Uncertainty about study choice and regulation

Impact of the transition from a conventional to an integrated contextual medical curriculum on students' learning patterns: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Until now, most research studying the impact of curriculum innovations on student learning patterns was restricted to short term or cross-sectional research.

AIM

Studying longitudinal changes in student learning patterns parallel to the implementation of a curriculum innovation from a discipline based to an integrated contextual medical curriculum (ICMC).

METHODS

A post hoc study applying General Linear Model ANOVA one-way repeated-measures. The inventory of learning styles(126-item version) is used to determine changes in student learning patterns.

RESULTS

Though not all hypotheses could be accepted, the results suggest a significant impact of the ICMC on learning processing strategies; regulation strategies; and on learning orientations. The clear build-up of the curriculum and vertical and horizontal integration of subject knowledge seem to have significantly reduced lack of regulation and promoted at an earlier stage structuring, relating, critical processing and vocational-orientation. The effect on use of sources of knowledge, self-regulation of learning content and certificate-orientation was less important than expected. It was yet not possible to confirm the hypothesis that ICMC students become better in translating study topics into their own phrasing or expressions; and neither the expected impact on vocation-orientation could be confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

There is little doubt that the present results are important to curriculum (re)designers and those interested in the evaluation of curriculum reforms.

The potential of the inventory of learning styles to study students' learning patterns in three types of medical curricula

BACKGROUND

Introducing innovative curricular designs can be evaluating by scrutinizing the learning patterns students use.

AIM

Studying the potential of Vermunt's Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) in detecting differences in student learning patterns in different medical curricula.

METHODS

Cross-sectional between-subjects comparison of ILS-scores in third-year medical students in a conventional, an integrated contextual and a PBL-curriculum using one-way post hoc ANOVA.

RESULTS

Response rate was 85%: 197 conventional, 130 integrated contextual and 301 PBL students. The results show a differential impact from the three curricula. In relation to processing strategies, the students in the problem-based curriculum showed less rote learning and rehearsing, greater variety in sources of knowledge used and less ability to express study content in a personal manner than did the students in the conventional curriculum. The students of the integrated contextual curriculum showed more structuring of subject matter by integrating different aspects into a whole. In relation to regulation strategies, the students in the problem-based curriculum showed significantly more self-regulation of learning content and the students in the integrated contextual curriculum showed lower levels of regulation. As to learning orientations, the students in the problem-based curriculum showed less ambivalence and the students of the conventional curriculum were less vocationally oriented.

CONCLUSION

The study provides empirical support for expected effects of traditional and innovative curricula which thus far were not well supported by empirical studies.