Background: Collaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. ... more Background: Collaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. Students' and tutors' perceptions about small group learning are valuable to inform the development of strategies to promote group dynamics and collaborative learning. This study investigated medical students' and tutors' views on competencies and behaviours which promote effective learning and interaction in small group settings. Methods: This study was conducted at UNSW Australia. Five focus group discussions were conducted with first and second year medical students and eight small group tutors were interviewed. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Students and tutors identified a range of behaviours that influenced collaborative learning. The main themes that emerged included: respectfulness; dominance, strong opinions and openness; constructiveness of feedback; active listening and contribution; goal orientation; acceptance of roles and responsibilities; engagement and enthusiasm; preparedness; self-awareness and positive personal attributes. An important finding was that some of these student behaviours were found to have a differential impact on group interaction compared with collaborative learning. This information could be used to promote higher quality learning in small groups. Conclusion: This study has identified medical students' and tutors' perceptions regarding interactional behaviours in small groups, as well as behaviours which lead to more effective learning in those settings. This information could be used to promote learning in small groups.
Introduction: There is a worldwide focus on the early development of collaborative skills in medi... more Introduction: There is a worldwide focus on the early development of collaborative skills in medical students as reflected in the design of the medicine program at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Integral to the success of student-centered curricula, is early development of students' selfdirected and collaborative learning skills. The purpose of this innovative assessment is to develop and assess students' skills in self-directed and collaborative learning while they concurrently engage with stage-appropriate content knowledge. Methods: The educational design of the group projects allows junior medical students to work collaboratively to develop a deep understanding of the concepts and principles of a clinical scenario. Students are required to integrate and apply knowledge from different disciplines and share their learning with a wider peer group through appropriate peer teaching strategies. Two variants of these group projects are described in this resource, and generic versions of student and assessor instructions are included as Appendices A and B. Results: Feedback on the projects collected over the last 7 years has been positive. Students begin to see the relevance and benefits of learning together and appreciate the impact this has on the quality of their learning. They also begin to appreciate the relevance of collaborative skills to their future practice as doctors. Discussion: The group projects are based on well-established educational principles, and the templates provided in the appendices can be adapted by other medical educators.
Background: Collaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. ... more Background: Collaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. Students' and tutors' perceptions about small group learning are valuable to inform the development of strategies to promote group dynamics and collaborative learning. This study investigated medical students' and tutors' views on competencies and behaviours which promote effective learning and interaction in small group settings. Methods: This study was conducted at UNSW Australia. Five focus group discussions were conducted with first and second year medical students and eight small group tutors were interviewed. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Students and tutors identified a range of behaviours that influenced collaborative learning. The main themes that emerged included: respectfulness; dominance, strong opinions and openness; constructiveness of feedback; active listening and contribution; goal orientation; acceptance of roles and responsibilities; engagement and enthusiasm; preparedness; self-awareness and positive personal attributes. An important finding was that some of these student behaviours were found to have a differential impact on group interaction compared with collaborative learning. This information could be used to promote higher quality learning in small groups. Conclusion: This study has identified medical students' and tutors' perceptions regarding interactional behaviours in small groups, as well as behaviours which lead to more effective learning in those settings. This information could be used to promote learning in small groups.
Introduction: There is a worldwide focus on the early development of collaborative skills in medi... more Introduction: There is a worldwide focus on the early development of collaborative skills in medical students as reflected in the design of the medicine program at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Integral to the success of student-centered curricula, is early development of students' selfdirected and collaborative learning skills. The purpose of this innovative assessment is to develop and assess students' skills in self-directed and collaborative learning while they concurrently engage with stage-appropriate content knowledge. Methods: The educational design of the group projects allows junior medical students to work collaboratively to develop a deep understanding of the concepts and principles of a clinical scenario. Students are required to integrate and apply knowledge from different disciplines and share their learning with a wider peer group through appropriate peer teaching strategies. Two variants of these group projects are described in this resource, and generic versions of student and assessor instructions are included as Appendices A and B. Results: Feedback on the projects collected over the last 7 years has been positive. Students begin to see the relevance and benefits of learning together and appreciate the impact this has on the quality of their learning. They also begin to appreciate the relevance of collaborative skills to their future practice as doctors. Discussion: The group projects are based on well-established educational principles, and the templates provided in the appendices can be adapted by other medical educators.
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