At Aula, we take an evidence-informed approach to learning design. Specifically, we review the most up-to-date peer-reviewed articles on high-impact ‘flipped’ or technology-enhanced approaches to teaching and learning in specific disciplines, then apply this to the design of our experiences.
Summary
In Medicine, Health, and Life Sciences, the flipped or hybrid learning approach is shown to increase student engagement, achievement, understanding of materials, and ability to apply complex problem-solving strategies (Ten Cate, O. et al 2017.).
Take 5 minutes to watch a walkthrough of an exemplary Medicine, Health, & Life Sciences space and see this approach in action:
Note
We include the following subjects within this discipline: Biology, Biomedical Science, Biotech, Cell Biology, Dentistry, Genetics, Immunology, Life Sciences, Medicine, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Nursing, Pharmacology, Public Health, Zoology.
Our discipline-specific approach to high-engagement learning design will:
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Include opportunities to ‘walk and talk through’ problems and concepts asynchronously giving students more time on task, and opportunities to revisit and digest learning and encourage collaboration and problem-solving, such as pencast walkthroughs or demos, addressing misconceptions and common mistakes.
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Include opportunities for students to apply learning to practise and have opportunities for self-explanation (Talley and Scherer (2013) and Ng (2018)).
Have students ‘try out’ a simulation or process and interpret the process in their own words. This increases the amount of time students spent with course materials and supports them to understand the content more effectively. - Include opportunities for group discussion and guided problem-solving: students problem-solve with peers and experts enabling students and educators to develop shared expectations. It also allows rich discussions on focussed issues, building subject mastery (Harrington et al. 2015, McLaughlin et al. 2014, Ten Cate, O. et al 2017).
Resources
We'd love for you to review the full Medicine, Health & Life Sciences discipline brief, which includes additional reading that can be used to implement best practice for your discipline within your space(s) on the Aula platform.