ePoster
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Presentation Description
Marika Wrzosek1
Amy Beierle1 and Jonathon Neist1
1 Medical College of Wisconsin
Amy Beierle1 and Jonathon Neist1
1 Medical College of Wisconsin
Background:
After COVID-19 restricted small group work, effectively precluding live case discussions, the Spring 2021 and 2022 M1 normal development course utilized the discussion board (DB) functionality in the course learning management system as a way to engage learners virtually while highlighting clinical relevance of foundational concepts.
After COVID-19 restricted small group work, effectively precluding live case discussions, the Spring 2021 and 2022 M1 normal development course utilized the discussion board (DB) functionality in the course learning management system as a way to engage learners virtually while highlighting clinical relevance of foundational concepts.
Summary of work:
The author developed 43 brief case vignettes representing 17 specialties. Each case was tagged with a specialty and ended with a prompt that necessitated the student applying a developmental concept to articulate the “next step” in the case. The DB case prompts allowed students to exhibit early clinical thinking in a specialty of their choice, while allowing asynchronous material delivery that emphasized content from core synchronous Zoom didactics. Images were used in cases to help students grasp details, and case content was based on actual clinical encounters from faculty. Students were required to post in at least two specialties, encouraged to comment on each other’s’ posts, and peruse the specialty cases they did not select to experience how development is generalizable to multiple clinical scenarios.
The author developed 43 brief case vignettes representing 17 specialties. Each case was tagged with a specialty and ended with a prompt that necessitated the student applying a developmental concept to articulate the “next step” in the case. The DB case prompts allowed students to exhibit early clinical thinking in a specialty of their choice, while allowing asynchronous material delivery that emphasized content from core synchronous Zoom didactics. Images were used in cases to help students grasp details, and case content was based on actual clinical encounters from faculty. Students were required to post in at least two specialties, encouraged to comment on each other’s’ posts, and peruse the specialty cases they did not select to experience how development is generalizable to multiple clinical scenarios.
Results:
100% of the approximately 250 students in each of two academic years participated, with evaluations indicating positive student reception and that in many cases, the activity helped solidify concepts in a practical manner.
100% of the approximately 250 students in each of two academic years participated, with evaluations indicating positive student reception and that in many cases, the activity helped solidify concepts in a practical manner.
Discussion:
Educators should be empowered to utilize discussion boards/fora in learning management systems to foster asynchronous, virtual peer interaction. It is a highly flexible and adaptable tool that allows learners to share information rapidly with their peers and work through complex clinical cases at a time of their choosing. Allowing students to see their peers’ thought process in fields that they are exploring or passionate about is an important part of the educational growth process.
Educators should be empowered to utilize discussion boards/fora in learning management systems to foster asynchronous, virtual peer interaction. It is a highly flexible and adaptable tool that allows learners to share information rapidly with their peers and work through complex clinical cases at a time of their choosing. Allowing students to see their peers’ thought process in fields that they are exploring or passionate about is an important part of the educational growth process.
Take home message:
More courses should incorporate asynchronous discussion board activities to supplement traditional didactics.
More courses should incorporate asynchronous discussion board activities to supplement traditional didactics.
References (maximum three)
Shuangfa Mao, Linghong Guo, Pengjie Li, Kui Shen, Mingxia Jiang, Yin Li. New era of medical education: asynchronous and synchronous online teaching during and after COVID- 19. Adv Physiol Educ. 2023 Jun 1; 47(2): 272–281. PMID: 36927057
Hye Chang Rhim and Heeyoung Han. Teaching online: foundational concepts of online learning and practical guidelines. Korean J Med Educ 2020 Sep; 32(3): 175-183. https://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2020.171