Developing large-group teaching in child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students

Abstract

Aims and methodWe developed material for a lecture hall teaching programme in child and adolescent psychiatry for medical students. Although lecture hall settings are not traditionally seen as conducive to exploring concepts, debating positions and encouraging higher-order thinking, we aimed to integrate these processes into the programme alongside educational theory and teaching strategies. We evaluated student and teacher perception of the new material through questionnaires before and after the introduction of the teaching package.ResultsSix 1.5-hour teaching sessions were prepared. The evaluation study received 133 student and 4 teacher questionnaires on the previous teaching package, and 99 student and 7 teacher questionnaires on the new material. The questionnaires showed that the redesign resulted in significant improvements in various predefined measures, such as clarity and interactivity of the material.Clinical implicationsA vivid and memorable teaching programme is essential in shaping students' understanding of the concepts in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as potentially making the specialty more attractive to medical undergraduates.