Evaluating the E ffectiveness of EAP Saturday 18 March 2017 ( University of Edinburgh )

1. Evaluating the Effectiveness of EAPSaturday 18 March 2017(University of Edinburgh) Effectiveness of Peer-assisted Learning in Medical English during Medical Education PhD Candidate Neslihan ONDER-OZDEMIR The University of Sheffield Dr Erdem AKBAS Erciyes University

2. “The peer learning initiative must be seen as a student-led initiative to maximize the potential of free expression. The less explicit the involvement by staff, the more likely the student centred nature of the initiative will be maximized”. Wadoodi & Crosby (2002, p. 241)

3. OVERVIEW • Peer-assisted Learning • Present Research • Pedagogical Implications

4. Peer-assisted Learning (PAL) • Goldschmid and Goldschmid (1976) suggest that “peer teaching in higher education today may be classified as socio-psychological,pedagogical, economic and political” contributions (p. 11, emphasis added) and best used together with other teaching learning methods (p. 29).

5. Peer-assisted Learning (PAL) • Here, we mainly will concentrate on the socio-psychological and pedagogical dimensions as reflection of inductive teaching methods in the context of large group peer-assisted learning in medical English course, which was an elective course in the medical school in Turkey in 2016.

6. Peer-assisted Learning (PAL) • There are various peer teaching models, i.e., discussion groups, seminars or “tutoria” led by teaching assistants, the proctor model. • Our focus will be on a verycrowdedmedicalstudent learning group (see Goldsmith & Goldschmid, 1976, pp. 18-20) and learning cell model (see Goldsmith & Goldschmid, 1976, pp. 20-23) to show how students learn from each other and from learning experiences.

7. Present Research • The main threestagesstated in the PAL guidelinearedetailed: • Stage 1- Preparation • Stage 2- What we did during the session • Stage 3- What we did when the session was over

8. Present ResearchStage 1- Preparation Stage 1: Preparation (covered 5 steps) 1. OurTarget Groupin the Medical English Course (n=248 first-year medical students) 2. Embracing Teaching Milieu After introduction of PAL, to foster peer participation and cooperative learning in the course activities, we asked medical students to decide whether they want to work in groups or they want to take charge of their learning responsibility on their own.

9. Present Research: Participants • Out of 248 medical students, 82 of them were volunteer to have an active role: • 8 first-year undergraduate medical students acted as medical teachers (Harden & Laidlaw, 2012) under our supervision (i.e., teaching the most frequent target medical words in English with the collocations they recalled which tended to be used in content courses in medicine). • 74 medical students were volunteer to report their reflections as feedback and they were given a survey that consisted of twelve closed and eight open-ended questions to assess PAL. • 166 medical students listened to the course given by their classmates through taking notes to share with each other.

10. Present Research Stage 1- Preparation 3. Subject and Session Preparation 4. Plan for Effective Use of Time for the Student Learning Groups and Learning Cell To use the time efficiently, promote learner autonomy and active participation, group works were arranged to foster collaboration in the informal setting, in other words, outside the classroom.

11. Present Research Stage 1- Preparation • Group work outside the classroom Medicalteachers (n=8)collaborated with usas EAP/ESP practitionersto providefeedbackforeachother’spresentation to getready(i.e., coursenotes)

12. Present Research Stage 1- Preparation • Medical students took charge of their responsibilities both inside and outside the classroom.However, this does not mean that they totally replaced our role but the roles were cooperative in nature. • Our role: Facilitator

13. Present Research Stage 1- Preparation 5. Classroom and Resources In the medical school, the teaching facilities included computer, projection and microphone for the big lecture halls. Each morning, the staff who are responsible for caring the lecture halls check the lecture theatres and classrooms, so when lecturers come, the resources are ready to use.

14. Present ResearchSTAGE 2: What we did during the Session 1. Establishment of the Ground Rules • Wesent an e-mail to medical students and asked whether there was a recommendation or objection to encourage all of them to participate and to make them actively engaged to take in charge of their learning responsibilitiesduring PAL. • Wehighlighted the significance of regular attendance and punctuality to the session.

15. Present ResearchSTAGE 2: What we did during the Session 2. The Application of Peer Learning:Medical Students as Medical teachers We monitored this peer learning process. Our role and medical students’ roles altered in the student learning groups andlearning cell to foster confidence through encouraging them. As a whole class, each medical student assisted each other to make their decision on their target medical words to teach.

16. Present ResearchSTAGE 2: What we did during the Session 2. The Application of Peer Learning:MedicalStudentsas Medicalteachers • Group work inside the classroom • Takingnoteswhilemedicalteacherswereteaching (n=166) • Reporting their reflections as feedback and they were given a survey that consisted of twelve closed and eight open-ended questionswhilelisteningtothemedicalteachers (n=74).

17. Present ResearchSTAGE 2: What we did during the Session 2. The Application of Peer Learning:MedicalStudents as Medicalteachers • Because in medical English courses, we read current publications from high impact journals,theywerefamiliarwiththemostfrequentwords. • Eachmedicalteacherchose 3 targetmedical English words, making 24 words in all, afterdiscussingwiththeirclassmatesandwith us. • Medical English wordswereusedfrequently in themedicalresearcharticleswhiletakingmedical English courses as well as in thecontentcourses in Turkish.

18. Sample Course Notes Prepared by Medical Teachers Sample target words with collocations, which was taught by medical teachers (see Appendix 1 for in-house material samples) Staining «***Staining technique: In microscopy,we may not see everything because of they are transparent or very small. We may deal with this problem using chemical dyes. This process is staining.»

19. Sample Course Notes Prepared by Medical Teachers Sampletargetwordswithcollocations, whichwastaughtbymedicalteachers exacerbate (v): • -Data fromprospectivecohortstudiespublished in 2000-2011 suggestthatsugar-sweetenedbeveragesprobablyexacerbatethe risk of type 2 diabetes.1 • - Theauthorsnotedthestudyprovidesthefirstexperimentalevidencethatsecondhandsmoke can exacerbateallergic responses.2

20. Sample Course Notes Prepared by Medical Teachers Two Confusing words Epidemic vs Pandemic «An epidemic is the slow spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time, usually two weeks or less. A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or evenworldwide. However, a widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics generally excluderecurrences of seasonal flu.» …

21. Present ResearchSTAGE 3: What we did when the Session was Over • Medicalstudentssharedthecoursenoteswitheachother (e.g., medicalteachers, medicalstudentswhoweretheaudience) andalso • Preparedthereflectionreportstoprovidefeedbacktoseetheeffect of PAL on themedicalstudents.

22. SURVEY RESULTS

23. Reflective Reports Some data from open-ended questions: We asked whether medical students find PAL beneficial? About the benefits of PAL: Some responses • *M.S.: Medical Student M.S.4: Our friends who acted as medical teachers studied hard to teach as a part of [medical English] and we will study based on the notes they shared. M.S.7: My confidence increased [when I saw my classmates teaching us] and I also wanted to act as a medical teacher.

24. Reflective Reports About the benefits of PAL: Some responses M.S.11: Our motivation to help each other in the courses increased. M.S.12: The cooperation, course note sharing among us increased. Also, the PAL is beneficial to us to support each other. M.S.16: Facilitated our learning.

25. Reflective Reports About the benefits of PAL: Some responses M.S.21: The PAL activity showed us that we can help each other in many subjects tomoveforwardwhile we are studying and working. M.S.30: While learning medical words, it was very enjoyable. M.S.37: My classmates’ presentations and their interest [as medical teachers] took my attention a lot and this reflected on me. I listened to them with enjoyment.

26. Reflective Reports About the benefits of PAL: Some responses M.S.40: We were moresocial and exchanging ideas. Also, while our classmates were teaching, they increased our vocabulary knowledge. M.S.49: Because we discussed the collocations of the target words [through associating with the content medical courses in Turkish], we collaborated. M.S.50: We learnt how we can support each other clearlyandwillingly.

27. Reflective Reports About the benefits of PAL: Some responses M.S.51: Reciprocal earning was good. Questions that did not spring to ourmindor any aspect that was not understood were asked by our classmates and students were more active than the ESP practitionersduringthe PAL session. M.S.58: PAL was a good way to prepare for the examinationsalltogether. M.S.61: Medical English course became more interesting.

28. Reflective Reports About the benefits of PAL: Some responses M.S.66: More students participated actively thus the course was more effective and beneficial. M.S.73: [With PAL] we learnt a new learning strategy. ….. ….. …..

29. Pedagogical Implications • PAL helped us a lot to observe medical students, their behaviour and team work closely. We monitored the group activities and progress made and checked whether the work was performed during the activities and at the end to facilitate their role.

30. Pedagogical Implications • In addition to intellectual gains, some personal skills, such as communication, social interaction, cooperation, critical thinking, group trust building, higher level of thinking, confidence, self-esteem, respect, empathy could be socio-psychological dimensions of peer teaching given that friends, colleagues and classmates may have important effect on us.

31. Pedagogical Implications • Because education is considered as an active discovery of the reality (Piaget, 1970), as for pedagogical aspect, active, interactive and participating learning as well as lowered anxiety and immediate feedback were present in peer teaching (Topping, 1996) in contrast to the traditional teaching contexts. • Thus, in this session, students’ responsibilities involved being very active as a group through teaching to other groups, which provided a milieu in which students felt engaged and had some ownership of the session (Edmunds & Brown, 2010).

32. Pedagogical Implications • Medicalstudents wereabletocarryout a task in a way that collaboration replaced competition. • Peer teaching can also an effective contribution to accountability, assessment and enhancement of the learning outcomes in medical English education (Colvin, 2007) if performed properly.

33. Pedagogical Implications • As an added value, medical students sometimes mayfeel hesitant to talk to some of the medical specialists due to the distant some specialists put in the department. Peer learning • may help medical students to find answer for their questions. • enhanced course satisfaction, positive effect on the medical students’ personal and professional development • is reciprocal learning because not only peers but also we, as EAP/ESP practitioners, have had cognitive gains. • fosters the development of critical thinking Gokhale (1995)

34. REFERENCES • Colvin, J. W. (2007). Peer tutoring and social dynamics in higher education. Mentoring & Tutoring, 15(2), 165-181. • Edmunds, S., & Brown, G. (2010). Effectivesmallgrouplearning: AMEE Guide No. 48. MedicalTeacher, 32(9), 715-726. • Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. • Goldschmid, B., & Goldschmid, M. L. (1976). Peer teaching in highereducation: A review. HigherEducation, 5(1), 9-33.

35. REFERENCES • Harden, R. M., & Laidlaw, J. M. (1992). Effective continuing education: the CRISIS criteria. Medical Education, 26(5), 407-422. • Piaget, J. (1970). Science of Education and Psychology of Child. New York: Orion Press. • Topping, K. J. (1996). The effectiveness of peer tutoring in further and higher education: A typology and review of the literature. Higher education, 32(3), 321-345. • Wadoodi, A., & Crosby, J. R. (2002). Twelve tips for peer-assisted learning: a classic concept revisited. Medical Teacher, 24(3), 241-244.

36. Questions are welcome PhD Candidate Neslihan ONDER-OZDEMIR Dr Erdem AKBAS