Innovative strategy in learning & memory – memorization made easy! : a preliminary study

Background: Medical curriculum is heavily packed with information and student find very difficult to memorize this information. Acquiring knowledge involves both learning and memory, memorizing the factual information is the difficult task especially in the preclinical years as most of the information in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry involves lot of new vocabulary. Since most of the student entering the medical school is from high school background who has studied in their local language medium, sudden transition in learning with English medium is an added burden and seldom students excel in their studies. Major complaint from the student was, memorizing different anatomical terminologies, physiological neural tracts and biochemical bonds and recalling them during the examination is beyond imagination and many a time they end up in mugging up the information.

Methods: Based on this observation we developed a simple method/tool (charts) on the lecture. Students for this study were selected on a random selection method. Before hand the lecture on anatomy and physiology of cranial nerves was given and two groups of students, A & B were selected. A group was asked to study by their own routine method whereas group B was given the innovative proposed method. Lecture content was put in a concise way in two charts and told the student to place those charts at a visible distance in their resting area such as in front of their bed. Students were asked to glance through daily on these charts repeatedly whenever they were free and in leisure time during their relaxing time. A week long exercise was introduced and they were examined at the end of a week both by written and viva voce and compared with the students who have studied with their routine method. Based on nonparametric Spearman correlation test, (followed by Kulnogorov Smirnov two sample test to test the difference) examination scores were much higher in the group which used these flip charts (about 25 to 30% higher than conventional group).

Results: Analysis of their examination results and viva voce revealed a better response and memorization by this method.

Conclusion: In conclusion, innovative method of charts helps in a better memory retention and this study needs to be expanded further using a bigger student group for its scientific authenticity.