Fostering intrinsic motivation in remote undergraduate histopathology education

Abstract

AimsThe levels of abstraction, vast vocabulary and high cognitive load present significant challenges in undergraduate histopathology education. Self-determination theory describes three psychological needs which promote intrinsic motivation. This paper describes, evaluates and justifies a remotely conducted, post-COVID-19 histopathology placement designed to foster intrinsic motivation.Methods90 fourth-year medical students took part in combined synchronous and asynchronous remote placements integrating virtual microscopy into complete patient narratives through Google Classroom, culminating in remote, simulated multidisciplinary team meeting sessions allowing participants to vote on ‘red flag’ signs and symptoms, investigations, histological diagnoses, staging and management of simulated virtual patients. The placement was designed to foster autonomy, competence and relatedness, generating authenticity, transdisciplinary integration and clinical relevance. A postpositivistic evaluation was undertaken with a validated preplacement and postplacement questionnaire capturing quantitative and qualitative data.ResultsThere was a significant (p<0.001) improvement in interest, confidence and competence in histopathology. Clinical integration and relevance, access to interactive resources and collaborative learning promoted engagement and sustainability post-COVID-19. Barriers to online engagement included participant lack of confidence and self-awareness in front of peers.ConclusionsFostering autonomy, competence and relatedness in post-COVID-19, remote educational designs can promote intrinsic motivation and authentic educational experiences. Ensuring transdisciplinary clinical integration, the appropriate use of novel technology and a focus on patient narratives can underpin the relevance of undergraduate histopathology education. The presentation of normal and diseased tissue in this way can serve as an important mode for the acquisition and application of clinically relevant knowledge expected of graduates.

An international collaborative approach to learning histology using a virtual microscope

“…In fact, on one occasion, when the teaching staff were delayed due to a timetabling error, instructors arrived 10 min into the session to find all students engaged in the task, having begun generating their e‐workbook using the lecture slides as a guide. This indeed aligns to the literature where it was observed that the integration of VM into histology teaching increased student collaboration (Braun & Kearns, 2008 ; Telang et al, 2016 ; Triola & Holloway, 2011 ; Uraiby et al, 2021 ). The social, academic and psychological benefits of collaborative learning are widely stated in the literature and include higher productivity, engagement and achievement (Hurst et al, 2013 ; Laal & Ghodsi, 2012 ).…”

Ensino remoto emergencial na Medicina: aspectos positivos e negativos no ensino e na aprendizagem em tempos de pandemia

“…Alguns desafios do ensino remoto foram mencionados nos artigos pesquisados, principalmente ao buscarem contornar os aspectos negativos que a modalidade trouxe. As principais dificuldades citadas estavam relacionadas aos seguintes aspectos: as estratégias para adaptar as aulas práticas ao ensino remoto 8,[12][13][14][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] , os desafios tecnológicos 15,20,34,[37][38][39] e a adequação brusca ao contexto on-line 8,25,34,[40][41][42] .…”

“…Isso pode ser relacionado diretamente com o fato de o curso de Medicina ter uma grande carga horária e requisitar um contato frequente dos estudantes com os pacientes, imprescindível para a construção do conhecimento a partir da experimentação das vivências 75 . Além disso, como o modo de abordagem mais frequentemente observado nos artigos foi o totalmente remoto 8,9,[14][15][16][17][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]31,32,35,36,38,39,[41][42][43][44][45][46][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61]63,67,68,72,[78][79][80] , pode-se assumir que não foi possível, para as instituições relacionadas aos artigos recuperados, elaborar estratégias para tentar suprir ou contornar essa adversidade. Todavia, os poucos cursos capazes de manter algumas atividades práticas utilizaram estratégias como a diminuição do número de alunos por aula, por meio da formação de pequenas turmas…”

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postsecondary Students: An Analysis of Self-Determination

“…Postsecondary students who do not exercise SD are at risk for dependency on others, such as their parents, teachers, and peers [ 22 , 26 ]. Similarly, postsecondary students may feel disempowered, dissatisfied, and unmotivated due to the COVID-19-related restrictions on daily life [ 9 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 66 , 67 ]. Many of the daily decisions are being made for postsecondary students by institutional administrators, which may cause students to experience paternalism and lack of autonomy [ 19 , 67 ].…”

“…Although concept analyses focusing on SD have been previously published [ 35 , 42 ], none have explored the concept of SD with special attention to COVID-19 as it applies to post-secondary students. Despite of research on how SDT applies to motivating learning in this population during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 51 , 66 , 71 , 72 ], there is limited information applying this concept to pandemic-related psychological distress. This manuscript adds to the current body of knowledge by making connections between several phenomena that are potentially related to SD and impacted by the pandemic, such as psychological distress, autonomy, and resilience.…”