Effects of personality traits on collaborative performance in problem-based learning tutorials

Personality and brain contribute to academic achievements of medical students

There are many factors that influence the academic achievements of medical students, but how personality and brain modulate the academic achievements of medical students remains unclear. The study collected the personality, brain imaging, and academic data from 448 medical students at Tianjin Medical University with admission time between 2008 and 2017. Four types of academic achievements, including behavioral and social sciences, clinical sciences and skills, basic biomedical sciences, and scientific methods, were assessed by the academic records of 58 courses. Personality was evaluated by Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire and Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory. Brain structural and functional properties, including gray matter volume, spontaneous brain activity and functional connectivity, were computed based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Linear regression was used to evaluate the associations between personality and academic achievements. A voxel-wise correlation was used to identify areas of the brain where structural and functional properties were associated with academic achievements. Mediation analysis was used to test whether brain properties and personality independently contribute to academic achievements. Our results showed that novelty seeking (NS) was negatively correlated, and conscientiousness was positively correlated with all types of academic achievements. Brain functional properties showed negatively correlated with academic achievement in basic biomedical sciences. However, we did not find any mediation effect of the brain functional properties on the association between personality (NS and conscientiousness) and academic achievement in basic biomedical sciences, nor mediation effect of the personality (NS and conscientiousness) on the association between brain functional properties and academic achievement in basic biomedical sciences. These findings suggest that specific personality (NS and conscientiousness) and brain functional properties independently contribute to academic achievements in basic biomedical sciences, and that modulation of these properties may benefit academic achievements among medical students.

Formative assessment scores in tutorial sessions correlates with OSCE and progress testing scores in a PBL medical curriculum

BACKGROUND

Effective assessments programs are a challenge in problem-based learning (PBL). One of the main principles of this educational setting is the Formative Assessment (FA). We hypothesized that students' performance assessed by FA in tutorial sessions in a PBL curriculum is related to other summative assessments.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation among FA in tutorial sessions with grades obtained in Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) and Progress Testing (PT) to better understand the assessment process in PBL medical teaching approach and to predict student's future performance.

DESIGN

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted comparing FA, OSCE and PT scores from 4th to 8th semester medical students. Correlation analyses were performed using pooled and separate data from the 4th and 8th semesters.

RESULTS

From the 5th to 8th semester, OSCE scores were smaller compared to the FA, while PT scores were lower in all stages. In the pooled data, the correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between grades on FA and OSCE, FA and PT and OSCE and PT. A significant correlation among the three assessments strategies was also detected in the 8^th semester, but not in the 4th semester.

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment strategies in PBL approach, including FA, OSCE and PT, have positive correlations, which increases as the medical course becomes more complex.

The longitudinal learning outcomes of using different teaching sequences in a nursing administration project

AIM

To examine the effects of using different teaching sequences on knowledge acquisition, knowledge retention, self-directed learning and teamwork in a nursing administration project.

BACKGROUND

Compared to other professional courses, nursing administration is relatively difficult, and it is important for nursing administration students to spend long hours working in hospitals. As such, better teaching strategies utilizing proper sequencing may yield better learning outcomes for students.

METHODS

A longitudinal quasi-experimental design was used. A total of 129 students were assigned to two groups with which different teaching sequences were used. The investigated learning outcomes were knowledge acquisition, knowledge retention, self-directed learning and teamwork. Generalized estimating equations were used to measure the learning outcomes.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the two teaching sequences in terms of learning effects. One teaching strategy, problem-based learning (PBL), yielded effective student learning outcomes.

CONCLUSION

PBL increased the students' self-directed learning and teamwork. This strategy can be applied to side-by-side co-teaching and post-graduate year training programmes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The results from this study may help hospitals retain nurses and find potential nursing leaders. Instructors and nurse managers should discuss learning goals with students in advance to enhance the students' learning outcomes.