Introducing instructional objectives in Indonesian medical schools

This paper reports on the responses of nearly 600 Indonesian medical academics, from ten different medical schools, to a series of 2 week workshops in educational science. These workshops set out to help participants: (a) to acquire skills in constructing educational objectives, at all levels, from those of the institution to those connected with a particular course; and (b) to develop positive attitudes towards the use of these skills in curriculum design and planning. The results demonstrate that the workshops helped most participants to meet the above objectives. The instructional model chosen and the reasons for its effectiveness have been discussed. It has been concluded that the development of basic educational skills can be acquired in a relatively short, condensed workshop, by a large number of participants: that is, the approach is feasible and economical for large numbers. It has also been shown that concepts of 'modern educational technology' are acceptable in a socio-cultural context with very different practices and traditions from those within which most applications of educational technology in medicine have been achieved. The results have general implications for the training of health workers in developing countries.