Learning During and From a Crisis: The Student-Led Development of a COVID-19 Curriculum

Problem The speed and scope of the upheaval that COVID-19 inflicted on medical education made innovation a necessity. While medical students wanted high-quality, consolidated educational resources on COVID-19, the medical school faculty who typically produced such resources were increasingly burdened with clinical, administrative, and personal commitments. However, students eager to contribute to the pandemic response were well suited to create these instructional materials for their peers. Approach In mid-March 2020, a group of students at Harvard Medical School came together to synthesize the key facts and collate the best existing educational materials about the COVID-19 pandemic into a unified learning resource. The materials were faculty reviewed and shared freely online. The curriculum now contains 8 modules that are updated regularly. Throughout this process, the student authors prioritized accessibility, iterative improvement, and effective pedagogy. Outcomes To date, nearly 80,000 users from 132 countries have accessed the curriculum. It has been referenced or incorporated into courses at Harvard Medical School and more than 30 other medical schools across the country. About 40% of all users are from outside the United States, and the materials have been translated into 28 languages. This effort has spurred a number of other educational initiatives led by medical student groups in the United States and abroad. Next Steps As understanding of t...
Source: Academic Medicine - Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Innovation Reports Source Type: research