A comparison of medical students' performances in independent study and traditional programs.

Medical students at Ohio State University may study the basic medical sciences in an independent study program or in a conventional lecture-discussion program. In a study involving more than 2,000 students over a 10-year period, students pursuing the independent study program and students in the more traditional program performed similarly on Part I of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examinations and in their required clerkships. However, differences were identified in some content areas and resulted in curricular changes.

Visual abstracting as a decision-making tool in the selection of mediated material.

Visual Abstracts are abbreviated versions of complete instructional packages, designed to serve as decision-making tools for instructors to evaluate whether or not the complete package will meet desired instructional needs. This article describes development of four prototype visual abstracts and a pilot field test. The pilot field testing indicated that all four prototype visual abstracts were effective decision-making tools. Further research is clearly indicated to more fully document the effectiveness of visual abstracts.