Students’ perception of the learning environment at Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba

Abstract

Purpose:The learning environment at Xavier University School of Medicine (XUSOM), Aruba has not been previously studied. Hence, the present study was carried out using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to obtain student perceptions about the learning environment and compare the same among different subgroups of respondents.Methods:The questionnaire was administered to undergraduate medical students in their first to fifth semester during the first two weeks of June 2013. The students’ perceptions were evaluated by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 50 statements using a Likert-type scale. The mean overall score and the scores of subcategory were calculated and compared among different respondents (P<0.05).Results:Seventy-three of the 86 students (84.9%) completed the questionnaire. The overall mean±SD score was 131.79±22.86 (maximum score 200). The mean±SD score for students’ perception of teaching/learning was 31.99±6.23 (maximum score, 48), while the score for students’ perceptions of teachers was 30.05±5.54 (maximum score, 44). The mean±SD scores for students’ academic self-perception, students’ perception of the atmosphere, and students’ social self-perception were 21.88±5.11 (maximum score, 32), 30.92±8.59 (maximum score, 48), and 16.96±4.71 (maximum score, 28), respectively. There were no differences in scores according to the respondents’ personal characteristics.Conclusion:The student responses about the learning environment at the institution were positive. We plan to obtain regular student feedback as the curriculum becomes progressively more student-centered and integrated.

Assessment of Students’ Perception About Educational Environment of a Medical College in Kerala

“…Studies showing higher positive perception in India are those conducted at Kasturba Medical College, 7 Melaka Manipal Medical College, 8 Medical college in Western Maharashtra, 9 University of Delhi 10 and Medical college in North India. 11 Studies conducted in Bangladesh, 6 Netherlands, 12 Pakistan, 4 Malaysia 13 and Saudi Arabia 14,15 also showed higher proportion of positive perception. Higher proportion of students expressed negative perception in studies conducted in Morocco 16 and Iran.…”

Student feedback on problem-based learning processes

“…15 One possible reason for this is the more condensed and compressed nature of the basic sciences curriculum in Caribbean medical schools. A semester at XUSOM is 15 weeks long, 9 hence students have to put in more hours of study. Another reason could be that the predominant teaching-learning methodology continues to be lectures and there is only one PBL session each week.…”

“…7,8 Xavier University School of Medicine (XUSOM) started problem-based learning sessions for undergraduate medical students beginning in May 2013. 9 Beginning in January 2014 the school shifted to a fully integrated curriculum.…”

Ambiente educativo en la escuela de medicina de una Universidad pública: diagnóstico basal

“…El ambiente educativo de la Escuela de Medicina de la UIS es similar al encontrado en Universidades como Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba; Shankar, et al 12 coinciden con nosotros en afirmar que la percepción de los docentes y ambiente, a medida que el estudiante avanza, disminuye sustancialmente, quizá por la imagen del maestro como autoritario y ridiculizador 12 ; de la misma forma se halló en dicha universidad que los estudiantes especialmente en los primeros años de estudio, tienen dificultades para hacer frente a la exigencia académica en las materias del ciclo básico, cuestión que concuerda con el alto grado de reprobación de Morfofisiología y Farmacología, pertenecientes al ciclo básico, en la escuela de medicina de la UIS.…”