Medical Students’ Challenges and Strategies in Producing Web TV Programs on YouTube

Maslawati Mohamad,Izyan Safwani Ismail,Saripah Mamat,Normilah Wahab

doi:10.4236/ce.2016.74063

Abstract

Cooperative learning occurs when students work together in small groups on an assigned project to achieve learning objectives. A classroom assignment given in an English for Specific Purposes course namely, Workplace Communication III, exposed medical students to this method. This assignment required students to produce a Web TV program and upload it to YouTube. In completing their assignment by employing cooperative learning method, the students applied several processes and faced challenges that eventually helped them to improve their communication skills in the English language. This study aimed to identify the challenges faced and the strategies the students employed to overcome those challenges. Seventeen first year medical undergraduates who enrolled in the Workplace Communication III course were involved in this study. Semi-structured focus group interviews and reflective notes were used to collect the data for this study. The challenges faced by students are time constraint, communication and technical difficulties, and a lack of creativity and confidence. The main strategies applied included brainstorming ideas, independent learning, and practices to overcome these challenges. This study could serve as a guideline for the course designers to improve the current course.

Highlights

Technology such as YouTube videos provide visual imagery to extend the attention spent on a stimulus that creates stronger cues for retrieving stored information, especially to medical students who are required to retain large amounts of information (Mayer, 2010)
This paper aims to identify the challenges faced by the medical students to produce a web TV program on YouTube, as well as the strategies employed by the medical students to overcome those challenges
They are engaged in many examinations and discussions, as well as classes to attend and these were expressed in the following statement: “Time constriction was one of the main concerns, since we had classes, exams, and discussions to prepare.”

Summary

Introduction

Technology such as YouTube videos provide visual imagery to extend the attention spent on a stimulus that creates stronger cues for retrieving stored information, especially to medical students who are required to retain large amounts of information (Mayer, 2010). In language classrooms, especially those in which the target students are potential doctors, it becomes more important to integrate the use of technology into teaching. How to cite this paper: Mohamad, M., Ismail, I. Medical Students’ Challenges and Strategies in Producing Web TV Programs on YouTube.

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