A combination of active learning strategies improves student academic outcomes in first-year paramedic bioscience

Bioscience is a foundational unit (subject) of undergraduate allied health degree programs, providing students the scientific basis underpinning their clinical practice. However, despite its significance, bioscience is a difficult academic hurdle for many students to master. The introduction of active learning strategies, including small team-based guided-inquiry learning approaches, has been shown to significantly reduce this hurdle and improve assessment outcomes for the learner. Guided team-based activities can aid in this approach by also building broader skills and capabilities, like teamwork and communication, as well as subject-specific knowledge and skills, thereby positively influencing student assessment outcomes. This paper details the redesign and evaluation of two first-year Bioscience for Paramedics units with the introduction of guided-inquiry learning, as well as other active learning strategies, and assesses their impact on student performance. Results indicate that active learning used within a classroom and in the large lecture theater setting improved students' grades with positive student perception of their learning experience.