Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
10:17
Improving Student Outcomes with an Adaptable Molecular Cloning Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience
Published on: November 15, 2024
Group in-course assessment promotes cooperative learning and increases performance.
Margaret K Pratten1, Deborah Merrick, Steven A Burr
1School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Anatomical Sciences Education
|September 17, 2013
Summary
In-Course-Assessments (ICAs) significantly improved medical student performance in anatomy practicals by fostering teamwork. This method enhanced learning engagement and boosted summative marks compared to traditional approaches.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Anatomy Dissection
- Educational Assessment
Background:
- Medical dissection is crucial for anatomy learning.
- Traditional dissection methods may not fully engage students.
- Teamwork and continuous assessment can enhance learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of In-Course-Assessments (ICAs) on medical student motivation and performance during anatomy dissection.
- To determine if ICAs improve teamwork and maximize dissection effectiveness.
- To assess the effect of ICAs on summative practical examination marks.
Main Methods:
- Implemented a group-based In-Course-Assessment (ICA) structure for medical students.
- Combined group dissection marks, group question marks, and individual question marks for final assessment.
- Compared end-of-module practical summative marks between cohorts with and without ICAs using statistical analyses (ANOVA, Dunnets test).
Main Results:
- Medical students participating in ICAs showed significantly improved summative practical marks (P <0.0001).
- A cohort using ICAs demonstrated increased performance improvement in their second year compared to their first.
- Comparison with previous cohorts confirmed a significant positive impact of ICAs on academic performance.
Conclusions:
- In-Course-Assessments (ICAs) effectively motivate medical students and enhance anatomy dissection learning.
- The ICA approach promotes active, team-based, cooperative learning, leading to better academic outcomes.
- Integrating ICAs into the curriculum is a valuable strategy for improving medical education and student engagement.
Related Concept Videos
01:37Social Loafing
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated, individuals become less...
01:04Social Facilitation
Not all intergroup interactions lead to negative outcomes. Sometimes, being in a group situation can improve performance. Social facilitation occurs when an individual performs better when an audience is watching than when the individual performs the behavior alone. This typically occurs when people are performing a task for which they are skilled.
01:31In- and Out-Groups
People all belong to a gender, race, age, and social economic group. These groups provide a powerful source of our identity and self-esteem (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and serve as our in-groups. An in-group is a group that we identify with or see ourselves as belonging to.
01:26Group Therapy
Group therapy is a sociocultural approach to psychological treatment, where individuals with shared psychological challenges come together under the guidance of a mental health professional. This therapeutic modality offers unique opportunities for individuals to connect, share, and grow within the context of a supportive group. By fostering mutual understanding and collaboration, group therapy can address a range of psychological concerns effectively, often complementing or surpassing the...
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:22Purposive Learning
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a bonus...