Assessment of learning levels of students using ‘Dennis Congo study skill inventory’ & evaluation of protocol for slow, average & advanced learners in medical education

Abstract

: Students starting their medical education congregate from diverse educational environments and varied learning experiences. Hence, they would have developed individual preferences in learning styles for obtaining and refining information. Some students need accelerated approach so that they can learn things in the syllabus at their own speed. While some lack focus and understand topics at a slower pace compared to their peers. The process of assessment of the learning levels of students and conduction of activities for them can open up a new window for the teachers in adopting different teaching learning methods and result in more dynamic classroom interaction. This also paves way for adoption of appropriate strategies to address the concerns of all learners. The study was done with the aim to explore the study skills and determine any correlation between study skills of the students and their academic performance. This is a cross-sectional observational, questionnaire - based descriptive study involving undergraduate students enrolled in medical college. A predesigned, pretested structured and validated questionnaire, the Denis Congo Study Skills Inventory was administered on the sample. Study Skills Efficacy Scores were determined using the same. Learners were categorized as slow, average and advanced based on their scores in the first internal examination. These scores were aligned with the study skills used by the learner and the data was analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010 & IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0.1.1 Windows software to find out any correlation.: It was found that all the six skills included in the Dennis Congo study skill inventory may need to be developed in slow learners with equal emphasis so as to facilitate them in becoming average learners. All the six skills also require improvement in average learners to become advanced learners, however our study shows that more emphasis needs to be laid on the development of skills of note-taking, memory enhancement, test preparation and concentration. Out of these, note-taking and test preparation are skills which might be easier to work on as compared to memory and concentration, as a part of these skills are inherent to the individual. Teachers can play a significant role in helping the students in acquiring the skills. : Factors affecting student academic performances is a multidimensional issue which has to be identified at individual level. Deficient study skills appear to be a statistically significant cause for poor academic performance. With the objective to change the learner’s behaviour, it can be conveyed to learners what exactly is to be accomplished by providing a direction in the planning of a learning activity.This study assesses student learning levels in medical education using the 'Dennis Congo Study Skill Inventory'. It further evaluates a tailored protocol designed for slow, average, and advanced learners, aiming to enhance learning outcomes across diverse proficiency levels."