Abstract
To prepare the faculty of the Medical School of the Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen for the new curriculum based on components of self-directed learning that started in 2015, the behaviour in registration, presence and educational experiences of old curriculum students towards one of the components of self-directed learning: the letting go of mandatory classes was studied in 2014. Freedom to attend was introduced in human anatomy laboratories during a Year-1 and a Year-2 course. A web-based enrolment system was used, and student’s choices and changes were logged. Student’s opinions on the optional classes were probed with a questionnaire. Year-2 students liked the optional classes more than Year-1 students. Both groups disliked classes that were scheduled at the end of the day. Both groups perceived that the freedom to attend stimulated their responsibility and learning experience. In conclusion, the freedom to attend classes caused perceptions that are congruent with self-directed learning. The findings suggest that feelings of autonomy and being competent to the required task were stimulated by the freedom of choice. Implementing the freedom to attend classes in medical education is therefore recommended whereas one should also consider the feasibility with respect to organisation, efficient use of teachers and financial resources.
Highlights
To prepare the faculty of the Medical School of the Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen for the new curriculum based on components of self-directed learning that started in 2015, the behaviour in registration, presence and educational experiences of old curriculum students towards one of the components of self-directed learning: the letting go of mandatory classes was studied in 2014
Since self-directed learning has shown to be associated with lifelong learning (Murad & Varkey, 2008) and can be useful for students and doctors that need to acquire the biomedical knowledge that keeps on growing, this theory is being implemented in medical education over the past years (Premkumar et al, 2018), at the Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen
The goal of this study was to analyse the behaviour in registration, presence and educational experiences of old curriculum students towards one of the components of self-directed learning: the letting go of mandatory classes
Summary
One of the key items of self-directed learning is that students can choose their own learning path (Garrison, 1997; Knowles, 1975). Since self-directed learning has shown to be associated with lifelong learning (Murad & Varkey, 2008) and can be useful for students and doctors that need to acquire the biomedical knowledge that keeps on growing, this theory is being implemented in medical education over the past years (Premkumar et al, 2018), at the Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
