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Involvement in teaching improves learning in medical students: a randomized cross-over study
Adam D Peets1, Sylvain Coderre, Bruce Wright
1Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. apeets@providencehealth.bc.ca
BMC Medical Education
|August 27, 2009
Summary
Medical students who taught peers in small groups spent more time preparing but achieved higher scores on exams. This peer-assisted learning approach enhances knowledge acquisition and retention for student educators.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pedagogy
- Student Learning Outcomes
Background:
- Peer-assisted learning offers benefits like educator preparation and improved communication.
- Limited data exists on the impact of teaching on peer educators' learning in medical school.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of peer teaching on medical students' learning outcomes.
- To quantify the impact of peer-assisted learning on knowledge acquisition.
Main Methods:
- 135 first-year medical students were assigned to small groups for a course.
- Students alternated roles as peer educators and group members across 22 sessions.
- Exam performance was compared between teaching and non-teaching roles using a paired t-test.
Main Results:
- Peer educators spent significantly more time preparing (99 vs. 36 minutes).
- Students scored higher on exams for topics they taught (80.7%) versus those they learned (77.6%).
Conclusions:
- Involvement in teaching improves medical students' knowledge acquisition.
- Peer teaching enhances learning retention among student educators.
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