Question-based collaborative learning for constructive curricular alignment
File(s)
Author(s)
Wynn-Lawrence, Laura S
Bala, Laksha
Fletcher, Rebekah J
Wilson, Rebecca K
Sam, Amir H
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Introduction
We designed a curriculum mapping tool which enables medical students to access intended learning outcomes (ILOs) on their iPads in the workplace. Students were encouraged to use the online curriculum map in a specially planned teaching session: Question-Based Collaborative Learning (QBCL). The aim of the session was to empower medical students to constructively align their experiential learning with the learning outcomes of the undergraduate curriculum. In doing so, our session aimed to provide students with a greater understanding of the curriculum, improve their insights into assessment and their question-writing abilities.
Methods
The QBCL pre-session preparation involved reviewing a patient with a presentation that aligned to the year-specific ILOs. During a 150 minute QBCL session, students received training on how to write high quality multiple choice questions (MCQs) delivered by a faculty member of Imperial College School of Medicine. They then worked collaboratively in groups and created MCQs based on their clinical encounters. Their questions were tagged to the relevant learning objective and submitted online via the curriculum map. The student-generated MCQs were analyzed using an adjusted version of Bloom’s taxonomy. We also conducted a quantitative evaluation of the session.
Results
One hundred and sixty-three questions were submitted, with 81% of questions being tagged to ILOs considered to show evidence of learning consistent with the ‘Apply’ tier of Bloom’s taxonomy. The majority of students agreed that the session was interactive (80%), thought-provoking (77%) and improved their team-working skills (70%). It gave them a greater understanding of the undergraduate curriculum (65%), improved their question-writing and insight into assessments (76%), and provided an opportunity to learn from their peers (86%). Students agreed that this session covered a variety of cases (82%) and deepened their understanding of medical conditions and presentations (87%).
Conclusions
We encouraged students to actively interact with the curriculum map. Students were able to achieve their own constructive alignment by writing assessment items based on real patients and linking them to the appropriate intended learning outcomes.
We designed a curriculum mapping tool which enables medical students to access intended learning outcomes (ILOs) on their iPads in the workplace. Students were encouraged to use the online curriculum map in a specially planned teaching session: Question-Based Collaborative Learning (QBCL). The aim of the session was to empower medical students to constructively align their experiential learning with the learning outcomes of the undergraduate curriculum. In doing so, our session aimed to provide students with a greater understanding of the curriculum, improve their insights into assessment and their question-writing abilities.
Methods
The QBCL pre-session preparation involved reviewing a patient with a presentation that aligned to the year-specific ILOs. During a 150 minute QBCL session, students received training on how to write high quality multiple choice questions (MCQs) delivered by a faculty member of Imperial College School of Medicine. They then worked collaboratively in groups and created MCQs based on their clinical encounters. Their questions were tagged to the relevant learning objective and submitted online via the curriculum map. The student-generated MCQs were analyzed using an adjusted version of Bloom’s taxonomy. We also conducted a quantitative evaluation of the session.
Results
One hundred and sixty-three questions were submitted, with 81% of questions being tagged to ILOs considered to show evidence of learning consistent with the ‘Apply’ tier of Bloom’s taxonomy. The majority of students agreed that the session was interactive (80%), thought-provoking (77%) and improved their team-working skills (70%). It gave them a greater understanding of the undergraduate curriculum (65%), improved their question-writing and insight into assessments (76%), and provided an opportunity to learn from their peers (86%). Students agreed that this session covered a variety of cases (82%) and deepened their understanding of medical conditions and presentations (87%).
Conclusions
We encouraged students to actively interact with the curriculum map. Students were able to achieve their own constructive alignment by writing assessment items based on real patients and linking them to the appropriate intended learning outcomes.
Date Issued
2021-01-05
Date Acceptance
2020-11-23
Citation
Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2021, 2020 (11), pp.1047-1053
ISSN
1179-7258
Publisher
Dove Medical Press
Start Page
1047
End Page
1053
Journal / Book Title
Advances in Medical Education and Practice
Volume
2020
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Wynn-Lawrence et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.
com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By
accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly
attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).
com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By
accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly
attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.dovepress.com/question-based-collaborative-learning-for-constructive-curricular-alig-peer-reviewed-article-AMEP
Subjects
Social Sciences
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Education & Educational Research
constructive alignment
multiple choice question
constructive alignment
multiple choice question
1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-01-05