The Use of Cumulative Disciplinary Score in an Integrated Curriculum to Prevent Deliberate Omission of Course Content

Background & Objective: Student assessment is one of the most challenging issues of an integrated curriculum. While calculating an overall score is in line with the goals of integrated curriculum, it poses the risk that some students will deliberately leave out the content of some disciplines, based on the fact that they have lower credits in each block exam. In the present study, we describe the experience of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, where an integrated medical curriculum has been launched since September 2011 as part of curriculum reform initiative. Methods: In the first academic year, students passed 4 blocks: Molecule and Cell; Tissue; Development and Function; Cardiovascular Function; Blood circulation; and Blood-Respiratory Function. Each block included anatomy, histology, physiology, and embryology. The overall block score was reported at the end of each block. In addition, a cumulative disciplinary score was calculated at the end of the academic year through the summation of the weighted subscores of each discipline in each block. Results: At the end of the year, the number of students who had failed in histology, anatomy, embryology, and physiology were 15, 17, 44, and 3, respectively. They were required to take a disciplinary examination before the beginning of the next academic year. Conclusion: A comparison of the number of students who failed disciplines with low credits (e.g. histology) with those who failed disciplines with high credits (e.g. physiology) suggests that the former had systematically been ignored by some students. The calculation of a cumulative disciplinary score may reduce the deliberate omission of course content in integrated blocks. Key Words: Integration, Student assessment, Cumulative disciplinary scor

The Benefits of Problem-Based Learning as Active Learning in Theoretical Physiology of Autonomic Nervous System Course for Medical Students

Background: Traditional teaching methods such as lectures alone cannot meet educational needs in the medical sciences. It is necessary to supplement lectures with additional methods in order to prepare the students for problem solving in real situations. Objectives: The present study aimed at employing the problem-based learning (PBL) method in the theoretical physiology of autonomic nervous system (ANS) course for medical students and comparing the results with the customary method of lectures. Methods: In 2014, first-year medical students enrolled in the neurology curricular block at Tehran University of Medical Sciences were randomly assigned to two groups. One group participated in classes with lectures, while the other group was divided into subgroups of 10 for PBL sessions. In the first session of PBL, a scenario pertaining to ANS was presented, and then the students were asked to expand the scenario and discuss it using brainstorming method. The first session was held on introducing a reference for studying. In the second session, students in each group presented the results of their individual studies, and a representative from each group gave a report in line with the educational objectives of the class. Finally, a short-answer final test and survey were administered. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and Levene’s test. Results: Based on results, mean scores of students in the PBL group (15.20 ± 3.31) were significantly higher than those of students in the lecture group (12.38 ± 4.49) (P < 0.001). Based on the survey, students preferred PBL to lectures. Conclusions: PBL promotes motivation, self-confidence, and communication skills, all of which contribute to the better learning of the students who attended the theoretical physiology of ANS course. Keywords: Lectures, Problem-Based Learning, Physiology, Autonomic Nervous System, Students of Medicin

Developing Comprehensive Course Evaluation Guidelines: A Step towards Organizing Program Evaluation Activities in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background & Objective: One of the potential strategies for ensuring the quality of educational programs is adopting a systematic approach to its evaluation. Current evidence indicates the lack of high quality program evaluation activities in the field of medical education. The aim of this study was to review the current status of program evaluation activities in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and formulate guidelines to promote program evaluation activities at the University level. Methods: A survey was conducted to investigate the current conditions of program evaluation using a questionnaire in 2012. Then, the comprehensive course evaluation guidelines, consisting of 22 items, were developed based on literature review, survey results, and experts’ opinions. Finally, each affiliated school developed its own evaluation plan. The evaluation taskforce reviewed evaluation plans using a checklist. Results: Using one tool or resource, 9 schools (90%) conducted course evaluation at least once. The views of students, faculty, staff or alumni were used occasionally. Moreover, 4 schools (40%) reported the evaluation results. After reviewing 14 submitted course plans based on the checklist, 51 feedbacks were provided. Most and least feedbacks were related to evaluation design and implementation and evaluation infrastructure, respectively. Conclusion: The process of developing guidelines and plans resulted in stakeholders reaching a common understanding of course evaluation, and in turn, creating evaluation capacity and more accountability. Keywords: Program evaluation; Ongoing evaluation; Evaluation system; Comprehensive evaluatio

Developing a Microanalytic Self-regulated Learning Assessment Protocol for Biomedical Science Learning

Background & Objective: Self-regulated learning (SRL) is highly task and context dependent. Microanalytic assessment method measures students’ SRL processes while performing a particular learning task. The present study aimed to design a microanalytic SRL assessment protocol for biomedical science learning. Methods: This mixed method study was conducted in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2013. The data collection tool was a microanalytic SRL assessment protocol that was designed based on the literature review, expert opinion, and cognitive interview with medical students, and then, piloted. The participants consisted of 13 second year medical students. The subjects were interviewed while conducting a biomedical science learning task. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded based on a predetermined coding framework. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The microanalytic SRL assessment protocol was developed in three parts; interview guide, coding framework, and biomedical science learning task. An interview guide was designed consisting of 6 open-ended questions aimed at assessing 5 SRL sub-processes of goal setting, strategic planning, meta-cognitive monitoring, causal attribution, and adaptive inferences and a close-ended question regarding self-efficacy. Based on the pilot study, most participants reported task-specific and task-general processes for the sub-processes of strategic planning (92%), metacognitive monitoring (77%), causal attribution (85%), and adaptive inferences (92%). Conclusion: The developed protocol could capture the fine-grained nature of the self-regulatory sub-processes of medical students for biomedical science learning. Therefore, it has the potential application of modifying SRL processes in early years of medical school. Key Words: Self-regulated learning, Microanalytic assessment method, Biomedical science learnin

A Case Based-Shared Teaching Approach in Undergraduate Medical Curriculum: A Way for Integration in Basic and Clinical Sciences

To present a multiple-instructor, active-learning strategy in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This educational research is a descriptive one. Shared teaching sessions, were designed for undergraduate medical students in six organ-system based courses. Sessions that involved in-class discussions of integrated clinical cases were designed implemented and moderated by at least 3 faculties (clinicians and basic scientists). The participants in this study include the basic sciences medical students of The Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Students’ reactions were assessed using an immediate post-session evaluation form on a 5-point Likert scale. Six two-hour sessions for 2 cohorts of students, 2013 and 2014 medical students during their two first years of study were implemented from April 2014 to March 2015. 17 faculty members participated in the program, 21 cases were designed, and participation average was 60 % at 6 sessions. Students were highly appreciative of this strategy. The majority of students in each course strongly agreed that this learning practice positively contributed to their learning (78%) and provided better understanding and application of the material learned in an integrated classroom course (74%). They believed that the sessions affected their view about medicine (73%), and should be continued in future courses (80%). The percentage demonstrates the average of all courses. The program helped the students learn how to apply basic sciences concepts to clinical medicine. Evaluation of the program indicated that students found the sessions beneficial to their learning

Clearing the confusion about post-accreditation monitoring, meta-evaluation and meta-accreditation

Abstract We have recently published the experience of the accreditation body of undergraduate medical education in Iran on developing and validating standards based on the WFME framework (Gandomkar et al., BMC Med Educ 23:379, 2023). Agabagheri et al. extended our work and proposed a blueprint for post-accreditation monitoring based on their experience in developing an official guide in their Matters Arising (Aghabagheri et al., BMC Med Educ). The authors have used post-accreditation monitoring as a process of monitoring and controlling accreditation activities, procedures often referred to as meta-evaluation or meta-accreditation (depending on the objectives of evaluation) in the literature. On the contrary, post-accreditation monitoring alludes to the process of continuous quality improvement of educational programs after accreditation. We would like to make clarifications between post-accreditation monitoring, meta-evaluation and meta-accreditation which have been used interchangeably in their paper. Considering the emerging interests in scholarship and non-scholarship activities and reports in undergraduate medical education accreditation, this clarification provides a better understanding of the roles of these crucial concepts in the accreditation process

The Concept of Scholarship: Educational Scholarship and Its Application in Iran

One of the notions entered in university fields in the last two decades is the concept of scholarship and especially educational scholarship. Due to the inclusion of this concept in the first article of faculty members' academic promotion bylaw and considering it as a mandatory component for academic promotion, great attention has been paid to this topic. Remarking the background and principles prevailing this almost new perspective, this short communication endeavors for developing a ground for familiarizing the readers with the concept of scholarship, especially educational scholarship, and its manner of evaluation. Moreover, a little note has been made about substructures needed for broadening scholarship activities in the field of education as well as the challenges before that