design, implementation and evaluation of student-centric learning in physiology

Background: the quality of teaching and learning in health education determines thecompetency of doctors produced and ultimately the patient care. realizing the necessity ofactive learning at the undergraduate level, curricular reforms are crucial to ensure that studentsplay an active role in their learning process and absorb the prerequisite qualities of a competenthealth professional. the current study aimed to implement and evaluate case-based learning ina physiology curriculum.methods: the study included 150 first-year mbbs students using a mixed methods researchdesign. a short lecture on anemia was followed by two sessions of case-based learning witha gap of one week. a structured questionnaire usinga 5-point likert scale was used to collectstudents’ perceptions. the internal consistency of the questionnaire had a cronbach’s alpha of0.8. faculty feedback was collected using a focus group discussion.results: of 145 participants, 117 provided feedback. students perceived that the case-basedlearning method promoted meaningful learning (83%); helped in the future application ofknowledge (81%);helped to understand physiology concepts better (72%); improved studentteacherrelationships (72%); was effective in understanding the anemia topic (71%); led to thedevelopment of problem-solving abilities (70%); encouraged teamwork (69%); motivated selfdirectedlearning (66%); and improved communication skills (65%). faculty members suggesteddeveloping an assessment plan for future case-based learning sessions.conclusion: according to student and faculty feedback, case-based learning is an effective,active teaching-learning tool that improves students’ understanding of basic concepts, clinicalknowledge, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, communication skills, student-teacherrelationship, and self-directed learning.