Peer teaching beyond the formal medical curriculum

Abstract

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is nowadays commonly implemented in medical education. Mostly PAL is utilized to specifically support teaching within one subject or a specific curricular situation. Here, we present a large-scale peer teaching program that aims to address the individual student's learning needs. In addition, it provides a platform for students to participate in academic teaching. A retrospective data analysis was performed to reveal the program's development and acceptance. The program was implemented in 2008/09 with three tutorials conducted by 24 student tutors to support students preparing for reexaminations. Since then, the program has continuously grown. In 2015/16, 140 tutors conducted 52 tutorials, consisting of 2,750 lessons for 1,938 tutees. New tutorial categories were continuously introduced. In 2015/16, these encompassed tutorials that were held concomitantly to the formal curriculum, tutorials that exceeded the contents of the formal curriculum, tutorials for preparation for the state examination, and electives. Evaluations among the tutees revealed that 93.5% of the respondents rated the courses overall as "good" or "excellent" ( n = 13,489) in 2015/16. All elements of the peer teaching program are managed by one academic group. This encompasses the organization of tutorials, the quality management, and the qualification of tutors, including content-related supervision and didactic training. We conclude that the implementation of a large-scale peer teaching program can complement the formal curriculum. This might be beneficial for both tutors who can actively train their didactic and content-related competencies, and tutees who can autonomously consolidate and expand their knowledge.

Medical Students’ Perception and Perceived Value of Peer Learning in Undergraduate Clinical Skill Development and Assessment: Mixed Methods Study

“…Findings from the questionnaire demonstrated that most students had a positive perception toward peer learning, which is in line with most research findings [ 2 , 26 ]. However, it seems that the benefits of peer learning were limited as most students were reluctant to recommend implementing peer learning in other courses.…”

“…Peer learning is defined as “people from similar social groupings, who are not professional teachers, helping each other learn, and by so doing, learning themselves” [ 1 ]. Peer learning can be categorized into (1) same-level peer learning where students at equal academic levels discus and study the materials together and (2) cross-level peer learning where students’ academic levels diverge [ 2 ]. Peer learning is rapidly gaining acceptance and there are supporting evidences for peer learning in clinical skill development worldwide.…”

A preference for peers over faculty: implementation and evaluation of medical student-led physiology exam review tutorials

“…Although PAL implementation is becoming more widely adopted in UGME, faculty remain the cornerstone of medical education instruction. PAL in medical physiology teaching has commonly been implemented as supplemental instruction to complement faculty-led instruction (4,6). This study suggests that smallgroup-based PAL could effectively supplement faculty-led review sessions, even in a discipline as complex as medical physiology.…”

“…In anatomy courses, students perceived PAL as an effective method for learning anatomy using cadaveric specimens (1), and student experiences with peers were rated favorably (14). In physiology courses, implementation of a large-scale PAL program has been demonstrated to benefit both tutors and tutees to complement the formal curriculum (4). Successful PAL execution results in well-described, short-term improvements in students' perceived understanding of physiological principles and satisfaction with preclerkship instruction (3,6), demonstrating benefits for student tutors, tutees, and medical education programs (16).…”

Implementing Change in Neuroanatomy Education: Organization, Evolution, and Assessment of a Near‐Peer Teaching Program in an Undergraduate Medical School in Greece

“…A wide range of PAL activities are increasingly used in medical education, commonly in combination with other methods, for both basic science and clinical courses. These activities can be broadly grouped into peer tutoring, peer teaching, and peer mentoring (Burgess et al, 2014; Engels et al, 2018).…”