Using student-designed cases to foster creative and critical thinking skills in biochemistry

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Biochemistry Education
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Novel intervention combining case-based learning with creative and critical thinking.
• Creative thinking involves generating new concepts, exploring alternative theories, and synthesizing information for positive outcomes.
• Enhancing students' ability to view situations in new ways and construct novel theories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on creative and critical thinking skills in medical students.
• To assess the effectiveness of integrating case-based learning with creative thinking exercises.
• To improve understanding and application of biochemical concepts in disease causation.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental study involving 80 first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students.
• Students randomly assigned to control (n=40) and study (n=40) groups post-initial case-based learning.
• Study group prepared and presented case histories on type II diabetes mellitus, Fe deficiency anemia, and obstructive jaundice, followed by group discussion.

Main Results:

• Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated significant improvement in posttest scores for all students in the study group.
• Students demonstrated enhanced understanding of biochemical concepts related to common diseases.
• The intervention group showed improved application of biochemical concepts in understanding disease causation.

Conclusions:

• Designing case histories fostered creative and critical thinking skills in first MBBS students.
• Case-based learning effectively enhanced students' ability to understand and apply biochemical concepts.
• The intervention successfully integrated pedagogical approaches to improve medical student learning outcomes.