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

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physiology Learning
• Undergraduate Studies

Background:

• Traditional lecture-based learning faces challenges in engaging medical students.
• Active learning strategies are increasingly explored to enhance medical education.
• Directed Self-Learning (DSL) offers a framework for student-centered learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess first-year undergraduate medical students' perceptions of a modified Directed Self-Learning (DSL) approach in physiology.
• To evaluate the impact of prereading assignments and Pecha Kucha (PK) talks within DSL sessions.
• To determine student satisfaction and perceived skill development from the modified DSL method.

Main Methods:

• A modified DSL approach was implemented for 120 first-year medical students.
• Students received prereading assignments (PowerPoint slides) one week prior to small-group sessions.
• Sessions included student-led presentations, discussions, and technology-enhanced Pecha Kucha (PK) talks.

Main Results:

• >60% of students perceived improvements in DSL, presentation, collaborative learning, and information retrieval skills.
• A majority found PK talks beneficial for content organization (65%), concise presentation (65.8%), and creativity (72.5%).
• Despite active participation, overall student satisfaction and perceived usefulness for skill achievement were not encouraging.

Conclusions:

• Modified DSL sessions, incorporating prereading and PK talks, showed mixed results in student perceptions.
• Active participation does not always correlate with high satisfaction or perceived skill enhancement.
• Medical students require orientation on the relevance and benefits of active learning strategies for their academic success.