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It is intuitively appealing to try to combine eye-tracking data and verbal reports when investigating medical image interpretation. However, before collecting such data, important decisions must be made, including exactly when and how to collect the verbal reports. The purpose of this methodological article is to reflect on the pros and cons of different solutions and to offer some guidelines to investigators. We start by exploring the ontology of vision and speech production and the epistemology of eye movements to grasp what fixations and verbal reports actually reflect. We are also interested in the major constraints of the two systems. Second, we elaborate on two dominant investigational approaches to verbal accounts: concurrent think-aloud and Chi's explanations. Later, we move on to other approaches. Third, we present and critically evaluate studies from the literature on medical image interpretation, specifically ones that have sought to contrast or integrate eye-movement data and verbal reports. Fourth, we conclude with some practical guidelines and suggestions for further research.

Background: Our interest in perceived self-regulation of learning arose in the context of educational reform. After decades of stability, the Finnish high school system underwent reform in the 1990s, with a significant emphasis being placed on promoting student self-regulation of learning. Aims: The purposes of the study were (1) to evaluate changes in the mean level of perceived self-regulation throughout high school and (2) to evaluate the nature of the developmental relations between achievement, perceived self-regulation, and personal interest. Sample: The participants consisted of 245 systematically sampled high school students from a mid-sized Finnish city. Methods: T tests for paired samples were employed to assess changes in the level of personal interest and perceived self-regulation. Analysis of the developmental relations was carried out within a structural equations modelling framework. Results: The main result was that perceived self-regulation at the beginning of high school predicted not only scholastic achievement at the end of high school over and above prior achievement, but also subsequent personal interest. Additionally, following an international trend, the level of perceived self-regulation decreased from the first to third year of study. Conclusions: The study has important theoretical and practical implications. First, the results suggest that perceived self-regulation and personal interest are only partially explained by achievement. Second, it appears that perceived self-regulation drives personal interest, not the other way around. Finally, ways for teachers and schools to sustain perceived self-regulation throughout the high school years are discussed. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures, and 2 footnotes.)

The adoption of virtual microscopy at the University of Turku, Finland, created a unique real-world laboratory for exploring ways of reforming the learning environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the students' reactions and the impact of a set of measures designed to boost an experimental group's understanding of abnormal histology through an emphasis on knowledge of normal cells and tissues. The set of measures included (1) digital resources to review normal structures and an entrance examination for enforcement, (2) digital course slides highlighting normal and abnormal tissues, and (3) self-diagnostic quizzes. The performance of historical controls was used as a baseline, as previous students had never been exposed to the above-mentioned measures. The students' understanding of normal histology was assessed in the beginning of the module to determine the impact of the first set of measures, whereas that of abnormal histology was assessed at the end of the module to determine the impact of the whole set of measures. The students' reactions to the instructional measures were assessed by course evaluation data. Additionally, four students were interviewed. Results confirmed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the historical controls in understanding normal histology. The students held favorable opinions on the idea of emphasizing normal structures. However, with regards to abnormal histology, the historical controls outperformed the experimental group. In conclusion, allowing students access to high-quality digitized materials and boosting prerequisite skills are clearly not sufficient to boost final competence. Instead, the solution may lie in making students externally accountable for their learning throughout their training. Interview questions are appended. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Over the years, the role and extent of the basic sciences in medical curricula have been challenged by research on clinical expertise, clinical teachers, and medical students, as well as by the development and diversification of the medical curricula themselves. The aim of this study was to examine how prior knowledge of basic histology and histopathology among students predicts early learning of diagnostic pathology. Participants ("N" = 118, representing 91% of the full student cohort) were medical students at the University of Turku, Finland. Data were collected during two preclinical courses that students attended in their first and second years of medical school. The measurements included tests on biomedical and clinical knowledge and a performance test in diagnostic pathology. Second-year performance on the diagnostic pathology examinations was predicted by the students' prior knowledge of histology, but not by the students' prior knowledge of histopathology. Although earlier research has demonstrated similar results in studies with shorter longitudinal designs, the present study demonstrates that the effect remains even if there is a considerably long time delay (a year) between the measurements, thus confirming the long-term value of basic science studies in the preclinical phase.

Medical education has pioneered educational innovation in higher education as exemplified by the problem-based learning (PBL) movement. A multitude of reviews and meta-analyses indicate that the PBL movement has been successful in many ways. Innovations in medical education, however, are not limited to curricular reform and interactive arrangements between teacher and peers. Increasingly, computers and other digital media are transforming the delivery of certain types of instruction. Technical innovations are being introduced to convey different types of procedural and visual-perceptual skills. For example, different types of simulators are adopted to visualise or train the basics of surgical skills, resuscitation skills, and palpation skills. Even in fields that have a long tradition of relying on high-quality case-based visual materials, such as radiology and pathology, new digital tools such as digital repositories of radiology materials and web-based microscopy offer significant advantages for different forms of case-based learning that involve long-term access to materials, optimisation of presentation, and systematisation of the learning environment. It is argued that the research in these fields would benefit from a shift from media-comparative and evaluative research to more basic research concerned with the mechanisms of learning within a given medium, incorporating both process and product measures. We start this special issue by providing a brief overview of the literature and the articles documenting and analysing learning processes in such settings.

Background: Advocates of the project method claim that project-based learning inspires student learning. However, it has been claimed that project-based learning environments demand quite a bit of self-regulation on the part of the learner. Aims: Consequently, it was tested whether students scoring low in self-regulation of learning experienced "friction", an incompatibility between student self-regulation and the demands posed by the learning environment. This would be manifest in cognitive processing and motivation. Samples: The target group consisted of 58 mainly third-year Finnish university students taking a mandatory project course in information systems design. During the project course, student teams completed a commissioned assignment. The study also included a matched nonequivalent comparison group composed of computer science students attending study programmes without a project-based component. Methods: Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the project course and it was analysed by between-groups repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, the students on the course were interviewed. Results: Results suggest that the work-based project model in question may indeed have a substantial motivational impact, interestingly benefitting especially those students who scored low in self-regulation. Conclusions: It is argued that we tend to view learning environments too simplistically. In particular, a basic distinction should be made between individual and collaborative learning contexts, since peer scaffolding, group grading and choice of group roles may explain why students scoring low in self-regulation of learning did not encounter friction as expected.

The purpose of the study was to explore what project-based learning is, what are the pedagogical or psychological motives supporting it, how it has been implemented and what impact it has had on learning in post-secondary education. The study is based on a qualitative review of published articles. The work revealed that the majority of articles on project-based learning are course descriptions focusing on the implementation of individual courses, whereas serious research on the topic is virtually non-existent. In addition, the term project-based learning subsumes different activities with varying purposes. Therefore, practitioners and curriculum developers are encouraged to reflect upon the purpose and possibilities of project-based learning along with students and to set realistic, clear goals. Practitioners and researchers are urged to document courses even more carefully. Several issues for further research are identified.

Abstract Background Virtual microscopy is being introduced in medical education as an approach for learning how to interpret information in microscopic specimens. It is, however, far from evident how to incorporate its use into existing teaching practice. The aim of the study was to explore the consequences of introducing virtual microscopy tasks into an undergraduate pathology course in an attempt to render the instruction more process-oriented. The research questions were: 1) How is virtual microscopy perceived by students? 2) Does work on virtual microscopy tasks contribute to improvement in performance in microscopic pathology in comparison with attending assistant-led demonstrations only? Method During a one-week period, an experimental group completed three sets of virtual microscopy homework assignments in addition to attending demonstrations. A control group attended the demonstrations only. Performance in microscopic pathology was measured by a pre-test and a post-test. Student perceptions of regular instruction and virtual microscopy were collected one month later by administering the Inventory of Intrinsic Motivation and open-ended questions. Results The students voiced an appreciation for virtual microscopy for the purposes of the course and for self-study. As for learning gains, the results indicated that learning was speeded up in a subgroup of students consisting of conscientious high achievers. Conclusions The enriched instruction model may be suited as such for elective courses following the basic course. However, the instructional model needs further development to be suited for basic courses.

The adoption of virtual microscopy at the University of Turku, Finland, created a unique real-world laboratory for exploring ways of reforming the learning environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the students' reactions and the impact of a set of measures designed to boost an experimental group's understanding of abnormal histology through an emphasis on knowledge of normal cells and tissues. The set of measures included (1) digital resources to review normal structures and an entrance examination for enforcement, (2) digital course slides highlighting normal and abnormal tissues, and (3) self-diagnostic quizzes. The performance of historical controls was used as a baseline, as previous students had never been exposed to the above-mentioned measures. The students' understanding of normal histology was assessed in the beginning of the module to determine the impact of the first set of measures, whereas that of abnormal histology was assessed at the end of the module to determine the impact of the whole set of measures. The students' reactions to the instructional measures were assessed by course evaluation data. Additionally, four students were interviewed. Results confirmed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the historical controls in understanding normal histology. The students held favorable opinions on the idea of emphasizing normal structures. However, with regards to abnormal histology, the historical controls outperformed the experimental group. In conclusion, allowing students access to high-quality digitized materials and boosting prerequisite skills are clearly not sufficient to boost final competence. Instead, the solution may lie in making students externally accountable for their learning throughout their training. Anat Sci Educ 6: 73-80. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtual microscopy is being introduced in medical education as an approach for learning how to interpret information in microscopic specimens. It is, however, far from evident how to incorporate its use into existing teaching practice. The aim of the study was to explore the consequences of introducing virtual microscopy tasks into an undergraduate pathology course in an attempt to render the instruction more processoriented. The research questions were: 1) How is virtual microscopy perceived by students? 2) Does work on virtual microscopy tasks contribute to improvement in performance in microscopic pathology in comparison with attending assistant-led demonstrations only? Method: During a one-week period, an experimental group completed three sets of virtual microscopy homework assignments in addition to attending demonstrations. A control group attended the demonstrations only. Performance in microscopic pathology was measured by a pre-test and a post-test. Student perceptions of regular instruction and virtual microscopy were collected one month later by administering the Inventory of Intrinsic Motivation and open-ended questions. Results: The students voiced an appreciation for virtual microscopy for the purposes of the course and for selfstudy. As for learning gains, the results indicated that learning was speeded up in a subgroup of students consisting of conscientious high achievers. Conclusions: The enriched instruction model may be suited as such for elective courses following the basic course. However, the instructional model needs further development to be suited for basic courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To meet the flexible learning needs of pathology residents preparing for national board examinations, a joint distance learning approach was developed using both asynchronous and synchronous activities with whole slide images, drawing on empirical educational research on online distance learning., Methods: In a case study of an implementation of the designed joint distance learning approach with a geographically dispersed group of pathology residents in Finland, the participants' perceptions were measured with a 12-item questionnaire covering the value of the learning opportunity, the quality of the sociocognitive processes and their emotional engagement and social cohesion. Communication during the online session was also recorded and analysed to provide objectivity to the self-report data., Results: The effectiveness of joint online learning for knowledge acquisition and preparation for national board examinations was highly rated. However, despite strong emotional engagement during synchronous activities, participants reported minimal interpersonal interaction, which was also reflected in the recordings of the online session., Conclusion: Using a technology integration framework and guided by the principles of self-determination theory, joint distance learning is emerging as a beneficial addition to postgraduate pathology programmes in preparation for national examinations. However, to realise the full potential of interpersonal interaction, participants should be prepared for an appropriate mindset., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)