J Educ Eval Health Prof.  2013;10:8.

Students' perception of the learning environment at Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba

Affiliations
  • 1Curriculum Committee, Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands. ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
  • 2Basic Sciences, Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The learning environment at Xavier University School of Medicine (XUSOM), Aruba has not been previously studied. Hence, the present study was carried out using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to obtain student perceptions about the learning environment and compare the same among different subgroups of respondents.
METHODS
The questionnaire was administered to undergraduate medical students in their first to fifth semester during the first two weeks of June 2013. The students' perceptions were evaluated by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 50 statements using a Likert-type scale. The mean overall score and the scores of subcategory were calculated and compared among different respondents (P<0.05).
RESULTS
Seventy-three of the 86 students (84.9%) completed the questionnaire. The overall mean+/-SD score was 131.79+/-22.86 (maximum score 200). The mean+/-SD score for students' perception of teaching/learning was 31.99+/-6.23 (maximum score, 48), while the score for students' perceptions of teachers was 30.05+/-5.54 (maximum score, 44). The mean+/-SD scores for students' academic self-perception, students' perception of the atmosphere, and students' social self-perception were 21.88+/-5.11 (maximum score, 32), 30.92+/-8.59 (maximum score, 48), and 16.96+/-4.71 (maximum score, 28), respectively. There were no differences in scores according to the respondents' personal characteristics.
CONCLUSION
The student responses about the learning environment at the institution were positive. We plan to obtain regular student feedback as the curriculum becomes progressively more student-centered and integrated.

Keyword

Assessment; Educational environment; Feedback; Medical schools; Medical students

MeSH Terms

Atmosphere
Curriculum
Surveys and Questionnaires
Education
Humans
Learning*
Schools, Medical
Self Concept
Students, Medical
Netherlands*

Reference

1. Miles S, Swift L, Leinster SJ. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM): a review of its adoption and use. Med Teach. 2012; 34:e620–e634. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01421 59X.2012.668625.
Article
2. Shankar PR, Dubey AK. ‘Modernizing’ the basic sciences MD program at XUSOM, Aruba. WebmedCentral Med Educ. 2013; 4((4)):WMC004198.https://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/4198.
3. Kohli V, Dhaliwal U. Medical students’ perception of the educational environment in a medical college in India: a cross-sectional study using the Dundee Ready Education Environment questionnaire. J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2013; 10:5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2013.10.5.
Article
4. Hasan T, Gupta P. Assessing the learning environment at Jazan Medical School of Saudi Arabia. Med Teach. 2013; 35(Suppl 1):S90–S96. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2013.765546.
Article
5. Shehnaz SI, Sreedharan J. Students’ perceptions of educational environment in a medical school experiencing curricular transition in United Arab Emirates. Med Teach. 2011; 33:e37–e42. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2011.530312.
Article
6. Aghamolaei T, Fazel I. Medical students’ perceptions of the educational environment at an Iranian Medical Sciences University. BMC Med Educ. 2010; 10:87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-10-87.
Article
7. Eckhert NL. Perspective: private schools of the Caribbean: outsourcing medical education. Acad Med. 2010; 85:622–630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181d2aee1.
Article
8. Dienstag JL. Evolution of the New Pathway curriculum at Harvard Medical School: the new integrated curriculum. Perspect Biol Med. 2011; 54:36–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2011.0003.
Article
9. Shankar PR. Conducting correlation seminars in basic sciences at KIST Medical College, Nepal. J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2011; 8:10. http://dx.doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2011.8.10.
Article
Full Text Links
  • JEEHP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr