If We Could Start from Scratch, What Would Schools Look like in the Twenty-First Century? Rethinking Schools as a Locus for Social Change

Today’s debate about education is prone to focusing on system optimization, test score improvement, and budgetary concerns. However, education is much more: it is primarily about a vision for our societies. As we think about a new vision, it has to speak to the ethos of our time. Today’s youth are heavily focused on social change, addressing global problems such as climate change, systemic racism, and economic inequality. This requires new content and pedagogies. Thus, schools should be rebuilt to support such endeavors, emphasizing ways of learning in which students have more agency and learning is more relevant. Currently, the schools where this work is possible are most typically located in affluent countries and regions. We should work to democratize the possibility of “learning how to change the world,” making public schools a viable locus for fostering social change.

P024: Extracurricular podcast use behaviour and effect on knowledge retention in undergraduate medical students

Introduction: Podcasts have become increasingly popular as a medium for free online access medical education (FOAM). However, little research has examined the naturalistic use of podcasts as a tool in undergraduate medical education. This study aims to determine usage conditions, preferences, and level of retention of information from podcasts by medical students at a Canadian University. Methods: Medical students (Years 1 to 3) were instructed to complete an online test assessing their baseline knowledge on the topics of the podcasts and for qualitative data on podcast usage and preferences. Audio podcasts on two topics (adult asthma, and introduction to toxicology) were then distributed to study participants. One week and two weeks after the initial survey students were asked to complete a follow-up survey for knowledge assessment and further podcast usage data. Simple descriptive statistical generated using Microsoft Excel. Paired samples t-tests were utilized to assess knowledge acquisition using Microsoft SPSS version 23. Results: Participants who successfully completed the knowledge assessments demonstrated a significant effect of learning (Asthma, average test score improvement of 30%, p=0.002; Toxicology, average test score improvement of 13%, p=0.004). The majority of participants who stated a preference in podcast length indicated they preferred podcasts of 30 or less minutes (85%). The top three activities participants were engaged in while listening to the podcasts were driving (46%), completing chores (26%), and exercising (23%). A large number of participants who did not complete the study in its entirety cited a lack of time and podcast length to be the top two barriers to completion. Conclusion: This is one of the first studies to examine podcast usage data and preferences in a Canadian undergraduate medical student population. This information may help educators and FOAM producers to optimize educational tools for medical education.