) were overrepresented. Medical students were less likely than the Canadian population to come from rural areas (10.8% v. 22.4%) ( p < 0.001) and were more likely to have higher socioeconomic status, as measured by parents' education (39.0% of fathers and 19.4% of mothers had a master's or doctoral degree, as compared with 6.6% and 3.0% respectively of the Canadian population aged 45 to 64), parents' occupation (69.3% of fathers... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackground: During the 1990s, rates of nonmedical drug use among adolescents escalated. We assessed data from 5 cycles of the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey for overall trends in the proportion of students reporting illegal drug use between 1991 and 1999.Methods: The survey is a repeated, cross-sectional, 2-stage cluster-design survey of students enrolled in grades 7, 9, 11 and 13. Outcome measures were prevalence of use of 17 drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, over the 12 months preceding the survey.Results: The rates of drug use increased between 1993 and 1999. The 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the differences in proportions between 1997 and 1999 indicated significant increases in the overall use of 6 drugs: alcohol (95% CI[sub diff] 6.1, 1.9-10.3), cannabis (95% CI[sub diff] 46.3, 0.2-8.4), glue (95% CI[sub diff] 2.3, 1.3-3.3), other solvents (95% CI[sub diff] 5.0, 3.1-6.3), barbiturates (95% CI[sub diff] 1.9, 0.4-3.4) and hallucinogens such as mescaline and psilocybin (95% CI[sub diff] 3.5, 0.8-6.9). Fewer grade 7 students in 1999 than in earlier cohorts reported using alcohol or cigarettes by age 9.Interpretation: The public health implications of the findings are mixed. On the positive side, there is no evidence of increases in early onset of drug use. On the negative side, the overall proportion of students reporting illegal drug use has continued to rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents results of the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey conducted in 1995 and 1997. Sponsor of the survey; Results compared with those from the early 1990s; Methods; Use of most kinds of drugs stable or in decline; Increase in use of hallucinogens; Need to avoid complacency in this area of public health.

The article discusses the results of a survey on how United States and Canadian programs in Master of Social Work (MSW) have responded to increased enrollments and fixed resources. A study has revealed that numbers of full-time faculty in MSW programs was very less in the U.S. in 1994 than in 1977, while MSW student enrollments were 55% higher. From 1988 to 1994, MSW enrollments grew by almost 32%, whereas the number of full-time faculty grew by less than 3%. These changes have forced MSW programs to make difficult choices about how to meet rapidly increasing demand with static or slowly growing faculty resources. Same trend is followed in Canada also. The first goal of the study was to determine the circumstances that characterize most programs and the ways in which they are managing resources around issues such as class sizes, faculty workloads etc. The second goal was to test the hypothesis that strategies used by MSW programs in adapting to changing circumstances would follow theoretically predicted sequences.

Presents the findings of a study which examined why secondary students in Ontario, Canada repeated courses. Effects of reduced government spending; Description of measures used to assess students; Emergence of grade-enhancing strategies; Distribution of graduates based on the number of repeated courses; Proportion of graduates who completed six or more subjects.