Student and Faculty Differences in Perceived Utility of Learning Objectives in Pre-Clerkship Self-Learning Guides

Purpose: To compare faculty and student perceptions of the clarity, utility, and specificity of faculty-created self-learning guide (SLG) learning objectives (LOs) and assess the alignment between these perceptions. Methods: We used a mixed-methods narrative inquiry. Medical students and faculty involved in the first-year curriculum completed an online Likert scale survey about SLG LOs, and focus groups were held with a subset of participants. Data were analyzed using t-tests, descriptive statistics, and inductive thematic analysis. Results: Out of 158 students, 72 (45.6%) responded, while 18 of 58 (31.0%) faculty members responded to the survey. Students expressed lower ratings of the SLG LOs (mean ± SD: 3.27 ± 0.92) compared to faculty (4.39 ± 0.49) (p < 0.0001). Student focus group data (n = 11) suggested that LOs are not consistently clear. However, faculty focus group data (n = 3) suggested that LOs are generally answerable. Conclusions: Students seek clear LOs that direct them on what material to study and aid in long-term studying and board exam preparation. The study reveals a gap between faculty and student perceptions of answerable LOs. Clear and specific LOs in self-learning guides (SLGs) are essential for maximizing student preparedness for in-class application and assessments.