Work station learning activities: a flexible and scalable instrument for integrating across basic subjects in biomedical education

Abstract

BackgroundEstablishing innovative teaching programs in biomedical education involves dealing with several national and supra-national (i.e. European) regulations as well as with new pedagogical and demographic demands. We aimed to develop and validate a suitable instrument to integrate activities across preclinical years in all Health Science Degrees while meeting requirements of national quality agencies.MethodsThe new approach was conceived at two different levels: first, we identified potentially integrative units from different fields according to national learning goals established for each preclinical year (national quality agency regulations). Secondly, we implemented a new instrument that combines active methodologies in Work Station Learning Activities (WSLA), using clinical scenarios as a guiding common thread to instruct students from an integrated perspective. We evaluated students’ perception through a Likert-type survey of a total of 118 students enrolled in the first year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine.ResultsOur model of integrated activities through WSLA is feasible, scalable and manageable with large groups of students and a minimum number of instructors, two major limitations in many medical schools. Students’ perception of WSLA was positive in overall terms. Seventy nine percent of participants stated that WSLA sessions were more useful than non-integrated activities. Eighty three percent confirmed that the WSLA methodology was effective at integrating concepts covered by different subjects.ConclusionsThe WSLA approach is a flexible and scalable instrument for moving towards integrated curricula, and it can be successfully adapted to teach basic subjects in preclinical years of Health Science degrees. WSLA can be applied to large groups of students in a variety of contexts or environments using clinical cases as connecting threads.

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a learning model based on workstation activities

“…In previous work, we described that one of the advantages of moving into the integration of Basic Sciences with WLSA is the benefit to provide medical education with a holistic and less fragmented approach [23]. A better understanding of foundational courses in a clinically relevant context may improve students' performance and employability, since concepts from basic disciplines are essential today for understanding and treating diseases.…”

“…A better understanding of foundational courses in a clinically relevant context may improve students' performance and employability, since concepts from basic disciplines are essential today for understanding and treating diseases. The WSLA instrument better trains students to solve clinical cases, which is highly motivating for them especially in early years [23]. Students with higher grade point averages, who studied for longer hours and reported to be more motivated to succeed, perform better academically [26].…”

“…To accomplish these goals, we introduced recently Work-Station Learning Activities (WLSA) as a multidisciplinary instrument based on team-based learning model in the Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM) [23]. Up to that moment, teaching was mostly teacher-centered and based on classical methods.…”

“…In the final evaluation exam at the end of the academic year several questions associated with the learning objectives worked during each WSLA session are included. The WSLA learning model has proven to be effective as a tool for moving towards integrated curricula and students' perception of WSLA is positive in overall terms [23].…”

Does the learning space matter? An evaluation of active learning in a purpose-built technology-rich collaboration studio

“…Learning is an active process in which meaning is developed on the basis of experience. In health science, TBL promotes equitable communication and contribution to learning while developing teamwork skills when students apply critical thinking by themselves with or without a facilitator to solve clinical problems (A. W. Burgess et al, 2012;González-Soltero et al, 2017). TBL has gained popularity in medical and health sciences education because of these benefits (A.…”