Jared A. Danielson

Is the effectiveness of lecture capture related to teaching approach or content type

The purpose of two related studies was to explore the relationships between course characteristics (teaching approach, content type, and level of curricular coordination), lecture-capture implementation, and learning in a veterinary medical education environment. Two hundred and twenty two students and 35 faculty members participated in the first study, which surveyed respondents regarding their perception of lecture-capture use and impact on learning. Four hundred and ninety one students participated in the second study, which compared scores on a standardized test of basic science knowledge among groups experiencing various levels of lecture-capture implementation. Students were most likely to view captured lectures in courses that moved quickly, relied heavily on lecture, were perceived as highly relevant to their future success, and contained information not available in other formats. A greater percentage of students than faculty perceived lecture capture as beneficial to learning. Higher views of captured lectures were associated with higher test scores in disciplines that relied most heavily on a straight-lecture teaching approach and had a basic science - research teaching context. The number of lecture-capture views was not significantly related to test scores in disciplines that relied less heavily on straight lecture for instruction and had a basic science - applied teaching context. Lecture-capture use accompanies better test scores in some disciplines, not others.Lecture-capture use means more learning in straight-lecture, fact-focused contexts.Students believe that viewing captured lectures helps learning.Students view captured lectures more for less interactive sessions.Students watch lectures for pragmatic reasons, not because of lecture quality.

A Tool for Helping Veterinary Students Learn Diagnostic Problem Solving.

This study describes the result of implementing the Problem List Generator (PLG), a computer-based tool designed to help clinical pathology students learn diagnostic problem solving. Participants included 507 veterinary students: 173 in the treatment groups and 334 in the nontreatment (comparison) group. The comparison students did not use the PLG; one experimental group paticipated in PLG-based case-discussion sessions, and the other used the PLG both for case-discussion sessions and for homework. Both treatment groups scored significantly higher on the final exam (p=.001 and .000 respectively) than the comparison group. The findings suggest that student problem-solving ability improved because students identified all relevant data before attempting to provide a solution, and because student and expert solutions to identical problems were generated and compared using the same process.

Relationships among common measures of student performance and scores on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination

OBJECTIVE To determine relationships among several common measures of performance prior to and during veterinary school (ie, Graduate Record Examination [GRE] scores, undergraduate grade point average [UGPA], Qualifying Examination [QE] scores, overall grade point average during veterinary school [VGPA], and scores for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination [NAVLE]). DESIGN Longitudinal retrospective study. SAMPLE POPULATION 192 students from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and 152 students from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. PROCEDURES Student UGPA, VGPA, and GRE score data were gathered during the normal admissions and academic processes. The QE was administered as a low-stakes examination at both institutions for the purposes of curricular assessment. Scores on the NAVLE were provided with student permission by the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Path analysis was used to explore hypothesized relationships among variables. RESULTS GRE scores and UGPA predicted NAVLE scores indirectly through QE scores and VGPA, whereas QE scores and VGPA directly predicted NAVLE scores. The resulting models explained 58% to 62% of the variance in NAVLE scores, with QE score being the strongest predictor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that for veterinary school students, GRE scores, UGPA, VGPA, and QE scores could be used to predict scores on the NAVLE. This suggests that these measures could prove useful to veterinary schools when admitting students or preparing them for the NAVLE.

Rethinking testing mode: Should I offer my next chemistry test on paper or computer?

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare student performance on two proctored quizzes and one practice test taken in paper-based or computer-based testing mode using an equal number of algorithmic, conceptual, and definition questions to examine the effect of testing mode when students take multiple tests in class. Data were collected from 221 students enrolled in a general chemistry course at a Midwestern university. After learning the material in lecture, students completed two quizzes: Quiz 1 and Quiz 2. One quiz was delivered on paper and another quiz was taken on computer. Each quiz tested student understanding of different chemistry concepts and the quizzes were proctored on different days. Several days after Quiz 2, students took a practice test that tested the knowledge of Quiz 1 and Quiz 2 with different yet similar questions, and again, the testing mode of the practice test was either paper-and-pencil or computer. After each quiz and the practice test, students received feedback on their performance. Differences in performance between the quizzes and the practice test were measured with normalized gains and the differences between the normalized gains for each condition were analyzed using an Analysis of Variance. The results showed no significant testing mode effects among the four conditions overall, or for algorithmic, conceptual, or definition type of questions. Altogether, the results of the present study do not provide evidence to suggest that instructors need to be concerned about testing mode (paper versus computer) when designing and administering chemistry tests.

A novel educational tool for teaching diagnostic reasoning and laboratory data interpretation to veterinary (and medical) students.

The Diagnostic Pathfinder was designed to help students learn diagnostic problem solving by supporting them in explaining relationships among history and physical examination findings, data abnormalities, and the underlying mechanisms of disease. The Pathfinder has been used to teach diagnostic problem solving to veterinary students since 2001 and is currently in use at 10 colleges of veterinary medicine. This article describes how the Pathfinder works and summarizes results from studies exploring the effect of Pathfinder use on learning and satisfaction. Pathfinder characteristics are described in terms of their influence on cognitive load, and strategies are provided for effective implementation.

Computer-based versus paper-based testing: Investigating testing mode with cognitive load and scratch paper use

Abstract The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between testing mode (taking a test on computer versus paper) and two other factors: (1) cognitive load and (2) scratch paper use in an undergraduate general chemistry class setting. Cognitive load was measured with two self-report questions (perceived mental effort and level of difficulty) and scratch paper use was analyzed manually. All 221 students completed three assessments administered either on computer or paper. The assessments included a variety of chemistry topics with an equal number of three question types (algorithmic, conceptual, and definition). There was no significant difference in the cognitive load imposed by computer or paper-based tests at the overall test level or by question type. Students utilized scratch paper more on paper-based than online tests, especially when the questions were conceptual, and they used scratch paper the most for algorithmic questions. Altogether, these results provide further support that online testing can be implemented in educational settings without imposing additional cognitive load on students.

Efficacy of Teaching the Gambee Suture Pattern Using Simulated Small Intestine versus Cadaveric Small Intestine

OBJECTIVE To determine if instruction using simulated small intestine (SSI) is as effective as using cadaveric small intestine to teach the Gambee suture pattern to second year veterinary students. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, randomized, blinded study. SAMPLE POPULATION Second year veterinary students (n=59). METHODS Students were randomly assigned to groups using SSI or equine cadaver small intestine (CSI) to learn the Gambee suture pattern. The same educator, an experienced surgical instructor, instructed all students. Instruction consisted of verbal description of the technique with a schematic diagram followed by a demonstration. Students then practiced the technique with supervision and verbal feedback. One week later, 3 board certified surgeons experienced in surgical instruction evaluated each student suturing equine CSI and scored them using a rubric developed and validated for surgical skills assessment. RESULTS Fifty-nine students were enrolled (4 students were absent for the lab during which the assessment was performed; 55 students were available for evaluation). Of the 55 students evaluated, 26 were in the SSI group and 29 were in the CSI group. There was no significant difference between CSI and SSI groups in ability to perform the Gambee suture pattern using equine CSI 1 week following training. CONCLUSION SSI is as effective as equine cadaveric small intestine tissue to teach the Gambee suture pattern to second year veterinary students. If cadaver tissue is unavailable or undesirable, SSI could be used to instruct suture placement techniques.

Undergraduate Rigor Scores: Do They Predict Achievement in Veterinary School?

The relations between potential indicators of undergraduate rigor and subsequent achievement in professional school are not clear; some studies have shown that greater undergraduate selectivity is associated with greater achievement in medical science programs, while others have not. We sought to determine the extent to which indicators of undergraduate rigor were associated with achievement in veterinary school. Participants were graduates from three cohorts. The predictors were undergraduate GPA (UGPA), plus five rigor scores-degree or number of undergraduate credits, number of honors courses, number of withdrawals from or repeats of prerequisite science courses, number of part-time semesters, and ratio of community college credits to total college credits. The outcomes were the veterinary medicine cumulative GPA (CVM GPA), Qualifying Exam scores, and North American Veterinary Licensing Exam scores. Using correlations corrected for range restriction, we regressed each outcome on the five rigor scores and UGPA for each of the three graduating cohorts. In most cases, indicators of undergraduate rigor did not predict subsequent achievement in veterinary school; however, in two comparisons, number of honors courses taken as an undergraduate predicted subsequent achievement. UGPA, as expected, predicted CVM GPA. Admissions committees may want to reevaluate whether they include undergraduate rigor when considering admission to their programs, with the caveat that our findings are specific to our institution and are not generalizable.