MAILING LISTS

Dear All,

 

I wanted to ask everyone a question about an idea we are playing with
here.  With the volume of material the students need to prepare for this
intensive Duke-NUS medical school basic science curriculum, it is
sometimes so very difficult for them to be certain they have focused on
the right content and at the right level until after the GRA section.
They feel a bit demoralized at their "relatively" low IRA scores.   Some
of our faculty (not all) do believe that the students learn so much from
the GRA part, but there is no real way to be 100% certain.  If the IRA
is partially designed to ensure individual accountability, but you have
a group who is highly motivated to be accountable and your goal is that
they actually learn it the material what would be your thoughts on
reversing them sometimes?  I also thought it would help the students to
work as a team better in their learning - as sometimes they just study
on their own and don't really take full advantage of the power of group
study (and sometimes they just don't have time or want someone there to
ask questions when the group cannot answer it).

 

What if we gave a comprehensive closed book GRA - have the groups teach,
learn, question together to get the answers and then do a more focused,
closed book IRA on similar (but obviously changed) questions to see if
they, as individuals, get it?

 

Many of our faculty here are not completely convinced that ALL the
individuals are learning in the groups, thus are skeptical of the use of
the group scores to be added to student's overall scores.  We want to
explore ways, beyond or in addition to the regular end of module exams
and standardized exams, to demonstrate that they actually have learned
in the group process.

 

Thoughts, comments?

 

Sandy

***************************************

Sandy COOK, PhD | Associate Dean, Curriculum Development | Duke-NUS
Graduate Medical School Singapore | W: (65) 6516 8722| F: (65) 6227 2698
| 

Administrative Executive:Belinda Yeo | [log in to unmask] | 6516-8511