A Preference for Peers over Faculty in the Pandemic Era: Development and Evaluation of a Medical Student-led Virtual Physiology Exam Review

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, students at the University of California, Irvine, reimagined their peer-led, small-group, tutorial sessions into an online format. The virtual sessions improved student-reported understanding of physiological principles and reduced exam anxiety. Peer-led review remains a valuable resource in the era of virtual medical education.

1081 'Making the Leap’ To ST3 Plastic Surgery: An Interactive Online Course, In Response To COVID-19

Aim The ‘Making the Leap’ interactive online course (MTL) was specifically designed to be delivered during the COVID-19 restrictions. This course aimed to facilitate the difficult transition from CT to ST3 in Plastic Surgery. Method The courses consisted of interactive small-group tutorials, each conducted over 2 days, via Zoom, covering 12 plastic surgery core topics in 8 tutorials. The course was attended by 43 delegates from across the UK and abroad. The tutorials were delivered by 27 plastic surgery consultants. Anonymous feedback was collected from both delegates and faculty. Results The overall feedback from delegates were unanimously positive; 100% of the delegates stated that ‘they would recommend the course to a colleague’. All faculty and delegates agreed the use of video conferencing and small group tutorial to be either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ suitable for an interactive virtual course like MTL. 98% of delegates thought the course has made them feel more prepared to be a registrar, and 69% of delegates preferred an online interactive course instead of the traditional face-to-face method, for non-practical based courses. Conclusions COVID-19 necessitated delivering ‘Making the Leap” as a Zoom course. However, the feedback clearly demonstrated the need for such a course, and the suitability of the format. We discuss the challenges and learning points from our experience delivering successful interactive courses via Zoom.

Problem-oriented Project Work and Problem-based Learning

This paper addresses one of the major confusions in the study and practice of problem-based learning today, namely the use of the term “problem-based learning” to refer to both the small-group tutorial method pioneered by McMaster University and Maastricht University in medical education, and the problem-oriented project-work method developed in Denmark at the universities of Roskilde and Aalborg, which has gained prominence in recent years in the field of engineering education. This paper offers a comparison of the models using a thematic analysis of key elements of PBL, namely the nature of problems, the role of teachers, the nature of the educational process, and the underlying principles of the method, to conclude on a discussion of the causes of the confusion taking place today, and its potential ramifications for the study and practice of PBL in the future.

Blended learning in large enrolment courses: Student perceptions across four different instructional models

Drawing on data from five large enrolment introductory courses in a public university, we compared students’ perceptions of blended learning on design, interaction, learning, and satisfaction in four different blended models. The models, which were the result of a course redesign initiative, had different combinations of face-to-face lectures, online sessions, and small group tutorial classes. Our findings suggest that students perceived courses with fully online lectures and in-class tutorials most positively on design and overall satisfaction, while those enrolled in courses with in-class lectures and in-class tutorials, supplemented by online discussions, felt most positively about interaction. Students perceived learning in the former courses more favourably than the latter, however the differences were not statistically significant. The least preferred model overall was the one that had in-class lectures and tutorials that alternated weekly between in-class and online sessions.

Assessing medical students’ competence in calculating drug doses

Evidence suggests that healthcare professionals are not optimally able to calculate medicine doses and various strategies have been employed to improve these skills. In this study, the performance of third and fourth year medical students was assessed and the success of various educational interventions investigated. Students were given four types of dosing calculations typical of those required in an emergency setting. Full competence (at the 100% level) was defined as correctly answering all four categories of calculation at any one time. Three categories correct meant competence at the 75% level. Interventions comprised an assignment with a model answer for self-assessment in the third year and a small group tutorial in the fourth year. The small groups provided opportunities for peer-assisted learning. A subgroup of 23 students received individual tuition from the lecturer prior to the start of the fourth year. Amongst the 364 eligible students, full competence rose from 23% at the beginning of the third year to 66% by the end of the fourth year. More students succeeded during the fourth than the third year of study. Success of small group tuition was assessed in a sample of 200 students who had formal assessments both before and after the fourth year tuition. Competence at the 75% level improved by 10% in attendees and decreased by 3% in non-attendees, providing evidence of the value of students receiving assistance from more able same-language peers. Good results were achieved with one-on-one tuition where individualised assistance allowed even struggling students to improve.