“Student‐led workshop strengthens perceived discussion skills and community in an interdisciplinary graduate program”

Abstract

The Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology (IGPPEB) at Yale University brings together Ph.D. students from the physical, engineering, and biological sciences. The main goals of this program are for students to become comfortable working in an interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment and adept at communicating with scientists and nonscientists. To fill a student-identified learning gap in engaging in inclusive discussions, IGPPEB students developed a communication workshop to improve skills in visual engagement, citing specific content, constructive conversation entrances, and encouragement of peers. Based on short-and long-term assessment of the workshop, 100% of students reported that it should be offered to future cohorts and 63% of students perceived it to be personally helpful. Additionally, 92% of participants reported using one or more of the core skills beyond the course, with skills in "Encouraging peers" and "Constructive conversation entrances" rated the highest in perceived improvement. Based on the highest average rating of 76 ± 24 (on a scale of 0-100), students agreed that the workshop made them feel more welcome in the IGPPEB community. With a rating of 68 ± 13, they also agreed that the workshop had a positive impact on their graduate school experience. Participants provided suggestions for future improvements, such as increasing student involvement in leading discussions of course material. This study demonstratesThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Setting Students up for Success

“…Conversely, based on the quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and despite the improvement noted by students, three skills stood out as the ones that students need to develop further: leadership, working in diverse teams, and evidence-based decision making. This finding parallels the literature recommendations on engaging medical science graduate students in more leadership opportunities (James et al, 2021;Shipps et al, 2023). It also sheds light on the need for medical graduate students to practise teamwork and evidencebased decision making as these two skills are crucial in learning medical sciences (Bleske et al, 2016;Borrego & Newswander, 2010;James et al, 2021;Shipps et al, 2023).…”

“…This finding parallels the literature recommendations on engaging medical science graduate students in more leadership opportunities (James et al, 2021;Shipps et al, 2023). It also sheds light on the need for medical graduate students to practise teamwork and evidencebased decision making as these two skills are crucial in learning medical sciences (Bleske et al, 2016;Borrego & Newswander, 2010;James et al, 2021;Shipps et al, 2023).…”

“…The pre-post survey comparison highlights the positive impact of the program in terms of students' reflection on their level of competence in the seven core skills outlined in the program, especially in complex problem solving, oral and written communication skills, and critical reflection. These findings address a major gap in medical science education research and practise highlighting the need for developing students' skills in these three areas specifically (Collard et al, 2016;Lázaro et al, 2022;Marbach-Ad & Marr, 2018;Norman, 2009;Shipps et al, 2023). Conversely, based on the quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and despite the improvement noted by students, three skills stood out as the ones that students need to develop further: leadership, working in diverse teams, and evidence-based decision making.…”

“…1.2.3. LeadershipShipps et al (2023) discuss the importance of providing students with leadership opportunities through peer mentoring and group activities. Such initiatives empower students, leading to high student retention rates and successful program recruitment.…”