Curating a media-linked curriculum

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic motivated considerable educational innovation in technology-enhanced learning (TEL), and educators must now thoughtfully apply identified best practices to both in-person and virtual learning experiences through instructional design and reflective practice. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an innovation utilising TEL to enhance our core curriculum content and students' learning.

Approach

The curriculum-linked media (CLM) was introduced as a part of a doctoring and clinical skills course for pre-clinical medical students as a structured curriculum that pairs audio and/or video-based content with reflection prompts designed to prime students for active, in-person learning upon arrival to their classrooms. The CLM aimed to help students (1) gain a deeper understanding of the course content, (2) partake in reflective practice and (3) explore diverse perspectives on a particular topic.

Evaluation

All students completed a survey at the end of their academic year to evaluate the activity. Some students found the innovation helpful in that it facilitated perspective taking and prepared them for their in-person class. The reflection questions that paired with the media prompted discussion in class and a deeper connection with the materials. Making the content relevant to the local community and highlighting regional issues made the activity more relatable.

Implications

Our experience demonstrated that the CLM model can be a helpful and efficient tool to stretch the educational reach of the classroom. Future applications may consider the implementation and evaluation of the model with clinical students and postgraduate trainees.