Examining Curricular Integration Strategies To Optimize Learning Of The Anatomical Sciences
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Background: Integration of basic and clinical science knowledge is essential to clinical practice. Although the importance of these two knowledge domains is well-recognized, successfully supporting the development of learnersâ integrated basic and clinical science knowledge, remains an educational challenge. In this dissertation, I examine curricular integration strategies to optimize learning of the anatomical sciences. Objectives: The studies were designed to achieve the following research aims: 1) to objectively identify clinically relevant content for an integrated musculoskeletal anatomy curriculum; 2) to examine the value of integrated anatomy and clinical science instruction compared to clinical science instruction alone on novicesâ diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic reasoning process; 3) to compare the effect of integrating and segregating anatomy and clinical science instruction along with a learning strategy (self-explanation) on novicesâ diagnostic accuracy. Methods: A modified Delphi was used to objectively select clinically relevant content for an integrated musculoskeletal anatomy curriculum. Two experimental studies were created to compare different instructional strategies to optimize learning of the curricular content. In both of these studies, novice learners were taught the clinical features of musculoskeletal pathologies using different learning approaches. Diagnostic performance was measured immediately after instruction and one-week later. Results: The results show that the Delphi method is an effective strategy to select clinically relevant content for integrated anatomy curricula. The findings also demonstrate that novices who were explicitly taught the clinical features of musculoskeletal diseases using causal basic science descriptions had superior diagnostic accuracy and a better understanding of the relative importance of key clinical features for disease categories. Conclusions: This research demonstrates how integration strategies can be applied at multiple levels of the curriculum. Further, this work shows the value of cognitive integration of anatomy and clinical science and it emphasizes the importance of purposefully linking the anatomical and clinical sciences in day-to-day teaching.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Kristina Lisk
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2611727892