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Vol 64, No. 9;Sep 2014
112 Jokull Journal
Does the Study Guide Represent a Helpful Learning Tool for Medical
Students? Students Perspectives
Bassem Aldeek 1,2
, Nasra Ayoub 1,2
, Reda A. Jamjoom 1,3
, Saad Almahayawi
4, and
Asim T. Al Sharif 1, Awatef AlSebyani
5 , Mohamed Mashat
5,
1Medical Education Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia.2 Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
3 Surgery Department,
4 Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz
University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
5 Six year medical students, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding author:
Prof. Nasra Ayuob
Department of Medical education,
Faculty of Medicine,
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
Tel.: 00966530112205
Fax:009666400855 [email protected]
Vol 64, No. 9;Sep 2014
113 Jokull Journal
Abstract
This study has assessed medical students’ level of satisfaction with and utilization of study
guides and whether they were helpful to the learning process. Subjects and Methods: This
cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire that was validated by faculty
members and students and was piloted before distribution. It was distributed to all basic
(second- and third-year) medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz
University, Jeddah, SA, during the 2012–2013 academic year. Results: About 78% of the
participating students indicated that they preferred to have a study guide for each course.
They were satisfied with the structure of the study guides apart from the absence of
teachers’ personal comments. They were not satisfied with the use of the study guides as
logbooks and their inclusion of self-assessment exercises. They were also not satisfied with
the study guides as notebooks and felt that they did not contain adequate educational
resources. Conclusion: Although the participating students were not fully satisfied with the
study guides, they reported that some courses study guide were useful for their learning
while others were not. More efforts are needed to improve the study guides so that they are
helpful logbooks and notebooks that include self-assessment exercises and updated
educational resources.
Key words: Study guide-Utilization-effect- medical-students-learning
Introduction
High-quality medical education is increasingly becoming an important subject worldwide.
Nowadays, studies, textbooks, conferences, and associations, such as the Association of
Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), are all demonstrating a great interest in the
improvement of medical education. What students learn, how they learn, where they learn,
and how the learning is best organized and assessed are questions being addressed not only
by medical education enthusiasts, but also more generally by healthcare professionals (Bin
Abdulrahman et al., 2012). Furthermore, there has been a move in medical education
away from the traditional teacher-centred model to a student-centred model (Harden et al,
1984).
In Saudi Arabia, there has also been a growing interest in and rapid development of the
quality of medical education. In fact, there has been a dramatic change from the traditional
spoon-feeding method of learning to a more innovative student-centred model, where
students adopt an instructional approach and influence the content, activities, materials, and
pace of learning. The student-centred model contains several complementary aids such as
problem-based learning, directed self-learning, tutorials, seminars, etc. In 2002, curriculum
planners decided to implement a new undergraduate medical curriculum that is organized in
Vol 64, No. 9;Sep 2014
114 Jokull Journal
blocks of integrated system-based modules (Al-Hazimi, 2012). However, students are
unfamiliar with this new dynamic approach to learning and therefore need guidance and
assistance, thus emphasizing the role and importance of study guides. A study guide
represents a method of interaction between the student and the course, as it provides
supportive information that can make a major contribution to learning.
A study guide has been defined as a manual that structures study efforts and attempts to
enhance the learning derived from textbooks by encouraging students to process the
textbook in certain ways. It can be in a printed or electronic format that is designed to assist
students with their learning (Philippe, 2006). Harden and Crosby (2000a) had described
study guide functions to include the following: providing students with information,
managing the students’ learning, and prescribing students’ activities.
A study guide has been stated to play an important role in the contexts of information
overload, curriculum reform, and the encouragement of active learning (Hodgkinson,
1994), and all these contexts were present in the medical curriculum at King Abdulaziz
University (KAU). In fact, AMEE has pointed out that resource material creator and study
guide producer are one of the twelve roles of the good teacher (Harden, 2000b), and the
role of the study guide in promoting teaching and learning is an increasing subject of
interest worldwide.
A previous study had described the study guide components and how it was implemented
in the Faculty of Medicine (FOM) at KAU as a part of the developed medical curriculum
(Al-Hazimi, 2012). This study take a step further by assessing medical students’
satisfaction with and utilization of the study guides and whether they were helpful during
their learning.
Subjects and Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted at FOM KAU among the basic (second- and
third-year) medical students during the 2012–2013 academic year. Ethical approval was
obtained from the biomedical research ethics committee at FOM. A well-designed, self-
administered questionnaire was prepared to assess students’ satisfaction with and utilization
of the study guide and its impact on their learning from the students’ point of view. The
questionnaire was divided into three main sections. In the first section, demographic data of
the participating students, as well a percentage of their attendance at lectures, tutorials, and
practical sessions, were gathered. In the second section, students’ perception of the various
aspects of the study guides (e.g., course information, content, objectives, resources, self-
assessment exercises and activities) was assessed using a five-point Likert scale (1=
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strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Non-satisfaction was considered to be a mean score
less than 3. In the third section, students were asked to rate the usefulness of the study
guides from their point of view.
The questionnaire was submitted to 5 faculty members to validate its questions. It was then
distributed to 20 students to ensure face and content validity. The questionnaire was
slightly modified in response to their feedback. The results of the pilot study were not
included in the final study results. The final version of questionnaire was distributed to all
second- and third-year medical students.
Statistical analysis
The data were coded and entered in the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS, Inc.,
version 16.0; Chicago, IL, USA). Statistical analysis was done using a descriptive
qualitative and analytical analysis (student t-test), and results were presented in the form of
the mean and standard deviation (SD). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered to be
statistically significant.
Results:
Three hundred and thirty out of 610 medical students (54.1%) responded to the
questionnaire. The response was higher from third-year students and male students (Figures
1 and 2). About 78% of the participating students indicated that they preferred to have a
study guide for each course and module (Figure 3). The overall attendance of the
participating students was higher for tutorials, followed by practical sessions and then
lectures. There was no significant difference between second- and third-year students
regarding whether they attended more than 50% of the tutorials, while the percentage of
second-year students who attended more than 50% of the lectures and practical sessions
was significantly higher than those of the third-year students (p < 0.001) (Figure 4).
Figure (1):Level of students participating in the study. Figure (2):Gender of students participating in the study.
Vol 64, No. 9;Sep 2014
116 Jokull Journal
The overall participants were satisfied with the structure of the study guides apart from the
absence of teachers’ personal comments on the topics (these data are not shown). The third-
year students were more satisfied than the second-year students with the structure of the
study guides regarding the overview of the course topic (4.05 + 0.95 versus 3.7 + 1.02) and
the inclusion of the course learning objectives (4.04 + 0.97 versus 3.6 + 0.95); this
difference was statistically significant (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). Satisfaction
of the second-year students with teachers’ personal comments on the topics within the
study guides was significantly higher than that of the third-year students (p < 0.001) (Figure
5).
Satisfaction of the participating students with the activities included within the study guides
was assessed. There was low satisfaction among the all participants with the study guides
Lectures Practical
sesions Tutorials
Figure (4): Attendance of participating students in different educational sessions.
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as logbooks and their inclusion of self-assessment exercises, and they were also not
satisfied with them as notebooks (these data are not shown). There was a significant
difference between the second- and third-year students regarding their satisfaction with the
study guides as logbooks and notebooks (p < 0.001 and p = 0.033, respectively) (Figure 6).
Most of the participants in this study were not satisfied with the educational resources
included in the study guides apart from the references to up-to-date textbooks and links to
helpful electronic resources (3.04 + 1.15 and 3.14 + 1.55) (Table 1). The third-year students
were significantly less satisfied with the educational resources available in the study guides
than the second-year students. Among all participants, a higher number preferred to have
soft copies of the study guides. A significant number (p < 0.001) of second-year students
preferred to have hard copies of the study guides, while a significant number (p = 0.006) of
third-year students preferred to have soft copies (Figure 7).
*
*
* * *
* * * *
*
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118 Jokull Journal
Table (1) Students satisfaction with the study guide regards the educational resources.
Study guide include Second year Third year P value Total
Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD
Reference to up to date texts 3.06 + 1.2 3.10 + 1.01 0.74 3.04 + 1.15
Reference to related articles in journals 3.02 + 1.14 2.6 + 1.04 0.003 2.82 + 1.08
Quotations from texts 3.04 + 1.08 2.5 + .83 <0 .001 2.77 + 1.03
Quotations from articles published in journal 3.13 + 1.06 2.82 + 1.06 <0 .001 2.73 + 1.05
Complete texts or articles 2.82 + 1.06 2.11 + .83 <0 .001 2.56 + 1.04
Links to helpful electronic resources 3.32 + 1.11 2.97 + 1.008 0.009 3.14 + 1.55
Resources of virtual learning 2.98 + 1.03 2.51 + .83 < 0.001 2.79 + 1.02
Short notes on the importance of the topic 2.97 + 1.04 2.55 + 1.02 0.002 2.73 + 0.96
Definitions or terminology 2.94 + 1.01 2.47 +0 .99 <0 .001 2.70 + 1.03
Prefence of soft copy study guide 3.4 + 1.06 3.79 + 1.16 0.006 3.57 + 1.12
Prefence of hard copy study guide 3.58 + 1.15 2.56 + 1.09 <0 .001 3.04 + 1.21
Regarding the usefulness of the study guide for individual courses or modules of the
medical curriculum, it was found that the study guides for the cardiovascular,
musculoskeletal and immune, and blood and lymphatic system modules were ranked as the
most useful (65.2%, 63.6%, and 59.1%, respectively) by the participants (Figure 8).
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Discussion
Students are considered to be the cornerstone of the educational process; they possess
different skills, needs, and motivations that are influenced by a number of factors (Dodds et
al., 1984). Designing an ideal study guide is crucial to enhancing the quality of the learning
experience. Having a study guide to assist and manage the student’s learning experience is
very helpful (Harden and Crosby, 2000a). A study guide keeps in contact the students,
institutions, and the material provider (McKillop et al., 1998).
In this study, only about 78% of the participating students indicated that they preferred to
have a study guide for each course and module, which reflects a lack of understanding of
the importance of study guides in the learning process. Most studies have found that it is
essential to have a study guide for each course, as it significantly improves students’
performance (Horton and Lovitt, 1989; Holsgrove et al., 1998).
The pattern of the participating students’ attendance at different educational sessions was
assessed as an indicator for their interest in the study and their preference of certain
teaching and learning methods. It was noticed that the overall attendance of the
participating students was the most for tutorials, followed by practical sessions and then
lectures. This finding shows that students prefer active sessions with a smaller number of
attendees.
The most important question addressed in this study was, “Are the medical students
satisfied with their study guides?” The study assessed this question from three
perspectives—the study guide’s structure, inclusion of activities, and educational resources.
In a study conducted at the United Arab Emirates University, Holsgrove et al. (1998)
reported, that a well-planned study guide should contain course aims, learning objectives,
cross-referencing for the module, information about resources, the course timetable, student
lists and study groups, and other management information. Almost all of these components
were included in the study guides for the second-and third-years courses and modules.
Fortunately, the overall participants in this study were satisfied with the different
components of the study guides apart from the inclusion of teachers’ personal comments on
the various topics. Most of the participants in this study were satisfied with being able to
access the relevant study guide before starting a course. This was supported by Kozen et al.
(2006), whose study directs practitioners in the design and use of anticipation guides, a pre-
reading strategy can be used to simultaneously increase students’ content, knowledge, and
reading comprehension.
Vol 64, No. 9;Sep 2014
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It has been known for a long time that the retrieval of information is enhanced if it requires
the same kind of mental processing as that used during studying, implying that a study
guide with multiple-choice questions should strongly enhance performance on multiple-
choice exams (Herrmann et al., 1993). A more recent study by Dickson et al. (2005)
investigated the effect of required textbook study guides on undergraduates’ multiple-
choice exam performance. The results of this study support the effectiveness of a study
guide for courses that use multiple-choice exams; however, more exercises may not
enhance performance. Unfortunately, the present study showed low satisfaction among the
participating students regarding the use of study guides as logbooks and the inclusion of
self-assessment exercises. They were also not satisfied with using the study guides as
notebooks. This can motivate the course instructors to improve this defect in study guides
for their courses.
It was found that most of the participants in this study were not satisfied with the
educational resources included in the study guides apart from the references to up-to-date
textbooks and links to helpful electronic resources. This dissatisfaction was higher among
the third-year students. Again, this is an area for improvement that needs to be highlighted
so that course instructors can address it. Among the overall participants, a large number
preferred to have soft copies of the study guides, specifically the third-year student. A study
by Harden and Smyth (1994) revealed that computer-based study guides offer advantages
over print-based guides as they allow students to move quickly and easily from one section
to another. Furthermore, the students can individualize them for their personal needs, such
as adding more information. They can also include colour, pictures, and sounds; can
embrace computer-mediated communications; and are easy to update. In another study
conducted by Rasheed and Cohen (1990), students using computer-based instruction study
guides for dental courses performed significantly better than students using printed study
guides.
There was a statistically significant difference between the second- and third-year students’
satisfaction with some aspects of the study guides. The satisfaction of the third-year
students was, in most of cases, less than that of the second-year students, which could be
attributed to their additional experience with learning as well as expectations.
It was found that a considerable number of students who participated in this study reported
that the study guides for some courses and modules were not useful for their learning. In a
study by McKillop (1997), a number of traditional students were asked if they had ever
used a study guide and if they had found it to be helpful. All the students who indicated that
they had used a study guide had found it to be helpful. This may point to a need to improve
the study guides so that they are perceived as “helpful” by their end users—the students.
Vol 64, No. 9;Sep 2014
121 Jokull Journal
In conclusion, although the participating students were not fully satisfied with the study
guides, they reported that some were useful for learning while others were not. More effort
is therefore needed to improve the study guides so that they can serve as helpful logbooks
and notebooks that include self-assessment exercises and updated helpful educational
resources.
Acknowledgments
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Bin Abdulrahman KA, Harden R, Patricio M. Medical education in Saudi Arabia: An
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Dickson K. L, Miller MD and Devoley MS. Effect of Textbook Study Guides on
Student Performance in Introductory Psychology. Teaching of Psychology 2005; 32 (1):
34-39.
Dodds AE, Lawrence JA and Patrick C. University students' perceptions of influences
on external studies. Distance Edu. 1984; 5(2): 174-185.
Harden RM and Smyth JJ. Computer-based study guides II: educational components
and advantages. Med Teach 1994; 16(4):315-322.
Harden RM, Crosby j. AMEE guide no 16 study guide their uses and preparation. Med
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therefore, acknowledge with thanks DSR technical and financial support.
Declaration of Interest:
The authors report no declarations of interest.
References
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