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Learning
Issues
Learning issues should be developed at each session.
In the group study process, learning issues provide the focus for
study by group members.
Current learning issues
are designed to provide a focus for independent study and subsequent
discussion; the final learning
issues provide an overview of what the group has covered and
contribute the major topics to the content exams.
The Current Learning Issues are formulated during each meeting as
the case progresses. Hence,
these issues are inherently dynamic, and will change from meeting to
meeting based on the data and hypotheses being generated from the case.
The Final Learning Issues represent the summary at case closure.
These are the salient points derived from that particular case and
hence do NOT necessarily reflect every Current Learning Issue that had
been generated. A rule of
thumb: current learning issues represent the working hypotheses and
learning requirements; final learning issues represent the outline or
summary of the case.
As
part of the “Contract” agreement, learning issues (Current and Final)
should truly reflect what is being studied in the group.
All
students should study the current Learning Issues generated by their
group. A student may
certainly pursue other basic points, but students need to have a common
knowledge base when they return to the group meeting. However, there is a
difference between saying that all students should study the same learning
issues, and saying that all students should study in the same way.
Facilitators find that even when students study the same issues
they approach the issues in different ways and bring different resources
and information back to the group. In
early cases, it might be desirable for students to refer to common texts
by using the list of core texts in the syllabus and specific resources in
the group rooms, LRC, and/or library.
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Levels
of organization
With all learning issues, facilitators and students need to include
basic science and clinical science remembering the levels of organization:
Subcellular
Cell
Tissue
Organ/System
Body
Psychosocial
Environment
Usually,
the learning issues formulated on the first day of a case are very
clinical. This does not mean
basic science issues are being neglected, but it seems to serve as a
starting point for the student’s first encounter with the case. By the second meeting, basic science learning issues are
addressed.
To ensure rapid organization of learning issues, the scribe of the
group for a case should submit the
final learning issues, as directed by the Instructor of Record. The
group will not be able to start subsequent cases until these final
learning issues are turned in.
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The
Case Study
The case study is a means of integrating basic science, clinical
science and social medicine topics. The exact
balance varies according to:
No
single case can cover every aspect of a medical problem.
Remember a case
could easily last for an entire quarter. The reality is that certain topics need to be included in the
student’s learning program.
Paper cases are written to ensure
coverage of certain topics depending on the quarter or year.
Therefore the rule of thumb should be to bring a case to closure
within a reasonable amount of time (e.g. within 2 weeks for a “one week”
case). Most paper cases will be worked through in 3-5 sessions.
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