S. Stauder1, N. Kugler1, T. Webb1 1Medical College Of Wisconsin,Department Of Surgery,Milwaukee, WI, USA
Introduction:
Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is a critical component of medical education beginning in medical school and continuing throughout the career of physicians. Medical schools are now required to demonstrate evidence of medical student SDL within the curriculum. However, there is no consensus on what constitutes a self-directed learner, nor how medical schools or residencies may better provide SDL opportunities to learners. Our project aimed to develop a consensus on the attributes and behaviors of a self-directed learner and the components of medical education curricula that promote SDL skills in medical students.
Methods:
Surveys were distributed to members of the Society of Teaching Scholars at the Medical College of Wisconsin, which is comprised of 75 full time faculty who have been elected based on demonstrated excellence in educational scholarship and leadership. The initial phase consisted of a survey asking two open-ended questions: 1) What are the observable characteristics (behaviors) of a self-directed learner? 2) What specific components of a medical school course or clerkship do you believe promote self-directed learning? Based on open-ended survey results, a new survey consisting of SDL characteristics and curriculum components was sent to the STS following the Delphi method of surveying, ranking attributes on a Likert scale of 1-7. Using attributes which received a 4+ rating from ≥50% of respondents, a second and final Delphi round was performed, and a consensus of final attributes was compiled using those which received a 5+ rating from >70% of respondents. Afterward, all attributes were classified into core themes to provide an outline of self-directed learners and components of a curriculum that foster SDL skills.
Results:
30 STS members completed the open-ended survey, 37 completed the Delphi 1st round, and 25 completed the Delphi 2nd round. 44 SDL characteristics and 50 curriculum components were used in the Delphi surveys. Final survey results obtained 33 unique SDL characteristics and 36 curriculum components which received a 5+ rating from >70% of respondents. These attributes were subsequently classified into themes with similar attributes. In total, 8 core themes of SDL characteristics and 8 core themes of curriculum components that promote SDL skill development were identified.
Conclusion:
Attributes of SDL related to the learner and educational environment can be classified into core themes that may be used for further curriculum development and demonstration of promotion of SDL. Further studies should analyze validity and reliability of using these themes in student assessment and curricular evaluation.
