Submission ID 78051
| Code | P71 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Student |
| Title | A Curriculum Ignored? the Usage of Official Curriculum Resources and Commercial or Peer Learning Resources |
| Background/Purpose | Medical students have many options for commercial or free educational resources that supplement or replace aspects of the medical curriculum. Despite this, there remains little evidence surrounding the prevalence, benefits, and drawbacks of these compared to the official curriculum. |
| Methods | A mixed methods survey of pre-clerkship uOttawa medical students was used to determine the usage, rationale, and perceived benefits and drawbacks of educational resources. The response rate was 57/342. Thematic analysis was used. |
| Results | Of 57 respondents (first year=21, second year=34, PhD=2) 98.2% report using third-party resources, with Upper Year Notes, Anki, and Question Banks being most common. Students report spending the majority (63%) of their time using these thirdparty resources. Official lecture slides or practice tests were reported to be used by 75.4%, but a quarter (26.3%) report not attending any non-mandatory lectures. There was a drop from 76.2% to 70.6% in attendance from year 1 to year 2. Advantages of third party resources listed were faster, more efficient, and easier to understand/search. Disadvantages were difficulty connecting unofficial resources and tests, the level of detail, and cost of third-party resources. Resources were generally discontinued because of cost (commercial resources) or learning style mismatch (free resources). Students predominantly learned about resources via peers (85.96%) or online searches (91.23%). 70.1% of students are satisfied with their studying methods with the main concerns being exam performance and time spent studying. |
| Discussion | Given the prevalence of these resources we suggest a need to consider why students are forsaking the formal curriculum and to reassess curricular reform. |
| Keyword 1 | Self-directed learning |
| Keyword 2 | Flashcards |
| Keyword 3 | Spaced repetition |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Teaching and learning |
| Teaching and Learning | Collaborative/Peer to Peer E-Learning/Technology General Integrated instruction & learning Lectures Quality improvement |
| Authors | Donovan Makus Anshu Kashyap Mark Labib Susan Humphrey-Murto Donovan Makus |
