Medical student use of objectives in basic science and clinical instruction

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Medical education increasingly utilizes learning objectives to guide curriculum and assessment.
• Understanding long-term student engagement with objectives is crucial for effective curriculum design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sustained use of learning objectives by medical students throughout their basic science and clinical training.
• To examine how students' utilization of objectives evolves as they progress through the curriculum.
• To identify factors influencing medical students' engagement with learning objectives.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based survey was administered to two cohorts of medical students.
• A 77% response rate (n=103) was achieved, providing data on objective usage patterns.
• Student-reported data analyzed to determine extent, manner, and influencing factors of objective use.

Main Results:

• Students perceived learning objectives as highly valuable in the early stages of the curriculum.
• Perceived usefulness of objectives declined as students advanced through the curriculum.
• The primary factors influencing objective utility were their alignment with assessments and their inherent quality.

Conclusions:

• The effectiveness of learning objectives may diminish over time in integrated medical curricula.
• Curriculum designers should focus on maintaining the relevance and quality of objectives, particularly their link to assessments.
• Future research should explore strategies to sustain student engagement with learning objectives throughout medical training.