Shadi Asadzandi

This scoping review maps the use of educational escape rooms as interventions for information literacy and related competencies. It examines the educational contexts, learner groups, intervention formats, information literacy dimensions and reported outcomes of escape room-based learning activities. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage scoping review framework, six databases were searched: Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, Emerald, Scopus and IEEE. English-language studies published between 2014 and April 2026 were eligible for inclusion if they described the design, implementation or evaluation of an educational escape room, escape game, breakout game or comparable puzzle-based intervention addressing at least one information literacy dimension. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The included interventions were implemented in academic libraries, universities, health professions education, schools, public libraries, special collections and online learning environments. Common design features included collaborative, time-limited, scenario-based and puzzle-driven activities. Most interventions addressed information searching, source evaluation, applied information use and media or misinformation literacy. Reported outcomes were generally positive, particularly for engagement, perceived learning, motivation, information evaluation, problem-solving and collaboration. However, the evidence base remains limited by reliance on descriptive designs, self-reported outcomes and short-term assessment. This review contributes by mapping educational escape rooms specifically through an information literacy lens, rather than as general game-based learning interventions. The findings suggest that escape rooms may offer a promising experiential approach for helping learners practise critical information skills in complex digital and misinformation-rich environments, but stronger pedagogical alignment and more rigorous evaluation are needed to establish their long-term educational value.

This study aimed to investigate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in enhancing the teaching–learning process in medical education through a scoping review. This study was conducted as a scoping review. A comprehensive search of published articles was performed across multiple databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ERIC, Emerald, and IEEE, covering the period from 2000 to 2024. After removing duplicate records using EndNote software, titles and abstracts were screened, followed by full-text evaluation. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), and reporting was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The findings were categorized into four main themes: (1) domains of application of AI tools, (2) characteristics of AI tools in medical education, (3) applications and effectiveness of AI tools, and (4) challenges associated with AI use. The integration of AI into the teaching–learning process in medical education offers significant opportunities for developing innovative educational approaches. While AI enhances student engagement, learning outcomes, and satisfaction, it also introduces challenges such as ethical concerns, potential biases, and issues related to data privacy. Addressing these challenges is essential for the effective and responsible implementation of AI in medical education.

Introduction: Glass ceiling beliefs, namely denial, resilience, acceptance, and resignation, can influence women’s career success, career path choices, and persistence behaviors in organizations. This study aimed to determine the relationship between these beliefs and career success among women graduated in healthcare management at university medical centers in Tehran. Methods: This ...

Introduction: Scientific associations play a fundamental role in advancing science, shaping related policies, and addressing occupational and professional issues. The Medical Library and Information Association needs to reassess its internal issues and identify existing challenges, and facilities as well as emerging opportunities. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the opportunities, threats, ...

Knowledge networks, such as Communities of Practice (CoP), are essential elements of knowledge management. They play a crucial role in assimilating various knowledge domains and converting individual knowledge into collective knowledge. This study aimed to assess the concept of knowledge networks and identify facilitators and barriers influencing knowledge sharing in infectious diseases, according to Iranian experts. This qualitative study employed content analysis and used purposive and snowball sampling. The data were collected via online or face-to-face interviews with 25 participants with diverse expertise in infectious diseases (both clinical and non-clinical), epidemiology, knowledge management, and knowledge-based business management in Iran. The thematic analysis technique was used to code the interviews, and the collected data were analyzed using MAXQDA 20 software. Thematic analysis of the interviews led to 437 codes. These codes were categorized into two groups: facilitators and barriers. The facilitators shaping the knowledge network for infectious diseases were classified into three main categories: individual factors, organizational factors, and communication mechanisms. Individual factors involved two themes: strengthening knowledge exchange between experts in infectious diseases and personal characteristics such as the criteria for network membership. Organizational factors comprised three themes: organizational and trans-organizational factors, management strategies, and interactions with non-governmental sectors. Communication mechanisms included two themes: the use of information technology and knowledge brokers. In addition, three important challenges were identified as barriers influencing the knowledge network: administration and policy-making, organizational and trans-organizational, and personal challenges. Several facilitators and barriers influence the formation of an infectious disease knowledge network, which must be addressed to ensure its effectiveness, development, and long-term sustainability. Addressing these factors will enable the network to effectively integrate diverse knowledge and contribute to advancing infectious disease management.

Background & Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted medical education worldwide with several opportunities and challenges. This study aims to provide an overview of medical education's opportunities and challenges according to the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to guide future endeavors in conducting the teaching-learning process in post-COVID ...

Background: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms, are among the serious mental health challenges that Health Care Workers (HCWs) faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As these symptoms reduce the mental well-being and effectiveness of HCWs which are followed by poor health outcomes for patients, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of OCD symptoms among HCWs worldwide. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Emerald, and ERIC databases were searched using related keywords till the end of October 2021. Observational studies about the prevalence of OCD symptoms among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic were screened and evaluated. In order to assess the quality of studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) checklist was used. The effect measure was the prevalence rate with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 7864 individuals from 11 studies were included. The range of OCD symptoms prevalence across these studies was from 0.07 to 0.47. Due to the high heterogeneity between the studies (I² = 98.6%, P < 0.01), the random effects model was used. The pooled prevalence was 0.29 (95% CI: 0.22–0.38) based on logit transformed CI. Conclusions: The pooled prevalence of OCD symptoms was 29% among the HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This prevalence was higher than the general population according to the pre-pandemic literature, but lower than the recent reports amid the pandemic. Psychosocial interventions are suggested to be designed and implemented in such conditions.

Student engagement has an important role in academic achievement in all learning contexts, including e-learning environments. The extent of monitoring and promoting student engagement in e-learning affects the quality of education and is a determining factor for ensuring student’s success. Log data of students’ activities recorded in a learning management system (LMS) can be used to measure their level of engagement in the online teaching–learning process. No previous studies have been found stating a consistent and systematically raised list of LMS-based student engagement indicators, so this systematized review aimed to fulfill this gap. The authors performed an advanced search in the PubMed, Ovid, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Emerald, and ERIC databases to retrieve relevant original peer-reviewed articles published until the end of June 2021. Reviewing the 32 included articles resulted in 27 indicators that were categorized into three themes and six categories as follows: (a) log-in and usage (referring to LMS, access to course material), (b) student performance (assignments, assessments), and (c) communication (messaging, forum participation). Among the categories, access to course material and messaging were the most and the least mentioned, respectively.

Background: Promoting ethics is one of the goals of education, but the free flow of communication and divulging unethical behaviors in e-learning make the urgent need to clarify ethical values. Therefore, the aim of this study was to prepare ethical codes to develop and deliver e-contents. Methods: A draft of e-content ethical codes was prepared based on the literature review. Then, it was further revised by e-learning, medical education, ethics, and e-content experts. Finally, the draft was finalized through a 2-round Delphi process among related experts all over the country. Results: The final document of e-content ethical codes, including introduction, definitions, and 7 ethical code statements, was devised. Conclusion: Considering the difference between e-content and other kinds of publications, this set of ethical codes can be used straightforwardly to assess ethical aspects of e-contents.