PURPOSE
To co-create faculty-authored microlearning resources that complement the
formal curriculum, enhance student engagement, and support recall and
integration of concepts in pre-clerkship medical education
INNOVATION
In response to growing reliance on third-party resources and reduced
classroom engagement, six Scholar Rx Bricks were developed by a pre-clerkship
discipline director. These Bricks integrated original text, illustrations,
clinicopathological content, and interactive elements such as “match the
following” and embedded review questions. Released weekly via the learning
management system (LMS), they were designed to align with curricular goals
and grounded in learning theories. Engagement was tracked using platform
analytics.
OUTCOMES/ CHALLENGES
Initial data from a class of 49 students showed high voluntary engagement.
“Cancer’s Playbook” Brick received 338 views and 68 hours of engagement; “The
Unarmed Army” Brick on immunodeficiencies had 329 views and 34 hours; and a
Brick on epithelial pathology logged 291 views and 35 hours. Informal
feedback indicated students cited and recommended the Bricks as credible
resources. Engagement was highest when Bricks aligned with assessments. While
time investment was a challenge, AI-assisted authoring tools significantly
reduced creation time.
CONCLUSIONS
Faculty-authored Scholar Rx Bricks offer a scalable, customizable model for
integrating credible microlearning into medical curricula. Their flexible
design supports diverse instructional needs—pre-learning, review, and
remediation—while bridging faculty vision with student preferences. This
approach is adaptable across disciplines and institutions, addressing the
challenge of balancing faculty effort with student engagement in an increasingly
self-directed learning environment.