Quantitative and qualitative analysis of student tutors as near-peer teachers in the gross anatomy course.

INTRODUCTION: Peer teaching is a well-established teaching method in medical education. During the 2012/13 winter term, the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology in Ulm, Germany, introduced a longitudinal didactics program ("Train the Tutor": TtT) to train student tutors as near-peer teachers (NPT) in the dissection course (DC). Twenty-three of 38 tutors participated in the programme. Our study describes the educational concept and the NPTs' activities in the dissection course. METHODS: NPTs documented their activities on a daily basis in the form of semi-structured reports. A total of 575 reports were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. Free-text analysis was performed using Grounded Theory followed by code quantification of all indications (n=1868). RESULTS: NPTs spend 61% of their time dissecting by themselves or supervising the tutee's dissection process. Organisational tasks had a larger share at the beginning of the course. Just before examinations the proportion of time spent giving feedback rose. Of all positive indications, 45% described experiences working with the tutees. In contrast, 68% of all negative indications were characterized by a self-critical reflection on their own activities. NPTs included all learning domains in their teaching, substantially functioning as teachers and role models to convey particular attitudes. CONCLUSION: TtT-Trained Tutors (NPT) clearly met the requirements of a practical course and adjusted their activities in response to the course's progress. NPTs were concerned about their tutees' attitudes and may need more professional support within the TtT program regarding this.

Effect of didactically qualified student tutors on their tutees' academic performance and tutor evaluation in the gross anatomy course.

INTRODUCTION: Peer teaching is widely applied in medical education, anatomists having a notably long tradition in cooperating with student tutors in the dissection course. At Ulm University we established an intensified concomitant didactic training program for student tutors and investigated possible effects on their tutees' academic performance and tutor evaluation. METHODS: In winter semester 2012/13 all student tutors of the dissection course were invited to participate in the "Train-the-Tutor" educational program.1 Test results and failure rates of 149 tutees who had been supervised by program participants (n=14) and 136 tutees of not participating tutors (n=13) were analyzed, as well as data on tutor evaluation and learning behavior of 235 (82%) of these tutees. RESULTS: Overall, both groups of tutees showed equal learning behavior and evaluated their tutors' performances similarly. However, tutees of program participants consistently obtained better examination results (median: 1.9 versus 2.2 in overall scores) and lower ultimate failure rates (13.4 versus 17.6% of students failed, respectively). DISCUSSION: An intensified didactic training program for student tutors may help their tutees to pass the gross anatomy course. Additional studies are necessary to objectify and further investigate this effect in order to optimize the concept regarding time expenditure and costs.