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Research Article

‘Discovery Learning’: An account of rapid curriculum change in response to accreditation

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Pages e1319-e1326 | Published online: 27 Feb 2013
 

Abstract

Background/Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of leaders responsible for making rapid changes to a medical school curriculum in response to an adverse accreditation report. The new curriculum was based on the principles of problem-based learning (‘Discovery Learning’), with changes to the way that students were assessed.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with leaders responsible for education at the school two and a half years after the adoption of the new curriculum. We coded the resulting transcripts to identify major and minor themes expressed by participants.

Results: Thirty-five senior leaders, administrators and course directors were invited for the interview; 14 (40%) were interviewed. Five main themes were noted in the data: (1) organization and control of the curriculum; (2) changes in the practices of teaching and learning; (3) effects on faculty members; (4) sources of resistance and (5) attitudes to curriculum change in general.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that major curriculum change can be achieved successfully in a short period of time. This study also illustrates some of the problems associated with making rapid changes to the medical school curriculum, and highlights the importance of attitudes to change amongst the leadership of a medical school.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund of the University of Alberta, and also the assistance of the late Dr David Cook and Ms Joanna Czupryn with study design and data collection.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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