Browsing by Subject "Active Learning"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Active Learning on Center Stage: Theater as a Tool for Medical Education
    (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2019-01-30) Hobson, Wendy L.; Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista; Loue, Sana; Love, Linda M.; Liu, Howard Y.; Power, Christine M.; Pollart, Susan M.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Knowledge and skill development related to communication must incorporate both affective and behavioral components, which are often difficult to deliver in a learning activity. Using theater techniques and principles can provide medical educators with tools to teach communication concepts. Methods: This 75-minute faculty development workshop presents a variety of techniques from theater and adapts them for use in medical education. Using examples related to diversity and inclusion, this session addresses general educational and theater principles, role-play, sociodrama, applied improvisation, and practical aspects of involving theater partners. The session materials include a PowerPoint presentation with facilitator notes, interactive activities to demonstrate each modality, and an evaluation. The sessions can be extended to longer formats as needed. Results: Forty-five participants at Learn Serve Lead 2016: The AAMC Annual Meeting attended the 75-minute session. We emailed 32 participants 5 months after the conference, and eight responded. Participants reported that their confidence level in using theater techniques as a tool for medical education increased from low-to-medium confidence presession to high confidence postsession. All survey respondents who were actively teaching said they had made changes to their teaching based on the workshop. All commented that they appreciated the active learning in the session. Many indicated they would appreciate video or other follow-up resources. Discussion: Principles and techniques from theater are effective tools to convey difficult-to-teach concepts related to communication. This workshop presents tools to implement activities in teaching these difficult concepts.
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    Concept Mapping: A Neuro-Scientific Approach
    (2006-08-21T15:09:53Z) Baley, Charles
    Rarely if ever are the boundaries of any scholarly body of knowledge or theory integrated in an inter-disciplinary collaboration, yet there are arguably some situations where just such a symbiotic relationship is quite compelling. One such example was recognized in the remarkable similarities that exist between complex high-tech design and the logical function and design of the human brain. An even better example exists involving the processes of learning and the potential implication for collaboration between neuroscience and adult education.
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    GREAT Expectations: Promoting Active and Collaborative Learning in Online and Face-to-face Courses
    (2014-04-01) Zhu, Liugen; Hook, Sara Anne
    GREAT Expectations stands for Group work, Reflection, Evaluation of self and peers, Application of course content to real-world problems and Testing (pre- and post-testing). It encompasses all of the techniques and technologies that the presenters use to promote active and collaborative learning in their online and face-to-face courses and to encourage students to take more responsibility for their own learning.
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    An Integrated Approach to Teaching Research in a First-Year Seminar
    (Heldref Publications, 2000) Stamatoplos, Anthony C., 1958-
    This article discusses an approach to integrating library skills instruction into a first-year seminar. It presents an example from a unit on diversity, for which students conduct library research in preparation of term projects. Two class sessions center on information needs and skills associated with students’ projects, as well as general knowledge about university level library and information resources. Students learn about and model the early stages of research through structured brainstorming, small group activities, and role-playing.
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    It’s Not the Upside Down: Creating a Flipped Classroom Experience for Critical Appraisal
    (2019-10-06) Menard, Laura M.; Blevins, Amy E.
    OBJECTIVE: Critically appraising medical literature is a skill that every medical student needs, however, finding experienced instructors and time in the curriculum can be challenging – especially with multiple campuses. An assistant director worked with an associate director to design a flipped classroom model for teaching critical appraisal skills to medical students. In addition, the assistant director designed an in-house training program and facilitator guides to ensure that librarians had the skills to deliver the sessions to campuses around the state. METHODS: Using Kaltura, the assistant director designed and recorded short video tutorials with embedded formative assessments for prognosis, harm, and diagnosis. Librarians attended a “teach through” where they were introduced to the material. Students completed the video tutorials and a summative quiz within a course management system ahead of a facilitated small group session. The summative quiz included questions to assess satisfaction and comprehension. All librarians reviewed the summative quiz data to customize the sessions. RESULTS: Summative quiz feedback was positive. The data provided by the embedded formative assessments showed that students were able to answer questions based on the information provided in the tutorials. In addition, anecdotal evidence from the course director shows that students were satisfied with the new modality. Librarians used both the summative and formative quiz results to tailor the sessions to individual campus needs. This also allowed for scaffolding and reinforcement of instruction across the three sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The flipped classroom model allowed librarians to maximize critical appraisal instruction while minimizing face-to-face classroom time. In addition, librarians felt comfortable serving as facilitators rather than lecturers for material that librarians had not previously taught. We will continue to use this model since it provides the students with self-directed learning opportunities with minimal disruption to course and librarian schedules.
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    Mapping the Nephron Exercise Incorporates Multiple Learning Strategies
    (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2017-09-28) Hopper, Mari K.; Anderson, Maria A.; Lipp, Sarah N.; Cellular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Understanding the location and action of nephron transporters and channels is important to the understanding of renal function. As each region of the nephron is unique in its inclusion of specific transporters and channels, mapping of the nephron is an effective first step in understanding overall nephron processing. We describe a small-group, active-learning exercise that facilitates students' ability to understand renal processing within each region of the nephron. Methods: Following an overview lecture on renal transporters and channels, small groups of students worked cooperatively to map the nephron. This 2-hour, collaborative exercise was developed to reinforce key concepts in renal processing of ions and nutrients and, at the same time, utilize effective learning strategies. Learning strategies incorporated in this exercise include small-group collaboration, peer teaching, retrieval practice using an audience response system, and elaboration through discussion. Results: Written examination was used to assess student understanding. Students demonstrated higher performance on a subset of questions related to this learning activity compared to the overall exam. Highly positive feedback was provided by a convenience sample of students completing an anonymous survey. Discussion: This nephron-mapping exercise was an effective means to promote synthesis and analysis of lecture content and engage students in methods that enhance learning.
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    The Relationship Between Undergraduate, Baccalaureate Nursing Student Engagement and Use of Active Learning Strategies in the Classroom
    (2010-03-03T17:17:34Z) Popkess, Ann M.; Halstead, Judith A.; McDaniel, Anna; Fisher, Mary L., Ph.D.; Stokes, Lillian
    Nursing schools are facing demands to admit and graduate increasing numbers of students to meet the needs of the future healthcare system. Nursing schools must therefore admit, retain and graduate qualified applicants, able to provide care in complex healthcare environments. Educators are challenged to identify the best educational practices to retain and engage learners in the learning process. Research has indicated that student engagement contributes to student success in college. Learning environments may influence student engagement through the use of active learning strategies in the classroom. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the extent of engagement reported by nursing students in classrooms and determine relationships among student engagement, demographic and academic variables and learning environments. Astin’s (1985) Input-Environments-Output model provided the framework for this study, linking student characteristics, and student engagement in learning with outcomes of learning. A sample of 347 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students from 5 mid-western schools of nursing completed the Adapted Engaged Learning Index (AELI) and the Active Learning Environments Scale (ALES), measuring their level of engagement and perceived degree of active learning in the classroom, respectively. Subjects also provided demographic data including age, academic level, type and number of hours worked off campus, and prior learning experience. T-test and ANOVA analyses were conducted to compare group differences on demographic, learning environments (active, passive and mixed) and levels of engagement. Results indicated a significant (p≤.001) difference in the level of student engagement related to the perceived active learning occurring in the classroom. Students in active and mixed learning environments reported higher engagement levels than those in passive learning environments. Students over 25 years (p=.003), students with higher GPA’s (p≤ .05) and junior students (p≤ .001) reported significantly higher engagement scores than their counterparts. Findings from this study indicate that student engagement in the learning process may be positively influenced by an active learning environment in the classroom.
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    Small-Group Activity to Reinforce the Impact of Valvular Defects and Heart Failure on Cardiac Pressure-Volume Relationships
    (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2018-02-06) Hopper, Mari; Tune, Johnathan; Klabunde, Richard; Cellular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine
    Introduction: An important topic in cardiac physiology is the relationship between changes in intracardiac pressures and volumes during the cardiac cycle. This topic lends itself well to utilizing active learning principles to facilitate student understanding of pressure and volume changes in normal cardiac physiology and in the pathophysiology of valve disease and heart failure. We describe an active learning exercise regarding this topic that engages and facilitates student learning in a small-group setting. Methods: Following an overview lecture on the normal cardiac physiology, small groups of students under the guidance of a facilitator were provided with a worksheet consisting of questions related to background knowledge of cardiac physiology. Additional questions related to five valve disease and heart failure cases were also provided to promote the application of basic physiology principles to clinically relevant problems. The facilitator was provided with a guide to help facilitate the student interactions. Following the group worksheet activity, an animated slide presentation was shown to further engage student learning through active discussion of their worksheet answers. Results: Students were assessed by written examination, and were found to have a higher performance on the subset of questions related to this learning activity compared to the overall exam. Of the 175 students completing the exercise, 23 voluntarily provided feedback via a survey. Student surveys provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the benefits of this active learning exercise. Discussion: Small group, active learning exercises benefited student learning by providing a framework for analysis, synthesis, and application of clinically relevant cardiac physiology concepts.