Improving student understanding of lipids concepts in a biochemistry course using test-enhanced learning

To foster the connection between biochemistry and the supporting prerequisite concepts, a collection of activities that explicitly link general and organic chemistry concepts to biochemistry ideas was written and either assigned as pre-class work or as recitation activities. We assessed student learning gains after using these activities alone, or in combination with regularly-integrated clicker and discussion questions. Learning gains were determined from student performance on pre- and post-tests covering key prerequisite concepts, biochemistry course exams, and student self-evaluation. Long-term retention of the material was assessed using a comprehensive exam given to a subset of the students. Our results show that using the pre-class exercises in combination with integrative questions was effective at improving student performance in both the short and long term. Similar results were obtained at both a large research institution with large class enrollments and at a private liberal arts college with moderate enrollments. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):97-104, 2017.

Background: Retention of early-taught knowledge and fundamental clinical skills, albeit essential in medical education, has not been extensively investigated. This study is aimed at assessing prospectively the retention of knowledge and skills related to communication with patients and the physical examination by fourth year medical students after an introductory course in basic pediatric cardiology. Methods: Three cohorts of fourth year medical students aged 21-26 years volunteered for the study. All students (N = 130) were assessed immediately after the teaching period and after six months (N = 42) and after one year (N = 21) later. Assessments included a 40 multiple-choice question (MCQ) test and an 8-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) focused on communication with patients, physical examination and interpretation of diagnostic tests (chest radio- graphs and electrocardiograms). Cases were portrayed by either real, rehearsed patients or standardized patients. Student performance was assessed by trained staff members using structured checklists. Results: For all aspects of knowledge assessed, scores obtained in the second and the third assessment were significantly lower than those verified in the first assessment. There were no significant differences between the three assessments re- garding overall clinical performance and data for communication with patients and physical examination. Concerning di- agnostic tests interpretation, scores obtained in the second and third assessment were significantly lower than those veri- fied in the first assessment. Paired analysis of the results obtained for the 21 students who took the three assessments showed similar results, except for a trend for improvement in clinical skills. Conclusions: Medical student retention of clinical sciences knowledge follows a pattern similar to that found in other scientific domains, characterized by progressive decay after initial acquisition. In contrast, fundamental clinical skills, such as communication with patients and physical examination are substantially retained, which could be ascribed to con- tinuous practice. These findings should be taken into account for devising instructional strategies for enhancing student knowledge and clinical skills maintenance.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o desempenho de estudantes do curso de Odontologia na disciplina de Bioquímica por meio do uso da metodologia Blended Learning. Para isso formaram-se dois grupos: um composto por estudantes que cursaram a disciplina de Bioquímica no formato tradicional no ano de 2015, denominado grupo em classe (EC); e outro com aqueles que cursaram a mesma disciplina no formato Blended Learning no ano de 2016, denominado grupo BL. Os objetivos de aprendizagem, o conteúdo apresentado e as avaliações foram os mesmos para ambos. O desempenho dos estudantes foi mensurado por meio de avaliações bimestrais presenciais e individuais com níveis de dificuldade semelhantes entre os grupos. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados utilizando o teste ANOVA a dois fatores, com nível de significância de 0,05. No ano de 2015 participaram da pesquisa 198 estudantes, 54,4% do gênero feminino e 45,5% do gênero masculino. No ano de 2016, 148 estudantes participaram da pesquisa, também com predomínio de estudantes do gênero feminino (52,7%). Os estudantes do grupo BL obtiveram melhores resultados no 1º, 2º e 3º bimestres (p<0,05). A média anual dos estudantes do grupo BL também foi melhor do que a média do grupo EC. Este estudo sugere que a metodologia Blended Learning propicie maior ganho de conhecimento aos estudantes quando comparada à metodologia de ensino centrada em aulas presenciais.

Background: PBL (problem based learning) is new active learning educational strategy that has been extensively tested and used in recent years. This study aims to compare students' understanding and knowledge retention when taught through PBL and lecture-based classes and compare PAHS students' perceptions of PBL and lectures in medical education. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of medical students of a PBL based medical school in Nepal, a non-Western low-income country. Ethical approval was given by the institutional research committee of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences. Understanding and knowledge retention was assessed with 50 vignette-based multiple-choice questions, half of which were taught through PBL sessions, and the remaining half were taught in didactic lectures during basic science years of medical school. A separate pre-validated perception questionnaire was used to assess students' preferences regarding PBL and lectures. Results: Out of 107 students, 99 participated in the understanding and knowledge retention questionnaires and 107 completed perception questionnaires. Understanding and knowledge retention of students was found to be the same for topics taught by PBL and lectures, with median scores of 17 and s16, respectively. PBL were mostly preferred for the physiology (59.81%), pathology (51.40%) and pharmacology (53.27%) concepts, and lectures were mostly preferred for the anatomy (78.50%), biochemistry (45.79%), and microbiology (42.99%) topics. Students wanted the same concepts to be taught through both PBL and lectures, especially for anatomy. Conclusions: Understanding and knowledge retention is the same for topics taught by either PBL or lectures during the basic science years of undergraduate medical education. Students prefer PBL for physiology, pathology, and pharmacology-related concepts, conventional didactic lecture for physiology and microbiology, and a combination of lecture and PBL sessions for anatomy.

Various engagement tools have been commonly used within biochemistry courses to increase student engagement and maximize student exposure to material within the time constraints of a class session. These time constraints also extend to the laboratory component of these courses which often leads to increased levels of anxiety for students. One method that has been used successfully in the past to increase student understanding and performance during laboratory experiments is the utilization of pre‐laboratory video lectures. While the use of pre‐laboratory videos has been shown to be beneficial for students, instructors often have no efficient way of assessing student understanding of the video content prior to the laboratory session. Edpuzzle is a free online service that allows for instructors to upload videos and incorporate questions into videos at various points within the video to assess student understanding. In an effort to increase student performance in an introductory biochemistry laboratory, edpuzzle was adapted to engage students with the material in preparation for the laboratory session. Prior to each laboratory session, students viewed an edpuzzle video and answered questions to assess their understanding of the experimental details and concepts that would be covered in the lab. Surveys were conducted to determine student satisfaction, learning outcomes, and level of anxiety associated with the laboratory as a result of using edpuzzle as a laboratory preparation tool. Students reported high satisfaction rates, increased confidence during laboratory experiments, and decreased anxiety about the laboratory overall. The results suggest that students viewed the edpuzzle application as a valuable component of their laboratory preparation routine. Due to the flexibility of edpuzzle, it can be adapted for use in other chemistry or biology laboratories at various levels. In addition, edpuzzle can also be used as a supplementary tool for expanding lecture content.Support or Funding InformationFlorida Southern College Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, & Physics

The current study was conducted for investigating the effect of the Metacognitive skills on pupil teachers’ written assignment performance. The study was executed while using the Quasi-Experimental nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The two sections of B.Ed (Honors) Semester-I (each consisting of 30 students) were selected conveniently for this study. Before the intervention, both of the selected groups have been pretested and there was no statistical difference found among them concerning their Metacognitive Skills. The intervention (Cooperative Learning approach) was given to the experimental group whereas the controlled group was given the conventional treatment. The intervention duration consisted of one semester only. There were five Metacognitive skills that the researcher intended to develop. The “Planning” and “Information Management” skills were focused during the first two weeks of each month whereas the rest of the skills “Monitoring, “Debugging” and “Evaluation” were focused during the last two weeks. The researcher used a performance test named “Metacognitive Skills Assessment Tool” (MSAT) adapted from (Ali, Siddiqui, & Tatlah, 2020) comprising 14 items (representing Metacognitive skills) to measure the prospective teachers’ skills. Furthermore, the Rubrics for Metacognitive Skills Assessment Tool (RMSAT) were used to rate the prospective teachers’ performance taken on MSAT. These were also adopted from (Ali, Siddiqui, & Tatlah, 2020). On the other hand, the pupil teachers’ written assignment performance has been measured with the help of the “Assessment Criteria for Report Writing (ACRW)” developed by (Siddiqui, 2016). Base on the results taken from Pearson’s r and Linear Regression analysis, it has been concluded that the Metacognitive skills have a statistically significantly high effect on prospective teachers’ Metacognitive skills development.

While traditional teaching methods (e.g., real‐time, synchronous lectures) have proven effective for training future engineers, the Internet provides an avenue to reinforce the material and augment student learning, comprehension, and retention of material. This paper presents the integration and assessment of a library of interactive instructional modules specifically for a senior‐level undergraduate elective course in civil engineering. An ongoing, comprehensive assessment process was implemented in the fall 1999 semester. The results of this quantitative assessment indicate that the use of well designed and pedagogically sound Internet‐based supplemental modules provide students with a better understanding of course material. However, when Internet‐based content does not promote critical thinking, little increase in the student performance and understanding of the material is realized. Interactive Web‐based instruction should not be viewed as a “replacement” to traditional instruction, but rather a tool that provides a broader and more dynamic environment for students with a variety of learning styles.

This study aimed to better understand how metacognitive skills develop in young children aged 5 to 7 years. In particular, we addressed whether developmental changes reflect quantitative or qualitative improvements, and how metacognitive skills change with age and task-specific ability. Previous research into the development of metacognitive skills has been somewhat limited by methodology—often there is an over-reliance on language skills and it is assumed that children are fully conscious of the skills they use. In this study, a new observational method was developed which aimed to better represent young children’s (n = 66) metacognitive skills by coding their verbalizations and non-verbal behavior during a problem-solving task. This method proved to be developmentally sensitive and illustrated both a quantitative increase in metacognitive skills, and qualitative changes in the types of monitoring and planning used throughout early development. Further, the results indicated that monitoring processes improve with age, control processes improve with both age and task-specific ability, and ‘failures of metacognitive skills’ are primarily affected by task-specific ability rather than age.

Finite state machine is a model of computation based on a theoretical machine, made of one or more states. Computing Science students and practitioners use it to model real world objects and simulate problems in several disciplines such as mathematics, artificial intelligence, games or linguistics. Based on the assessment made by the proponents, little percentage of the students who took the course were able to retain knowledge on its theoretical foundation, while none on the application side. It was further supported by some literature that some computing students find difficulties in learning this course. The main reason is the knowledge retention because they cannot remember their previous lessons. This research can be a useful contribution in designing a better e-learning application particularly for the Computing Science students. Given the right feature, the mobile application can benefit both the educational institution, students and faculty members. In view of this study, it is highly recommended to pursue the development of the application, implement it and conduct a pre- and post-test assessment on the knowledge retention of students who will utilize this system. Provide a wider population and test other parameters to determine what really affects the student’s knowledge retention.

Computer-Based Learning (CBL) is an educational method that has been formed by combining computer technology and learning principles by oneself. The aim of this study was to design, implement computer based learning regarding airway suction and evaluate its effect on knowledge and skill retention of pediatric nursing students. A quasi experimental research design was used. The subjects: 150 pediatric nursing students in the third year, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University. Materials and Method: Two tools were used to collect data: students' knowledge regarding airway suctioning and airway suctioning observational checklist. The Results revealed that the total scores of students' knowledge and practice for majority of study and control groups were unsatisfactory before teaching interventions and improved for both groups immediately, 2weeks, and 8 weeks with higher scores for study than control group. Conclusion: it can be concluded that there was a significant improvement in knowledge and skill retention of students studied with computer based learning method in relation to airway suctioning than students studied with traditional learning method. Recommendations: Medical and nursing education programs should adopt computer based learning in undergraduate education, and should support the introduction of computer based learning as an important step in curriculum development.

In the Middle East, where most of the higher learning institutions still focus on the teacher-centred approach, implementation of this pedagogical model is an enormous task for educators. This study was designed to assess the role that the flipped classroom modality plays in the knowledge retention of medical students with a background in traditional methods of teaching and learning. This study employed a mixed study design among a sample of 3rd year medical students (n=193) in the neurosciences course block. The students were divided into two groups: experimental and control. A post-test, a questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews as research instruments were used to collect data in this study. The results revealed a significant mean difference between the post-test scores in traditional (4.1±0.98) and flipped classroom (3.6±1.03) with a p-value=0.01, while no mean difference was found between male and female students (3.9±1.04, 3.9±1.02, p-value=0.77). The students appreciated the flipped classroom modality that helped with information sharing, interaction with peers and learning from others' experiences. Correspondingly, the four main characteristics of flipped classroom emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) positive perceptions of the flipped classroom, (2) challenges of the flipped classroom, (3) the effects of personal characteristics, and (4) lack of administration support. The performance of students was better in the traditional class than in the flipped classroom, particularly in the cognitive areas that deal with the interpretation and application of knowledge. The students taking responsibility for their own learning in this new modality and the short duration of the study might have had some influence on the study results. Future in-depth studies are recommended.

To explore the teaching and learning methods used in bioscience education for undergraduate nursing students and evaluate their effectiveness for knowledge acquisition and student satisfaction. Understanding bioscience is essential for nurses to provide effective patient care. Despite its importance, students often struggle with the complex content and limited learning time. A mixed-methods systematic review was employed following the PRISMA guidelines. Four databases (CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science and PubMed) were searched using keywords related to nursing education and bioscience. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed studies published from 2003 to 2023 that evaluated teaching or learning methods for bioscience in undergraduate nursing students. A narrative synthesis was conducted. This review includes 98 studies from 28 countries. Active learning methods generally improved student engagement, understanding, and retention of knowledge. Technology-enhanced learning provided immersive and interactive experiences, despite cost and scalability challenges. Traditional teaching methods were valued by students for their insights and application to clinical practice. Blended learning approaches catered to diverse learning preferences and improved learning. Most teaching and learning approaches appear to improve bioscience education for undergraduate nursing students, supporting short-term improvements in knowledge and student satisfaction. No single active learning method was identified as the most effective. Effective support and learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom are important, as are strategies to allow application of theory to practice. Future research should further evaluate the long-term impact of different teaching and learning methods for bioscience in undergraduate nursing education.

Impact of pharmacy experience, GPA, age, education, and therapeutic review on knowledge retention and clinical confidence

ABSTRACT: A study of the use of interactive media in Biochemistry materials at Chemical Analysis Department, Islamic University of Indonesia has been done. Interactive media used in this research is animation media based on molymod and Flash. Molymod is used in lecturing activities to explain the macromolecular bonds and structures that are the focus of the Biochemistry course while the Flash-based animation is expected to improve students' understanding of biochemical metabolism processes in the body. The purpose of this study is to increase students' interest in biochemical learning which is known to be difficult and unattractive.Stages of this research there are 6, namely the initial stage, pre-design, design, model evaluation, field application and evaluation of results. The initial stage is done by improving the Course Outline (CO) and Teaching Unit Course (SAP) as well as the creation of lecture modules. Contents, materials and display modules have been reviewed by incorporating elements of analysis of biochemical examples that are often performed in the industrial world. Molymods of small capacity per set can only make two interconnected monomers. Flash-based animation media can be used during college or can be opened by students independently. The use of interactive media can stimulate students' high interest and understanding, ie 74.38% and 72.88% respectively. The correlation relationship between understanding and interest is also high which is marked with correlation coefficient value 0.806. The achievement of value ≥ B / C obtained with interactive media equal to 76,57% and Lecturer Performance Value (NKD) equal to 3,56.Keywords: interactive media, molymod, biochemistryReceived: 22 June 2017, Revised: 13 August 2017, 1 September 2017

Educational looping is an educational method where teachers remain with the same core group of students over multiple academic years. The current research on this topic shows a strong positive correlation between the effects of looping and the growth of personal relationships between students and teachers, but neglects to examine the connection between looping and student educational growth. This paper explores the relationship between looping and academic gains, as well as between looping and retention of content material over time. This paper explores both the relationship between looping and academic gains and between looping and retention of content material, and attempts to explain the relationship between looping and student performance on state assessments. Additionally, the research also examines whether students who looped with one teacher throughout their middle school years retain more content knowledge than students who had different teachers during middle school. The focus on middle school is important to the academic community because most research on looping has focused on younger students. In order to compare the quantitative effects of looping, this study compared student performance on the Louisiana state assessments at the end of each school year in 2009, 2010, and 2011. By analyzing two groups of students in Louisiana, one that looped with the same science teacher for three years, and one that had three different science teachers, we can determine that based on the state test scores, the two student populations were significantly similar at the end of the first year, significantly different at the end of the second year, and significantly similar at the end of the third year. In addition to the results from the state tests, the students were also given a retention assessment in August 2011 and May 2012 to see if students who looped retained more information than students who did not loop. Results from these assessments showed that looping did not cause a positive change in student retention of content knowledge. By breaking down the groups into different categories, a few small positive trends were found, but overall, the study was thwarted by a number of complicating systematic factors. Subsequently, a positive trend is seen in favor of looping after the first two years of the study, yet after the third year, an overwhelming amount of external factors prevented this trend from continuing.