Student projects: guidance for students and new supervisors

1. Student projects: guidance for students and new supervisors Doig CA, Bate E, Cleland J University of Aberdeen, Division of Medical and Dental Education Background: Student projects are a key constituent of many degree qualifications. Such projects provide students with opportunities to delve into a subject of interest. Increasingly, students and tutors are being given the opportunity to organize their own projects; promoting the development of professional and organizational skills in addition to diversity of student interest. Flexibility in terms of topic, organization and delivery is required to facilitate this. Managing the project Self-directed learning and good time management are critical to success. Stick to internal deadlines and communicate with your team often. Consider creating a Gantt chart to help you to manage your time. Desirable qualities in a Supervisor/Co-supervisor • - Good teacher • Problem solving skills • Able to provide prompt information and advice (feedback) • Organised (and not too busy) Take the initiative Choose a topic of interest that is not already offered. Self-directed projects increase diversity and the exposure to current issues, and have been linked to closer alignment of learning with learning outcomes1. Identifying support Self-directed projects provide the unique opportunity to source your own supervisors or co-supervisors, and support network – remember a shared enthusiasm is advantageous4. Consider whether the project could be presented or published If your project provides a new perspective on a current issue it may be suitable for conference presentation or as a journal article. Identify conference opportunities early on as abstracts usually need to be submitted six months before a meeting. This also gives time to seek out funding to attend. Plan learning outcomes Create specific, achievable and assessable learning outcomes using Mager’s key three components2: Performance: State the knowledge or skill to be acquired Conditions: Describe the conditions under which a task must be performed Criterion: Clarify the standard of achievement expected Developing your own student project Reflect throughout Reflection helps active learning and continuous self assessment. Evaluating both positive and negative experiences promotes continuous development. Gibb’s Learning Cycle can help with this process5. Decide on the best teaching strategy Tailor the project so that a variety of teaching strategies are used, to suit a number of an individual’s ‘dominant intelligences’3. Think: What teaching strategies are best for each learning outcomes? Consider the method of assessment Multiple choice questions, written reports, presentations and continuous multi-source feedback can be used in isolation or simultaneously, to provide a full picture of the student’s performance. References 1. Murphy M. 2009. Student selected components: student-designed modules are associated with closer alignment of planned and learnt outcomes. Medical Teacher 31:489-493. 2. Mager RF. 1990. Preparing instructional objectives. 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page. 3. Gardner H. 1993. Multiple intelligences: the theory in practice. New York: Basic Books. 4. Kilminster SM and Jolly BC. 2001. Effective supervision in clinical practice settings: a literature review. Medical Education 34(10):827-840. 5. Gibbs G. 1988. Learning by Doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. London: Further Education Unit. Conclusions Developing a student project can help to develop invaluable professional expertise, including management and leadership skills. These tips, developed from the authors’ experiences of developing Student Selected Components as students and faculty members and a literature review, are designed to help students and supervisors develop and manage successful student projects.