Active Learning Curriculum | Office of Medical Education | The University of Vermont(title)

Active learning methods involve students actively constructing knowledge instead of passively receiving it from instructors. Sessions focus on developing skills such as clinical reasoning, analysis, and application, rather than solely transferring information.
Young researcher in lab

Benefits of Active Learning

Active Learning provides numerous advantages for students and faculty, such as heightened learner participation and engagement, promotion of higher-order thinking skills, and enhanced learning outcomes.

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Science of Learning

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Just as the Larner College of Medicine aims to teach students the necessity of evidenced-based medicine, so the Curriculum Team strives to share with students the most effective ways to learn, based on evidence. 

Each incoming student receives a copy of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel in an effort to help students study smarter, not harder.  

We are not only encouraging evidence-based learning, but also correlating the ways in which we've embedded the science of learning into our curricular design.  

Primary strategies in the science of learning. (PDF)

Why Active Learning?

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In contrast to a standard lecture model, active learning enhances the following:

  • Learner engagement and participation
  • Higher-level cognitive skills
  • Educational achievements and learning outcomes

In practical application, students prepare for their courses by acquiring selective foundational knowledge. During class sessions, they engage in critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving. Following class, they identify areas for improvement and address them accordingly. Lastly, they utilize both formative and summative assessments to evaluate their comprehension.

Importantly, active learning instills the value of collaboration and equips students with the problem-solving abilities and skills required to effectively assist patients in professional settings.

Learning Modalities

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Active learning is an evidence-based approach to education that includes a focus on student engagement and meta-cognition. In the active learning environment at LCOM, classes are delivered in a variety of learning modalities. Each modality is different, and expectations vary from one to the next. Attendance is required for all active learning class sessions. 

Differences between the most common modalities.
 

Student spinning wheel in Active Learning classroom.

Faculty Support

Our objective is to train physicians who possess the ability to analyze information and exercise critical thinking skills. The Instructional Designers within the Curriculum Team are available to support faculty in aligning their courses and teaching methods with this objective.

The Curriculum Team can....

Assess

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  • Independent learning objectives and session objectives
  • Sessions and provide feedback
  • Alignment between Independent Learning objectives and quiz questions
  • Alignment of pre-session and in-session materials with ADA accommodations

Guide

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  • Provide guidance on how to write objectives
  • Recommend best practices for facilitating an active learning session
  • Identify and adopt instructional methods and guidelines (SOPs)
  • Suggest content and in-class materials based on learning objectives
  • Planning around anti-bias language and images 

Curate

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  • Dana Library resources and online sources e.g., MedEd Portal
  • 7- to 10-question readiness quiz with annotated correct answers
  • In-class materials (such as a PowerPoint with case slides)

Create

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  • Independent learning materials (Ex. PDFs with chapter excerpts, your notes, and images; a narrated slide presentation; an interactive eLearning module; RQ or I/GRAT questions)
  • In-class materials (such as a PowerPoint with case slides) 
  • Faculty and student versions of in-class sessions
  • Formative quizzes from question banks subscribed to by LCOM
  • Updated materials to reflect current guidance on anti-bias language

More Active Learning Resources

Active Learning Commons

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Log in to the Active Learning Commons site for up-to-date Standard Operating Procedures for each active learning modality, as well as other faculty resources:

  • An overview of the redesign process
  • Guidelines for writing learning objectives
  • SOPs for active learning modalities
  • In-class teaching strategies
  • Examples of independent learning materials that the Curriculum Team can help produce
  • Tips for in-class facilitation

Templates

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The Curriculum Team has compiled student and faculty feedback to create a PowerPoint template for in-class sessions. The slides offer suggestions for consistent structure, pacing, and activity types based on actual sessions. Faculty can download, explore, and repurpose the slides for their own sessions.

Students have shared with us that they feel many sessions run too slowly. Timers are a visual reminder and keep sessions moving at an appropriate pace. This presentation offers several timer styles of various duration. These timers can easily be copied and pasted into a PowerPoint you are building.

In-Class Template (PPT)

Timer Slide (PPT)

Meetings

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For the best possible outcome, we recommend that faculty meet with an instructional designer at least two months before their session. During our initial meeting, we will collaborate on creating a timeline to assist faculty in preparing and delivering the most effective learning session. Faculty have the option to work with us for any or all parts of their sessions. 

Email an Instructional Designer to start planning an upcoming session: activelearning@med.uvm.edu

Contact the Curriculum Team

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Curriculum Manager: julia.m.oconnor@med.uvm.edu

Instructional Designers: ActiveLearning@med.uvm.edu

Course Coordinators: Curriculum.Services@med.uvm.edu