Development of a Virtual Journal Club in Anatomy: a Responsive Pandemic Pedagogy

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced changes to online teaching worldwide. The Clinical Anatomy journal club (JC) is key in the Bachelor of Science Honours (BScHons) programme and aims to improve scientific appraisal and communication abilities in anatomical research. An online JC through synchronous contact between members was deemed fitting as it could bridge the newly enforced geographical limitations due to the national lockdown in South Africa. Although common in clinical specialties, there are no published reports of anatomy themed online JCs. This project aimed to develop, implement, and appraise a synchronous virtual JC for Clinical Anatomy during the COVID-19 South African lockdown. A qualitative exploratory study design within an interpretive/constructivist paradigm was followed and aimed to explore students’ perceptions of a virtual anatomy JC during the lockdown. The study was conducted at a South African institution, within the BScHons programme, and all enrolled students were invited to participate. Upon receipt of informed consent, an anonymous questionnaire was administered via Moodle for the BScHons students. The responses were analysed by thematic analysis, codes were developed, and themes were generated. Two main themes were generated from the results: the first related to the virtual format of the JC and the second focused on the content and topics covered during the JC sessions. The Clinical Anatomy staff and students adapted rapidly to the virtual JC and formed a community of practice. The benefits of teaching and learning within JC were maintained during the virtual format. It is envisioned that the JC will continue in a hybrid format (face-to-face and virtual) in future academic years. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01325-8.

Student-Run Online Journal Club Initiative During a Time of Crisis: Survey Study

“…Careful planning and the establishment of clear, defined goals are essential for a successful journal club [ 7 ]. Therefore, before the sessions began, the following goals were declared to the participants: to create an ideal discussion environment, to improve critical appraisal skills, to learn to review the literature, to learn to select appropriate articles, and to improve presentation skills.…”

“…Asynchronous virtual journal clubs can take place regardless of time or place; participants can contribute at a specified time period without waiting for the other participants to be online, which usually occurs on an internet blog. Online journal clubs, whether synchronous or asynchronous, enable national and international collaboration by bridging geographical boundaries [ 7 ]. They may also involve experts and even the authors of the discussed articles.…”

“…According to Keet et al [ 7 ], journal clubs are especially effective in resident training and continuing medical education. In addition, journal clubs can be very beneficial to medical students, especially when they are quarantined and forced to stay away from clinical environments during the pandemic.…”

Anais Ii Congresso Nacional De Ensino De Ciências E Biologia Online- Ii Conecibio

“…Até o presente momento, o Journal Club é considerado uma prática rotineira em centros de pesquisa do mundo inteiro (Bhattacharya, 2006). Embora os Journal Clubs tenham sido inicialmente desenvolvidos para médicos ocupados se manterem atualizados com a literatura (Keet, 2021) A escolha dos artigos é feita pelos próprios apresentadores, seguindo a área de atuação do grupo. Os alunos são incentivados a fazerem críticas aos próprios trabalhos, de modo a estimular o aprendizado do olhar científico.…”

Virtual orthopaedic surgery away rotation benefits both the program and applicant: a survey of participants

“…In orthopaedic surgery, students reported overall greater learner satisfaction, reception, and retention5; however, lack of peer engagement, camaraderie, and group participation were cited as disadvantages 3. Other reported limitations of online learning have included the lack of verbal communication, technological difficulties, and distractions in the home environment 6–8. Although performance on exams has been shown to be somewhat equivalent between in-person learning and online learning, decreased attendance and burnout with the virtual learning experience have been noted.…”