Augmenting cognitive learning of community nutrition by tutorials.

Abstract

Community health interventions are increasingly being considered a priority area in medical curriculum. In the topic of nutrition, a situation analysis of final MBBS students in our institution revealed significantly lower levels of knowledge in community applications as compared to basics and clinical aspects, indicating the need for some educational intervention. An improvised tutorial was conducted to address this deficiency at cognitive level. The intervention was a special scheme of flow of discussion with a positive bias in favour of nutritional applications at community level. Half of the learners were given routine tutorial, as part of existing teaching schedule in nutrition and the remaining were subjected to educational intervention, to provide control and study groups respectively. Before and after assessment of the recall of learners on community applications demonstrated a positive impact of improvised tutorial. The learners' level of knowledge in two groups was comparable before the tutorial but it was significantly higher ('P' < 0.001) in study group as compared to control, after the tutorial (mean scores: 134.38/150 and 91.20/150 respectively). No extra resources, tutor time or student's learning hours were needed for the improvised tutorial. Tutor's positive bias in favour of applied aspects can bring about a desired change even in conventional teaching-learning process, without asking for extra resources. It can be a supplement to community-based learning.