Microteaching: Overview and examination evaluation

Nearly all teachers are forced into teaching and gain experience through time, but many do not feel adequately prepared for their fieldwork in their training program. Only solution which helps teachers and students is to connect theory to practice by microteaching. It is a strategy for acquiring teaching abilities on a smaller scale, in which teachers may practice previously learned skills as well as acquire new ones. The efficiency of microteaching may be predicted using feedback from participants. While preservice instructors benefit from microteaching and students themselves find it helpful, academics have not yet looked closely at the assignment itself to determine precisely what microteaching entails. As a result, this study aids in learning more about the interactional aspects of microteaching and the effect of it in both teachers and students.

Feasibility of Including Hands-On Microteaching in the Medical Faculty Development Program in India: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background Medical faculty development programs (FDPs) often lack hands-on training in teaching skills. Microteaching, a short, focused teaching practice, could be a feasible way to bridge this gap. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of including hands-on microteaching in a medical FDP in India. Methodology This mixed-methods study involved fresh medical faculty members who never attended FDP on the basics of medical education technologies, stakeholders, and students from a recently established autonomous medical institute of national importance in India. Participants completed a pre-test survey on their teaching skills and received a hands-on microteaching session during an FDP. After the session, participants completed a post-test survey and provided feedback on the feasibility and acceptability of hands-on microteaching in the program. Program evaluation was done by application of Kirkpatrick's Model levels one, two, and three. Results According to the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation level one (Reaction), the participants reported improved teaching skills and greater confidence in their ability to teach after the microteaching session. They also reported that hands-on microteaching was an effective way to learn teaching skills and receive feedback. Stakeholders opined that microteaching is a very effective tool for improving teaching skills and should be a part of FDP. Evaluation at level two (Learning) shows that there was a significant improvement in the mean score of post-tests. As per level three (Behaviour Change) evaluation, the majority of the students informed that there is observable improvement in the effectiveness of teaching of faculties in the past two months, i.e., since the participation of faculty in hands-on microteaching in FDP. Conclusions Hands-on microteaching could be a feasible and effective way to enhance the teaching skills of medical faculty members in India. The study findings suggest that including hands-on microteaching in FDPs could help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical teaching skills.

A cross-sectional study to evaluate teaching skills of postgraduate medical students using component skill approach in microteaching

BACKGROUND

Microteaching is a teacher training technique where a teachers get a constructive feedback from peer or faculty in order to improve their teaching skills. Microteaching is conducted at the departmental level. By evaluating the components of microteaching, better teaching skills can be developed in postgraduate (PG) students.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to determine the pattern of teaching skills and to evaluate the components of teaching skills of microteaching in PG students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a retrospective record-based study done over a period of 1 month. Microteaching assessment records of 34 PG students of the department of community medicine were analyzed.

RESULTS

Teaching skills including setting induction during the class, lesson planning, presentation, and use of audio-visual aids were found to be satisfactory. Students lacked the skills of interaction and summarization of the topic.

CONCLUSION

PG students' performance with many components was satisfactory, but still, there is a scope for improvement. Internalization of microteaching skills can make doctors a better teacher, a better learner, and a better health educator.

Improving quality of home-based postnatal care by microteaching of multipurpose workers in rural and urban slum areas of Chandigarh, India: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Microteaching is an efficient teaching tool to improve skills. Until now, its use is very limited in the health sector. A pilot study was carried out to improve the quality of home-based postnatal care by microteaching of health workers (HWs) and ascertain its feasibility for supportive supervision.

METHODS

All (n=12) the HWs catering to a population of ~0.1 million were video recorded while performing home-based postnatal check up in Chandigarh from August 2013 to December 2014. After each round, HWs were shown their videos and trained in the facility and at home. Video recordings, assessments followed by training, continued until HWs acquired the intended skills. A pretested structured checklist based on the national home-based postnatal care guidelines was used for recording and assessing of postnatal skills. A score "0" given for no task, "1" for incorrectly done or partially done task, and "2" for correct task. The average score of each round was calculated and compared.

RESULTS

The overall skill assessment score improved from 0.64 to 1.76, newborn examination skill from 0.52 to 1.63, maternal examination from 0.54 to 1.62, and counseling from 1.01 to 1.85 after three rounds of video recording. The proportion of HWs carrying a thermometer increased from 21% to 100%. Second and third rounds of video recording and microteaching were successfully carried out by the program supervisors.

CONCLUSION

This was the first study to report on the effective use of microteaching in improving home-based postnatal care skills of the health care workers and its feasibility for supportive supervision.

Can microteaching be used for teaching postgraduate psychiatry residents in a small group?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using microteaching for teaching postgraduate psychiatry residents in a small-group setting.

METHODS

Twelve postgraduate psychiatry residents attending the tutorial program were employed as study participants. Five of the consenting residents took part in the microteaching session in which subtopics were assigned. Feedback was obtained from the presenters and other participants regarding the microteaching session.

RESULTS

All of the presenters reported the microteaching session to be helpful in gaining a deeper understanding of the topic. Among the other participants, most found the microteaching exercise to be useful.

CONCLUSION

Although preliminary, our findings suggest that microteaching can be used for training postgraduate psychiatry residents.

A microteaching exercise to develop performance-based abilities in pharmacy students

OBJECTIVE

To create, implement, and evaluate a microteaching exercise to enhance student development of communication skills, critical-thinking skills, and problem-solving abilities.

METHODS

A microteaching exercise was developed and implemented in 2 semesters of a professional development series. Advisees from 3 classes developed 7-minute presentations for classmates, followed by a brief question-and-answer session. EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT: Presenters received peer evaluations and a DVD of their presentation and then wrote a reflective essay on their performance. A 33-item survey instrument was administered to assess student impressions of the microteaching exercise. Survey results demonstrated students valued the microteaching exercise in terms of overall impression of the exercise, the class experience, personal outcomes, and the evaluation process.

CONCLUSION

A microteaching exercise is a valuable tool to help students develop communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Further, it helps increase student learning, helps students to "think on their feet" and be reflective, provides an opportunity to have students analyze their own and fellow classmates' presentation methods and develops their skill in the provision of constructive feedback through peer assessment.