The effect of a daily quiz (TOPday) on self-confidence, enthusiasm, and test results for biomechanics
Publication year
2014Source
Perspectives on Medical Education, 3, 1, (2014), pp. 4-14ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Orthopaedics
Physiology
Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum
Anatomy
Journal title
Perspectives on Medical Education
Volume
vol. 3
Issue
iss. 1
Page start
p. 4
Page end
p. 14
Subject
Radboudumc 0: Other Research DCMN: Donders Center for Medical Neuroscience; Radboudumc 10: Reconstructive and regenerative medicine RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Radboudumc 6: Metabolic Disorders RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health SciencesAbstract
Many students in Biomedical Sciences have difficulty understanding biomechanics. In a second-year course, biomechanics is taught in the first week and examined at the end of the fourth week. Knowledge is retained longer if the subject material is repeated. However, how does one encourage students to repeat the subject matter? For this study, we developed 'two opportunities to practice per day (TOPday)', consisting of multiple-choice questions on biomechanics with immediate feedback, which were sent via e-mail. We investigated the effect of TOPday on self-confidence, enthusiasm, and test results for biomechanics. All second-year students (n = 95) received a TOPday of biomechanics on every regular course day with increasing difficulty during the course. At the end of the course, a non-anonymous questionnaire was conducted. The students were asked how many TOPday questions they completed (0-6 questions [group A]; 7-18 questions [group B]; 19-24 questions [group C]). Other questions included the appreciation for TOPday, and increase (no/yes) in self-confidence and enthusiasm for biomechanics. Seventy-eight students participated in the examination and completed the questionnaire. The appreciation for TOPday in group A (n = 14), B (n = 23) and C (n = 41) was 7.0 (95 % CI 6.5-7.5), 7.4 (95 % CI 7.0-7.8), and 7.9 (95 % CI 7.6-8.1), respectively (p < 0.01 between A and C). Of the students who actively participated (B and C), 91 and 80 % reported an increase in their self-confidence and enthusiasm, respectively, for biomechanics due to TOPday. In addition, they had a higher test result for biomechanics (p < 0.01) compared with those who did not actively participate (A). In conclusion, the teaching method 'TOPday' seems an effective way to encourage students to repeat the subject material, with the extra advantage that students are stimulated to keep on practising for the examination. The appreciation was high and there was a positive association between active participation, on the one hand, and self-confidence, enthusiasm, and test results for biomechanics on the other.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [243907]
- Electronic publications [130616]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [92803]
- Open Access publications [104924]
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