Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum
Purpose: How much time students spent on unstructured self-study activities in problem-based learning is not clear. The study addressed this issue by (1) identifying the nature of students’ unstructured learning activities in a problem-based medical curriculum, (2) measuring the unstructured student...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences
2017-12-01
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| Series: | Health Professions Education |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452301116300323 |
| _version_ | 1797965282100117504 |
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| author | Emad Nosair Hossam Hamdy |
| author_facet | Emad Nosair Hossam Hamdy |
| author_sort | Emad Nosair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: How much time students spent on unstructured self-study activities in problem-based learning is not clear. The study addressed this issue by (1) identifying the nature of students’ unstructured learning activities in a problem-based medical curriculum, (2) measuring the unstructured student workload per week and per semester, and (3) assigning European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System units to the medical problem-based modules based on calculating the total student workload.
Method: Nineteen undergraduate medical students in the pre-clerkship phase were enrolled in the study. Data about the nature of unstructured learning activities and the amount of time spent on them were collected through focus group interviews (n=19); and a log diary method (n=13) describing their unstructured educational activities over one week. A response evaluation model and a thematic description approach were employed for data collection and data analysis respectively.
Results: A broad variations of unstructured learning activities were identified. The unstructured student workload ranged from 33 to 41 h/wk., while the total student workload was 63/58 h/wk. for years 2 and 3 respectively. The total student workload in a 15-week semester was 945 h in year 2 and 870 h in year 3, which equates with about 34 and 31 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System per semester for years 2 and 3, respectively.
Discussion: Measuring student total workload in a problem-based program is important for evading the associated overload, and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Calculating student workload in an integrated problem-based curriculum is a challenge. Total student workload is the foundation for determination of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System units. Measuring unstructured student workload (or “out-of-class” learning time) is an important component of total student workload. Assigning the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System to problem-based programs improves its quality assurance, and has educational, curricular, and organizational impact. Therefore, student workload in such programs should be regularity monitored and evaluated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:56:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f460ee1661b4ff08253c6fa2385d9ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2452-3011 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:56:23Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Professions Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f460ee1661b4ff08253c6fa2385d9ec2023-01-03T05:03:27ZengKing Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesHealth Professions Education2452-30112017-12-01329910710.1016/j.hpe.2017.01.002Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical CurriculumEmad Nosair0Hossam Hamdy1Department of Basic Medical Sciences-Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box: 27272 Sharjah, UAEChancellor of Gulf Medical University and Professor of Surgery and Medical Education, Ajman, UAEPurpose: How much time students spent on unstructured self-study activities in problem-based learning is not clear. The study addressed this issue by (1) identifying the nature of students’ unstructured learning activities in a problem-based medical curriculum, (2) measuring the unstructured student workload per week and per semester, and (3) assigning European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System units to the medical problem-based modules based on calculating the total student workload. Method: Nineteen undergraduate medical students in the pre-clerkship phase were enrolled in the study. Data about the nature of unstructured learning activities and the amount of time spent on them were collected through focus group interviews (n=19); and a log diary method (n=13) describing their unstructured educational activities over one week. A response evaluation model and a thematic description approach were employed for data collection and data analysis respectively. Results: A broad variations of unstructured learning activities were identified. The unstructured student workload ranged from 33 to 41 h/wk., while the total student workload was 63/58 h/wk. for years 2 and 3 respectively. The total student workload in a 15-week semester was 945 h in year 2 and 870 h in year 3, which equates with about 34 and 31 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System per semester for years 2 and 3, respectively. Discussion: Measuring student total workload in a problem-based program is important for evading the associated overload, and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Calculating student workload in an integrated problem-based curriculum is a challenge. Total student workload is the foundation for determination of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System units. Measuring unstructured student workload (or “out-of-class” learning time) is an important component of total student workload. Assigning the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System to problem-based programs improves its quality assurance, and has educational, curricular, and organizational impact. Therefore, student workload in such programs should be regularity monitored and evaluated.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452301116300323Credit systemEuropean Credit Transfer and Accumulation SystemPBLStudent workload |
| spellingShingle | Emad Nosair Hossam Hamdy Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum Health Professions Education Credit system European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System PBL Student workload |
| title | Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum |
| title_full | Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum |
| title_fullStr | Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum |
| title_full_unstemmed | Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum |
| title_short | Total Student Workload: Implications of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System for an Integrated, Problem-Based Medical Curriculum |
| title_sort | total student workload implications of the european credit transfer and accumulation system for an integrated problem based medical curriculum |
| topic | Credit system European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System PBL Student workload |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452301116300323 |
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