Non-native English language speakers benefit most from the use of lecture capture in medical school

Medical education in the United States and Canada continues to evolve. However, many of the changes in pedagogy are being made without appropriate evaluation. Here, we attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of lecture capture technology as a learning tool in Podiatric medical education. In this pilot project, student performance in an inaugural lecture capture-supported biochemistry course was compared to that in the previous academic year. To examine the impact of online lecture podcasts on student performance a within-subjects design was implemented, a two way ANCOVA with repeated measures. The use of lecture capture-supported pedagogy resulted in significantly higher student test scores, than achieved historically using traditional pedagogy. The overall course performance using this lecture capture-supported pedagogy was almost 6% higher than in the previous year. Non-native English language speakers benefitted more significantly from the lecture capture-supported pedagogy than native English language speakers, since their performance improved by 10.0 points. Given that underrepresented minority (URM) students, whose native language is not English, makes up a growing proportion of medical school matriculates, these observations support the use of lecture capture technology in other courses. Furthermore, this technology may also be used as part of an academic enrichment plan to improve performance on the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Examination, reduce the attrition of URM students and potentially address the predicted minority physician shortage in 2020.     

CBL联合PBL教学方法在创伤外科学教学中的初步探究

目的:研究以案例为中心教学法(CBL)联合以问题为中心教学法(PBL)的教学方法与传统的基于课堂的教学法(LBL)在临床医学五年制本科生创伤外科学教学中的应用效果。方法:随机选取我校临床医学五年制四年级的学员80人,随机分为CBL联合PBL教学组及LBL教学组各40人。在课程结束以后,采用记名试卷考核联合不记名问卷调查的方式,进行教学方法、教学模式、教学内容掌握程度评价。结果:实验组学员理论考核成绩优于对照组学员,有统计学差异。CBL联合PBL教学法支持率高于传统LBL教学法,并且在激发学员兴趣,提高学员学习兴趣,合作能力方面均优于对照组。结论:CBL联合PBL教学法可以在创伤外科学中实施,能取得较好的教学效果。     

Education for sustainability in higher education: a multiple-case study of three courses

Education for sustainability (EfS) in higher education is an emerging specialisation within the general field of EfS. EfS encompasses cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects, and aims at enhancing a variety of learning outcomes in these domains and reaching students from all programmes. One of the main challenges for higher education educators is to design courses in a way that will effectively promote the various learning outcomes of EfS. A central question is how sustainability should be integrated into the curriculum; which topics should be taught and which pedagogies ought to be applied to improve students’ knowledge, skills and motivation to promote sustainable living. The present study aimed to contribute to the knowledge about students’ learning outcomes yielded by different designs of EfS courses. This multiple-case study of three courses used a mixed-methods design. For each course, we identified its characteristics and analysed students’ self-reported learning outcomes. We found that: (1) a course with a higher degree of participatory learning, employing a system approach, promoted the highest and most varied learning outcomes; (2) the lecture-based course yielded the fewest learning outcomes; and (3) field trips promoted learning outcomes only when accompanied by more advanced pedagogies.     

融合式教学在病原生物学教学中的发展与实践

在病原生物学教学中贯彻融合式教学的理念,针对不同学制和医学专业的学生将问题式教学(PBL)和案例式教学(CBL)等多样化教学模式有机组合,并建立了可行措施进一步整合教学资源和推进实验教学改革,提高教学实效.     

CBL教学模式在细胞研究进展教学中的应用效果

目的:探讨案例式教学(CBL)教学模式在细胞研究进展教学中的应用效果。方法:选择我校2013~2015级选修"细胞研究进展"的学生80人为研究对象,按选修课程时间的不同分为实验组及常规组各40例。常规组实施传统的教学模式(LBL),实验组实施CBL教学模式,调查两组学生的教学效果并比较两组学生考试得分情况。结果:实验组学生分析问题的能力、临床思维的建立、课堂积极性及教学满意度得分均高于常规组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。实验组学生临床案例分析及临床操作能力得分均高于常规组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:对选修细胞研究进展课程的学生采用CBL模式进行教学,有助于其建立临床思维,提高临床操作能力,提高学生对教学的满意度。     

CBL教学法结合PBL教学法在肝胆外科教学中的应用

目的:研究以案例为基础的学习(CBL)教学法结合以问题为基础的学习(PBL)教学法在肝胆外科教学中的应用,为临床教学提供依据。方法:选取2014年1月到2015年6月我院肝胆外科实习生270例为研究对象,按照随机数字表法将实习生分为I组、II组和III组,每组90例,I组给予PBL联合CBL教学法,II组给予PBL教学法,III组给予传统学习(LBL)教学法,比较三组教学效果。结果:I组和II组学习兴趣、自主学习能力以及课堂氛围评分显著高于III组,I组知识理解评分显著高于II组和III组,II组显著高于III组,比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);I组基础知识分显著高于II组和III组,I组和II组临床技能评分显著高于III组,比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);I组和II组调查满意度显著高于III组,且I组显著高于II组,比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:PBL联合CBL教学法用于肝胆外科教学中能显著提高实习生的知识理解能力和满意度。     

Cancer cell biology: a student-centered instructional module exploring the use of multimedia to enrich interactive,constructivist learning of science

Multimedia has the potential of providing bioscience education novel learning environments and pedagogy applications to foster student interest, involve students in the research process, advance critical thinking/problem-solving skills, and develop conceptual understanding of biological topics. Cancer Cell Biology, an interactive, multimedia, problem-based module, focuses on how mutations in protooncogenes and tumor suppressor genes can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation by engaging students as research scientists/physicians with the task of diagnosing the molecular basis of tumor growth for a group of patients. The process of constructing the module, which was guided by scientist and student feedback/responses, is described. The completed module and insights gained from its development are presented as a potential "multimedia pedagogy" for the development of other multimedia science learning environments.     

Improving Education in Medical Statistics: Implementing a Blended Learning Model in the Existing Curriculum

Background

Although recent studies report on the benefits of blended learning in improving medical student education, there is still no empirical evidence on the relative effectiveness of blended over traditional learning approaches in medical statistics. We implemented blended along with on-site (i.e. face-to-face) learning to further assess the potential value of web-based learning in medical statistics.

Methods

This was a prospective study conducted with third year medical undergraduate students attending the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, who passed (440 of 545) the final exam of the obligatory introductory statistics course during 2013–14. Student statistics achievements were stratified based on the two methods of education delivery: blended learning and on-site learning. Blended learning included a combination of face-to-face and distance learning methodologies integrated into a single course.

Results

Mean exam scores for the blended learning student group were higher than for the on-site student group for both final statistics score (89.36±6.60 vs. 86.06±8.48; p = 0.001) and knowledge test score (7.88±1.30 vs. 7.51±1.36; p = 0.023) with a medium effect size. There were no differences in sex or study duration between the groups. Current grade point average (GPA) was higher in the blended group. In a multivariable regression model, current GPA and knowledge test scores were associated with the final statistics score after adjusting for study duration and learning modality (p<0.001).

Conclusion

This study provides empirical evidence to support educator decisions to implement different learning environments for teaching medical statistics to undergraduate medical students. Blended and on-site training formats led to similar knowledge acquisition; however, students with higher GPA preferred the technology assisted learning format. Implementation of blended learning approaches can be considered an attractive, cost-effective, and efficient alternative to traditional classroom training in medical statistics.     

Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study

Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students. The freely available Moodle platform was simple to use, helped to effectively deliver course materials, and has features that allowed cooperative learning. Students who used the CMS throughout their academic year and commented favorably regarding its use as a complement to the face-to-face classroom sessions. The group of students used the CMS obtained significantly higher scores in the final examination compared with the previous class that did not use the CMS. In addition, there was a significant correlation between student participation and performance in online quizzes and their final examination marks. However, students' overall online usage of the CMS did not correlate with their examination marks. We recommend Moodle as a useful tool for physiology educators who are interested in integrating web-based learning into their existing teaching curriculum.     

The use of multiple tools for teaching medical biochemistry

In this work, we describe the use of several strategies employing the philosophies of active learning and problem-based learning (PBL) that may be used to improve the teaching of metabolic biochemistry to medical and nutritional undergraduate students. The main activities are as follows: 1) a seminar/poster system in a mini-congress format (using topics of applied biochemistry); 2) a true/false applied biochemistry exam (written by peer tutors); 3) a 9-h exam on metabolism (based in real publications); 4) the Advanced Biochemistry course (directed to peer tutors, where students learn how to read and criticize real medical papers); 5) experiments about nutrition and metabolism, using students as volunteers, and about free radicals (real science for students); 6) the BioBio blog (taking advantage of the "web age," this enhances out of class exchanges of information between the professor, students, and peer tutors); 7) student lectures on public health issues and metabolic disorders directed to the community and lay people; and 8) the BioBio quiz show. The main objective of these activities is to provide students with a more practical and interesting approach to biochemistry, such as the application of theoretical knowledge to real situations (diseases, experiments, media information, and scientific discoveries). In addition, we emphasize the importance of peer tutor activities for optimized learning of both students and peer tutors, the importance of a closer interaction between students and teaching staff, and the necessity to initiate students precociously in two broad fields of medical activity: "real" basic science and contact with the public (also helping students--future doctors and nutritionists--to be able to communicate with lay people). Most activities were evaluated by the students through written questionnaires and informal conversations, along various semesters, indicating good acceptance and approval of these methods. Good student scores in the biochemistry exams and seminars indicated that these activities are also working as valid educational tools.     

案例教学法在医学院校生物化学教学中的应用

生物化学是高等医学院校难学、难教的课程.采用案例教学法应用于生物化学理论课的教学,这种方法提高了学生的学习兴趣和学习主动性,培养了学生的临床思维能力和分析问题、解决问题的能力;另一方面也提高了教师自身的知识水平和综合素质.案例教学使生物化学课程的教学效果显著提高,是一种值得推广的教学方法.     

A computer-assisted personalized approach in an undergraduate plant physiology class

We used Computer-Assisted Personalized Approach (CAPA), a networked teaching and learning tool that generates computer individualized homework problem sets, in our large-enrollment introductory plant physiology course. We saw significant improvement in student examination performance with regular homework assignments, with CAPA being an effective and efficient substitute for hand-graded homework. Using CAPA, each student received a printed set of similar but individualized problems of a conceptual (qualitative) and/or quantitative nature with quality graphics. Because each set of problems is unique, students were encouraged to work together to clarify concepts but were required to do their own work for credit. Students could enter answers multiple times without penalty, and they were able to obtain immediate feedback and hints until the due date. These features increased student time on task, allowing higher course standards and student achievement in a diverse student population. CAPA handles routine tasks such as grading, recording, summarizing, and posting grades. In anonymous surveys, students indicated an overwhelming preference for homework in CAPA format, citing several features such as immediate feedback, multiple tries, and on-line accessibility as reasons for their preference. We wrote and used more than 170 problems on 17 topics in introductory plant physiology, cataloging them in a computer library for general access. Representative problems are compared and discussed.     

A Familiar(ity) Problem: Assessing the Impact of Prerequisites and Content Familiarity on Student Learning

Prerequisites are embedded in most STEM curricula. However, the assumption that the content presented in these courses will improve learning in later courses has not been verified. Because a direct comparison of performance between students with and without required prerequisites is logistically difficult to arrange in a randomized fashion, we developed a novel familiarity scale, and used this to determine whether concepts introduced in a prerequisite course improved student learning in a later course (in two biology disciplines). Exam questions in the latter courses were classified into three categories, based on the degree to which the tested concept had been taught in the prerequisite course. If content familiarity mattered, it would be expected that exam scores on topics covered in the prerequisite would be higher than scores on novel topics. We found this to be partially true for “Very Familiar” questions (concepts covered in depth in the prerequisite). However, scores for concepts only briefly discussed in the prerequisite (“Familiar”) were indistinguishable from performance on topics that were “Not Familiar” (concepts only taught in the later course). These results imply that merely “covering” topics in a prerequisite course does not result in improved future performance, and that some topics may be able to removed from a course thereby freeing up class time. Our results may therefore support the implementation of student-centered teaching methods such as active learning, as the time-intensive nature of active learning has been cited as a barrier to its adoption. In addition, we propose that our familiarity system could be broadly utilized to aid in the assessment of the effectiveness of prerequisites.     

多元化教学模式在烧伤外科研究生教学中的应用

目的:探讨LBL、PBL与CBL相结合的多元化教学模式在烧伤外科研究生临床教学中的效果。方法:研究对象为我院烧伤外科硕士研究生48人,随机分为A、B、C三组,A组采用传统的LBL+CBL模式进行教学,B组采用CBL+PBL模式进行教学,C组采用LBL+CBL+PBL模式进行教学,通过问卷调查和试卷考核两方面比较教学效果。结果:通过问卷调查,C组学生在对教学的满意度、学习主动性、学习兴趣、知识量和解决问题能力方面显著高于A组,在知识量和解决问题能力方面显著高于B组,B组学生在对教学的满意度、学习主动性和解决问题能力显著高于A组;通过试卷考核,C组学生在理论考核和临床思维考核方面显著高于A组,在理论考核方面显著高于B组,B组学生在理论考核方面显著低于A组。结论:PBL教学法还不能完全替代LBL教学法,而LBL、PBL与CBL结合的教学法在各个方面均优于传统教学,有助于提高临床能力。     

基于BOPPPS的混合式教学模式在生物化学中的应用

随着互联网时代的到来,大规模开放式在线课程(慕课,MOOC)为教育改革提供了新的研究思路和方向。为了提高生物化学的学习效果,本文结合该课程知识点杂而多、理论性强和学生学习兴趣不高的特点,设计了一种基于BOPPPS教学的线上线下混合式教学模式,并在生物化学课程中进行了实践。BOPPPS中的情景案例激发了学生的学习兴趣,逐层递进的课堂练习让学生沉醉其中。研究结果表明,体验过混合式学习的学生与通过传统学习方式学习的学生相比,实验组学生对知识的理解深度明显好于对照组,在学习效果上也存在显著差异(P<0.05),试验组学生的平均成绩(81.13)比对照组学生的平均成绩(76.21)提升5分左右。问卷调查结果显示,与传统教学模式相比,学生更愿意接受新的教学模式,并愿意在未来的学期里支持继续使用新型的教学模式。学生认为,能从新的教学模式学到比传统的授课形式要多的知识,而且新的教学模式还促进了团队合作能力,提高了学生的学习兴趣,学生课前愿意花费较长时间自主预习。该方法激发了学生的学习主动性,促进了学生更好地学习。     

Using truncated lectures, conceptual exercises, and manipulatives to improve learning in the neuroanatomy classroom

Functional Neuroanatomy is a course designed to help students learn the function and anatomy of the human nervous system. Historically, students have had difficulty with the spinal tract curricular unit and frequently resorted to memorization to "learn" the material. They performed poorly on exams and failed to demonstrate competence in the functional application of their knowledge. In an effort to improve learning and promote critical thinking in this course, the instructor revised the curriculum to include 1) shorter, less detailed lectures; 2) a set of practice problems that presented the spinal tracts in an applied context; and 3) a manipulative, which was composed of a magnetic bulletin board and a kit of magnets representing structures of the nervous system. Student learning, as assessed by summative exams, improved under the revised curriculum. Scores on knowledge, analytical, and synthesis questions were significantly higher than scores from previous classes using the traditional lecture curriculum (P < 0.05). This curricular protocol could potentially be applied to other topics where students resort to memorization and fail to comprehend concepts and processes.     

Teaching to Relax: Development of a Program to Potentiate Stress—Results of a Feasibility Study with Medical Undergraduate Students

Medical students are a population at risk for the development of stress-related risk states (e.g. burnout) and manifest mental disorders (e.g. depression). Still the learning of coping mechanisms against stress is not an integral part of the medical curriculum. In a pilot study we developed an elective course for learning relaxation techniques (Relacs) which was geared to the clinical practice of autogenic training (AT) with psychiatric patients. The course focussed on an innovative and mostly communicative transfer of knowledge about AT, progressive muscle relaxation and medical hypnosis and stressed the principle of repeated and supervised exercises in small student groups alongside self-administered exercise. 42 students took part in this course and showed a very high acceptance for the topic and positive evaluation. Moreover, we found a distinct improvement of the participants’ mental parameters (burnout, anxiety) and a good knowledge about the course’s contents within the final exams at the end of the semester. The structure and realisation of the course is easily adaptable and very effective regarding the improvement of the students’ mental health. Due to our results and the commonly known prevalence of stress-related disorders in medical students we postulate the integration of courses on relaxation strategies in the medical curriculum.     

Improving How Evolution Is Taught: Facilitating a Shift from Memorization to Evolutionary Thinking

In North America, public understanding and acceptance of evolution is alarmingly low. Moreover, acceptance rates are declining, and studies suggest that even students who have taken courses in evolution have the same misunderstandings as the general public. These data signal deficiencies in our educational system and provide a “call to arms” to improve how evolution is taught. Many studies show that student education can be improved by replacing lecture-based pedagogy with active learning approaches—where the role of students changes from passive note taking to active problem solving. Here, we describe changes made to a second-year undergraduate evolution course to facilitate a shift to active learning and improve student understanding of evolution. First, lectures were used only sparingly and were largely replaced by problem-solving activities. Second, standard textbooks were replaced by “popular” books applying evolutionary thinking to topics students encounter on a daily basis. Lastly, predefined laboratory exercises were replaced by student-designed and implemented research projects. These changes led to increased student engagement and enjoyment, improved understanding of evolution and ability to apply evolutionary thinking to biological problems, and increased student recognition that evolutionary thinking is important not only in the classroom but also in their daily lives.     

Student responses to a hands-on kinesthetic lecture activity for learning about the oxygen carrying capacity of blood

This article describes a new hands-on, or "kinesthetic," activity for use in a physiology lecture hall to help students comprehend an important concept in cardiopulmonary physiology known as oxygen carrying capacity. One impetus for designing this activity was to address the needs of students who have a preference for kinesthetic learning and to help increase their understanding and engagement during lecture. This activity uses simple inexpensive materials, provides an effective model for demonstrating related pathophysiology, and helps promote active learning. The activity protocol and its implementation are described here in detail. We also report data obtained from student surveys and assessment tools to determine the effectiveness of the activity on student conceptual learning and perceptions. A brief multiple-choice pretest showed that although students had already been introduced to the relevant concepts in lecture, they had not yet mastered these concepts before performing the activity. Two postactivity assessments showed that student performance was significantly improved on the posttest compared with the pretest and that information was largely retained at the end of the course. Survey data showed that one-half of the students stated kinesthetic learning as among their learning preferences, yet nearly all students enjoyed and were engaged in this hands-on kinesthetic activity regardless of their preferences. Most students would recommend it to their peers and expressed a desire for more kinesthetic learning opportunities in the lecture curriculum.     

Small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic performance and student attitudes toward group work

To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students--even term high achievers--could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom.