Perceived Benefit of Active Study Strategies Among Physician Assistant Students

• In Event: Experiential and Active Learning in Professions Education

Abstract

Three cohorts of physician assistant students were surveyed to determine the learning strategies they found most beneficial for facilitating acquisition of physiology and pathophysiology content knowledge in the didactic year and retention of that knowledge into the clinical year. Students across cohorts, course grades, and admissions entry paths consistently rated the active learning strategies of systems modeling, self-explanation, and peer discussion as most beneficial for both conditions. In contrast, low utility strategies of rereading the textbook and writing out notes verbatim from the book were ranked as least beneficial. This study provides evidence that physician assistant students find active learning strategies to be most beneficial for both acquiring content knowledge and retaining it into the clinical year.

Authors

• Michelle Pauley Murphy, Lake Region State College

• Woei Hung, University of North Dakota