Crossword Puzzles: Active Learning in Undergraduate Pathology and Medical Education

Abstract

Context.—Second-year medical students are introduced to many new terms and concepts in a short time frame in the hematology system and the neoplasia section of the undergraduate pathology course. It is a challenge to provide adequate practice and necessary repetition to reinforce key concepts. Objective.—To determine student perceptions of the usefulness of crosswords as a quick and effective way to reinforce essential concepts and vocabulary. Design.—Crosswords with ensured content validity built on a free Internet resource were completed by the students in collaborative and cooperative groups of 6 to 7 with a reward for the first group to successfully complete the puzzle. Student perceptions of the value of crosswords for their learning were examined in 2003 (39 students) with a survey of yes or no responses and in 2004 (41 students) with a survey using questions with a 5-point Likert scale. Results.—Many students (37 of 39 in 2003 and 24 of 41 in 2004) indicated that crosswords were useful and contributed to their learning. Specifically, crosswords were found to be useful for identifying key concepts and vocabulary and for their collaborative and competitive aspects. Written and informal comments indicated student enthusiasm for and a desire to participate in more of these exercises. Students have transferred this review strategy to other classes and the peer teachers have expressed an interest in it as an adjunct teaching tool. Conclusions.—The judicious use of crosswords was useful for near transfer content and provided an opportunity to discuss and recall essential concepts, think critically, and collaborate in small groups.

An alternative evaluation: online puzzle as a course-end activity

“…Therefore, it is concluded that using online puzzle activities in courses such as Information Technologies where many terms exist assists the students' retention. This finding corresponds with studies conducted by Songur (2006), Saxena et al (2009), Whisenand and Dunphy (2010) and Gürdal and Arslan (2011). Doing online puzzle activities accelerates learning for students and helps them learn networking terms (Franklin et al, 2003;Kalyani, 2007;Lin and Dunphy, 2012;Parsons and Oja, 2008;Whisenand & Dunphy) also support that finding.…”

“…In a study where free software for creating crossword puzzles was used in the field of sports instruction, puzzles lessons increased the interest of the students compared to traditional instruction (Berry and Miller, 2008). Saxena et al (2009) researched the benefits of puzzles in terms of being a fast, productive way of reinforcing the learning of short words and basic terminology. In blood science and pathology courses, groups of six and seven students were formed to solve puzzles.…”

Evaluating Classification Consistency of Oral Lesion Images for Use in an Image Classification Teaching Tool

“…Tools and technology for active learning in health profession education are currently in high demand. In Saxena et al's article from 2009, crossword puzzles were introduced to the undergraduate medical curriculum to help students review and reinforce concepts and vocabulary learned in a pathology class [14]. Specially constructed content-relevant digital games were constructed by Kanthan et al, and helped improve academic performance in undergraduate pathology courses [15].…”

Online Chemistry Crossword Puzzles prior to and during COVID-19: Light-Hearted Revision Aids That Work

“…Perhaps the reduced first-year engagement was as a direct consequence of their crosswords containing more content and being less palatable as quick recall aids, although four previous studies also reportedly used between 20 and 30 clues on each puzzle. 14,20,40,41 Intriguingly, one of the crosswords posted for first-year students received 46% of their total number of viewings across all six crossword postings. This crossword covered a broader range of course content, which possibly made it a better revision tool compared with some, but interestingly, it also only consisted of 20 clues, which was the lowest number used for this cohort.…”