Establishing links between assessments and expected learning outcomes through curriculum mapping in a dental physiology curriculum.

Background: . The relevance of curriculum mapping to determine the links between expected learning outcomes and assessment is well stated in the literature. Nevertheless, studies confirming the usage of such maps are minimal. Methods: . We assessed links through curriculum mapping, between assessments and expected learning outcomes of dental physiology curriculum of three batches of students (2012-14) at Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC), Manipal. The questions asked under each assessment method were mapped to the respective expected learning outcomes, and students' scores in different assessments in physiology were gathered. Students' (n = 220) and teachers' (n=15) perspectives were collected through focus group discussion sessions and questionnaire surveys. Results: . More than 75% of students were successful (≥50% scores) in majority of the assessments. There was moderate (r=0.4-0.6) to strong positive correlation (r=0.7-0.9) between majority of the assessments. However, students' scores in viva voce had a weak positive correlation with the practical examination score (r=0.230). The score in the assessments of problem-based learning had either weak (r=0.1-0.3) or no correlation with other assessment scores. Conclusions: . Through curriculum mapping, we were able to establish links between assessments and expected learning outcomes. We observed that, in the assessment system followed at MMMC, all expected learning outcomes were not given equal weightage in the examinations. Moreover, there was no direct assessment of self-directed learning skills. Our study also showed that assessment has supported students in achieving the expected learning outcomes as evidenced by the qualitative and quantitative data.

Evaluation of a mentored student project programme using reflective summaries.

Background: . Undergraduate research experience has become increasingly relevant for today's medical students, considering the professional requirements of their challenging future. Methods: . In the mentored student project (MSP) programme at Melaka Manipal Medical College, students undertake a short-term group research project under the guidance of their mentor. After data collection and analysis, students are required to write an abstract, present a poster and also write individual reflective summaries of their research experience. We evaluated the MSP programme using reflective summaries of a batch of undergraduate medical students. Data from 41 reflective summaries were analysed using the thematic analysis approach. The learning outcomes at the third and fourth levels of the Kirkpatrick evaluation model were determined from the summaries. Results: . Students' reflective summaries indicated that they were satisfied with the MSP experience. In all the summaries, there was a mention of an improvement in teamwork skills through MSP. Improved relations with mentors were another relevant outcome. Improvement in communication skills and a positive change related to research attitude were also reported by students. Conclusions: . Reflective summaries as a means to evaluate the MSP programme was found to be an easy, feasible and cost-effective method. The qualitative approach adopted for data analysis enabled the programme coordinators to assess the strengths and barriers of the programme.

Using an integrated teaching approach to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes in a preclinical medical curriculum in India.

Today most education institutions around the world have adopted the philosophy of outcome-based education. The emphasis in outcome-based education is achievement of outcomes; hence the curriculum should be designed in a way that it includes the components targeted specifically at achieving these outcomes. A discipline-based approach results in fragmentation of learning and lack of clinical applicability. Integrated teaching could be a solution to achieve required outcomes in a holistic way. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated teaching module. Temporal coordination of the basic sciences, along with correlation of learned topics to clinical settings, was done in the first year of the undergraduate medical program. The module was evaluated by obtaining qualitative and quantitative feedback from students. Student assessment was conducted with a test that had case vignettes and multiple-choice questions. In addition, students' change in learning approaches and self-directed learning readiness were collected. Students' perception regarding the educational environment was also obtained. Analysis of the data showed positive feedback from the students regarding the integrated teaching. Students' average score in the test was 86%. There was a significant increase in the scores for the deep approach and self-directed learning readiness in the posttest compared with the pretest. Moreover, students were found to be satisfied with the educational environment. Evaluation of integrated teaching revealed that it was well accepted by the students. Moreover, it facilitated the achievement of the students' outcomes.

Assessment for learning: a needs analysis study using formative assessment to evaluate the need for curriculum reform in basic sciences.

A needs analysis study for curriculum reform in basic sciences was conducted at Melaka Manipal Medical College, India, by means of a formative assessment method, namely Basic Science Retention Examination (BSRE). Students participated in a BSRE, which comprised recall and clinical multiple-choice questions in six discipline areas. They also rated the clinical relevance of each question and provided responses to three open-text questions about the exam. Pass rates were determined; clinical relevance ratings and performance scores were compared between recall type and clinical questions to test students' level of clinical application of basic science knowledge. Text comments were thematically analyzed to identify recurring themes. Only one-third of students passed the BSRE (32.2%). Students performed better in recall questions compared with clinical questions in anatomy (51.0 vs. 40.2%), pathology (45.1 vs. 38.1%), pharmacology (41.8 vs. 31.7%), and biochemistry (43.5 vs. 26.9%). In physiology, students performed better in clinical questions compared with the recall type (56.2 vs. 45.8%). Students' response to BSRE was positive. The findings imply that transfer of basic science knowledge was poor, and that assessment methods should emphasize clinical application of basic science knowledge.

Modified directed self-learning sessions in physiology with prereading assignments and Pecha Kucha talks: perceptions of students.

The present study reports perceptions of first-year undergraduate medical students ( n = 120), regarding modified directed self-learning (DSL) sessions in physiology. Students were provided with prereading assignments (faculty developed PowerPoint slides containing diagrams with incomplete labeling/flowcharts with missing steps) pertaining to the DSL topic 1 wk before the scheduled small-group DSL presentations. During DSL presentation sessions, which were facilitated by teachers, a few students individually presented learning objectives in the specified topic. Apart from that, students discussed answers for the questions in the prereading assignment. Students were also given an opportunity to use technology to support DSL, by way of involving them in Pecha Kucha (PK) talks. The impact of the modified DSL method was determined by requesting students to respond to a validated questionnaire. Frequency analysis of the responses revealed that >60% of students were positive about the modified DSL sessions improving their DSL, presentation, collaborative learning, and information retrieving skills. Students agreed that PK talks helped them to learn how to organize content (65%), present concise information (65.8%), and apply creativity (72.5%). Even though small in number, there were comments that the prereading assignments were useful for learning. The present study revealed that, even though students actively participated in modified DSL sessions, their perceptions on satisfaction and usefulness of the same toward achievement of various skills were not encouraging. The study generated significant results, which implies that undergraduate medical students should be oriented on the relevance of active learning strategies in their future studies.

Teaching and Assessing Reflecting Skills among Undergraduate Medical Students Experiencing Research.

INTRODUCTION: Reflection is the integral component of lifelong learning. Hence, there is a need for incorporating opportunities for students in the curriculum, to develop these skills. AIM: To evaluate the feasibility of incorporating teaching-learning activity on reflection early in the undergraduate medical curriculum using research experience as a context, and, to determine whether the reflective skills of students improve upon training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was experimental with test and control groups and was conducted at Melaka Manipal Medical College, India. Senior batch of medical students in the second year of the course, about to complete their research project were considered as the test group and subsequent junior batch which was in middle of the research activity was the control. The test group was provided with a teaching-learning activity on reflection. Following this, students were asked to write reflective summary on experience of doing research. The control group who did not receive any training on reflection were also requested to write reflective summaries. Reflective summaries were graded by two authors independently using a newly developed rubric. Later, the grades were designated with scores. Perspective regarding this teaching-learning activity was collected from the test group. Feasibility was examined during teaching-learning activity and assessment. Mean reflective summary scores of control and test groups were expressed as mean±standard deviation and compared using independent samples t-test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Inter-rater reliability of the rubric was analyzed using Kappa statistics. RESULTS: The teaching-learning activity lasted for two hours. It took an average of five minutes for researchers to assess each reflective summary. There was a statistically significant (p<0.001) difference in the mean reflective summary scores between control (26.45±9.43) and test (51.66±6.56) groups. Kappa for inter-rater reliability was 0.784 denoting substantial agreement between two raters. Perceptions revealed acceptability of module (median 4, scale 1-5). CONCLUSION: Teaching and assessing reflecting skills among students using research experience as context was feasible. This study demonstrated that students acquire better reflecting skills after undergoing training.

Heutagogic approach to developing capable learners.

The twenty-first century higher education sector has come a long way after undergoing continuous metamorphosis from pedagogy to andragogy. Most of the educational approaches adopted in medical schools are directed towards developing more of competencies and less of capability, which is the ability to use competencies in novel contexts. Competencies alone are not sufficient to thrive in the present day work place as medical profession subsumes complex contexts; it is in this scenario that, medical educators are entrusted with the challenging task of developing "capable learners". In the heutagogical approach, learners are required to decide upon what to learn and how to learn and therefore the control of the learning process is on the learner and the role of the teacher becomes that of a navigator. This paper highlights the current higher educational practices based on heutagogy, considers its application in the context of Problem-based learning and also discusses a few challenges in incorporating this approach in the existing undergraduate medical curriculum. The article proposes the use of social media in order to support learner autonomy, which in turn improves learners' cognitive engagement with content and tasks, thereby assisting the development of attributes associated with capability.

"Heart Shots": a classroom activity to instigate active learning.

The present study aimed to provide undergraduate medical students at Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, in Karnataka, India, an opportunity to apply their knowledge in cardiovascular concepts to real-life situations. A group activity named "Heart Shots" was implemented for a batch of first-year undergraduate students (n = 105) at the end of a block (teaching unit). Students were divided into 10 groups each having 10-11 students. They were requested to make a video/PowerPoint presentation about the application of cardiovascular principles to real-life situations. The presentation was required to be of only pictures/photos and no text material, with a maximum duration of 7 min. More than 95% of students considered that the activity helped them to apply their knowledge in cardiovascular concepts to real-life situations and understand the relevance of physiology in medicine and to revise the topic. More than 90% of students agreed that the activity helped them to apply their creativity in improving their knowledge and to establish a link between concepts rather than learning them as isolated facts. Based on the feedback, we conclude that the activity was student centered and that it facilitated learning.

Exploring first-year undergraduate medical students' self-directed learning readiness to physiology.

Medical students are expected to possess self-directed learning skills to pursue lifelong learning. Previous studies have reported that the readiness for self-directed learning depends on personal attributes as well as the curriculum followed in institutions. Melaka Manipal Medical College of Manipal University (Karnataka, India) offers a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) twinning program that is of 5 yr in duration. Keeping in mind the amount of time that the curriculum has devoted for self-directed learning, we explored the self-directed learning readiness of first-year MBBS students (n = 130) using a self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) and explored the correlation between SDLRS scores of high achievers, medium achievers, and low achievers with their academic performance in physiology examinations. Students were requested to respond to each item of the SDLRS on a Likert scale. Median scores of the three scales of the SDLRS were compared across the three groups of students using a Kruskall-Wallis test. SDLRS scores of the students (n = 130) were correlated with their marks in theory papers of first, second, and third block-end examinations using Spearmann's correlation coefficient. The mean item score for desire for learning was found to be higher followed by self-control and self-management. Data analyses showed significantly high (P < 0.03) median scores for self-control for high achievers compared with medium and low achievers. Between the groups, high achievers had a higher score for all the three scales of the SDLRS followed by low and medium achievers. SDLRS scores and academic performance of the three groups of students were found to exhibit a weak correlation. This study threw light on the fact that despite having a high desire for learning and ability of self-control, students need to be supported in their self-management skills.

Students' perceptions regarding educational environment in an Indian dental school.

BACKGROUND: As one of India's premier dental schools, the Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, has striven to be in the forefront of dental education ever since its inception in 1965. But one of our main drawbacks has been the lack of students' perceptions about the educational atmosphere in our institution. AIM: (1) To understand the students' perceptions of the educational environment. (2) To compare the results with those of other dental/medical schools. METHODS: Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to gather information about the environment in our institution. The same was administered to first year and final year students (63 each). RESULTS: The main area of convergence of both groups was that the social atmosphere was not very congenial. But the thought-provoking finding was that both groups felt that the teachers were authoritarian. CONCLUSION: The lack of congenial atmosphere in our institution seems to be due to the attitude of the course organizers.A need for makeover in attitudes and approach on the part of the teachers to make the learning experience more pleasant for the students was made obvious by this study.

A trial of the objective structured practical examination in physiology at Melaka Manipal Medical College, India.

A single examination does not fulfill all the functions of assessment. The present study was undertaken to determine the reliability and student satisfaction regarding the objective structured practical examination (OSPE) as a method of assessment of laboratory exercises in physiology before implementing it in the forthcoming university examination. The present study was undertaken in the Department of Physiology of Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Campus, India. During the OSPE, students were made to rotate through 11 stations, of which 8 stations were composed of questions that tested their knowledge and critical thinking and 2 stations were composed of skills that students had to perform before the examiner. One station was kept as the rest station. Performance of the students was assessed by comparing the students' scores in the traditional practical examination (TPE) and OSPE using "Bland-Altman technique." Student perspectives regarding the OSPE were obtained by asking them to respond to a questionnaire. The Bland-Altman plot showed that approximately 63% of the students showed a performance in the scores obtained using the OSPE and TPE within the acceptable limit of 8; 32% of the students scored much above the anticipated difference in the scores, and the rest scored below the anticipated difference in the scores on the OSPE and TPE. Feedback indicated that students were in favor of the OSPE compared with the TPE. Feedback from the students provided scope for improvement before the OSPE was administered for the first time in the forthcoming university examination.

Student perspectives of assessment by TEMM model in physiology.

Assessment is the process by which the teacher and the student gain knowledge about student progress. Assessment systems should aim at evaluating the desired learning outcomes. In Melaka Manipal Medical College, (Manipal Campus), Manipal, India, the TEMM model (consisting of 4 assessment methods: Triple Jump Test, essay incorporating critical thinking questions, Multistation Integrated Practical Examination, and multiple choice questions) was introduced to 30 refresher students in the fourth block of the academic year. At the end of the block, a questionnaire was distributed to ask the students to rank the different assessments in the order of their preference with respect to seven items. Analysis of the results showed that not a single type of assessment was ranked highest for all the seven items, proving the earlier observation that a single assessment does not fulfill all aspects of assessment and that there is a need for an evaluating system with multiple ways of assessment.