Taking Constructivism One Step Further: Post Hoc Analysis of a Student-Created Wiki

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Academic Resource Development
• Student Engagement Platforms

Background:

• Wiki platforms can enhance student learning and engagement with medical curricula.
• A student-led wiki was developed as a study resource repository for medical students.
• Limited research exists on student-led wiki creation in medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze website traffic patterns of a student-created medical wiki.
• To assess student perceptions of the wiki's usage and utility.
• To gather feedback for potential wiki improvements.

Main Methods:

• Website analytics tracked daily pageviews, user sessions, and session duration.
• Surveys evaluated user awareness, perceived usefulness, and contribution interest.
• Comparative analysis of traffic data between academic years was performed.

Main Results:

• The wiki demonstrated high daily usage (mean 315 pageviews/day) with significant growth in returning visitors and mobile access.
• A majority of surveyed students were aware of the wiki.
• Students perceived the wiki as more useful during preclinical years compared to clinical years (P<.001).

Conclusions:

• The student-created wiki served as a highly utilized, informal curriculum resource.
• Significant potential exists for wiki improvement and further integration into medical education.
• Future research should explore optimal strategies for student-led educational platforms.