Lecturers should promote critical thinking among medical students

Vision College hosts talk to discuss methods to supervise students in clinical and examination setting.

According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM), Dr Sue Westerway and Annie Gibbins, students completing their allied health sciences programmes should be encouraged to learn effectively with the guidance of their supervisors. This was emphasised in “The ASUM Clinical Supervisor Course” at Vision College last August to share methods for supervising students in a clinical and examination setting.

There was particular emphasis on developing critical thinking skills in students, using concepts such as “Sandwich” and "Reflective" feedback. These two concepts require lecturers to use certain keywords in their questions to encourage students to think rather than being “spoon-fed” – a culture considered rampant in schools and institutions of higher learning today.

In addition to helping lecturers plan and achieve their set learning outcomes, the duo also covered areas on students’ different learning styles, attributes of a competent lecturer and essential communication skills.