IMPACT OF A NOVEL PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN MODULE FOR ANATOMY ON FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC SCORES AND FEEDBACK- A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL

Background: Sustained practice of self-regulation demanded urgent implementation of structured self-regulated learning tools like personal learning plans (PLP). Among the Phase I subjects of Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum of India, Anatomy possessed maximum large-group teaching hours, marking it as the most challenging. If first-year medical students trained to routinely use PLP for Anatomy lectures, they could progressively develop into self-directed, high-achieving learners of Anatomy. The aim of present study was to observe the impact of personal learning plan module in Anatomy among trained first-year medical students. Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted among 172 first-year medical students at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Wardha, Maharashtra, India from August 2023- August 2024. Cases & Controls were selected by simple randomization. Intervention was given for six months where first month was used to train Cases. Three assessments were taken on those lecture topics and academic scores of students were recorded. Students’ feedback towards use of personal learning plan was recorded at the beginning and end of intervention (sixth month). The data collected was analyzed using Python script (version 3.14). Results: It was found that Cases showed a highly statistically significant improvement over Control in third assessment. Feedback from students was positive with means ranging from 3.54 to 3.64 on a 5-point Likert scale. The highest mean was for "Set Academic Target" and "Lifelong Learning" (both ~3.63-3.64), indicating personal learning plans were perceived as particularly helpful for goal-setting and long-term learning. Conclusion: Personal learning plans were effective in eliciting improved academic performance and positive students’ perception towards its use among trained students.