Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Quality Improvement in Veterinary Education, Yalelaan 1, PO Box 80.163, Utrecht, TD 3508, The Netherlands.
BMC Med Educ. 2013 Feb 12;13:22. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-13-22.
Many medical schools have embraced small group learning methods in their undergraduate curricula. Given increasing financial constraints on universities, active learning groups like seminars (with 25 students a group) are gaining popularity. To enhance the understanding of seminar learning and to determine how seminar learning can be optimised it is important to investigate stakeholders' views. In this study, we qualitatively explored the views of teachers on aspects affecting seminar learning.
Twenty-four teachers with experience in facilitating seminars in a three-year bachelor curriculum participated in semi-structured focus group interviews. Three focus groups met twice with an interval of two weeks led by one moderator. Sessions were audio taped, transcribed verbatim and independently coded by two researchers using thematic analysis. An iterative process of data reduction resulted in emerging aspects that influence seminar learning.
Teachers identified seven key aspects affecting seminar learning: the seminar teacher, students, preparation, group functioning, seminar goals and content, course coherence and schedule and facilities. Important components of these aspects were: the teachers' role in developing seminars ('ownership'), the amount and quality of preparation materials, a non-threatening learning climate, continuity of group composition, suitability of subjects for seminar teaching, the number and quality of seminar questions, and alignment of different course activities.
The results of this study contribute to the unravelling of the 'the black box' of seminar learning. Suggestions for ways to optimise active learning in seminars are made regarding curriculum development, seminar content, quality assurance and faculty development.
许多医学院校在本科课程中采用了小组学习方法。鉴于大学的财政限制越来越大，像研讨会这样的主动学习小组（每组 25 名学生）越来越受欢迎。为了深入了解研讨式学习，并确定如何优化研讨式学习，了解利益相关者的观点很重要。在这项研究中，我们从定性的角度探讨了教师对影响研讨式学习的各个方面的看法。
24 名有在为期三年的本科课程中主持研讨会经验的教师参加了半结构化焦点小组访谈。由一名主持人带领的三个焦点小组每隔两周进行两次会议，会议全程录音，并由两名研究人员使用主题分析方法逐字转录和独立编码。通过数据缩减的迭代过程，出现了影响研讨式学习的各个方面。
教师们确定了影响研讨式学习的七个关键方面：研讨课教师、学生、准备、小组功能、研讨课目标和内容、课程连贯性和时间安排以及设施。这些方面的重要组成部分包括：教师在开发研讨课中的角色（“所有权”）、准备材料的数量和质量、无威胁的学习氛围、小组组成的连续性、适合研讨教学的主题、研讨问题的数量和质量，以及不同课程活动的一致性。
本研究的结果有助于揭示研讨式学习的“黑箱”。就课程开发、研讨内容、质量保证和教师发展提出了优化研讨式主动学习的建议。
