Learning Technique Utility and Preferences Among Second-Year Medical Students: A Pilot Study of General and Pre-Exam Study Habits

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess student preferences for different learning techniques and evaluate the efficacy of those learning techniques by correlating student use to academic performance. Methods: Second-year medical students reported their use of eight learning techniques for general study and preexam preparation through an optional survey during the final organ system course of an integrated curriculum. Optional quizzes were provided to assess academic performance. Results: Students preferred the lowest utility learning techniques, consuming 51% of their general study time. Two of the eight learning techniques, self-explanation and imagery for text, showed greater utility with our medical students than has been previously reported in general and undergraduate education. Significant changes were observed in student preference for three learning techniques as students approached an exam. Preference for highlighting (low utility) decreased, and preference for practice testing (high utility) and self-explanation (high utility) increased significantly during pre-exam study. Conclusions: Although student preference shifted toward higher utility techniques as their exam approached, they still spent more than half of general study time on learning techniques that had strong, negative correlations to