Incorporating engaged learning into medical student large group sessions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Active Learning Strategies

Background:

• Increasing emphasis on active and engaged learning in medical education.
• Traditional lecture formats may not fully foster student engagement or collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate medical student satisfaction and performance in a dermatology module utilizing a blended learning approach.
• To assess the impact of large group engaged learning sessions and at-home modules on student outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Transitioned a week-long dermatology course over two years to incorporate interactive large group sessions.
• Assessed course satisfaction, exam performance, and student perceptions of engaged learning via questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Overall course satisfaction improved from 94% to 99% (good or excellent).
• Student ratings of lecture engagement increased from 88% to 98%.
• Opportunities for student collaboration rose significantly from 50% to 92%.

Conclusions:

• Large group engaged learning effectively fosters collaboration among medical students.
• This active learning format improved self-reported comprehension and overall course satisfaction.
• Student feedback highlighted the need to optimize pre-class module time and format.