Implementing Kolb´s Experiential Learning Cycle by Linking Real Experience, Case-Based Discussion and Simulation

Background: To prepare medical students for their future, they must become acquainted with clinical practice, for example by means of simulations, clerkships and discussing patient cases. By connecting these different approaches, according to Kolb´s experiential learning cycle, the learning effect can be strengthened.

In the development of a didactical program for students who are being prepared for their role as general practitioners, we have adopted a new didactic approach, in which educational formats are interlinked, according to Kolb´s experiential learning cycle. The content of these courses is determined by the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the clerkship in family medicine, combined with the most common chief complaints of patients in the GP's practice. In 2019, the first course was implemented at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, with 6 medical students. A first seminar discusses patients who the students have seen for themselves during their clerkship in family medicine. In addition, matching theory is discussed and skills are practiced. In the next seminar, students apply the acquired knowledge and skills in scenarios with standardized patients. Students evaluated the courses as positive. The evaluations show they find discussing personally experienced patient cases and the opportunity to practice very valuable.

A course design according to Kolb's Experiential learning cycle, which integrates experience, theory and simulation, is a valuable addition to existing forms of teaching in medical education. Students appreciated both discussing personally experienced patient cases and the opportunity to re-practice similar cases in a simulated environment. To gain more insight into the learning effects, it is recommended to further explore this approach in a different context.