really good stuff approach can generate a large volume of highly relevant formative material with minimal input from staff (a 1-hour session). These data suggest that PeerWise can be a popular resource when targeted appropriately, and that students can find the writing, answering and discussion of questions valuable, particularly for examination preparation. However, some cohorts may fail to engage. In our experience, the nonengaging cohort (Year 2) was more senior and was following a lecture-based curriculum. The cohort that engaged (Year 1) consisted of new students in a small-group and self-directed learning-based curriculum. These factors may have contributed to the degree of engagement. PeerWise is globally available and so this approach to introducing PeerWise can be administered easily and productively at any medical school.
Correspondence: Jason L Walsh, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW, UK. Tel: 00 44 7943 674477; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1111/medu.12720
Introduction of an anatomy eBook enhances assessment outcomes James D Pickering What problems were addressed? Recent enhancements in anatomy teaching have utilised podcasts and screencasts.1 To further support flexible learning and student engagement, these resources were packaged into an eBook. This allows students to engage with a range of blended learning resources without having to rely on an Internet connection and supports anytime, anywhere learning. What was tried? An eBook was created using iBooks Author Version 2.2 (Apple, Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and introduced into a Year 1 MBChB module examining the anatomy of the abdomen. Students downloaded the eBook via the module’s virtual learning environment, in which the number of downloads was tracked. The eBook contained six chapters and a total of 18 screencasts and 11 podcasts, along with text and clinical correlates. Each chapter included 10 self-assessment questions. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and received a response rate of 32%. What lessons were learned? The introduction of an anatomy eBook proved hugely popular: 80% of
522
students downloaded the resource. Analysis of responses to the questionnaire revealed the screencasts to be the most popular feature (64%) and text the second most (18%). The vast majority of students used the resource either at home (43%) or on campus (27%), suggesting there was no significant mobile learning. The eBook was used for revising (64%), consolidating (23%) and as a primary method of learning (20%). Students using the eBook did so for considerable periods, with 58% using it for 30–90 minutes and 32% for longer than 90 minutes at a time. Since its introduction, 80% of students have stated that they prefer using the eBook to learn anatomy compared with practical workbooks (6%), lecture notes (6%), textbooks (4%) or the Internet (4%). A correlation of eBook usage and assessment results revealed an increase in student performance in those who engaged with the eBook. Year 1 includes two anatomy assessments; the eBook provided support for the second. Analysis of the level of eBook engagement across students who were in the lowest quartile after the first assessment revealed that those who engaged with the eBook performed significantly better in the second assessment than those who did not (mean standard deviation scores of students in the 0–25 quartile: 61.0 12.9% and 43.9 10.8%, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant differences in mean scores were observed between students who did and did not use the eBook in the other quartile groups (25– 50 quartile: 65.8 9.0% and 66.7 8.6%, respectively [p > 0.05]; 50–75 quartile: 72.6 7.6% and 70.3 6.1%, respectively [p > 0.05]; 75–100 quartile: 80.8 7.4% and 76.5 8.0%, respectively [p > 0.05]). These results reveal a potentially significant role for eBooks in anatomy teaching. Discussions of examination results with students within the lowest quartile consistently reveal a lack of engagement with appropriate learning resources. Many students prove to be unable to discover an effective method of revising, which limits their ability to reach the learning objectives. The data in this study suggest these issues may be remedied by using an eBook that contains a range of learning resources that can cater to individual learning styles. Moreover, because these resources can be made available offline, they can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Although the eBook has preferentially supported students within the lowest quartile, the data presented support a blended learning approach to anatomy education: 99% of respondents indicated that they wanted more eBooks to support their education.
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. MEDICAL EDUCATION 2015; 49: 513–541
really good stuff
REFERENCE 1 Pickering JD. Anatomy drawing screencasts: enabling flexible learning for medical students. Anat Sci Educ 2014; In Press. doi: 10.1002/ase.1480. [Epub ahead of print.]. Correspondence: James D Pickering, Division of Anatomy, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Worsley Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. Tel: 00 44 113 343 4340; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1111/medu.12708
Concept Walk: a novel method for introducing complex ideas Trevor Thompson, Amy Alsop & Ciara Drummond What problems were addressed? Bristol University has been developing materials to teach about sustainability in health care. These materials are designed to convey theoretical concepts, scientific data and pointers towards practical action in line with calls from UK regulators and Royal Colleges. Most students come with little background knowledge, yet familiarity with certain central ideas (such as ‘planetary boundaries’) is key to participants’ further learning in the field. We judged that a conventional lecture on these core concepts might stifle interest just when we needed to be building enthusiasm. We sought to identify an educational intervention that would help students engage with complex ideas, draw on what understanding they already possessed, and create an upbeat and interactive focus for the sessions ahead. What was tried? The Concept Walk is a simple notion that can be applied in any educational setting and which has been trialled with medical students, trainees and established family physicians. We created a list of concepts drawn from course literature and represented with a word or phrase printed onto card. In this setting, concepts included ‘resilience’, ‘precautionary principle’, ‘life cycle assessment’ and ‘anthropocene’.1 Each participant is given a different card and instructed to walk around the teaching space and to link up at random with another student. Each participant then explains what he or she thinks the concept means and listens to any additional insights from his or her partner. The process is repeated for the other concept in the pairing before students move on, in their own time, to link up with fresh partners. The game is continued until each person has performed several iterations.
We then asked participants for feedback on the process and on their understandings of the concepts. At this point students were supplied with written documents containing single-paragraph definitions of each idea. What lessons were learned? The Concept Walk creates a strong buzz. Students talk animatedly as they grapple with their concepts and appear to enjoy the physicality of moving around the classroom. It works less well when ‘people had no idea about their concept’, although there is much laughter over some of the more ridiculous suggestions. We reflected on this and have strived to populate the concept list with ideas that are neither completely alien nor ubiquitously familiar. We want there to be enough uncertainty to promote creative exploration, but we also want the frustration of ignorance to make participants eager to learn the true definitions. Whereas in open discussion more experienced learners may dominate, here all participants are able to actively contribute. This sort of iterative interaction provides a strong foundation for any group exercises to follow. The Concept Walk seems to work as a tool for schema activation and may be applied in any setting in which teachers seek an energetic and affirming means of easing learners into a new subject. REFERENCE 1 Schroeder K, Thompson T, Frith K, Pencheon D.Sustainable Healthcare. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell 2012. Correspondence: Trevor Thompson, Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Rm G11a Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK. Tel: 07 935 900990; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1111/medu.12688
ABC of Research: experience of Indian medical undergraduates Wasim Shaikh, Minal Patel, Hasmukh Shah & Sushilkumar Singh What problems were addressed? The Indian undergraduate medical curriculum leading to the MBBS degree is of 5.5 years in duration. It is comprised of four phases: First MBBS (1 year, pre-clini-
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. MEDICAL EDUCATION 2015; 49: 513–541
523
Copyright of Medical Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
Correspondence: Jason L Walsh, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW, UK. Tel: 00 44 7943 674477; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1111/medu.12720
Introduction of an anatomy eBook enhances assessment outcomes James D Pickering What problems were addressed? Recent enhancements in anatomy teaching have utilised podcasts and screencasts.1 To further support flexible learning and student engagement, these resources were packaged into an eBook. This allows students to engage with a range of blended learning resources without having to rely on an Internet connection and supports anytime, anywhere learning. What was tried? An eBook was created using iBooks Author Version 2.2 (Apple, Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and introduced into a Year 1 MBChB module examining the anatomy of the abdomen. Students downloaded the eBook via the module’s virtual learning environment, in which the number of downloads was tracked. The eBook contained six chapters and a total of 18 screencasts and 11 podcasts, along with text and clinical correlates. Each chapter included 10 self-assessment questions. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and received a response rate of 32%. What lessons were learned? The introduction of an anatomy eBook proved hugely popular: 80% of
522
students downloaded the resource. Analysis of responses to the questionnaire revealed the screencasts to be the most popular feature (64%) and text the second most (18%). The vast majority of students used the resource either at home (43%) or on campus (27%), suggesting there was no significant mobile learning. The eBook was used for revising (64%), consolidating (23%) and as a primary method of learning (20%). Students using the eBook did so for considerable periods, with 58% using it for 30–90 minutes and 32% for longer than 90 minutes at a time. Since its introduction, 80% of students have stated that they prefer using the eBook to learn anatomy compared with practical workbooks (6%), lecture notes (6%), textbooks (4%) or the Internet (4%). A correlation of eBook usage and assessment results revealed an increase in student performance in those who engaged with the eBook. Year 1 includes two anatomy assessments; the eBook provided support for the second. Analysis of the level of eBook engagement across students who were in the lowest quartile after the first assessment revealed that those who engaged with the eBook performed significantly better in the second assessment than those who did not (mean standard deviation scores of students in the 0–25 quartile: 61.0 12.9% and 43.9 10.8%, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant differences in mean scores were observed between students who did and did not use the eBook in the other quartile groups (25– 50 quartile: 65.8 9.0% and 66.7 8.6%, respectively [p > 0.05]; 50–75 quartile: 72.6 7.6% and 70.3 6.1%, respectively [p > 0.05]; 75–100 quartile: 80.8 7.4% and 76.5 8.0%, respectively [p > 0.05]). These results reveal a potentially significant role for eBooks in anatomy teaching. Discussions of examination results with students within the lowest quartile consistently reveal a lack of engagement with appropriate learning resources. Many students prove to be unable to discover an effective method of revising, which limits their ability to reach the learning objectives. The data in this study suggest these issues may be remedied by using an eBook that contains a range of learning resources that can cater to individual learning styles. Moreover, because these resources can be made available offline, they can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Although the eBook has preferentially supported students within the lowest quartile, the data presented support a blended learning approach to anatomy education: 99% of respondents indicated that they wanted more eBooks to support their education.
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. MEDICAL EDUCATION 2015; 49: 513–541
really good stuff
REFERENCE 1 Pickering JD. Anatomy drawing screencasts: enabling flexible learning for medical students. Anat Sci Educ 2014; In Press. doi: 10.1002/ase.1480. [Epub ahead of print.]. Correspondence: James D Pickering, Division of Anatomy, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Worsley Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. Tel: 00 44 113 343 4340; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1111/medu.12708
Concept Walk: a novel method for introducing complex ideas Trevor Thompson, Amy Alsop & Ciara Drummond What problems were addressed? Bristol University has been developing materials to teach about sustainability in health care. These materials are designed to convey theoretical concepts, scientific data and pointers towards practical action in line with calls from UK regulators and Royal Colleges. Most students come with little background knowledge, yet familiarity with certain central ideas (such as ‘planetary boundaries’) is key to participants’ further learning in the field. We judged that a conventional lecture on these core concepts might stifle interest just when we needed to be building enthusiasm. We sought to identify an educational intervention that would help students engage with complex ideas, draw on what understanding they already possessed, and create an upbeat and interactive focus for the sessions ahead. What was tried? The Concept Walk is a simple notion that can be applied in any educational setting and which has been trialled with medical students, trainees and established family physicians. We created a list of concepts drawn from course literature and represented with a word or phrase printed onto card. In this setting, concepts included ‘resilience’, ‘precautionary principle’, ‘life cycle assessment’ and ‘anthropocene’.1 Each participant is given a different card and instructed to walk around the teaching space and to link up at random with another student. Each participant then explains what he or she thinks the concept means and listens to any additional insights from his or her partner. The process is repeated for the other concept in the pairing before students move on, in their own time, to link up with fresh partners. The game is continued until each person has performed several iterations.
We then asked participants for feedback on the process and on their understandings of the concepts. At this point students were supplied with written documents containing single-paragraph definitions of each idea. What lessons were learned? The Concept Walk creates a strong buzz. Students talk animatedly as they grapple with their concepts and appear to enjoy the physicality of moving around the classroom. It works less well when ‘people had no idea about their concept’, although there is much laughter over some of the more ridiculous suggestions. We reflected on this and have strived to populate the concept list with ideas that are neither completely alien nor ubiquitously familiar. We want there to be enough uncertainty to promote creative exploration, but we also want the frustration of ignorance to make participants eager to learn the true definitions. Whereas in open discussion more experienced learners may dominate, here all participants are able to actively contribute. This sort of iterative interaction provides a strong foundation for any group exercises to follow. The Concept Walk seems to work as a tool for schema activation and may be applied in any setting in which teachers seek an energetic and affirming means of easing learners into a new subject. REFERENCE 1 Schroeder K, Thompson T, Frith K, Pencheon D.Sustainable Healthcare. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell 2012. Correspondence: Trevor Thompson, Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Rm G11a Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK. Tel: 07 935 900990; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1111/medu.12688
ABC of Research: experience of Indian medical undergraduates Wasim Shaikh, Minal Patel, Hasmukh Shah & Sushilkumar Singh What problems were addressed? The Indian undergraduate medical curriculum leading to the MBBS degree is of 5.5 years in duration. It is comprised of four phases: First MBBS (1 year, pre-clini-
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. MEDICAL EDUCATION 2015; 49: 513–541
523
Copyright of Medical Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
