AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PROCESS FOR TEACHING MEDICAL STUDENTS HOW WILCOXON RANK SUM TEST ARE EXPLAINED.

In medical statistics courses, students encounter numerous challenges when learning to explain the Wilcoxon rank sum test, a widely used nonparametric method for comparing two groups or populations. To address these challenges, we posed the following question: How can an instructor transform their understanding of the Wilcoxon rank sum test to enhance student comprehension? To tackle this question, we first reviewed a model comprising the components utilized by educators to explain the Wilcoxon rank sum test. The MACH model includes the components of Methods (M), Analogies (A), Context (C), and How (H). Subsequently, we developed instructional materials and piloted teaching activities using a MACH model. Students who employed the MACH model to guide their explanations of the Wilcoxon rank sum test demonstrated improvements, alongside some new challenges. Herein, we present an instructional design process aimed at cultivating pedagogical content knowledge for effective understanding of Wilcoxon rank sum test. Our four-stage process can be adapted to enhance instruction using various models in life sciences.