Intellectual Property Rights: Open Access

Abstract

Measuring Students’ Satisfaction with Implementing a Student’ Centered Seminar at Problem-Based Learning, the Faculty of Medicine - Suez-Canal University

Marwa Ahmed AE, Wagdy TY, Refaat AH and El- Din Ahmed RAG

Background: Seminar is one of the educational resources in PBL; it is a form of academic teaching, normally at a university where students are requested to actively participate during meetings. This often has to be done in the presence of an issue under investigation or research. Often a seminar will be open to discussion, often questions can be raised and debates conducted.
Aim: The aim of this study was to measure students’ satisfaction with implementing a student’s centered seminars and comparing students’ satisfaction by using students centered and teachers centered seminars.
Materials and Methods: The study was a comparative one. Simple random sampling from Phase III students (4th, 5th and 6th year students) was selected a total number of 163 Students. A Self – administered questionnaires for phase III students was distributed; measuring their satisfaction according two methods of implementing seminar; students centered and teacher centered one. SPSS software was used for the purpose of statistical analysis. Comparisons between students’ satisfaction were made using T-test (comparative statistics).
Results: 42% of the sample group said that they most of the time are keen to attend the seminar because of its importance to their understanding to solve the problem. 21% of the sample group said that seminar is conducted in a discussion form most of the time. Students acquired new skills by applying the new innovative approach in conducting seminars. There is statistically significant difference (p-value<0.0001) between two methods regarding students’ acquisition of leadership skill, presentation skill and communication skills. There is statistically significant difference (p-value<0.0001) between two methods regarding students’ ability to Search in the internet, Express their points of view, and Use additional educational resources. Sixteen percent of the students learned by the students centered method of seminar agreed that their presentation in the seminar should be evaluated and be part of their summative assessment. Thirty nine percent of the students learned by the students centered method of seminar agreed that changing the current method of conducting seminar into on line seminar will be better.
Conclusion: Study conclude that the students generally preferred the students centered method of conducting the seminar more than the teacher centered one as they fell more responsibility for it, and more actively involved in it, also they are active learner, they search for the updated information related to the theme of the problem try together to work in a team, benefit from each other and using their skills and abilities to present the weekly problem in a competitive, challenging spirit between them.