Peer-Assisted Learning in a Gross Anatomy Dissection Course

Abstract

Peer-assisted learning encourages students to participate more actively in the dissection process and promotes thoughtful dissection. We implemented peer-assisted dissection in 2012 and compared its effects on students’ self-assessments of learning and their academic achievement with those of faculty-led dissection. All subjects performed dissections after a lecture about upper-limb gross anatomy. Experimental group (n = 134) dissected a cadaver while guided by peer tutors who had prepared for the dissection in advance, and control group (n = 71) dissected a cadaver after the introduction by a faculty via prosection. Self-assessment scores regarding the learning objectives related to upper limbs were significantly higher in experimental group than in control group. Additionally, experimental group received significantly higher academic scores than did control group. The students in peer-assisted learning perceived themselves as having a better understanding of course content and achieved better academic results compared with those who participated in faculty-led dissection. Peer-assisted dissection contributed to self-perception and to the ability to retain and explain anatomical knowledge.

Experience from an optional dissection course in a clinically‐orientated concept to complement system‐based anatomy in a reformed curriculum

“…In the present course, students were satisfied with their assessments and improved their anatomy marks significantly in the continuous assessments as compared with the students not doing dissection similar to previous studies integrating team‐based learning and self‐assessment into the dissection course (Han et al, ) or assessing the dissection quality (Nwachukwu et al, ). The teachers perceived the in‐course assessment system as valid to score anatomical knowledge since strong correlations of the introductory quizzes and MCQ test with the individual final grade were achieved.…”

Improving Academic Performance of Sport and Exercise Science Undergraduate Students in Gross Anatomy Using a Near‐Peer Teaching Program

“…Generally, academic institutions offer peer and near-peer teaching programs to stimulate students' knowledge and interest in a career in academia (Bradley et al, 2016); to improve teaching and communication skills and confidence Agius et al, 2018); and to improve the academic performance of students who participate (for a review, see Santee and Garavalia, 2006). Indeed, previous studies comparing the academic performance of students who received peer teaching to that of students who received no additional teaching found an improvement in the academic performance of students who participated (Benè and Bergus, 2014;Han et al, 2015). Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated that students provide positive feedback about peer teaching (Goode et al, 2013;Furmedge et al, 2014;Agius et al, 2018), near-peer teaching (Evans and Cuffe, 2009;Dur an et al, 2012;Nelson et al, 2013;Rosenberg et al, 2017), and reciprocal peer-teaching programs (Manyama et al, 2016).…”

First Year Medical Student Peer Nominations of Professionalism: A Methodological Detective Story about Making Sense of Non‐Sense

“…Although the MD-trainee dyad is the dominant locus of assessment, there have been multiple efforts to extend the participatory net to groups such as student-peers, nonphysician clinical providers, and even patients (Finn et al, 2009;Garner et al, 2010;Nofziger et al, 2010;Towle et al, 2010;Jha et al, 2013;Furmedge et al, 2014;Coulby, 2015). In the context of this article, the assessment of professionalism by peers also functions a subset of a more general set of peer-based medical education activities including "near-peer" teaching and assessment (Cantwell et al, 2015;Ramani et al, 2016;Gottlieb et al, 2017;Herling et al, 2017;Rosenberg et al, 2017) peer nomination (McCormack et al, 2007;Hojat, et al, 2015;Michalec et al, 2016), peer examination (Burgess et al, 2013); peer feedback (Burgess and Mellis, 2015;Torre et al, 2016), peer-assisted learning (Furmedge et al, 2014;Han et al, 2015;Carr et al, 2016;Grace et al, 2017;Tai et al, 2016), and peer tutoring (Liptak, 2003;Burgess et al, 2016;Dickerson et al, 2017).…”