Teaching the tutors: use of an OSTE to train medical students to be peer tutors

Adv Physiol Educ. 2024 Jun 1;48(2):368-377. doi: 10.1152/advan.00007.2024.ABSTRACTFirst-year medical students are often challenged by the rapid pace and large volume of content that must be learned. Peer teaching has emerged as a supportive educational strategy. However, the most effective strategies for training peer tutors (PTs) for their role are not known. This paper examines the use of an Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE) to augment PT training sessions. Applying deliberate practice as a conceptual framework, an OSTE was used to provide tutors with an opportunity to practice their skills and receive feedback about their performance when meeting with a student presenting with a challenge. The newly trained PTs were required to assess a standardized student, determine challenge(s) being experienced, and present options to address the challenge(s). Standardized students evaluated the tutors' performance and a pre- and post-OSTE questionnaire was used to determine whether the OSTE was effective in increasing the confidence level of PTs to effectively assess and support students seeking help. Participants reported an increase in confidence in their ability to assess areas requiring improvement, understand the active learning strategies, and suggest appropriate active learning study strategies. Evaluations completed by standardized students documented that newly trained PTs accurately diagnosed the challenge presented in the OSTE and in most cases PTs asked all rel...
Source: Advances in Physiology Education - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: research