Clinical Skills and PBL Muse Volume 2 #1: Improving the performance of students

From Medical Teacher 2009; 31:675-676

What 7 principles of good undergraduate teaching improve the academic performance of students?

1) Level of contact between students and teachers
2) Reciprocity and co-operation among students
3) Active learning
4) Prompt feedback
5) Awareness of the time needed to be spent on the task
6) High expectations
7) Respecting diverse talents and ways of learning

These were identified in 1991 by Chickering and Gamson. Subsequently adopted in 2008 Lowis and Castley (Innovations in Education and Teaching International 2008; 45:333-343) in the development of an inventory for predicting student progression and achievement. This was tested on remedial students and shown to improve their performance.

Summarized by Dr. K. Stobbe