Behavioral assessment of soft skill development in a highly structured pre-health biology course for undergraduates

In this study, we assessed a highly structured, yearlong, case-based course designed for undergraduate pre-health students. We incorporated both content learning assessments and developed a novel method called Multiple Mini Exams for assessing course impact on the development of skills that professi...

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Published inJournal of microbiology & biology education Vol. 25; no. 2; p. e0019223
Main Authors Tran, Joanne, Meller, Leo, Le, Vy, Tam, Jasmine, Nicholas, Andrea
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Society for Microbiology 29.08.2024
Subjects
active learning
biology education
collaborative learning
patient simulations
pre-health undergraduate education
Research Article
soft-skill assessment
case-based education
patient simulations
soft-skill assessment
videotaped simulations
group work
behavioral analysis
biology education
design-based research
pre-health skill development
active learning
Multiple Mini Exams (MME)
scientific literacy
collaborative learning
pre-health undergraduate education
critical thinking analysis
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Summary:In this study, we assessed a highly structured, yearlong, case-based course designed for undergraduate pre-health students. We incorporated both content learning assessments and developed a novel method called Multiple Mini Exams for assessing course impact on the development of skills that professional schools often seek in pre-health students, focusing on students' abilities to collaborate with others, display bedside manners, synthesize patient case details, appropriately use scientific and medical language, and effectively attain patients' medical histories. This novel method utilized a rubric based on desired medical student skills to score videotaped behaviors and interactions of students role playing as doctors in a hypothetical patient case study scenario. Overall, our findings demonstrate that a highly structured course, incorporating weekly student performance and presentation of patient cases encompassing history taking, diagnosis, and treatment, can result in content learning, as well as improve desired skills specific for success in medical fields.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
ISSN:1935-7877
1935-7885
DOI:10.1128/jmbe.00192-23