Student Perception of Peer Assisted Learning in a Clinical Environment: Experience at Melaka Manipal Medical College, Malaysia
Journal Title: INNOVATIVE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCE - Year 2019, Vol 9, Issue 1
Abstract
Context and Purpose: Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is gaining traction as a supplement to conventional teacher-led teaching. The advantages of PAL include a more informal learning environment making it easier for learners to ask questions and clarify concepts. However, PAL may be insufficient as a stand-alone method of content delivery as the learners may feel that time is being wasted or that a trained teacher would better identify learner’s needs in knowledge and for examinations. This paper examines student perceptions of PAL in a clinical environment. Setting: Melaka Manipal Medical College (MAHE), Melaka and Melaka General Hospital, Melaka, Malaysia Methods: The study was conducted over one semester (six months). 129 students from the Final Year of the MBBS course acted as peer teachers to 120 students of the third year. The teaching was done in small groups of 10-12 students at a time. At the end of the semester, students were invited to answer a questionnaire regarding their perceptions. Results: A majority of students in both the student and the peer teacher cohorts felt that PAL benefited them in various ways including improvement in communication skills, clinical skills, interpersonal relationships and better examination preparation. Conclusions: PAL is a useful adjunct to teaching. It fosters team spirit and can fill in gaps in teaching or student needs which may occur by conventional teaching. However, caution should be exercised that PAL not replace a taught curriculum entirely as a student-led teaching session will necessarily be incomplete in terms of the breadth of the subject covered. We recommend PAL as part of a more comprehensive curriculum with regular feedback from both the student and the teacher cohorts to develop it further.
Authors and Affiliations
Nishikanta Verma*,Somsubhra De, Yashodhara BM. , Manonmani V
Keywords
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- EP ID EP558898
- DOI 10.15520/ijmhs.v9i1.2413
- Views 67
- Downloads 0
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