Abstract:
This study is based on data for medical graduates over a 5-year period (1994-98). Out of 255 graduates, 122 took an elective course promoting the educator's role and featuring the development of self-directed learning skills and cooperative learning. The academic achievement, student preceptorship in semiotics, and learners' descriptors. The results showed similarities of descriptors between the groups prior to the intervention. However the participant group had an overall grade point average significantly superior to the control group at graduation. The proportion of participants who performed the preceptorship was higher than that of controls. Among the participants, there were significant relationships between overall grade point average at graduation and both the score in teamwork performance and the level of learner autonomy attained at end-of-course. Likewise, the score in teamwork performance was significantly higher among participants who carried out the preceptorship. Participant ranking of the elective was closely related to finding personal meaning and understanding of self-directed and cooperative learning. In conclusion, the results expand previous findings and suggest the usefulness of learning skill development in the quest for meaningful and lasting learning
Keywords:
Medical education; Medical Students; Learning; Curriculum