The impact of student-generated learning issues on individual study time and academic achievement

Objectives The aim of this study was twofold. The first question concerns t he way students make use of the learning issues they generate (as strict gu idelines or as global guidelines) and whether this changes across years of training. The second question concerned the relationship between the way st udents make use of learning issues and the time spent on individual study a nd achievement on two tests of knowledge. Design A questionnaire was developed, containing seven items that measured to what extent students study strictly according to the student-generated l earning issues and six items that measured to what extent students study be yond the student-generated learning issues. The questionnaire also containe d one question in which students had to estimate the mean time spent on ind ividual study. Achievement was measured by two forms of tests of knowledge, a block test assessing course content and a progress test assessing long-t erm functional knowledge. Setting Medical School of Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Subjects Medical students (response = 69%) from the problem-based curriculu m at the Maastricht University. Results During their first year students study strictly according to the co ntent of the learning issues, whereas in later years students studied more according to their own learning needs and interests. In addition, students who tended to study beyond the generated learning issues spent more time on inditidual study and achieved better on both tests. Conclusions Students in a problem-based curriculum seem to become better se lf-directed learners during the years of training.