Active learning through discussion: ICAP framework for education in health professions

Jaeseo Lim,Ji Won Yang,Songeui Kim,Jungjoon Ihm,Myung-Sun Chun,Seunghee Lee,Hyunwoong Ko,Jooyong Park

doi:10.1186/s12909-019-1901-7

Abstract

BackgroundThe ICAP framework based on cognitive science posits four modes of cognitive engagement: Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive. Focusing on the wide applicability of discussion as interactive engagement in medical education, we investigated the effect of discussion when it was preceded by self-study and further investigated the effect of generating questions before discussions.MethodsThis study was conducted in the second semester of 2018 and was participated in by 129 students majoring in health professions, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and nursing. The students were assigned to four different trial groups and were asked to fill out a Subjective Mental Effort Questionnaire after completing each session. Their performance in posttest scores was analyzed using Bonferroni test, and mental effort was analyzed using mediation analysis.ResultsThese results indicated that the self-study and question group had the highest performance and that the lecture and summary group had the lowest performance when comparing the total score. Using the analysis of mental effort, it was confirmed that the relationship between different study conditions and post-test performance was mediated by mental effort during test.ConclusionsOur findings support the ICAP framework and provide practical implications for medical education, representing the fact that students learn more when they are involved in active learning activities, such as self-study and question generation, prior to discussions.

Highlights

The ICAP framework based on cognitive science posits four modes of cognitive engagement: Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive
The topic was chosen because it appeared less likely to be affected by background knowledge, and it Analyses were performed to compare the effect of study condition on learning outcomes
The results revealed a significant interaction effects of the study condition and learning outcomes (P < 0.001, Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The ICAP framework based on cognitive science posits four modes of cognitive engagement: Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive. Focusing on the wide applicability of discussion as interactive engagement in medical education, we investigated the effect of discussion when it was preceded by self-study and further investigated the effect of generating questions before discussions. A large number of university students majoring in health professions have achieved outstanding academic performances. They sometimes struggle in their major [1] because they face difficulties in integrating large amount of knowledge into novel circumstances. As an effective alternative to a lecture, the active participation method in class has been explored multilaterally, a method commonly known as “active learning.”. As an effective alternative to a lecture, the active participation method in class has been explored multilaterally, a method commonly known as “active learning.” as the scope of active learning is broad, previous research have specified this concept into the InteractiveConstructive-Active-Passive (ICAP) framework [5, 6]

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