Name
Spiralling pre-clerkship concepts into the clinical phase: Augmenting knowledge transfer using innovative technology-enhanced curriculum activities.
Date & Time
Friday, February 28, 2020, 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM
Keyna Bracken
Description

PURPOSE: Clerkship is a challenging transition for medical students where they learn to apply functional knowledge and diagnostic reasoning skills learned in the pre-clinical phase into clinical solutions. Rather than a smooth continuum to facilitate application of knowledge, clerkship blocks are often discrete, fragmented structures with little integration. Developments in cognitive psychology and increasing attention to the student learning environment are driving more purposeful integration in medical education.  We sought to enhance knowledge transfer in the Family Medicine clerkship by developing a series of theory-driven online curriculum activities that integrate pre-clerkship problem-based learning (PBL) cases into more complex clinical scenarios. METHODS:  Asynchronous e-learning modules were developed using foundational pre-clerkship problems, adapted to incorporate principles such as test-enhanced learning, interactive reflective questions, and concept application exercises with expert feedback. These modules were sequenced alongside synchronous PBL-style webinar-delivered tutorials, where students were encouraged by expert tutors to discuss and reinforce prior knowledge. Tutors also present novel cases to further integrate mixed practice for transfer.  Students engage remotely with both the tutor and other student groups using various features of the webinar platform and are encouraged to integrate pre-clerkship knowledge with their clinical rotation experiences. RESULTS: The new curriculum enhancements, launched May 2019, have been enthusiastically received by students, who – through multiple self-assessment opportunities – are better able to assess knowledge gaps. Tutor training is critical to effective remote content delivery and purposive student engagement in webinar tutorials. Program evaluation is not yet complete, but we hypothesize students will demonstrate enhanced learning by improved scores on end-of-rotation summative assessments. CONCLUSIONS:   Spiral integration of curriculum along the medical education continuum allows purposeful integration of core knowledge with practical clinical presentations amenable across disciplines.  E-learning platforms are potential ways to deliver curriculum longitudinally thereby minimizing transitions and maximizing knowledge transfer.

Session Type
Oral Presentation