USE OF A WEB-BASED QUESTION AND ANSWER TOOL TO CLARIFY CONTENT AND IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES IN THE RESPIRATORY COURSE CURRICULUM

Michael J. Markus and Patricia Hudes, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435, U.S.A.

Purpose

“Muddy Waters” is a web-based tool that allows students to address questions to faculty.  It is based on the “Muddiest Point” assessment technique, in which students identify the least clear concept in a lecture. This abstract describes use of the Muddy Waters tool to: 1) clarify content and identify weak spots in the curriculum, 2) provide an anonymous forum in order to encourage questions and 3) provide access to faculty outside of the classroom.

Method

The Muddy Waters link was provided on the Year 2 Respiratory Course website in 2007. Students clicked on the link and anonymously submitted their questions. Questions were then relayed to the course director who answered or forwarded them to the appropriate faculty member. Answers were posted at the Muddy Waters web page within 1-3 days. On weekends, due to staffing issues, the questions with answers were not posted online, but emailed to the entire class.

Results

44 questions were submitted. These questions reflected a wide variety of concerns: from typos in the printed materials and inconsistencies between references to conceptual difficulties. Most questions centered on materials from the section of the course identified as weakest by the course director and student evaluations.

Conclusions

Muddy Waters was well received by the students and had a relatively large participation. This tool was a useful channel for student/faculty communication and helped to clarify content and identify needed improvements in the course.