Technology Demonstration: Vensim PLE Model of A Medical Student Educational System

1
Technology DemonstrationVensim PLE Model of A
Medical Student Educational System

• Ed Tech 650, Spring Semester
• SDSU

2
Introduction

• modeled the educational system I know best
  medical education
• used Vensim PLE because it addressed the need
  and was free
• two goals
• learn to use modeling software
• better understand issues of medical education

3
Basis
Social Systems
Educational Systems
Instructional Systems
Software Systems
Hardware Systems
4
Issues to be Explored

• what is role that various individual elements
  play in medical education?
• is there a basis for making changes in the
  educational system other than tradition and
  unsubstantiated opinion?
• what are the strengths and weaknesses of
  different medical school curricula?
• what are the real underlying issues in the WVSOM
  traditional track curriculum?
• is it possible to test individual portions of the
  curriculum to understand interactions?

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The Model
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Background on Medical Education

• 4-year program
• 2 years course work
• 2 years clinical clerkships (rotations)
• board exams
• end of 2nd year (Level 1--cognitive)
• 4th year (Level 2--cognitive and performance)
• overall, course work heavily aimed at
  fact-learning
• but, also skills training, includes
  communication, manual skills, problem-solving
  skills
• all students take same courses in same order

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Assumptions of Model

• details based upon my own experience with medical
  education
• effects strictly theoreticalno real data exist
• inherently simplisticmany subtleties and complex
  interactions missing
• an average individual student may be different
  than model in specifics
• restricted to first 2 yearsfinal product is
  focused upon 3rd year student
• determination of final learning product based
  upon simple addition of elements
• model not definitive, will always be a work in
  progress

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General Organization of Model

• beginning 3rd year student
• 4 inputs into clinical decision-making process
• fact knowledge base
• problem-solving skills
• preceptor
• presenting patient
• focus on knowledge base and problem-solving

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Fact Knowledge Base

• regards only the facts that a student has
  learned, not how to use them
• includes all of the resources available to the
  student in the first 2 years
• course lectures
• reading materials
• Web site information
• computer simulations
• also highly dependent upon review of these
  materials (i.e., studying)include feedback
• for courses
• for medical board examination at end of 2nd year

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Problem-Solving Skills

• about 2 hrs of presentation and practice with
  feedback
• most training accomplished through
• clinical discussions
• problem-solving exercises
• board review questions

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Simulation Knowledge Resources

• to understand effect of individual elements on
  student Knowledge Base
• each item available to all studentsthough they
  may not be used
• each item characterized by
• amount of time used
• quality points (scale of 1 to 10)
• values may be changed with sliders
• two items involve interaction which increases
  quality points

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Knowledge Base Simulation
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Conclusions

• worth doing?yes!
• knowledge base depends upon time spent with
  quality resources
• less time, smaller knowledge base
• poor quality, smaller knowledge base
• review of known material pays off
• problem-solving skills
• cannot happen without knowledge base
• feed back to knowledge base
• very little feedback into system
• simulation can be valuable in understanding
  effect of different elements in educational
  system, especially interactions
• medical school educational system may be the best
  model for understanding learning interactions