Strategies to support self-regulated learning in integrated, student-centered curricula

Abstract

Purpose

With undergraduate medical education shifting to an integrated, student-centered approach, self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are critical for student success. Educational research holds that learning strategy effectiveness is context dependent. Our study aims to explore what strategies medical students use to support SRL when engaged in the specific context of an integrated, student-centered curriculum.

Approach

This study took place in two medical schools with integrated, student-centered curricula. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with first-year medical students from both schools, asking them to reflect on the learning strategies they used throughout their first year of medical school. Interview data was analyzed first deductively using the SRL framework and then inductively to understand the specific strategies being used.

Findings

Students engaged in strategies to support SRL in ways that were unique to the integrated, student-centered context. We found that medical students developed strategies to plan for integration and building connections across material during all three phases of self-regulated learning.

Insights

By identifying specific tasks and behaviors students utilized during their first year of medical school, this study provides a roadmap that students and educators can use to help students become self-regulated learners.

Keywords:

• Self-regulated learning
• self-directed learning
• integrated curriculum
• student-centered
• coaching
• academic support

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Amy Greenberg

Amy Greenberg, MEd, is the Interim Director of Clinical Experiences at Michigan State University. Greenberg’s work in medical education is focused on the nexus of teaching and learning. She explores how preceptors, curriculum, and cultural forces promote metacognition and learning in students. In addition to engage in medical education research, she works directly with faculty on teaching and learning projects that focus on teacher effectiveness.

Doreen M. Olvet

Judith Brenner, MD, is an associate professor and the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education at the New York University Long Island School of Medicine. Dr. Brenner’s research interests have been focused on assessment in undergraduate medical education, specifically use of open-ended questions for assessment of medical knowledge, and use of the medical student performance evaluation. In addition, Dr. Brenner works with faculty, staff and trainees across the undergraduate/graduate medical education continuum to promote trainee growth and success.

Judith Brenner

Doreen M. Olvet, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Science Education and the Director of Science Education Scholarship at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Dr. Olvet has published on the use of open-ended questions in medical school assessment as well as the use of near-peers as teachers. Her role is to coach faculty on medical education scholarly projects and teach medical students clinical epidemiology and biostatistics.

Binbin Zheng

Elisabeth F. M. Schlegel, PhD, MSc, MBA, MS (HPPL), is Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, in the Department of Medical Education at the Western Atlantic University School of Medicine. Drawing from backgrounds of science, business, and pedagogy, her interest includes developing, assessing, and disseminating learner-centered, collaborative teaching and learning frameworks and methodologies in the foundational sciences as well as in health professions education.

Amber Chess

Amber Chess, is the Deputy Director of the Office of Student Disability Services at the University of Chicago. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Medical Education Learning Specialist for nearly a decade, where she assisted students in optimizing the use of metacognitive strategies during their medical education experience. Her Interests include support of students underrepresented in higher education.

Elisabeth F. M. Schlegel

Samara B. Ginzburg, MD, is the Vice Dean and Dean for Education at the Zucker School of Medicine. Dr. Ginzburg’s research interests focus on innovations in medical education in learner-centered curricula. Her team received the NEGEA Innovation in Medical Education Award for developing a longitudinal, integrated approach to leadership training in medical education as part of a problem/case-based learning program and she is currently PI on two education innovation grants-AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education-Coaching the Master Adaptive Learner and an AAMC/CDC Health Professions Education Curricular Innovations Grant: Kickstarting Strategies for Addressing Health Misinformation.

Samara B. Ginzburg

Binbin Zheng, PhD, is an associate professor in the Center for Health Professions Education (CHPE) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). She brings her background in educational technology and educational psychology into the field of health professions education. Her current research focuses on using technologies to support teaching and learning, knowledge construction and group dynamics in collaborative learning environments, self-regulation and co-regulation, and interprofessional education.