Abstract
BackgroundStrong learner-teacher relationships are associated with more successful learning outcomes. With shortened modular curricula and increased availability of online resources, fostering faculty interaction with preclinical medical students has become more challenging. We sought to enhance learner-teacher relationships by engaging in discussion with preclinical medical students in their own online space.MethodsWe utilized a closed Facebook discussion group, where faculty and students voluntarily joined in informal discussions and shared announcements related to their courses. The closed discussion group allowed only participating students and faculty to see others’ posts within the group. This provided a platform to freely interact within the confines of the group while maintaining privacy for the personal Facebook accounts of both faculty and students. We utilized the discussion group through three separate organ system-based modules for 14 weeks. Afterward, students were asked to complete an anonymous, voluntary online survey about their experience.Results94.1% (160/170) of enrolled second-year medical students joined the voluntary FB discussion group. There were 214 posts, 628 comments, and 4166 reactions in this discussion group during the three modules. Of the students in the group, 74.4% (119/160) responded to the online survey. Overall, students strongly agreed that the Facebook discussion group fostered better rapport with faculty, helped content learning, and improved emotional well-being. Also, they felt more comfortable seeking academic help after using the discussion group. They reported a slight preference for Facebook over email as a medium for asking questions, but no preference for either as a medium for distributing announcements. Students overwhelmingly recommended that the discussion group should be continued in future years.ConclusionThe Facebook discussion group was a free, efficient, and effective method of cultivating the learner-teacher relationship with the preclinical medical students, resulting in reported enhancement of learning and morale.
Highlights
Strong learner-teacher relationships are associated with more successful learning outcomes
The learner-teacher relationship in medical education is important for cultivating successful learning outcomes [1, 2]
As medical schools move to a organ-based curriculum, students often interact with faculty only over a short span of several weeks, as opposed to throughout year-long courses in the traditional model of undergraduate medical education [3]
Summary
Strong learner-teacher relationships are associated with more successful learning outcomes. With shortened modular curricula and increased availability of online resources, fostering faculty interaction with preclinical medical students has become more challenging. We sought to enhance learner-teacher relationships by engaging in discussion with preclinical medical students in their own online space. The learner-teacher relationship in medical education is important for cultivating successful learning outcomes [1, 2]. Fostering this relationship between preclinical undergraduate medical students and their teaching faculty has become difficult in recent years. As medical schools move to a organ-based curriculum, students often interact with faculty only over a short span of several weeks, as opposed to throughout year-long courses in the traditional model of undergraduate medical education [3]. The interaction with faculty is limited to occasional course announcement emails
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