In the 1990s, despite empirical support for linking theory to practice in professional education, a theory - practice gap persisted in medical education. This dissertation presents three initiatives and their evaluation to address the theory - practice gap in medical education at an Australian medical school. Case Based Teaching ( CBT ), a teaching and learning initiative, was designed and implemented in the Department of Physiology at the University of Adelaide. It aimed to introduce students to clinical skills in a way that built student confidence ; to achieve integration of knowledge between medical and clinical sciences ; and to strengthen the link between theory and clinical practice. Students and their tutors reported that CBT was beneficial in their development, and realised its three major aims. Greatest support came from students on the verge of their clinical training. Few studies, with both internal and external validity, have demonstrated the potential of computer aided learning ( CAL ) in medical education. In the second initiative, a self - directed CAL resource linking theory to practice was designed in three different learning formats. A randomised controlled trial showed learning gains for CAL users ( in terms of ability to retain and apply knowledge ) compared to non - users, but the active CAL format did not prove superior to more passive ones. The study demonstrated the importance of using valid assessment tools to measure learning outcomes, and the difficulties of conducting randomised controlled trials in the real world of medical education. Finally, the utility of a novel integrated practical examination was evaluated, in terms of reliability, validity, acceptability, cost and educational impact. The large investment of time and effort that was required to reform assessment practice brought rewards. Good reliability was achieved, and validity was maximised by linking theory to practice, and an extensive item review process. Assessment reform was used to drive the integration of teaching and learning. Basic science and professional knowledge consist of two different worlds, the former being analytic and general and the latter, holistic and particular. This dissertation has addressed the challenge of linking these two worlds, with initiatives that embedded these two knowledge structures within the other, fostering professional competence that is founded on procedural, propositional and personal knowledge. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, 2004.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/263679 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Hudson, Judith N |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
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