Listening to the New Student Voice: How They Learn

In 2003 it was forecasted that medical students’preclinical learning would mostly consist of large portions of educational training and instruction provided on the internet and other technology tools, while the traditional lecture format would become more infrequent. Five years later many medical schools have adapted to this new technological-enhanced learning environment. No one can argue that today’s millennial generation of medical students is more familiar with technology than their predecessors. However, does this technology savvy generation report that these new tools are indeed superior when compared to the traditional tools of facilitating learning and understanding in the preclinical years? Additionally, is there a difference in usefulness of learning techniques for students in year one as compared to year two of medical school? This study examines the learning tools in basic science courses to determine how the millennial generation of students report they are learning best. Tools from our blended learning curriculum were investigated within and across preclinical years one and two. Presented at the AAMC (Association of American Colleges) Annual Meeting, RIME (Research in Medical Education) Program, November 2008