# Incorporating engaged learning into medical student large group sessions

## TL;DR

This study shows that adding interactive learning to large medical classes improves student satisfaction and collaboration.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of engaged learning in large medical education settings.

## Key findings

- Course satisfaction increased from 94% to 99% after implementing engaged learning.
- Student perception of engaging lectures rose from 88% to 98%.
- Opportunities for collaboration improved from 50% to 92% student satisfaction.

## Abstract

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Purpose: In recent years there has been increasing emphasis on active and engaged learning in medical education. The purpose of this study was to determine medical student satisfaction and performance in a module where 44% of the educational time was spent in a combination of large group engaged learning sessions and at-home modules.

Methods: Over two years a week-long dermatology course was transitioned to a format that included numerous large group interactive sessions. Course satisfaction results, exam performance, and a questionnaire on engaged learning were assessed.

Results: Overall course satisfaction improved from 94% to 99% of students ranking the course as good or excellent as did the percent of students who rated lecture delivery as engaging (88% to 98%). The percent of students responding that the module provided opportunities for collaboration among students rose from 50% to 92%. We took away a number of learning points from these sessions based on student feedback, including a need to be sensitive to the time required for pre-class learning modules and the format of such modules.

Conclusions: Based on student feedback, we found that large group teaching was effective in fostering collaboration as well as improving self-reported comprehension and overall course satisfaction.