Improvement in generic problem-solving abilities of students by use of tutor-less problem-based learning in a large classroom setting

How does problem-solving pedagogy affect creativity? A meta-analysis of empirical studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of problem-solving pedagogy on individual students' creativity in different teaching contexts and conditions, and to examine the role of moderating variables that may affect the overall effect size. The study screened 19 relevant studies from the Web of Science for inclusion in the meta-analysis, and extracted 77 effect sizes from these studies that could be used in the meta-analysis. The study first explored the relationship between problem-solving pedagogy and the development of learner creativity, and further analysis focused on moderating variables to investigate the effects of instructional method, grouping method, grade level, problem-solving scaffolding, source of problems, the application of thinking tools, and the application of technology. The results showed that problem-solving pedagogy enhances students' creativity, while at the same time, among the sources of problems, student-discovered problems are most conducive to creativity stimulation, while teacher-determined problems and problems that lead to student discovery are less effective in terms of promoting creativity. Among the grouping methods, heterogeneous grouping can better utilize the creativity cultivation effect of the problem-solving pedagogy than random grouping and homogeneous grouping. Among the different levels of grades, learners in elementary school are better able to gain creativity under the influence of problem-solving pedagogy than learners in middle school, high school, college, and those in on-the-job learning. However, this study did not reveal any significant benefits for creativity enhancement under the four conditions of instructional method, problem-solving scaffolding, thinking tools-assisted, or technology. The results of this study clarify the importance of problem-solving pedagogy for creativity development, and also reveal the actual effects of the various ways of applying problem-solving pedagogy on creativity development as well as the problems that exist, which provides inspiration for how to better utilize problem-solving pedagogy in the future.

Application of blended teaching model based on SPOC and TBL in dermatology and venereology

BACKGROUND

In this study, we applied the small private online course (SPOC) and team-based learning (TBL) blended teaching model to dermatology and venereology to ensure a higher quality learning experience for clinical medical students.

METHODS

A total of 52 fifth-grade clinical undergraduates from Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University were randomly divided into an experimental (n = 26) and a control group (n = 26). In March 2018, we used the SPOC and TBL blended teaching model in the experimental group and explored the effects of innovative teaching in the dermatology and venereology course, compared with the control group receiving the conventional teaching method. We analyzed the two groups' theoretical assessment scores and questionnaire results to evaluate the efficiency of the new pedagogy.

RESULTS

Students in the experimental group had a better understanding than the control group of the dermatology and venereology content and higher scores on the case analysis questions in the final theoretical examination. The results revealed that the majority of the experimental group students agreed that the novel teaching model blended with SPOC&TBL helped them significantly stimulate motivation and develop their ability in self-directed learning, independent thinking, literature retrieval, presentation board, teamwork, communication, and systematic clinical thinking. The teaching satisfaction survey of the two groups showed that the students' satisfaction in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The SPOC&TBL teaching model is better than the traditional one in enriching students' professional knowledge and cultivating their comprehensive ability. It can effectively promote educational quality, improve students' learning effects, and enhance their satisfaction. This method has broad application prospects.

Engaging Pharmacy Students in Interactive Life-Based Situations as the Basis for Teaching a Biochemistry Course

Objectives

Undergraduate pharmacy students have neither sufficient training on analyzing the role of biochemistry in actual-life situations nor on its effect on both health and disease. Therefore, we conducted this study to link the biochemistry course with actual-life situations and to encourage students to search for biochemistry answers for the health problems they face.

Methods

Students were randomized into different groups of three to five students. Every week, a group was asked to search the Internet for the most prevalent disease in their area associated with the biochemistry title studied. The group was asked to have an open discussion was their colleagues about a hot topic in life that is related to this subject. Finally, the group was asked to dig into social media for a current event that grabbed their attention in relation to this subject and write a short paragraph beyond the details. This scenario was repeated weekly using different student groups. The students’ opinion was collected before the conduction of the course and the end of the semester.

Results

The post-course questionnaire showed good improvement in the students’ ability to communicate effectively, conduct independent work, participate in active discussion, and solve problems. Overall, the students’ satisfaction was significantly elevated.

Conclusions

We have promoted a method to engage undergraduate students in linking biochemistry theories with real-life situations instead of just memorizing them. The new method improves the students' perception of biochemistry courses. Finally, it provides a promise of a new active learning strategy for undergraduate pharmacy students, which can be used widely to motivate students.

Learning effectiveness and satisfaction of international medical students: Introducing a Hybrid-PBL curriculum in biochemistry

A biochemistry course is a fundamental but important subject in medical education in China. In recent years, the number of international medical students has increased. Curriculum reform in biochemistry teaching is needed because of the knowledge limitations of students, a close linkage of biochemical content with clinics, the shortcomings of lecture-centered teaching, and the requirements for early clinical practice training and competence. In this study, we analyzed a novel curriculum reform, "Hybrid-PBL," which combined problem-based learning (PBL) with biochemistry lectures and was implemented for biochemical teaching at Dalian Medical University (DMU) in China. The change in curriculum affected 189 international medical students. This study selected two PBL cases concerning the basic biochemical issues of carbohydrate metabolism and liver biochemistry for the analysis, and ten examples of learning issues for each case were reported by the international students. A questionnaire was utilized to evaluate students' perceptions of the Hybrid-PBL, and examination scores were analyzed to assess the curriculum reform in biochemistry teaching. A statistical analysis revealed that the Hybrid-PBL curriculum was well accepted by the international students as an effective supplement to lecture-centered teaching programs. The students obtained more abilities, higher examination scores, and an improved understanding of biomedical information from the Hybrid-PBL program than from conventional teaching methods. Our study was an innovative trial that applied a PBL curriculum to the specific discipline of biochemistry and may provide a potential and promising new teaching method that can be widely utilized. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(4):336-342, 2017.

Enhancing student retention of prerequisite knowledge through pre-class activities and in-class reinforcement

To foster the connection between biochemistry and the supporting prerequisite concepts, a collection of activities that explicitly link general and organic chemistry concepts to biochemistry ideas was written and either assigned as pre-class work or as recitation activities. We assessed student learning gains after using these activities alone, or in combination with regularly-integrated clicker and discussion questions. Learning gains were determined from student performance on pre- and post-tests covering key prerequisite concepts, biochemistry course exams, and student self-evaluation. Long-term retention of the material was assessed using a comprehensive exam given to a subset of the students. Our results show that using the pre-class exercises in combination with integrative questions was effective at improving student performance in both the short and long term. Similar results were obtained at both a large research institution with large class enrollments and at a private liberal arts college with moderate enrollments. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):97-104, 2017.

We must teach more effectively: here are four ways to get started

Research on how people learn shows that teaching using active learning is more effective than just lecturing. We outline four concrete ways instructors can begin to apply active learning in their teaching: backward instruction design; expecting students to learn more than facts; posing “messy” problems for students to solve; and expecting students to talk, write, and collaborate. Each tactic is supported with references demonstrating its efficacy and advice and links to resources for getting started with active learning.

Twelve tips for "flipping" the classroom

The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. The following tips outline the steps involved in making a successful transition to a flipped classroom approach. The tips are based on the available literature alongside the author's experience of using the approach in a medical education setting. Flipping a classroom has a number of potential benefits, for example increased educator-student interaction, but must be planned and implemented carefully to support effective learning.

Impact of abbreviated lecture with interactive mini-cases vs traditional lecture on student performance in the large classroom

OBJECTIVE

To compare the impact of 2 different teaching and learning methods on student mastery of learning objectives in a pharmacotherapy module in the large classroom setting.

DESIGN

Two teaching and learning methods were implemented and compared in a required pharmacotherapy module for 2 years. The first year, multiple interactive mini-cases with inclass individual assessment and an abbreviated lecture were used to teach osteoarthritis; a traditional lecture with 1 inclass case discussion was used to teach gout. In the second year, the same topics were used but the methods were flipped. Student performance on pre/post individual readiness assessment tests (iRATs), case questions, and subsequent examinations were compared each year by the teaching and learning method and then between years by topic for each method. Students also voluntarily completed a 20-item evaluation of the teaching and learning methods.

ASSESSMENT

Postpresentation iRATs were significantly higher than prepresentation iRATs for each topic each year with the interactive mini-cases; there was no significant difference in iRATs before and after traditional lecture. For osteoarthritis, postpresentation iRATs after interactive mini-cases in year 1 were significantly higher than postpresentation iRATs after traditional lecture in year 2; the difference in iRATs for gout per learning method was not significant. The difference between examination performance for osteoarthritis and gout was not significant when the teaching and learning methods were compared. On the student evaluations, 2 items were significant both years when answers were compared by teaching and learning method. Each year, students ranked their class participation higher with interactive cases than with traditional lecture, but both years they reported enjoying the traditional lecture format more.

CONCLUSION

Multiple interactive mini-cases with an abbreviated lecture improved immediate mastery of learning objectives compared to a traditional lecture format, regardless of therapeutic topic, but did not improve student performance on subsequent examinations.

A guide to using case-based learning in biochemistry education

Studies indicate that the majority of students in undergraduate biochemistry take a surface approach to learning, associated with rote memorization of material, rather than a deep approach, which implies higher cognitive processing. This behavior relates to poorer outcomes, including impaired course performance and reduced knowledge retention. The use of case-based learning (CBL) into biochemistry teaching may facilitate deep learning by increasing student engagement and interest. Abundant literature on CBL exists but clear guidance on how to design and implement case studies is not readily available. This guide provides a representative review of CBL uses in science and describes the process of developing CBL modules to be used in biochemistry. Included is a framework to implement a directed CBL assisted with lectures in a content-driven biochemistry course regardless of class size. Moreover, this guide can facilitate adopting CBL to other courses. Consequently, the information presented herein will be of value to undergraduate science educators with an interest in active learning pedagogies.