Promoting Collaborative Learning among Medical Students in Online Sessions Through Jigsaw Method

INTRODUCTION Acknowledging the volume of the educational content and the number of competencies that a medical student must attain during their predefined period of undergraduate training, student engagement has been identified as one of the core pillars to facilitate learning.[1] In fact, a number of teaching–learning methodologies, including technology integration, have been tried across different medical colleges across the world to actively engage students in the learning process.[2,3] The employment of these student engagement strategies has immensely aided in the process of attainment of learning outcomes (in both theory and clinical settings) and in preparing medical students to be ready for their future clinical practice.[2-4] In contrast to classroom settings wherein student engagement is practical and feasible, the same cannot be said for online sessions.[5] Further, lack of student engagement has been identified as one of the key challenges for medical teachers during online classes.[5,6] The objectives of the current article are to enlist the key attributes of collaborative learning, identify the utility of the jigsaw method in promoting collaborative learning, and propose strategies to augment the effectiveness of online jigsaw methods. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Collaborative learning has a special place in the delivery of medical education, as it encourages active participation, which in turn brings about an improvement in understanding and retention of complex medical concepts, thereby contributing toward the attainment of learning outcomes.[7] As students engage in group discussions and shared problem-solving, there is a significant improvement in critical thinking and decision-making skills.[8] As students work with their peers from diverse backgrounds, it broadens their perspective and plays a vital role in augmenting cultural competence.[9] Collaboration inculcates a culture of continuous learning and becomes vital for self-directed and lifelong learning.[7] It also brings about an improvement in communication skills and facilitates effective communication, which is of paramount importance in both education and clinical practice.[10] This form of learning simulates real healthcare settings, where interdisciplinary teams are crucial for ensuring the delivery of quality assured patient care.[11] In other words, there is an improvement in the patient outcome, which in turn has been attributed to reduced iatrogenic errors, better adherence to treatment, and improved patient satisfaction.[7-9] JIGSAW METHOD The jigsaw method is an effective method of teaching–learning, wherein students actively engage in the learning process because of the responsibilities assigned to them.[12] This method encourages peer learning, as each student contributes a fraction toward understanding a complex topic or condition.[12] In fact, this method promotes teamwork and collaboration between students who are involved in the learning process in the form of small groups.[12,13] The method is designed in such a way that it shifts focus from individual performance to group accomplishments, and thus, there is minimal classroom competition.[13] In other words, the framework of the jigsaw method promotes equal contribution from all the members of the group (viz. preventing dominance by one or more students), which cumulatively adds to the success of the group as a whole.[13,14] The available literature has provided conclusive evidence that the medical students who are a part of the jigsaw method of training tend to have better critical thinking skills, and this has been attributed to deep understanding and providing arguments/explanations to reason out their understanding while teaching the topic to others.[12-14] Moreover, this method even augments long-term retention of knowledge, as they must understand the given topic before teaching the same to other members of the group.[15] One of the most unique attributes is that this method can meet the requirements of students with different learning styles and preferences, as they get a chance to not only discuss but even teach and participate in collaborative work.[15,16] In addition, this method tends to bring about an improvement in communication skills, as students get a platform to express their views and participate in peer discussions. Further, students have opportunities to acquire leadership skills in their expert groups.[15-17] JIGSAW METHOD IN ONLINE SESSIONS: ENHANCING EFFECTIVENESS Acknowledging the merits that have been attributed to cooperative learning, it is quite essential that medical teachers explore the possibility of implementing the same in both classroom and online session settings.[5,6,12] In fact, recognizing the scope and benefits of the jigsaw method during physical sessions, the same can and must be employed even in online sessions.[18] However, the success and effectiveness of this method will essentially depend on the adoption of specific strategies, starting with sharing learning resources with the students so that they can come prepared to their expert group.[18,19] It is vital that teachers should be trained to plan and effectively implement such sessions in online mode. In addition, teachers should also divide students into groups, assigning specific roles to them to ensure their accountability and participation.[18,19] Students should be instructed to make arrangements for reliable Internet connections and technical skills for interruption-free participation.[5] At the time of the session, teachers must provide clear instructions to students right at the beginning about the learning objectives, roles of the students, and time limits for expert group discussion and home group sharing, as all these will keep the session on track.[19] The breakout rooms option should be optimally utilized for expert and home groups for discussion.[5,6] Teachers can provide structured templates to students to fill during expert group discussions to guide their learning. In addition, students can be encouraged to use collaborative tools (such as Google Docs) for sharing ideas and writing key points in real time. Teachers should be instructed to monitor group discussions periodically, provide support where necessary, and encourage students to actively participate (either through teaching or by asking questions).[18,19] For the benefit of students, open communication should be encouraged within groups through chatting or voice messages. In addition, a dedicated support mechanism should be created to solve the technical concerns of students, including allocating students to their breakout rooms at the start as well as during discussions, if they are logged out for any reason. Teachers can also resort to using online quizzes or polls to get inferences about the level of understanding of each subtopic.[20] The effectiveness of the entire session can be further enhanced by encouraging students to provide feedback to their peers regarding the quality of teaching and explanations given to the raised questions.[21,22] Upon the completion of the entire session, it is a good strategy to obtain key learning points from each group to measure the overall understanding of the topic.[13,18,19] CONCLUSION Cooperative learning in medical education has a special place both in terms of improvement in the attainment of learning outcomes as well as improving patient outcomes. The employment of the jigsaw method during online sessions can ensure the active engagement of students and can significantly improve their comprehension about the topic. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.