Cook-Sather et al. (2014) outline the benefits of a students as partners paradigm; demonstrating increased engagement for learners and development of self-awareness and agency for student peer leaders. This presentation showcases the application of a multi-disciplinary pedagogical partnership project founded on principles of co-creation, peer mentorship and curriculum change agents to transform didactic, underperforming anatomy courses in undergraduate medical sciences. In addressing problematic first-to-second year transitions, we propose a cohort-based learning community model that stands in contrast to ‘students-as-consumers’ and departs from the ‘sage-on-the-stage’ model of teaching. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of co-created health science assessment in adaptive learning platforms to improve deep learning and confidence levels in the Adelaide Medical School.
Strategies to embrace co-construction of knowledge within the classroom and personalised design of content and feedback by peer leaders, will be provided. In-class activities included co-design of a Anatomical Dialogue Assignment and short-answer response questions for the final examination by 2nd year students; advocating utility of Blooms taxonomy and clinical stem writing. Exam performance demonstrated a minimum grade of 72 ± 11% for student-generated submissions; with a significant improvement in mean examination score (p<0.05). Informed by technology preferences, 3rd year peer leaders developed flexible social media revisions channel for interactive, authentic revision content and deployed co-created quizzes in Canvas. Analytical reports provided by Facebook inc. and Canvas informed study habits and engagement. 69% of the student cohort followed the Instagram channel, with impression data demonstrating regular out-of-class interaction with stories.
Course transformation is quantified through a reduction in fail rates from 36% to 12% from 2015 to 2018; retention rates increased (91%) and students saw the benefits to showing up to learning sessions (53% attendance increase). Enlisting a Students-as-Partners model has the potential to reignite the spark of interest, inquiry and curiosity in students to not only engage, but excel, without compromising academic rigour. Further, transferability of this approach within the Neuroscience major at Swinburne University of Technology will be showcased.