Morningness-eveningness preferences,learning approach and academic achievement of undergraduate medical students

ABSTRACT

Several studies have focused on determining the effect of chronotype and learning approach on academic achievement separately indicating that morning types have an academic advantage over the evening types and so have the deep learners over the surface learners. But, surprisingly none have assessed the possible relationship between chronotype and learning approach. So, the current study aimed to evaluate this association and their individual influence on academic performance as indicated by the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) as well as the effect of their interaction on academic performance. The study included 345 undergraduate medical students who responded to reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Biggs Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire. Morning types indulged in deep learning while evening types in surface learning. Morning and evening types did not differ on academic performance but deep learners had better academic outcomes than their counterparts. The interaction between chronotype and learning approach was significant on determining academic achievement. Our findings gave the impression that chronotype could have an impact on academic performance not directly but indirectly through learning approaches.     

Teaching tree thinking in an upper level organismal biology course: testing the effectiveness of a multifaceted curriculum

The ability to interpret and reason from Tree of Life diagrams is a key component of twenty-first century science literacy. This article reports on the authors’ continued development of a multifaceted research-based curriculum – including an instructional booklet, lectures, laboratories and a field activity – to teach such tree thinking to biology students. Results are presented from a study involving biology students enrolled in an upper level organismal biology class. All students received the multi-week tree-thinking curriculum, and learning was assessed by comparing pretest and posttest scores on the novel tree-thinking assessment instrument developed by the authors. Quantitatively, the authors found large gains in tree-thinking abilities due to their instruction. The results also provided qualitative evidence that the authors succeeded in their more general goal of helping students to appreciate the interconnectedness of Earth’s biodiversity through the utility of phylogenetic trees.     

医学显微形态实验学课程设置的改革与意义

He Liping;Li Xiang;Sun Guoying;Li Hao;Yang Yuejun(Hunan Normal University School of Medicine,Changsha 410006,China)     

形成性评价在医学微生物教学中的应用体会

形成性评价注重的是学习过程和师生互动,由反馈-鼓励-指导三个环节组成.形成性评价有利于对学生自主学习和创新思维能力的培养.本文就医学微生物教学中形成性评价的应用从提高教师的认识、具体实施过程以及应用过程中的收获谈了自己的体会.     

International student exchange and the medical curriculum: evaluation of a medical sciences translational physiology course in Brazil

The objective of the present study was to conduct a short-term international course on translational physiology for medical students from Wright State University and the University of Iowa. The goals were to 1) provide students with an exposure to the academic, cultural, and medical environments in Brazil; 2) promote awareness of the global medical community; and 3) provide an academic course focused on translational physiology. An evaluation of the students was conducted to determine whether such a short-term course might be useful in the medical curriculum. The 2-wk course was held in the summer of 2005 at the University of S?o Paulo School of Medicine in Ribeir?o Preto, Brazil, for 23 American students. The program included presentations of basic and clinical topics, meetings with medical students, and clinical presentations. The program finished with student attendance at a scientific meeting sponsored by the Brazilian Society of Hypertension. Student surveys evaluated issues related to perceived treatment, Brazilian medical school environment, culture and personal attributes, and career aspirations. The international Medical Sciences Translational Physiology course for medical students provided a brief, but intense, experience. It gave students a picture of the medical environment in Brazil and an appreciation for the differences and similarities in cultures. Most students reported that it was a positive experience that would be beneficial to their careers. In conclusion, a short-term international course provides an efficient means for medical students to experience aspects of global medical science.     

Enhancing theoretical understanding of a practical biology course using active and self-directed learning strategies

Laboratories are recognised as central in science education, allowing students to consolidate knowledge and master practical skills, however, their effectiveness has been questioned. Whilst laboratory practicals are useful for students’ learning of basic procedures, they have been shown to be less effective for developing conceptual understanding of the subject. Interactive lectures and bespoke digital resources were utilised in order to enhance theoretical understanding of laboratory practical molecular sessions, thus enabling students to take responsibility for and direct their own learning, encouraging inquiry-based learning. Providing easy to access additional learning resources offered students an opportunity to better prepare themselves for the laboratory, and consolidate their knowledge through subsequent review and self-testing in their own time. Grades before and after implementation of these active learning strategies were analysed to look at the impact on student learning and this study demonstrates that integrating these into a challenging practical biology course improved grades significantly with a concomitant increase in the number of ‘A’ grades attained. Feedback to evaluate use and perceptions of both interactive lectures and digital resources were also analysed. It has been shown here that these activities enhanced student experience and understanding of the course.     

Implementing team‐based learning in the life sciences: A case study in an online introductory level evolution and biodiversity course

Team‐Based Learning (TBL) is a pedagogical tool that has great potential to develop student engagement, accountability, and equity in the online classroom. TBL is rooted in evidence‐based educational theories and practices that underlie many active learning approaches such as self‐testing, team discussion, and application of knowledge. The use of these approaches is associated with better student performance, retention, and sense of belonging in the classroom, aspects that are often reported to be especially lacking in online courses. Here, we describe how we implemented TBL in a face‐to‐face and an online introductory level evolution and biodiversity course. We implemented TBL in the face‐to‐face course (~200 students) starting in 2018 and in the online course (~30 students) starting in the summer of 2019. We used several online applications to facilitate the transition to an online platform such as Simbio, Slack, VoiceThread, Articulate 360, and Teammates. Our experiences using TBL approaches in the online course have been rewarding, and students are engaged and accountable for their learning and performed well in the course. Our goal is to provide an example of how we designed a life science course using TBL approaches and transitioned the course to an online environment. With the current switch to remote instruction and online learning, we recommend the use of TBL as a course design approach that can improve the students’ online learning experience.     

The use of small groups in a large lecture microbiology course

In the fall of 1997, we started using small groups in our large (100–200 students) junior level introductory microbiology course. Students form five-person groups early in the semester, and work on projects within these groups throughout the semester. These projects involve exploration of concepts such as metabolism, protein synthesis, and viral reproduction strategies and the submission of a poster describing a disease of their choice at the end of the semester. We have refined the use of the small groups during the last three semesters, and student acceptance and performance have improved steadily. In the fall semester of 1998, a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of these group projects was performed. Students were chosen at random to participate in student consultation groups to discuss group projects. Furthermore, we utilized a master teacher-in-residence from the Rocky Mountain Teachers Education Collaborative (RMTEC). This teacher-in-residence attended our classes, spoke with students, helped with student consultation groups, and provided observations of student responses to group work activities. RMTEC also provided funds to hire a research assistant to conduct student consultation groups, analyze student evaluations of our course, and compare evaluations from before and after the implementation of group examinations. Additionally, the Center for Teaching and Learning at Colorado State University assisted with mid-semester evaluations in each subsequent semester. The results of our analysis show that small groups in large lectures can be an effective learning tool provided students are given well-designed activities with clearly defined, obtainable goals and clearly articulated guidelines. Our experience also shows that the manner in which the instructor presents the process to students affects students' willingness to participate in the process. It must be clearly articulated to students why he has incorporated active learning strategies into the course, what he hopes students will gain from the experience, and how he expects students to participate in these activities. We recognize the increase in workload on ourselves as instructors, but the benefits seem worth the additional time and effort. This paper describes the group process that we use and provides an evaluation of the effort. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 25, 121–126. Received 24 March 1999/ Accepted in revised form 23 November 1999     

推行本科生导师制 提升医学微生物学教学质量

本科生导师制是在适应新时期高等医学教育培养体制下产生的一种"以满足学生个性发展和创新精神需要"为理念的制度,它在很大程度上克服了医学微生物学传统教学模式的弊端,体现了"以学生为主体,以提高能力素质为核心"的教学理念,充分调动了学生的积极性和创造力,增强了学生的实践技能和综合素质,切实提高了医学微生物学的教学质量,值得深入学习和推广。     

Changes in acceptance of evolution in a college-level general education course

Evolutionary theory is central to the biological sciences, and to critical aspects of everyday life, and yet a significant proportion of Americans reject evolution. Our study sets out to examine the role of a second year college general education course in affecting students’ acceptance of evolution. We report three years of data using the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) instrument, and show that students make small and sometimes statistically significant gains in acceptance over the course of a semester. We found no evidence that including evolution topics in coursework caused an overall decrease in acceptance of evolution. We suggest that increased coursework on evolution topics, especially using interactive teaching methods, may increase acceptance of evolution.     

CBL+PBL与PBL教学法在胸腔外科临床教学中的对比分析

目的:对比PBL教学法,研究CBL+PBL法在五年制临床医学本科胸腔外科临床教学中的应用及效果。方法:抽取五年制本科临床实习生共59人,随机分为实验组(29人)与对照组(30人),实验组采用CBL+PBL教学法讲授临床实践课,对照组采用单纯PBL法。授课结束后进行随堂测试及问卷调查。结果:①随堂测试:实验组病例分析题及总成绩高于对照组且差异有统计学意义(P0.05),选择题与简答题两组间成绩比较无统计学差异。②问卷调查:在是否有利于培养临床思维能力以及是否有利于理论联系临床问题中,实验组肯定回答的人数比例均高于对照组且差别有统计学意义。(P0.05)。两组之间在是否有利于提高学习兴趣、是否有利于提高团队协作能力、是否有利于知识的理解以及是否赞同本教学方法问题中,差异无统计学意义。结论:CBL+PBL教学法相对于单纯的PBL教学法而言,更适合在临床教学中应用。     

“医学微生物学”本科实验教学中生物安全的落实与实践

"医学微生物学"实验课的主要实验材料是病原微生物,因此实验室生物安全是本课程区别于其它实验课程的重要特征之一。因条件限制,我校以前的"医学微生物学"实验课只能安排在不具备生物安全防护等级的普通实验室中进行,不仅存在安全隐患,也使一部分内容不能正常进行,使医学微生物实验教学的发展遇到了瓶颈。为解决这一矛盾,本研究通过医学微生物学教学师资队伍的培训、实验室硬件条件升级改造以及对课程内容涉及的菌(毒)种及其配套软件建设等一系列措施,建立了具有北京大学医学特色的"医学微生物学"实验教学新体系,保证了微生物实验室生物安全相关法规条例的落实及实验教学的正常进行。     

Utilizing Saccharomyces in the classroom: a versatile organism for teaching and learning

In the world of higher education, one of the struggles instructors face in the classroom is engaging students in the material. A second discussion in higher education pedagogy is how to weigh content versus activity in the science classroom. How should college teaching be set up when students now have every fact ever found at their fingertips on a device no larger than a half sandwich? What is the correct balance in the classroom between content/ knowledge and activity? As instructors grapple with these questions, a new type of learning experience called the Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) has been developed, whereby students engage in an authentic research question in a classroom and laboratory setting. CUREs have been shown to be effective learning experiences for students but can be difficult to implement. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a versatile and easy to use organism in the classroom that can be used for a wide variety of classroom activities. Described herein are a number of ways an instructor can use yeast in the classroom for authentic research experiences, especially focused towards a CURE.     

Medical students as medical educators: opportunities for skill development in the absence of formal training programs

All physicians, at some point in their career, are responsible for the education of their peers and junior colleagues. Although medical students are expected to develop clinical and research skills in preparation for residency, it is becoming clear that a student should also be expected to develop abilities as a teacher. A handful of institutions have student-as-teacher programs to train medical students in education, but most students graduate from medical school without formal training in this area. When such a program does not exist, medical students can gain experience in education through participation in peer teaching, course design, educational committees, and medical education scholarship. In doing so, they attain important skills in the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs. These skills will serve them in their capacity as medical educators as they advance in their careers and gain increasing teaching responsibility as residents, fellows, and attending physicians.     

“食品卫生与检验”教学改革与食品安全复合型人才培养

介绍“食品卫生与检验”课程双语教学经验。课程教学以培养复合型食品安全检测、管理人才为目标,注重培养学生的综合能力;建立“与时俱进、复合培养、实践+双语”的教学模式,提高了学生的自主学习能力和实践能力,培养了学生的服务意识和国际视野。     

A quantitative evaluation of the use of medical lasers in German hospitals

The laser has become an integral part of modern medicine, procedures based on this technique have found their way into a multitude of medical disciplines. There is, however, no data available on the detailed quantitative development of laser use in the medical sector. This fact gave rise to the idea of the present study, which analyzed the raw data of the quality report of German hospitals with respect to this subject. Over the 9 years of report, a steady increase in the cumulative number of cases was evident, although not all body regions in which the medical laser is used followed this trend. The CO₂ laser was found to be the most commonly applied laser, even though a large spectrum of different laser types is used. Based on the present study, the importance of the laser for medical purposes can be confirmed.     

Enhancing learning through optimal sequencing of web-based and manikin simulators to teach shock physiology in the medical curriculum

The Association of American Medical Colleges has encouraged educators to investigate proper linkage of simulation experiences with medical curricula. The authors aimed to determine if student knowledge and satisfaction differ between participation in web-based and manikin simulations for learning shock physiology and treatment and to determine if a specific training sequencing had a differential effect on learning. All 40 second-year medical students participated in a randomized, counterbalanced study with two interventions: group 1 (n = 20) participated in a web-based simulation followed by a manikin simulation and group 2 (n = 20) participated in reverse order. Knowledge and attitudes were documented. Mixed-model ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of time (F(1,38) = 18.6, P < 0.001, η(p)(2) = 0.33). Group 1 scored significantly higher on quiz 2 (81.5%) than on quiz 1 (74.3%, t(19) = 3.9, P = 0.001), for an observed difference of 7.2% (95% confidence interval: 3.3, 11.0). Mean quiz scores of group 2 did not differ significantly (quiz 1: 77.0% and quiz 2: 79.7%). There was no significant main effect of group or a group by time interaction effect. Students rated the simulations as equally effective in teaching shock physiology (P = 0.88); however, the manikin simulation was regarded as more effective in teaching shock treatment (P < 0.001). Most students (73.7%) preferred the manikin simulation. The two simulations may be of similar efficacy for educating students on the physiology of shock; however, the data suggest improved learning when web-based simulation precedes manikin use. This finding warrants further study.     

医学专业学生确立自主学习观的必要性和重要性

目前,高等医学教育的主要任务是培养学生的综合能力,对于医学院校的学生来说,掌握扎实的医学基础知识至关重要。然而,大多医学专业的学生习惯于被动接受老师传授的知识,而严重缺乏主观能动性。医学知识涉及的内容广、难度大,初学者很难迅速掌握其精髓之处,因此确立一种高效的学习模式帮助医学生更好的理解并掌握专业理论是医学院校教育改革的重点。自主学习能力是现代教育学所提倡的相对于传统学习模式的一种现代化学习理念。自主学习的主体是学生,自主学习的过程要求主体发挥其主观能动性,自我督促、自我激励,以独立自主的方式完成高效的学习,帮助学生牢固地掌握专业理论,同时又可以灵活的运用在临床实践中。本文通过对自主学习的含义进行阐述,分析医学生确立自主学习观的必要性和重要性,并对如何确立自主学习观提出相应的建议,以推进我校教育体制改革的进度,进一步完善医学教育教学的质量。