Practice it to ace it: students writing practice questions for tests.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Undergraduate Pedagogy

Background:

• Student-generated questions are an active learning strategy.
• Limited research exists on this method in undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) education.
• Existing literature suggests assignment structure, feedback, and assessment alignment are key.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the impact of assignment structure, instructor feedback, and summative assessment alignment on student learning in A&P.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of student-generated question assignments as an active learning strategy.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach combining literature reanalysis, instructor surveys, and case studies.
• Reanalyzed existing literature on medical student question-writing.
• Surveyed 22 A&P instructors using the method.
• Conducted detailed studies of structured discussion-board assignments at two institutions.

Main Results:

• Positive correlations were found between assignment structure, instructor feedback, and alignment with summative assessment, and student learning or perception of learning.
• Student satisfaction was noted with structured discussion-board assignments.

Conclusions:

• Structured question-writing and sharing activities, incorporating instructor feedback and alignment with summative assessments, can enhance student engagement and learning in A&P.
• Highly structured assignments aligned with summative assessments, coupled with instructor feedback, yield positive learning outcomes.