An evolution in student-centered teaching

The use of instructional videos to compensate for flexible physiology learning during the pandemic of COVID 19

BACKGROUND

This study aimed at using instructional videos in physiology created by students to improve the process of learning Physiology especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic which enforced the lectures to be online. Additionally, it allowed students to visualize and understand clinical scenarios and the physiological reasons behind them while assessing how much they stand to gain from the experience.

METHODS

This study is a project to implement FAIMER, ASU MENA-FRI Institute, Cairo, Egypt. In a foundation course for first-year medical students, the instructor utilized a variety of instructional methods including lecture, small group discussion, individual assignments, and reflection. Students were randomly allocated into 18 groups, then a topic in their physiology curriculum was chosen and they formulated a related case scenario, thereafter a video was made by themselves. This intervention was rewarded by activity mark in their course. Post-project questionnaire was used, and an external reviewer evaluated the videos presented by students. This study obtained IRB approval from the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams Medical Ethics committee.

RESULTS

the project helped students to improve their skills in problem-solving, teamwork, active learning, communication, planning, and time management. In addition, it also increased their confidence in their abilities to learn, face unexpected challenges, and achieve goals, while considering new life opportunities, those which became an option when the students searched by themselves and learned more about the different angles of medicine.

CONCLUSION

Compared to the traditional lecture format that focuses on memorizing definitions and theoretical structures, instructional videos can be regarded as an innovative teaching tool and a unique medical education method that allowed students to participate more in the learning process even if their lectures were online. This article proposes an active learning method in undergraduate medical education which compensate for limited face-to-face attended during the pandemic.

LecturePlus: a learner-centered teaching method to promote deep learning

A new teaching format, the LecturePlus, was formulated as a lecture followed by small-group learning activities. This study assessed the effectiveness of LecturePlus in medical education. An interventional study was conducted among final-year medical students, with 74 students in the experimental group and 96 students in the control group. Each LecturePlus lasted ∼1 h and was conducted with 12-18 students. A LecturePlus session comprised of a lecture followed by small-group problem-solving exercises. The exercises were clinical cases with open-ended short-answer questions. Students were divided into groups of three (triads) for these exercises. A faculty tutor assisted the small groups as needed. Closure was achieved through a discussion moderated by the tutor. Learning outcomes were assessed via the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject scores and compared with those of the preceding academic year. An additional multiple-choice question (MCQ) test was administered before and after the clerkship. The MCQ test showed improvement in knowledge application (P < 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.42). There was a statistically significant improvement in adjusted NBME scores among female students (74.8 vs. 71.8; P = 0.017) but not among male students. An anonymous written questionnaire survey showed high ratings for LecturePlus (95% selecting yes or partly yes to overall satisfaction). LecturePlus is an instructional strategy that integrates a lecture with learning activities. It can be scaled to large class sizes facilitated by one teacher. By combining didactic teaching with problem-solving, this new instructional strategy may foster application of knowledge.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We developed a new structured teaching format, the LecturePlus, to promote deep learning. A LecturePlus session consists of a brief lecture, followed by small-group problem-solving exercises, ending with a closing discussion moderated by the teacher. During the small-group exercises, students were divided into groups of three (triads) and given case-based problems. One faculty tutor supervised the entire session. LecturePlus resulted in improved learning outcomes and was rated highly by medical students.

Can the introduction of an authentic learning exercise lead to the modulation of breakfast behavior in undergraduate students at University of La Réunion?

The authentic teaching and learning approach introduces real-world scenarios into the classroom to better engage Generation Z students. Considering this, we introduced an authentic learning practical exercise (breakfast meal and glycemic variation) to undergraduate biology students at the University of La Réunion (France). Here, students were initially briefed regarding the practical and subsequently determined their baseline glucose values (glucometer). They then consumed 200 mL of fruit juice together with a pain au chocolat (chocolate pastry) and subsequently recorded their glucose values at regular intervals. The last reading was done after 150 min, and they thereafter plotted such data to reveal temporal glycemic variations. During this time, the students also worked on a report to document information collected and began to supply responses to several listed questions. Three weeks after completion of the practical, we evaluated whether this intervention would lead to changes in their views regarding the nature and regularity of breakfast meal intake (employing survey questions). Our findings show that a reasonable proportion of the students indicated that the intervention did change their dietary habits, with 50% sometimes opting for an improved breakfast, whereas 10% also changed their habits albeit for only a small while. Of note, >60% of students indicated that they changed their breakfast intake habits by the end of the endocrinology module. These findings show that the beneficial effects of authentic teaching approaches may elicit relatively long-lasting changes in terms of breakfast behavioral patterns in young people and that such effects may also impact the broader society.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study introduced an authentic learning exercise (endocrinology practical exercise) to undergraduate biology students and ascertained whether it changed their views regarding the nature and regularity of breakfast meals. Here, many altered their breakfast dietary habits, which persisted even after the completion of their module. Authentic teaching approaches can therefore trigger relatively long-lasting changes in terms of breakfast behavioral patterns in young people and may also impact the broader society.

Challenges and strategies in developing team-based learning in Chinese medical education

INTRODUCTION

Team-based learning (TBL) is gradually being integrated into Chinese medical education. This study reports its current application status in Chinese medical schools, as well as the underlying challenges and strategies to improve TBL application.

METHOD

We screened publication databases and surveys to investigate TBL usage and concerns regarding TBL application by Chinese medical educators. Articles published by 79 Chinese medical schools include 163 articles among 20 topic areas of basic medicine and 226 articles among 16 clerkship disciplines. The opinions of 123 Chinese medical teachers were solicited from 46 medical schools in 26 provinces/municipalities.

RESULTS

Approximately less than half of Chinese medical schools used TBL in basic medicine or clerkship disciplines. Among these, only 10% of schools reported TBL usage in both clerkship disciplines and basic medicine. Both quantitative and qualitative results revealed that public awareness of TBL, executive support, professional training, sharing of resources and integration of multiple disciplines are critical factors in facilitating TBL application, and in recruiting and developing TBL teachers.

CONCLUSION

TBL application in Chinese medical education is limited. Executive/financial support and establishment of a platform to provide technical support, share resources and regulate TBL practice quality will facilitate TBL application in Chinese medical education.

Using a Novel Student-centered Teaching Method to Improve Pharmacy Student Learning

Objective. To improve students' learning and develop their learning skills in pharmacy education. Methods. A novel teaching method composed of Self-study, Test, Question and Discussion (STQD) sessions uses self-, peer-, co-learning, active learning, inductive teaching, and formative assessment to promote student-centered teaching in pharmacy education. STQD has been implemented within courses focusing on instrumental analysis and analytical chemistry. In a four-year study, qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to evaluate the effectiveness of STQD in facilitating students' learning. Results. Students positively evaluated their experience in STQD class with an overall mean and standard deviation of 4.35 (0.64) in a 5-point Likert scale, where a score of 1 is "strongly disagree" and a score of 5 is "strongly agree." The final examination results showed students' average score in an STQD class was higher than students' average score in a traditional class. Most students indicated that the STQD improved their learning ability, communication ability and facilitated their learning. Conclusion. The use of STQD in an integrated basic science curriculum has the potential to develop students' learning skills and improve their learning in pharmacy education.

Interfacing virtual and face-to-face teaching methods in an undergraduate human physiology course for health professions students

Human physiology is a core physical sciences course for health professions students, such as nurses and exercise science majors. The concepts of human physiology lay the foundation for health professions courses, such as pathophysiology. The National Council Licensing Exam for registered nurses (a timed nursing licensure exam) and the American College of Sports Medicine timed licensure exams for exercise sciences students have a framework consisting of human physiology concepts and are computer adaptive testing (CAT) assessments. This provides a case for electronic testing (in the undergraduate class setting) as a preparatory measure for CAT licensing exams. Case studies have illustrated a high information retention rate, with students completing online homework vs. paper, as well. Additionally, in recent years, virtual laboratories for non-physical science majors have been described as safer and effective for the purposes of educating students in laboratory techniques and experimental measures. Lastly, a successful learning approach utilized by museums has been found to be effective in younger students as well: "touch learning" (tactile learning). It also is important to note that student discussions and the face-to-face teaching dynamic play a critical role in the undergraduate education process. As such, the teaching methodology discussed here combines e-learning, virtual laboratories, tactile learning, and face-to-face didactic instruction of human physiology in developing a course to engage undergraduate health professions students, increase retention of human physiology course materials, and simultaneously prepare students for the CAT assessments that are licensing exams.

Developing a nationwide K-12 outreach model: Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week 10 years later

Since 2005, nearly 600 Physiology Understanding Week (PhUn Week) events have taken place across the U.S., involving American Physiological Society (APS) members in K-12 outreach. The program seeks to build student understanding of physiology and physiology careers, assist teachers in recognizing physiology in their standards-based curriculum, and involve more physiologists in K-12 outreach. Formative goals included program growth (sites, participants, and leaders), diversification of program models, and development of a community of practice of physiologists and trainees involved in outreach. Eleven years of member-provided data indicate that the formative goals are being met. Nearly 100,000 K-12 students have been reached during the last decade as an increasing pool of physiologists took part in a growing number of events, including a number of international events. The number and types of PhUn Week events have steadily increased as a community of practice has formed to support the program. Future program goals include targeting regional areas for PhUn Week participation, establishing research collaboratives to further explore program impacts, and providing on-demand training for physiologists.