Abstract:

To improve the teaching quality of human parasitology in accordance to the endemic trend and the demands of clinical practice, we optimized the theory courses of parasitology in teaching content and pattern. A total of 348 undergraduates of two 2016-classes majoring in clinical medicine in Xi’an Medical University were divided into two groups: teaching reform group(176) and control group(172). We explored multi-form teaching approaches applicable for the classes of bigger size based on emerging teaching modes. To the reform group, the reform includes video microlecture, flipped classroom scheduling, introduction of internet resources discussion, and analysis of hot current events and literatures; in control group, the teaching was conducted with routine curriculum. The effect of teaching reform was evaluated in four aspects: classroom outcome, class performance of students, students’ assessment and questionnaire survey. The results showed that the rate of full marks in classroom quizzes was higher in the teaching reform group (49.4%) than that in the control group (27.9%). The average score in final exam in the teaching reform group (81.1 ± 8.4) was significantly higher than that in the control group (73.1 ± 9.0), while there was no significant difference in the passing rate between the two groups (97.7% and 95.9%, respectively). However, the excellent rate in the teaching reform group was significantly higher than that in the control group (10.8% and 2.9%, respectively). The comprehensive evaluation of teachers by students in the teaching reform group was 97.5, higher than 94.4 in the control group(P < 0.05). The recovery rate of questionnaire survey was 92% (162/176). Among the respondents, 90.2% preferred the multi-form teaching method, 57.4% thought highly of the multi-form teaching method in studying parasitology, and 36.4% of students thought this mode had some value. Moreover, the multi-form teaching method resulted in improving study interest(43.2%), cultivating clinical thinking (35.8%) and promoting teacher-student relationships (19.1%). The results showed that, compared to traditional teaching, the multi-mode teaching method can improve students’ interest and autonomous learning of parasitology, improve their academic performance, broaden their knowledge horizon, and enhance their ability to analyze and solve problems.

Key words: Multi-form teaching method, Human parasitology, Teaching reform, Clinical medicine