1Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka, India
2Professor and Head, Department of Biochemistry, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka, India
3Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka, India
4Post-Graduate, Department of Biochemistry, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka, India
*Email id: ashes27@rediffmail.com
Online published on 15 January, 2013.
‘Vitamins’ are clinically and academically important chapter, which is ideal for expressing as a mind map.
A group activity was conducted to reinforce learning with the three main objectives, as follows: to organise a group activity for making mind maps on each vitamin; to assess the effectiveness of learning vitamins by using mind maps; and to identify the strengths and limitations of mind maps as a learning material.
One hundred and fifty students of MBBS 1st year (2010–11 batch) were divided into 14 groups. Each group randomly chose a vitamin. Effectiveness in improvement of knowledge from the activity was tested by using pre-test and post-test questionnaire. A feedback on various aspects about the activity was taken and analysed.
Overall pre-test scores were 5.92±1.63 and post-test scores were 8.95±0.87 with a significant improvement (P<0.001). Students strongly agreed that such activity promoted meaningful learning, contributing towards reasoning and improvement in communication skills. They felt mind maps were a good revising tool and created interest in learning.
Expressing vitamins through mind maps are an effective means for meaningful learning. It created interest in learning and was found to be a good revising material.
Evaluation, Group activity, Mind map, Students, Vitamins
