Benchmarking for research-related competencies – a curricular mapping approach at medical faculties in Germany

Abstract

Objectives: Internationally, scientific and research-related competencies need to be sufficiently targeted as core outcomes in many undergraduate medical curricula. Since 2015, standards have been recommended for Germany in the National Competency-based Learning Objective Catalogue in Medicine (NKLM). The aim of this study is to develop a multi-center mapping approach for curricular benchmarking against national standards and against other medical faculties.

Method: A total of 277 faculty members from four German medical faculties have mapped the local curriculum against the scientific and research-related NKLM objectives, using consented procedures, metrics, and tools. The amount of mapping citations of each objective is used as indicator for its weighting in the local curriculum. Achieved competency levels after five-year education are compared.

Results: All four programs fulfill the NKLM standards, with each emphasizing different sub-competencies explicitly in writing (Scholar: 17–41% of all courses; Medical Scientific Skills: 14–37% of all courses). Faculties show major or full agreement in objective weighting: Scholar 44%, scientific skills 79%. The given NKLM competency level is met or even outperformed in 78–100% of the courses.

Conclusions: The multi-center mapping approach provides an informative dataset allowing curricular diagnosis by external benchmarking and guidance for optimization of local curricula.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Amir Yousef (Tuebingen) for his excellent support with the statistical analysis, and Julia Eckel for her helpful assistance with the data collection in Mannheim. We also wish to express our thanks to the entire MERlin Group for stimulating discussions, to the deans of study and teaching as well as the staff of all the deans’ offices of student affairs for their eminent support of the mapping project. Particularly, we wish to thank all teaching coordinators and those responsible for modules for their energetic participation in the mapping process and the discussions. They contributed important information and gave impulses for optimizing the instruments and the process.

Ethical considerations

This research was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The study does not involve any human subjects, including research on identifiable human material and data. The study was approved by the deans of studies of all participating Faculties of Medicine.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes on contributors

Maria Lammerding-Koeppel, MD, is an anatomist with a Master’s degree in Medical Education by Bern University, Switzerland. She is Director of the Competence Centre for University Teaching in Medicine Baden-Wuerttemberg at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuebingen.

Olaf Fritze, Dr. rer. nat., is a biotechnologist, research associate at the Competence Centre for University Teaching in Medicine Baden-Wuerttemberg at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuebingen.

Marianne Giesler, PhD, is a psychologist and business administration graduate. She is Director of the Competence Centre for Evaluation in Medicine Baden-Wuerttemberg at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg.

Elisabeth Narciss, MD, is research associate at the Dean’s Office of Student Affairs and coordinator of final year education at the Competence Centre of the Final Year Baden-Wuerttemberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg.

Sandra Steffens, MD, is a urologist, an Adjunct Professor for Urology and responsible for the faculty development program for medical teachers in Hannover Medical School in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Annette Wosnik, MD, is Head of the Dean’s Office of Student Affairs at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuebingen.

Jan Griewatz, M.A., is a pedagogue, research associate and deputy head at the Competence Centre for University Teaching in Medicine Baden-Wuerttemberg at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuebingen. He is responsible for the faculty development program for medical teachers in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Glossary

Curriculum mapping: According to Harden (2001), curriculum mapping means the visual representation of a whole curriculum as an elaborate combination of many curricular facets (e.g. learning outcomes, course formats and content, and assessment). A curriculum map makes the scope, sequence and elements of a curriculum as well their relationship transparent and accessible to stakeholders (e.g. students, teachers, curriculum developers, managers, profession, politics, and public). In this way, it provides a basis for dialog and exchange between these groups about the actual curricular status and coordinated development, reflecting the overall objectives of the faculties. Online tools enhance the reach and effectiveness of curriculum mapping.

Additional information

Funding

The MERlin-Project (Phase I: 2012–2016, Phase II: 2017–2020) is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF; reference numbers: 01PL12011A, 01PL17011A). The joint project of the Medical Faculties of Baden-Wuerttemberg (Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Tuebingen, Ulm) is focused on medical education research within a cooperative, statewide teaching network regarding competency-based education and assessment.