With the vast amount of information available online, lecturing is becoming an insufficient model. Why should students sit through a three-hour class about ANCOVA analyses when they can type “ANCOVA” into a search box and get lecture materials (PowerPoints, pdfs), view websites, and read articles within seconds? Did you know that there are over 450 free online courses from top universities around the world on the Open Culture website?
If you plan on pursuing a faculty position, it is essential to consider your teaching philosophy and how you will engage students in learning.
Dr. Duane SearsI would like to highlight a faculty member at UCSB who has found a way to move beyond the traditional lecture format by designing a learning environment based on gaming, technology, teamwork, critical thinking, and challenges: Dr. Duane Sears (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology).
I attended a faculty brown bag lunch discussion about social media and gaming earlier this quarter and I was thoroughly impressed with Dr. Sears’ efforts to transform learning through technology and gaming principles.
Students in Dr. Sears’ Medical Immunology class are given two to three patient cases a week. They log into a website to view the patient’s symptoms. Then, they must figure out which diagnostic tests to order (out of 100) and each test they order subtracts 50 points from their total (students start with 3,000 points). The goals of this exercise are to figure out the best diagnosis for the patient (students select the diagnosis from a long list of possible diagnoses), order all of the “key diagnostic tests” (the ones relevant to the patient’s symptoms), and achieve the highest score possible.
Medical Immunology WebsiteStephen Kimura, a graduate student who participated in the class, shared his experience with the case study challenges: “Students have the opportunity to diagnose diseases in patients with immunological dysfunctions ranging from simple cases such as minor allergies and HIV to complex but nuanced genetically linked severe combined immunodeficiencies among many other diseases. Based off the patients' histories and physicals, students intelligently select what tests to order and must be able to comprehensively analyze the results with the broad and in depth knowledge that they have learned from Dr Sears' classes in combination with fundamental biological concepts that are taught as part of the university's biology curriculum. The game initially seems to be medically oriented—not that it isn't—however the complexities of many of the cases and the great specificity of the diagnoses challenges the students to think like a researcher.”
Dr. Sears has developed an advanced scoring system that takes into account which diagnostic tests the students order, how many times it takes to select the best diagnostic option, and how many of the key diagnostic tests were ordered.
Diagnostic Test ScreenshotThe scoring system captivates students in analyzing, researching, and truly understanding the content by rewarding them with points for achieving the goals of the game. Dr. Sears said that the students score, on average, 2100 points per case study. He also explained how students return to the site after completing a case study to learn more about the patient or the diagnostic tests. Students are allowed to work in teams, but they have to select their tests and submit their answers using their individual accounts.
The use of technology and gaming principles helps improve students’ in-depth understanding of medical immunology and ability to problem-solve and think critically about the content. It also requires all students to participate in learning, which is a significant improvement from a lecture or discussion.
Dr. Sears has spent a considerable amount of time designing the entire website for the course, including every single diagnostic and patient page, and this was time well spent as his course takes learning to the next level. Students may be able to research symptoms online, but they won’t be able to find answers to which diagnostic tests to order or justifications for selecting a diagnostic.
Flash-Based Immunology WebsiteAccording to Stephen, “The Medical Immunology course really stands out among other courses in regards to the Bloom's scale by the challenging case study exercises that strengthen the students' analytical and application abilities. I have been working at the emergency departments at Cottage Hospital for two years and have had a fair amount of exposure to the practice of medicine, the significance of a thorough history and physical, analysis of laboratory and radiological studies, medical decision making, and ultimately the diagnosis and the differential diagnoses. Students who exhibit mastery in Dr Sears' immunology courses will be extremely prepared for a career in immunological research or specialty practices in medicine such as pediatric intensive care, hematology, oncology, and rheumatology.”
Stephen continued, “Ultimately, the gaming portion of the class is an excellent vector in active learning by helping students to truly comprehend challenging material and allow them the opportunity to apply their knowledge and be capable of analyzing results. This will prepare them for a great career in research or a big head start in their healthcare endeavors.”
If you are currently working as a teaching assistant or plan to pursue a faculty position, think about how you can teach like Dr. Sears and use technology, gaming principles, and challenging analytical activities to help students gain a more in-depth understanding of the material.