Course Evaluation Course Evaluation

Numerical evaluations of all aspects of the course were high (Keshet, 2003).

However, the following was written by one student as a composite of student opinion of the course.

"The pathophysiology course has demonstrated an innovative and novel approach to applying problem based, collaborative learning, and inquiry focused structures in an undergraduate 3 unit course.

The first lectures approach problems in a small classroom setting, using the PowerPoint slides as a "conversation starter". There is a dialogue with the class and an active demonstration, in each lecture, of the four themes. The process is one of structuring inquiry in a discreet manner by repeatedly applying it in a broad range of scenarios. The superficial difficulties in demonstrating 'transfer' on the part of learners is therefore overcome as it is 'transfer' that is directly and discreetly being taught.

There are no marks given directly for these presentations, which are curious at first, considering how important the presentations are to the course. Nevertheless, students put extensive time and energy into producing enjoyable, informative, and thought-provoking presentations; shattering the notion that evaluation is the motivation for student participation.

Dr. Belbeck brought in a heart transplant patient to speak to the class, he did some lecturing on some fundamental pathophysiological concepts, and generally put context into the presentations and served as an accessible expert. The effect of this general approach to the lecture portion of the course imparts a more personal experience to the class and sets up a dynamic and discursive learning environment.

The laboratory aspect to this course has been very positive and has made use of the laboratory setting in an engaging and appropriate manner. An example of the format of a given laboratory on a given week would go as follows: A number of specimens and blocks would be set out with no instructions given but to simply consider them. Each specimen may be pathological, or it may be a normal specimen. This fact was often concealed or not stated and it was up to students to assess and judge. After a period of time for free investigation, there would be an interactive explanation of each block by a small group, discussion-based, review of the pathology.

The discussions have been well-paced, affording ample opportunity for questions and clarifications. Laboratories were not evaluated in any way other than as a part of the general, broad participation mark given as a cumulative final grade. The effect of this lack of evaluation in the laboratory and small group discussion/ investigation format was to engender a learning environment that was engaging, relaxed, enjoyable, and informative.

The effective use of problems, discussion, and tools such as ultrasound gave a real and tangible edge, in addition to the hands-on experience through specimens and blocks.

On the whole, the lab was viewed by students as an interesting and fascinating way to spend Friday morning. The processes of inquiry and discovery through investigating and interacting with physiological mechanisms were repeatedly visited in the lecture-based portion of the course. The reflection of this directed inquiry in the laboratory wove the experience into the rest of the course material and successfully reinforced the learning done in the group and class settings.

This evaluation mechanism stimulated learning from what we had been exposed to, and served to evaluate more than just knowledge, but also the degree to which one was present and engaged in the group learning process of the entire class.

The final exam followed a similarly innovative pattern. Two rules were given: Submit the final report by 5:00 pm, and 'there are no rules'. This was a 'no holds barred' thinking/problem-solving exercise where knowledge acquisition and effective inquiry through the 4 themes of the course were being tested. There was a practice run in the week before the exam where sample problems were presented and submitted by groups to a main folder where they could be downloaded.

The underlying theme throughout every aspect of the course is that each facet must represent a learning opportunity. By writing the final exam, we learned and were examined based on our ability to learn and subsequently synthesize.

There is an individual essay component in the course where each student is provided with a folder that others can access. Students post drafts of their essays up to these publicly accessible folders where other students can download and critique their work. This shows that the product of individually assigned work can go towards enriching the learning experience of the class on the whole. Each person takes a different topic and therefore by reading a number of essays, one learns what other students have uncovered and, themselves, learned. The due date for the first draft is over 3 weeks prior to the actual due date of the paper, affording sufficient time for others to read and comment, for questions and open forum LearnLink discussion.

Throughout the course, students have repeatedly demonstrated the initiative that is required in order to make a model such as this work. Students demonstrated self-motivation and required neither carrot nor stick to learn and participate within the context of the course. This was because students were given the responsibility of ensuring the course had been a worthwhile learning experience while simultaneously being supported by a very involved and dedicated facilitator.

He is at each lab and takes a central role in the conception and administration of each lab activity. Furthermore, Dr. Belbeck is personable, approachable, and inviting, and to all objective observation invests himself personally in the success of the course. This success is defined not by the results of the tests and evaluation mechanisms, but by the degree and quality of student participation in discussing, teaching, and learning. Students typically post up interesting things they find, ask questions in the forums, and share their experiences of the course, while Dr. Belbeck stands by and serves as an accessible and encyclopaedic source of experiential and factual knowledge.

The success of this model of administering courses depends on a dynamic and truly inspired facilitator that can engender a learning environment where students are empowered to learn and teach the course curriculum. Without students participating out of fascination and the joy of exploration and discovery, this model is not viable. This is why the offering of this pathophysiology should serve as an example of how this system can work, and its potential as an efficacious model that can be repeated in other courses and medium-sized group settings." (Bell, 2003).

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

مستشفى الكفيل يعلن انضمامه لمشروع الضمان الصحي الحكومي

المجمَع العلمي يقيم مسابقة الكوثر الخاصة بترتيل القرآن الكريم في كربلاء

قسم الشؤون الفكرية والثقافية يُصدر العدد الثالث والعشرين من مجلّة (أوراق معرفية)

قسم التربية والتعليم يُطلق الموسم التدريبيّ الصيفيّ لملاكات مجموعة العميد التربوية

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

اختراق علمي.. دواء يؤخر ظهور السكري من النوع الأول لسنوات

هذا ما يحدث لجسمك إن أهملت نظافة فراشك

لماذا تعتبر النساء أكثر عرضة للإصابة بألزهايمر من الرجال؟

لماذا يحذر الخبراء من الإفراط في تناول الفراولة؟

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

السيارات الكهربائية أنظف بنسبة 73% من سيارات الوقود

سيارة لوسِد الكهربائية تدخل "غينيس" بأطول مدى في العالم

نظرية جديدة تنسف كل ما نعرفه عن تشكل أول قارة في الأرض

منذ 37 ألف عام.. دراسة تكشف "أقدم أمراض" أصابت البشر

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

Final Triple Jump Exercise

Self and Peer Evaluation

Clinical reasoning exercises

Evaluation of Students Test and Retest

The SOLO taxonomy The theoretical background of the SOLO taxonomy

Views on the Adoption and Implementation of the SOLO Taxonomy Introduction

Constructive alignment

The standards model of assessment

The measurement model of student assessment

Assessment by portfolio: an experiment

Assessment

Teaching and learning activities Monitoring and assessment