Question-writing Journal-Club is an alternative learning method for the residents

Objectives The goal was to implement an alternative learning method using a modern Internet learning platform and cognitive psychology principles.

Methods Our weekly question-writing journal club is a 5-step process: reading, understanding, abstracting, creating and testing. After a lecture on question writing, residents are given an article that relates to the overall weekly educational focus. They need to read and understand the article, abstract a key point, and create one or more multiple choice, board-type questions. Question writing is a form of reflection - retrieval and elaboration of the key point. Question writing is facilitated using a medical student educational platform (Osmosis®) that facilitates question writing and quiz creation. At the end of the week, a quiz generated from the questions is taken as a group. Each resident answers other resident and staff questions in turn. This quizzing process is retrieval practice, which has been shown to be a stronger pneumonic enhancer that rereading or restudy. Residents learn to write better question when they see how their questions are misunderstood by their peers, a form of mentoring. Each resident becomes an expert on one key point enhancing the scope and substance of the journal club discussion. At the same time, a question bank directly related to peer reviewed literature is developed as all the questions are reviewed by a staff member. Also, questions are discussed and improved for their use in the future by other residents. From a survey of initial resident perception of the learning method, we have decided to continue the development and evaluation of this journal club format.

Results Overall, the method was rated as 3.8 over 5 by our residents. It has been described as a “fun and interactive way to learn”. Article-based questions met very well the learning need of our group in 50% of the cases, moderately well in 30% slightly well in 10% and not at all well in 10%. Article-based questions as teaching method was evaluated as extremely effective by 27.3% of our residents, very effective by 27%, moderately effective by 36 % and not at all effective by 9%. Learning by writing questions was evaluated as extremely effective in 9% of the cases, very effective in 45.5%, moderately effective in 36 % and no effective in 9%. The usefulness of the article selection to learn was considered very useful in 40% of the cases, moderately useful in 40%, slightly useful in 10% and not useful in 10% when compared to other resources to study. The level of the articles has been mostly described as slightly difficult (50%), moderately easy (30%) and very easy (20%). This fluctuates among weeks and topics. The Osmosis platform has been extremely satisfying by 30% of the residents, moderately useful by 50%, slightly satisfying by 10% and dissatisfying by 10%.

Conclusions Question-writing improves journal clubs by providing learning consolidation - reflection through question writing and retrieval practice by quizzing - while at the same time improving question writing skill and developing a departmental question base. RESEARCH SUPPORT: None