Traditional Lecture-based Curriculum Research Articles

A Psychiatry Clerkship Orientation Based on Bite-Sized Teaching and Chalk Talks.

Chalk talks are a subtype of bite-sized teaching with potential benefits over conventional teaching methods, including their use of visuals, adaptability, and potential to be more engaging. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an orientation curriculum for medical students during the psychiatry clerkship based on bite-sized teaching and chalk talks. A series of brief (10min) lectures were developed covering fundamental skills in psychiatry, including psychiatric interview, mental status exam, and differential diagnosis. Talks were presented to medical students by the study author on the first day of their psychiatry clerkship in 60-min group educational sessions with 10-15 students per group. Data was gathered in pre- and post-session surveys that measured response to 4 knowledge-based questions on mental status exam terminology, 3 questions assessing confidence in completing skills associated with the talks, and 3 questions assessing beliefs regarding these skills. Fifty-six medical students participated in the educational sessions and completed pre- and post-session surveys. Students showed significant improvement from pre- to post-session in answering knowledge questions and perceived confidence in all skills, and indicated significant change in their beliefs regarding these topics. Although this is a small study without a control group, the results provide initial evidence that approaches to teaching foundational psychiatry topics based on bite-sized teaching and chalk talks may be an acceptable and more time-efficient alternative to a traditional lecture-based curriculum, and can produce significant changes in knowledge and attitudes.

A preclinical hybrid curriculum and its impact on dental student learning outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to measure how the implementation of an online, preclinical hybrid curriculum impacts dental student clinic readiness, the outcomes of grades, critical thinking skills, and student and faculty perceptions respectively. This longitudinal comparative and descriptive study used objective data and subjective (survey) data for 4 dental class cohorts. Groups A and B experienced a traditional lecture-based curriculum, while Groups C and D experienced a hybrid curriculum that was lecture-free and implemented active learning. The Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), an objective assessment, was used to measure students' critical thinking skills. Dental student outcomes have either remained steady or improved with the transition to a new hybrid curriculum. According to the student and faculty survey results, the hybrid curriculum promoted student learning, independence, critical thinking, initiative and self-motivation, and clinic practice readiness. Group C (N = 68) Total Online Platform mean scores demonstrated a significant and moderately strong correlation with the preclinical course mean grades (r = 0.68, P = 0.00). Group D HSRT (n = 63) for Attempt 1 (end of year 1) and Attempt 2 (end of Year 2) paired T test resulted in HSRT Overall (mean difference= -2.27, SD = 7.21, t = -2.5, P = 0.02) for the second preclinical year. The hybrid curricular approach afforded many benefits. Faculty took an active role in imparting knowledge when compared to the lecture hall. Having students immersed in continual assessment through an online adaptive platform and active learning promoted self-motivation, deeper learning, applied knowledge, and discouraged superficial memorization.

Experiential financial education: A field study of my classroom economy in elementary schools

My Classroom Economy is a simulated economy where students have the opportunity to engage in financial decisions on a daily basis. It provides financial literacy instruction without requiring significant classroom time, and is relatively simple for teachers to implement. Compared to schools where My Classroom Economy was delayed or never implemented, students showed strong improvements in financial knowledge. Compared to a traditional lecture-based curriculum, students showed similar gains in learning. Based on standardized math test scores, there was no substitution away from core school curriculum after the program began. Experiential financial education appears to be an effective strategy to teach financial literacy, even at lower grade levels. It is also a relatively low-cost approach that does not require extensive teacher preparation.

Self-regulated learning in a competency-based and flipped learning environment: learning strategies across achievement levels and years

ABSTRACT Background: The transition from a traditional lecture-based curriculum to a competency-based curriculum poses significant challenges to both students and faculty in medical schools, especially when the curriculum is implemented in a flipped learning environment. Self-regulated learning (SRL) has been proven to be beneficial for competency-based learning and flipped classroom learning, but medical educators cannot expect our entering medical students to bring in these learning skills automatically. Methods: This study took place in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. A new competency-based curriculum was implemented in the fall 2016, focusing on the integration of basic science and clinical experience. Participants in this study were 26 first- and second-year students. By interviewing each student about the learning strategies they use in independent learning before class, we investigated how students use SRL strategies in different phases of learning, and how their adoption of SRL strategies differ across self-perceived achievement groups and years. Results: We found that students frequently use strategies in the stages of planning and reflection, but less frequently during the learning or monitoring phase. Students who perceive themselves as high achieving, and students in their second year of medical school do use more learning strategies during the monitoring stage than their counterparts. Conclusions: Students who lack self-regulation strategies may fail to comprehend or connect ideas in their pre-class learning, which could lead to ineffective learning outcomes during in-class activities. Our study indicated that while medical students, who tend to be successful learners in their undergraduate study, were able to use learning strategies to plan and reflect on their learning, they need more explicit instruction in how to monitor their own learning.

Single-Facilitator Case-Based Learning as an Alternative to a Didactic Curriculum in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship

BACKGROUND: Case-based learning is a pedagogical model that has become popular among medical curricula. Intended benefits over traditional, lecture-based didactics include greater learner participation due to active use of knowledge and problem-solving techniques, collaboration among colleagues, and clearer translation to the clinical setting. Limited data exist as to whether this format leads to enhanced learning, improved performance on standardized examinations, or greater interest in the specialty. METHODS: This study utilized an electronic questionnaire distributed to two consecutive cohorts of medical students. The first cohort followed an established didactic curriculum consisting of lectures from multiple faculty experts, and the second completed case-based sessions led by a single faculty facilitator. The questionnaire consisted of 10 items assessing medical student satisfaction with their learning and career plans. Official shelf examination score reports were obtained. Chi-square and student t tests with a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons were performed to evaluate the difference between each cohort. RESULTS: A total of 40 students completed the questionnaire, 22 in the didactic cohort and 18 in the case-based cohort. A greater proportion of students undergoing the case-based curriculum felt that their educational sessions were time well spent (67% versus 18%, P=.004) and that they were of greater quality than the curricula of other clerkships (44% versus 0%, P=.002). No differences were identified between career interest or perception of faculty engagement in student learning. There were no differences between cohorts in shelf examination scores, time spent in preparation, or subjective readiness for the examination. DISCUSSION: Medical students reported greater satisfaction with single-facilitator, case-based learning over traditional lecture-based curriculum in the Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship. Although no differences were noted between interest in the field or performance on national standardized examinations, positive experiences during their clerkship may lead to enhanced engagement with the content, perceptions of the specialty, and care for patients with obstetric or gynecologic diagnoses.

A survey study on student preferences regarding pathology teaching in Germany: a call for curricular modernization.

BackgroundPathology is a discipline that provides the basis of the understanding of disease in medicine. The past decades have seen a decline in the emphasis laid on pathology teaching in medical schools and outdated pathology curricula have worsened the situation. Student opinions and thoughts are central to the questions of whether and how such curricula should be modernized.MethodsA survey was conducted among 1018 German medical students regarding their preferences in pathology teaching modalities and their satisfaction with lecture-based courses. A qualitative analysis was performed comparing a recently modernized pathology curriculum with a traditional lecture-based curriculum. The differences in modalities of teaching used were investigated.ResultsStudent satisfaction with the lecture-based curriculum positively correlated with student grades (spearman’s correlation coefficient 0.24). Additionally, students with lower grades supported changing the curriculum (spearman’s correlation coefficient 0.47). The majority supported virtual microscopy, autopsies, seminars and podcasts as preferred didactic methods.ConclusionsThe data supports the implementation of a pathology curriculum where tutorials, autopsies and supplementary computer-based learning tools play important roles.

Podcast Model for Medical Student Electroencephalogram Instruction

Podcast technology remains attractive for educational purposes. Limited exposure to subjects like electroencephalograms (EEGs) and departure from traditional lectures may impact podcasting’s educational value. This pilot study aimed to assess the increase of EEG knowledge using a curriculum consisting of Web-based video podcasting compared to a traditional lecture-based curriculum. The medical students (podcast group) received the curriculum with video podcasting; the controls, comprising first-year residents without exposure to EEG, received conventional didactics. All participants then interpreted 10 EEGs with a neurophysiologist. Evaluation tools were administered at baseline (before any EEG instruction) and after 10 EEG interpretations. The podcast group was also evaluated after the podcast instruction. Evaluation tools were unique for each assessment time period, comprising 25 questions designed for curriculum evaluation. Scores represent the correct number of questions. Fourteen fourth-year medical students comprised the podcast group; 10 participants were in the control group. The mean scores with standard deviations were 8.43 ± 2.38 at baseline, 13.64 ± 2.71 after the podcast (p ≤ 0.0001), and 14.86 ± 2.63 (p ≤ 0.0001) after interpreting 10 EEGs. Statistical analysis revealed evaluation scores for the podcast group increased between baseline and after 10 EEG interpretations comparable to controls that received the traditional lecture-based EEG curriculum (p = 0.003) (control group: baseline = 9.70 ± 1.49, after 10 EEGs = 13.44 ± 2.30). Video podcasting in this pilot study as measured by the evaluation tools was more effective for increasing EEG knowledge than traditional lecture-based didactics.

Is the Time Right to Start Using Flipped Classrooms in Indian Medical Colleges?

Is the Time Right to Start Using Flipped Classrooms in Indian Medical Colleges?

Flipped classroom model improves graduate student performance in cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal physiology

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a traditional lecture-based curriculum versus a modified "flipped classroom" curriculum of cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal physiology delivered to first-year graduate students. Students in both courses were provided the same notes and recorded lectures. Students in the modified flipped classroom were required to watch the prerecorded lectures before class and then attend class, where they received a quiz or homework covering material in each lecture (valued at 25% of the final grade) followed by a question and answer/problem-solving period. In the traditional curriculum, attending lectures was optional and there were no quizzes. Evaluation of effectiveness and student performance was achieved by having students in both courses take the same multiple-choice exams. Within a comparable group of graduate students, participants in the flipped course scored significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) on the cardiovascular, respiratory, and weighted cumulative sections by an average of >12 percentage points. Exam averages for students in the flipped course also tended to be higher on the renal section by ∼11 percentage points (P = 0.06). Based on our experience and responses obtained in blinded student surveys, we propose that the use of homework and in-class quizzes were critical motivating factors that likely contributed to the increase in student exam performance. Taken together, our findings support that the flipped classroom model is a highly effective means in which to disseminate key physiological concepts to graduate students.

A problem-based learning curriculum and undergraduate performance in the final psychiatry examination at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine

<p><strong>Background.</strong> Medical education reformers must consider disease patterns, health system expectations and clearly specified outcomes to ensure that revised curricula are relevant. South Africa needs clinically competent doctors in adequate numbers to address the burden of psychiatric illnesses.</p><p><strong>Objective.</strong> To evaluate the impact of a curricular reform, this study compared undergraduate students’ clinical competence in psychiatry following a change from a six-year traditional lecture-based (LB) curriculum to a five-year problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. </p><p><span><strong>Method.</strong> The psychiatry examination records of 936 students enrolled in a PBL curriculum were compared with those of 771 students enrolled in a LB curriculum, covering a nine-year period from 2001 to 2009. Records covered the long case, case vignette and oral examinations. </span></p><p><strong>Results.</strong> Students in the PBL group performed significantly better in the problem-solving case vignette examination (<em>p</em><0.02). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean marks for the long case and the oral examination. Because the revised curriculum is shorter, one additional class of 200 students graduated during the duration of the study than would have been possible under the previous curriculum. </p><p><strong>Conclusion. </strong>The new PBL curriculum produced more doctors, but there was no change in their psychiatric knowledge and skills compared with graduates from the old LB curriculum. Clinical teachers need to define outcomes prior to curriculum revision, because these are essential for evaluating the curriculum’s success.</p>

Clinical competence of nursing graduates in Kenya

The objective was to compare the clinical competence of nurse graduates of two curricula tracts. At the time of the study Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) had an innovative skillslab-integrated curriculum for Kenya registered community health nurses trained in Nairobi and a traditional lecture-based curriculum for those trained elsewhere. 288 nurse graduates were recruited for the study. Two clinical skills were randomly selected for evidence-based performance. Indicators of competence were identified through Delphi study. Approval to conduct the study was obtained from Ministries of Health and Education and joint University of Nairobi, Kenyatta National Hospital Ethics and Research Committee. Data were collected through evidence-based performance, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). Data input and analysis were done using Excel Version 2003-97. There was significant difference (_2=65.988, p<0.001) in performance between graduates of the two methodologies. Those of the skillslab-based curriculum were described as critical thinkers. Those of the control group were described as better ward managers. The skillslab graduates consistently scored higher in all indicators of competence and across the components of nursing expertise.

Preparation for Practice by Veterinary School: A Comparison of the Perceptions of Alumni from a Traditional and an Innovative Veterinary Curriculum

Alumni survey research can tap users' perspectives on an educational product and thereby provide valuable information for outcomes assessment aimed at improving the quality of educational programs. The study documented here compared the perceptions of two groups of alumni from two curricula offered by the same veterinary school, where the traditional lecture-based curriculum had been gradually replaced by a reformed, more student-centered curriculum. Year 1 of the new curriculum started in 1995, while the old curriculum continued to be delivered to the entering class of 1994. The aim of our study was to determine whether the new program received more positive evaluations from the alumni and whether it was perceived as offering better preparation for veterinary practice. A questionnaire was sent to all alumni who had graduated in the period 2001--2003. Compared to alumni of the traditional program, alumni of the new curriculum reported higher perceived competence levels for clinical knowledge and skills (specific competencies) and for communication skills and academic skills (generic competencies). Alumni of both programs attributed difficulties in the transition from university to work to lack of experience with practical or technical skills and with primary-care cases. They suggested that more attention be paid to these aspects of practice and to practice/business management and communication with clients. The concrete changes in the curriculum appear to have had a noticeable positive effect, without the feared detrimental effect on knowledge acquisition. The results point to further program improvements, particularly for practice-oriented specific and generic skills.

Preregistration house officer skill and competency assessment through questionnaires

In 1996 the University of Liverpool reformed its medical course from a very traditional lecture-based curriculum to an integrated problem-based learning curriculum. This article summarizes the results of questionnaires sent to both traditional and reformed curricula Liverpool graduates asking them to assess their competencies.

Preregistration house officer skill and competency assessment through questionnaires

In 1996 the University of Liverpool reformed its medical course from a very traditional lecture-based curriculum to an integrated problem-based learning curriculum. This article summarizes the results of questionnaires sent to both traditional and reformed curricula Liverpool graduates asking them to assess their competencies.

Does a new integrated PBL curriculum with specific communication skills classes produce Pre Registration House Officers (PRHOs) with improved communication skills?

Over recent years communication skills training has played an increasingly important role in UK medical curricula. When The University of Liverpool reformed its medical curriculum in 1996 from a traditional lecture-based curriculum to an integrated problem-based learning curriculum formal communication skills training was introduced into the course. The paper deals with a comparison between PRHOs’ ideas about communication competencies for PRHOs who did receive communication skills training and those involved in a traditional curriculum without formal communication training. This has involved distributing questionnaires to PRHOs and their educational supervisors, holding focus groups with PRHOs and interviewing educational supervisors. Data have been collected on the last cohort of the traditional curriculum and first cohort of the new curriculum to allow comparisons between cohorts. The PRHO questionnaires show that both cohorts feel they are good communicators but the focus groups show different reasons for this. The traditional graduates feel it is because doctors are ‘natural communicators’ and those skills can't be taught. The PBL graduates relate their communication skills to their undergraduate tuition and found they used these techniques when communicating as PRHOs. Both the questionnaires and interviews with the consultants demonstrate they feel the communication of PRHOs has significantly improved.

Adding problem-based learning tutorials to a traditional lecture-based curriculum: a pilot study in a dental school

This article reports on the implementation of a problem-based learning (PBL) tutorial in our advanced program for second year students within an existing curriculum. The program was opened on the last 5 days of the summer vacation and students could volunteer to be part of the group. Students separated themselves into small groups by random sampling. The PBL tutorials were done during the first 3 days for medical problems according to our original scenarios (based on medical cases), and during the last 2 days, students made presentations of their learning outcomes, using information technology (IT) by themselves. Throughout this program, students were expected to engage in self-learning, except for a 1(1/2)-h group session with a tutor. Assessment was done by attendance at a group session and by portfolio analysis. Following the portfolio analysis, students identified the number of learning issues (group A, 26 +/- 7 issues; group B, 20 +/- 3 issues; group C, 21 +/- 7 issues). Research, by questionnaire, revealed that 84% of the students were strongly interested in each scenario and 95% of the students felt familiar with each scenario. The levels of satisfaction with the tutor were different in the three groups. All of the students were comfortable in the discussion room and IT center. These results suggested that PBL tutorials are supported by the scenario, the tutor, and the location of the group session, as well as by self-learning. Moreover, one of the most important factors for a PBL tutorial that the student is ready for the free discussions and has enough time for individual self-learning.

Comparison of aspects of preregistration house officer training from traditional and new medical curricula

As medical graduates from the new (problem-based learning) curriculum at University of Liverpool undertook their first post in the postgraduate clinical setting, this study investigated whether their views of preregistration training in the Mersey Deanery differed from the last cohort of preregistration house officers who had graduated from the traditional lecture-based medical curriculum at University of Liverpool.

The Impact of a Newly Implemented PBL Curriculum on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Part I Examinations at the National University of Health Sciences

Background: Performance differences between students of traditional lecture-based curricula and students of problem-based learning (PBL) curricula on standardized National Board Examinations have been studied. Purpose: To assess the impact and effectiveness of a change from a traditional lecture-based curriculum to a PBL curriculum. Methods: Student performance in a traditional lecture-based curriculum (entering class of 1997) was compared to student performance in a PBL curriculum (entering class of 1998) on the standardized National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Part I Examination. Results: There was a difference between the two curricula, with the PBL curriculum students outperforming the traditional lecture-based curriculum students on each individual part (d =. 36-.95) of the National Board Examination and overall (d =. 96). Conclusion: A comparison of student performance on a standardized National Board Examination has proved a useful tool at quantifying the impact of a newly implemented PBL curriculum.

The Changing Face of Dental Education: The Impact of PBL

The past decade has seen increasing demands for reform of dental education that would produce a graduate better equipped to work in the rapidly changing world of the twenty-first century. Among the most notable curriculum changes implemented in dental schools is a move toward Problem-Based Learning (PBL). PBL, in some form, has been a feature of medical education for several decades, but has only recently been introduced into dental schools. This paper discusses the rationale for the introduction of a PBL pedagogy into dental education, the modalities of PBL being introduced, and the implications of the introduction of PBL into dental schools. Matters related to implementation, faculty development, admissions, and assessment are addressed. Observations derived from a parallel-track dental PBL curriculum at the University of Southern California (USC) are presented and discussed. This program conforms to the Barrows (1998) concept of "authentic PBL" in that the program has no scheduled lectures and maintains a PBL pedagogy for all four years of the curriculum. The USC dental students working in the PBL curriculum have attained a high level of achievement on U.S. National Dental Boards (Part I) examinations, significantly superior to their peers working in a traditional lecture-based curriculum.

The marriage of a traditional lecture-based curriculum and problem-based learning: are the offspring vigorous?

In 1991, the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, USA implemented a curriculum that married a lecture-based first-year program with a problem-based curriculum in the second year. The achievement of the original curricular goals was evaluated using student surveys, alumni surveys, residency director surveys, and student performance measures. The preponderance of indicators demonstrates that this unusual curricular structure was successful in improving students' perceptions of and performance in basic sciences without sacrificing the school's tradition of a strong psychosocial orientation. Based on constructivist views of learning theory, it is hypothesized that the curriculum promotes solid knowledge construction by providing the introduction to each basic science discipline in the first year upon which integrated conceptions are more readily built during the second year.