Employment of co-operative learning as a teaching-learning method in undergraduate medical education

Abstract

In the current health sector paradigm, we aim to deliver a patient-centered care through an interprofessional approach that works on teamwork and co-ordination. Co-operative learning refers to a teaching methodology wherein the groups of students learn mutually and eventually all the participants are benefited. In this method, the students interact with each other in small groups and in the process come out with answers and arrive at the consensus. Regardless of the multiple benefits that are being attributed to co-operative learning, it is quite surprising that this method has not been widely employed as a teaching-learning strategy in the field of undergraduate medical education. This calls for the need to identify the bottlenecks and then come out with feasible solutions to overcome the same. In conclusion, co-operative learning in medical education delivery is an effective strategy to ensure acquisition of knowledge in a student-centered approach and for the promotion of interpersonal skills. It is the right time that medical institutions explore the possibility of employment of co-operative learning within their settings and employ them appropriately to benefit the students as well as prepare them for team working.