Teaching Difficult Physiological Concepts to the Medical Students Using Minicases, Educreations and Mentimeter

Abstract

PurposeIt is a consensus in medical schools that basic science courses is offered in a compressed curriculum, and medical students have difficulty in retaining essential basic science concepts. It is well established that medical, nursing, and healthcare schools use various pedagogical methods to deliver physiology curriculum. Our abstract focuses on medical education, it is always challenging for medical students to retain a plethora of physiology and pharmacology information. These concepts are considered high yield for passing standardized exams. We have shown the effectiveness of new modern tools in medical education that enhances the student learning experience. 1MethodsIn collaboration with the students, we inquired and collected feedback and created a grid of physiological concepts that students find difficult to understand, examples include current multiplication in renal physiology, flow volume loops in respiratory.We then planned three modes of content delivery methods. First, we designed short videos using novel technological tools like educreations clarifying those concepts. The students could view these videos at any time, anywhere, and on any device. We then offered mini‐cases in small groups that promoted higher‐level thinking on Bloom’s Taxonomy, for example, a case on diabetes insipidus that touched upon functions of ADH and integrated clinical reasoning. Finally, using Mentimeter (a novel audience response system), we conducted a short quiz as an interactive readiness experience for our students. The informal 15‐minute quiz was an effective way for students to gauge their performance. In this live session, the basic science instructor(s) were tasked to refresh, review, and validate physiology/pharmacology concepts with the students.Results/OutcomesAccording to our satisfaction surveys, students appreciated digital cognition. The survey response rate was 75% (n=24/32). More than 80% of students found the active learning sessions met their expectations or far exceeded their expectations. Examples of student narratives include, “The learning checkpoints and engaging activities with mini‐cases were good. It exceeded my expectations because I didn’t expect dedicated time to be given to that, but I am glad it did and would like to see similar things like this done in the future.” “The dedication of the instructor to providing learning materials in the forms of videos, readings, and mini‐lectures was a huge strength of the curriculum.”DiscussionWe conclude that our method of content delivery will provide an ideal opportunity for all students to learn the importance of contextual and difficult physiological concepts. The approach can help in identifying knowledge gaps and can serve a useful model for curricular delivery in medical schools, nursing, or any healthcare school that would like to promote critical thinking with a deeper understanding of physiology integrated with clinical science.