Self-directed learning: assessment of students' abilities and their perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Competency-Based Medical Education

Background:

• India's Competency-Based Medical Education Curriculum promotes active learning approaches like Self-Directed Learning (SDL).
• SDL empowers students to take responsibility for their learning outcomes, with educators acting as facilitators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the Self-Directed Learning (SDL) abilities of first-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery students.
• To explore students' perspectives on SDL prerequisites, promotion strategies, and expectations from teachers.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was used to evaluate the SDL abilities of first-year medical students.
• Students provided feedback on SDL prerequisites, promotion, and teacher roles.

Main Results:

• Students demonstrated high proficiency in most SDL skills.
• Areas identified for improvement include time management, interpersonal communication, and effective oral presentation skills.
• Students require assistance in identifying appropriate learning resources.

Conclusions:

• First-year medical students possess strong foundational SDL skills but need targeted support in specific areas.
• Effective SDL implementation requires students to be focused, motivated, and adept at resource identification and time management.
• Promoting SDL involves encouraging active participation, providing mentorship, and integrating evaluation mechanisms.