SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION- IMPACT ON STUDENTS TEST SCORES IN AN UNDERGRADUATE PATHOLOGY COURSE

Objective: To determine the impact of small group discussion (SGD) on undergraduate learning in Pathology as reflected by students test scores. Study design: Quasi Experimental study Context and setting: Fourth year undergraduate students attending pathology course at University Medical and Dental College, Faisalabad in year 2012 Methods: Musculoskeletal system was taught using small group discussions as the main instructional tool. No lectures were taken on this topic before or during the session. A written test comprising of both multiple choice questions (MCQ) and short answer questions (SAQ) was conducted one week after completion of the topic. The results of this test were compared with those of the previous session (historical control), where the same system was taught in a traditional way with lectures. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. T-test was used to determine the difference in scores. P-value of <.05 was taken as significant.