Approaches to mapping an undergraduate medical curriculum to a national competency-based catalogue of learning outcomes

[NKLZ 2.0: the further development of the National Competence-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Dentistry as a basis for the design of the new licensing regulations]

The National Competence-Based Catalogue of Learning Objectives in Dentistry (NKLZ) was adopted in 2015 and defines the learning objectives for dental training in Germany. It specifies which competences students should acquire and serves as a basis for the curricular design of the study programme, examinations and teaching materials. The NKLZ promotes a comprehensive education that includes clinical skills and abilities, professional behaviour and communication skills in addition to specialist knowledge. It contributes to the preparation of future dentists for their profession and standardizes training to ensure quality and comparability.This article describes the background, history, structure and further development of the NKLZ. Currently, the NKLZ is being further developed to version 2.0 in a multi-stage process. Its structure is based on the NKLM 2.0, the National Competence-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine. The aim is to comprehensively map the requirements for the dental licensing regulations.An important prerequisite for the official recognition of the NKLZ as a basic guideline for the training of dentists is that it be anchored in a dental licensing regulation that is to be reformed soon. This creates clarity and liability for teachers and students. Such an anchoring also enables better coordination between training objectives and the requirements of professional practice. Since the licensing regulations are modified less frequently, the integration of the NKLZ offers the possibility of updating and adapting the catalogue of learning objectives in a structured and regulated manner. This ensures that training is in line with current standards and developments.

Practical Guide to Undergraduate Medical Curriculum Alignment and Mapping

Objective

Curriculum development and reviews are of paramount importance for academic programs curriculum management. Medical curricula need proper construction and frequent updates to suits learning outcomes considering their integrative nature and rapid scientific advancement. Curriculum alignment and mapping are fundamental for proper integration and planning of medical curriculum. This process is beneficial in detecting gaps and redundancies, and ensuring proper instruction, integration, and transparency. However, there is a paucity in the literature of a practical guidance to such process. Hence, this manuscript provides a practical guidance that was adopted in our institutes.

Methods

A detailed description of twelve step-by-step guidance to curriculum alignment and mapping was provided. The process needed for each step and the flow chart of work was detailed.

Results

This guide was developed and implemented successfully. Among many benefits encountered, many gaps in the contents, learning outcomes and assessment methods were detected and rectified. Additionally, better curriculum integration has been achieved. The current mapping will make any future curriculum reviews easier.

Conclusion

This guide could be utilized by newly developed and existing programs for curriculum alignment and mapping. It fills a gap in academic literature through stepwise workflow which has been tested and implemented.

Measuring informal workplace learning outcomes in residency training: a validation study

BACKGROUND

Informal workplace learning (WPL) has no concrete learning objective and takes place without a responsible supervisor, which makes it difficult to assess its learning outcomes. Formal learning situations, as they are known from universities or schools, do not exist in this context and make a conventional assessment of learning goals and achievements impossible. Informal learning in the workplace is of central importance, and the assessment of informal learning outcomes in medical education is an under-researched area. The aim of our study was to adapt and validate an informal WPL questionnaire (originally developed for social workers) to assess learning outcomes due to informal WPL in residency training.

METHODS

A total of 528 residents (n = 339 female; age: M = 29.79; SD = 3.37 years) completed an adapted questionnaire on informal WPL outcomes and the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (i.e. medical knowledge, communication, and scholarship). Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the underlying factor structure. The reliability of the factors was tested using McDonald's omega, and the correlation between the factors and the three subscales of the Freiburg questionnaire was tested using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. To investigate construct validity, a structural equation model was calculated to examine the relationships between medical competencies and informal learning outcomes.

RESULTS

The exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution that best fit the data. The scores of all four factors (GLO-CD: generic learning outcomes-competence development, GLO-R: generic learning outcomes-reflection, JSLO: job-specific learning outcomes, and OLLO: organisational learning outcomes) showed good internal consistency (Ω ≥ .69). The structural equation model showed that "medical expertise" had an impact on all four factors of informal learning at work. "Scholarship" seemed to predict GLO-CD and GLO-R.

CONCLUSIONS

Our four-factor model reveals meaningful determinants of informal WPL in relation to residency training. The instrument is therefore the first promising attempt to assess informal WPL in the broader context of medical education during residency, thus supporting its construct validity.

A Needs-Based Analysis of Teaching on Vaccinations and COVID-19 in German Medical Schools

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for improving public confidence in vaccines. Academic gaps and redundancies on vaccinations must be identified to revise the medical curriculum for up-to-date training of medical students. This cross-sectional survey assessed the status of vaccine-related teaching in general and specific to COVID-19 in medical schools across Germany. A total of 4313 medical students completed a questionnaire comprising items on national learning goals and perceived needs for teaching on vaccinations. Mixed methods were used to analyse data quantitatively for relative frequencies (%) and correlations between teaching items and semesters (Spearman’s rho), and qualitatively (content analysis). Our findings showed that 38.92% of the students were dissatisfied with teaching on vaccine-preventable diseases, but the perceived satisfaction increased in later semesters (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Moreover, 75.84% and 68.15% of the students were dissatisfied with teaching related to vaccine scepticism and vaccine-related communication strategies, respectively. Furthermore, 63.79% reported dissatisfaction with teaching on COVID-19 disease and 72.93% with teaching on COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 79.12% stated they educated others on COVID-19 and its vaccines and 75.14% felt responsible to do so. A majority of the medical students were dissatisfied with teaching on dealing with vaccine scepticism, communication strategies and COVID-19 vaccines. We recommend practice-oriented vaccine education, especially for teaching communication skills to medical students.