Reverse Educational Distance: Exploring a novel concept to enhance Resident-As-Teacher curricula

Exploring Resident Motivation with a Podcast Creation Activity: A Qualitative Study

Purpose

As the field of digital education expands, it is important to understand the benefit to the creator of such resources as well as the user. This study sought to understand the resident's experience with writing a medical podcast script in contrast to creating lecture-based teaching presentations. We aimed to explore the motivation behind the resident's voluntary participation and provide an example and framework to residency programs looking to enhance their resident as teacher curricula with the use of digital education.

Materials and Methods

Using constructivist grounded theory, residents who completed a podcast script for "The Intern at Work," a learner-generated podcast series, were recruited to partake. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and coded iteratively with the use of constant comparison until theoretical sufficiency was achieved.

Results

Residents (n = 12) described three key factors of the podcast development activity that fostered learner motivation: (1) Driving Interest: residents were excited to use a novel outlet to teach; (2) Self-Directed Process: residents appreciated the opportunity for collaboration and flexibility; (3) Appreciable Benefit: residents identified several self-gains.

Conclusion

Our findings provide an example of an innovative teaching activity that intrinsically motivated residents. Such information has the potential to inform program leaders on how to foster resident motivation to teach.

Exploring peer tutoring from the peer tutor's perspective

INTRODUCTION

Changing working practices, student numbers, workforce demands, and deficits, have created a need to consider new ways of radiography student training. One suggestion could be to implement Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) during clinical placements. PAL utilises social constructivist theories, where peer tutors teach lower or same level tutees, reinforcing and practicing material formally taught. The aim of this study was to trial an intervention of PAL, co-designed between the university and students and evaluated to identify opportunities and challenges.

METHODS

Using participatory action research 8 final year student volunteers trialled a 3-week intervention, where they delivered PAL to first years, tutoring on first year radiographic clinical practice. Focus groups were held pre and post intervention to gather qualitative data.

RESULTS

Focus group discussions were transcribed and collectively thematically analysed. Two students and the primary researcher took part in the analysis.

CONCLUSION

Students identified benefits and challenges to PAL. Issue around preparing for and being a peer tutor are also discussed. Further study involving experiences of first year students and clinical colleagues is required.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Peer-tutoring has potential benefits to students to facilitate the development of skills related to image analysis and critique as well as radiographic anatomy and patient positioning.