Effect of worksheet scaffolds on student learning in problem-based learning

Cross-sectional study of the quality of randomized control trials on problem-based learning in medical education

Problem-based learning (PBL) is increasingly being used in medical education globally, but its effectiveness in teaching remains controversial. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the method of choice for evaluating its effectiveness. The quality of an RCT has a significant effect on this evaluation, but to date we have not seen an assessment of the quality of RCTs for PBL. Two researchers searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for RCTs addressing PBL in medical education. The overall quality of each report was measured on a 28-point overall quality score (OQS) based on the 2010 revised Comprehensive Standards for Reporting and Testing (CONSORT) Statement. Furthermore, to study the key factors affecting OQS more effectively, a linear regression model of those factors was established using SPSS. After literature screening, 30 RCTs were eventually included and analyzed. The median OQS was 15 (range, 7-20), which meant that half of the items in the revised 2010 CONSORT statement were poorly reported in at least 40% of the RCTs analyzed. The regression model showed that the year of publication of RCTs and the impact factors of the journals in which they were published were the main factors affecting OQS. The overall quality of reporting of RCTs on PBL teaching in medical education was not satisfactory. Some RCTs were subjectively selective in reporting certain items, leading to heterogeneity in quality. It is expected that statisticians will develop new standards more suitable for evaluating RCTs related to teaching research and that editors and peer reviewers will be required to review the relevant RCTs more strictly.

Comic worksheets for integrated disaster risk reduction learning in the subject of Geography

Indonesian students have limited visual learning capacity. Low literacy of such students has gained the researcher’s attention in developing their literacy through comic worksheets. The researcher created comic worksheets with blank speech bubbles to help high school students build their conceptual framework about disaster risk mitigation. This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of comic worksheets in helping high school students learn disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the subject of Geography. This study followed the research and development (R&D) approach to develop comic worksheets with blank speech bubbles. A paired sample t-test was used to analyse the mean difference between the pre-and post-test scores of 103 students. The results show a significant difference between both means. It indicates that using comic worksheets could improve student learning outcomes. It could also effectively be used as an assessment instrument for the students’ affective aspects. Dialogues among comic characters compiled by students record their attitudes and behaviour in their everyday life. Collaboration between teachers, learning media developers, and artists is needed to create comic packages for learning Geography.

Using Critical Analysis of Scientific Literature to Maintain an Interactive Learning Environment for In-Person and Online Course Modalities

Every instructor has concerns about effectively balancing the amount of course content with experiences to enhance a student's skills for professional success. The COVID-19 pandemic made this process even more challenging by requiring many instructors to shift rapidly from in-person to online instruction while maintaining academic integrity. The objective of this course on tissue engineering, a multidisciplinary field that aims to repair and/or replace body damage, was to increase undergraduate students' ability to read primary scientific literature and use critical analysis to creatively solve problems. Every week, a lecture covered the necessary background information to identify the current research questions and prepare students for reading the assigned research article. Students completed an analysis worksheet prior to the subsequent class, and a summary presentation followed by a student-led critical analysis discussion occurred in class. Small student groups completed an in-class thought exercise that designed several experiments that built on the article's data. The modular course design enabled a quick and successful transition to an online asynchronous modality in less than two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A recorded weekly lecture was posted online by the instructor, and students completed the analysis worksheet, watched a student-recorded summary presentation, and posted to a discussion board. The experimental design worksheet became an individual assignment to provide more flexibility. Pretransition and posttransition assessment showed no significant differences and provided positive proof of concept evidence. This process can be adapted to a number of topic-themed scientific courses that use in-person, online, or hybrid modalities.

Se hace camino al andar: Educación médica de pregrado en el Departamento de Cirugía

La educación en cirugía en Colombia esta experimentando una acelerada transformación. No obstante, la documentación de la transformación educativa en el país es limitada. En este estudio se presenta una revisión cronológica de la enseñanza en el Departamento de Cirugía de la Universidad de la Sabana. La revisión se focaliza en las estrategias e hitos alcanzados en el pregrado, luego de transformar el modelo de enseñanza tradicional de principios de siglo XXI. La revisión esta basada en la síntesis de una serie de estudios originales, los cuales ofrecen evidencia sobre las intervenciones realizadas en el departamento, y sobre sus resultados. Finalmente, se presenta una reflexión en torno a los retos futuros.  

Building bridges between medicine and the humanities: The role of scaffolds and articulation in surgical learning

Introduction: Learning about medicine from the humanities is a complex process that requires pedagogical strategies to avoid fragmentation and the paradox of transference. Instructional design in surgical education for these purposes is limited. Objective: To present the results of an educational strategy for the integration of surgery and the medical humanities based on the theoretical perspectives of the cognitive apprenticeship model and to assess its association with the students’ perceptions of learning. Materials and methods: An instructional design was developed for the teaching of clinical conditions through the medical humanities. Students’ perceptions of teachers’ support and articulation for the integration of both disciplines, as well as students’ self-perceptions of learning, were evaluated using validated questionnaires. Linear regression models were used to test the proposed association. Results: A total of 216 students was included in the analysis. High scores were obtained for each variable. The increase of one unit of teacher support and articulation for the integration of both disciplines was associated with an increase in student perception of learning (b) of 0.45 (CI 95% 0.30-0.60) and 0.40 (CI 95% 0.25 -0.55) (R2=0.64, p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: Educational strategies focused on the techniques of support and articulation with the aim of integrating the medical humanities and surgery, demonstrated positive associations with students’ perceptions of learning. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of these interventions on memory and long-term learning.

A Qualitative Analysis of Narrative Preclerkship Assessment Data to Evaluate Teamwork Skills

Construct: Students entering the health professions require competency in teamwork. Background: Although many teamwork curricula and assessments exist, studies have not demonstrated robust longitudinal assessment of preclerkship students' teamwork skills and attitudes. Assessment portfolios may serve to fill this gap, but it is unknown how narrative comments within portfolios describe student teamwork behaviors. Approach: We performed a qualitative analysis of narrative data in 15 assessment portfolios. Student portfolios were randomly selected from 3 groups stratified by quantitative ratings of teamwork performance gathered from small-group and clinical preceptor assessment forms. Narrative data included peer and faculty feedback from these same forms. Data were coded for teamwork-related behaviors using a constant comparative approach combined with an identification of the valence of the coded statements as either "positive observation" or "suggestion for improvement." Results: Eight codes related to teamwork emerged: attitude and demeanor, information facilitation, leadership, preparation and dependability, professionalism, team orientation, values team member contributions, and nonspecific teamwork comments. The frequency of codes and valence varied across the 3 performance groups, with students in the low-performing group receiving more suggestions for improvement across all teamwork codes. Conclusions: Narrative data from assessment portfolios included specific descriptions of teamwork behavior, with important contributions provided by both faculty and peers. A variety of teamwork domains were represented. Such feedback as collected in an assessment portfolio can be used for longitudinal assessment of preclerkship student teamwork skills and attitudes.

The process of problem-based learning: what works and why

OBJECTIVES

In this review, we portray the process of problem-based learning (PBL) as a cognitive endeavour whereby the learner constructs mental models relevant to problems. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain how learning is driven in PBL; an activation-elaboration hypothesis and a situational interest hypothesis.

METHODS

Research relevant to these hypotheses is discussed. In addition, research studying the effects of various support strategies used in PBL is reviewed. Finally, we summarise a number of recent studies in which a new 'micro-analytical' methodology was used to trace the process of PBL in the natural classroom setting.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that there is considerable support for the idea that PBL works because it encourages the activation of prior knowledge in the small-group setting and provides opportunities for elaboration on that knowledge. These activities facilitate the comprehension of new information related to the problem and enhance its long-term memorability. In addition, there is evidence that problems arouse situational interest that drives learning. Flexible scaffolding provided by cognitively and socially congruent tutors also seems to be reasonably effective, as opposed to 'hard' scaffolding represented by, for instance, worksheets or questions added to problems. Small-group work protects against dropout and encourages students to study regularly. Initially, students do not study much beyond the learning issues generated; the development of personal agency in self-study needs time to develop. The extent of learning in PBL results from neither group collaboration only (the social constructivist point of view) nor individual knowledge acquisition only; both activities contribute equally to learning in PBL.