Pedagogical Integration Within a Large Anatomy Course: Student and Faculty Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.14.24Keywords:
higher education, team-teaching, curricular alignment, mixed-methods, case studyAbstract
Multiple topics taught together, with the relationships between those topics made explicit, is known as integration; it can be categorized as horizontal integration of topics within a given course or curricular year or vertical integration of topics across years. In this case study, we applied a three-part curricular model to investigate the extent of horizontal integration of topics in the intended, enacted, and experienced curricula of a large first-year dental school team-taught course, which consists of large group lectures and small group labs. We collected data from the course syllabus, exams, student and faculty surveys, and a faculty focus group interview. Findings from the enacted and experienced curricula indicate that this course successfully integrates the lecture and lab components as well as the different topics taught throughout the semester. The intended curriculum, specifically the syllabus, has less evidence of horizontal integration. Positive factors that contribute to the effective integration are repetition of information throughout the course, reinforcement of lecture information in labs, and communication and collegiality among faculty. Challenges to effective integration mainly fall under the categories of consistency and perceived misalignment of lecture and lab. We identified areas where better communication may help ameliorate such issues. Specifically, the designed integration within the course should be more explicitly explained in the syllabus, so that the intended curriculum more closely aligns with the enacted and experienced curricula. Although the course in this study is an anatomy course taught to dental students, the findings discussed here are applicable to other disciplines.
References
Baker, Eric, Phyllis A. Slott, Louis Terracio, and Elena Cunningham. 2013. “An Innovative Method for Teaching Anatomy in the Predoctoral Dental Curriculum.” Journal of Dental Education 77 (11): 1498–507. https://doi.org/10.1002/J.0022-0337.2013.77.11.TB05626.X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2013.77.11.tb05626.x
Bandiera, Glen, Andree Boucher, Alan Neville, Ayelet Kuper, and Brian Hodges. 2013. “Integration and Timing of Basic and Clinical Sciences Education.” Medical Teacher 35 (5): 381–87. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159x.2013.769674. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2013.769674
Bath, Debra, Calvin Smith, Sarah Stein, and Richard Swann. 2004. “Beyond Mapping and Embedding Graduate Attributes: Bringing Together Quality Assurance and Action Learning to Create a Validated and Living Curriculum.” Higher Education Research & Development 23 (3): 313–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436042000235427. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436042000235427
Biggs, John. 1996. “Enhancing Teaching Through Constructive Alignment.” Higher Education 32: 347–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/Bf00138871. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138871
Brauer, David G., and Kristi J. Ferguson. 2015. “The Integrated Curriculum in Medical Education: AMEE Guide No. 96.” Medical Teacher 37 (4): 312–22. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.970998. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.970998
Buckley, Francis J. 2000. Team Teaching: What, Why, and How? Sage Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452220697
Canares, Glenn, Kuei-Ling Christine Hsu, Martina Majstorovic, and Kate E. Noonan. 2023. “Lecture-Based Learning Modification to Prepare for INDBE.” Journal of Dental Education 87 (Suppl 3): 1792–93. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13249. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13249
Chabeli, Mary. 2010. “Concept-Mapping as a Teaching Method to Facilitate Critical Thinking in Nursing Education: A Review of the Literature.” Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences 15 (1). https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v15i1.432. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v15i1.432
Christensen, Mark L. 2023. “The Changing Face of Dental Licensing Examinations.” Journal of the California Dental Association 51 (1). https://doi.org/10.1080/19424396.2023.2176578. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19424396.2023.2176578
Clemmons, Alexa W., Deborah A. Donovan, Elli J. Theobald, and Alison J. Crowe. 2022. “Using the Intended-Enacted-Experienced Curriculum Model to Map the Vision and Change Core Competencies in Undergraduate Biology Programs and Courses.” CBE Life Sciences Education 21 (1). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-02-0054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-02-0054
Cohen, Alan S. 1987. “Instructional Alignment: Searching for a Magic Bullet.” Educational Researcher 16 (8): 16–20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1175370. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X016008016
Crawford, John M., Guy Adami, Bradford R. Johnson, G. William Knight, Kent Knoernschild, Ales Obrez, Philip A. Patston, Indru Punwani, A. Moneim Zaki, and Frank W. Licari. 2007. “Curriculum Restructuring at a North American Dental School: Rationale for Change.” Journal of Dental Education 71 (4): 524–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2007.71.4.tb04305.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2007.71.4.tb04305.x
Creswell, John W. 2015. 30 Essential Skills for the Quantitative Researcher. Sage Publications.
Derry, Sharon. 1996. “Cognitive Schema Theory in the Constructivist Debate.” Educational Psychologist 31 (3–4): 163–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1996.9653264. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1996.9653264
Duong, Mai-Ly T., Annaliese E. Cothron, Nathaniel C. Lawson, and Eileen H. Doherty. 2018. “U.S. Dental Schools’ Preparation for the Integrated National Board Dental Examination.” Journal of Dental Education 82 (3): 252–59. https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.018.024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21815/JDE.018.024
Erbil, Deniz G.. 2020. “A Review of Flipped Classroom and Cooperative Learning Method within the Context of Vygotsky Theory.” Frontiers in Psychology 11: 1157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01157
Flexner, Abraham. 1910. Medical Education in the United States and Canada. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. http://archive.carnegiefoundation.org/publications/pdfs/elibrary/Carnegie_Flexner_Report.pdf.
Flood, Charles A. 1939. “Clinical Clerkships for Undergraduate Students.” Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 14 (3): 145–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-193905000-00002
Garran, Ann Marie, Samuel Aymer, Caroline R. Gelman, and Joshua L. Miller. 2015. “Team-Teaching Anti-Oppression with Diverse Faculty: Challenges and Opportunities.” Social Work Education 34 (7): 799–814. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2015.1062086. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2015.1062086
Gies, William J. 1926. Dental Education in the United States and Canada. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00007611-192709000-00025
Goodwin, R. Q. 1934. “Administration of Clinical Clerkships.” Academic Medicine 9: 229–35. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-193407000-00005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-193407000-00005
Hadie Haji, Siti Nurma Hanim, Mohd Asnizam Asari, Fazlina Kasim, Nurul Aiman Mohd Yusof, Anna Alicia Simok, Shamsi Amalina Shamsuddin, Mohamad Syabil Ikhwan Mohd Amin, Siti Fatimah Mukhtar, and Zul Izhar Mohd Ismail. 2023. “A Seven-Step Technique on PowerPoint Slide Preparation for Anatomy Lectures: A Cognitive Load Theory Approach.” Education in Medicine Journal 15 (1): 113–21. https://doi.org/10.21315/eimj2023.15.1.9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21315/eimj2023.15.1.9
Hamo, Ishrak M. 1994. “The Role of the Skills Laboratory in the Integrated Curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University.” Medical Teacher 16 (2–3): 167–78. https://doi.org/10.3109/01421599409006727. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/01421599409006727
Harden, Ronald M., Susette Sowden, and W. R. Dunn. 1984. “Educational Strategies in Curriculum Development: The SPICES Model.” Medical Education 18 (4): 284–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1984.tb01024.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1984.tb01024.x
Harnish, Richard J., and K. Robert Bridges. 2011. “Effect of Syllabus Tone: Students’ Perceptions of Instructor and Course.” Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal 14: 319–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4
Hopkins, Robin, Daniel Pratt, Judith L. Bowen, and Glenn Regehr. 2015. “Integrating Basic Science without Integrating Basic Scientists: Reconsidering the Place of Individual Teachers in Curriculum Reform.” Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 90 (2): 149–53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000437
Jordan, Jaime, Jason Wagner, David E. Manthey, Meg Wolff, Sally Santen, and Stephen J. Cico. 2020. “Optimizing Lectures from a Cognitive Load Perspective.” AEM Education and Training 4 (3): 306–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/aet2.10389. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aet2.10389
Kassebaum, Denise K., William D. Hendricson, Thomas Taft, and N. Karl Haden. 2004. “The Dental Curriculum at North American Dental Institutions in 2002-03: A Survey of Current Structure, Recent Innovations, and Planned Changes.” Journal of Dental Education 68 (9): 914–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.9.tb03840.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.9.tb03840.x
Kolb, D. A. 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall.
Lopez, Elisabeth K. N., Joshua H. Johnson, Elena P. Cunningham, Johanna Warshaw, and Eric W. Baker. 2022. “A Unique and Effective Method of Anatomy Education: Small-Group Learning with Prosected Plastinated Specimens.” Journal of Dental Education 86 (4): 425–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12817. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12817
Mathur, Medha, Navgeet Mathur, and Shaista Saiyad. 2019. “Integrated Teaching in Medical Education: The Novel Approach.” Journal of Research in Medical Education & Ethics 9 (3): 165. https://doi.org/10.5958/2231-6728.2019.00030.1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5958/2231-6728.2019.00030.1
Matthews, Kelly E., and Lucy D. Mercer-Mapstone. 2018. “Toward Curriculum Convergence for Graduate Learning Outcomes: Academic Intentions and Student Experiences.” Studies in Higher Education 43 (4): 644–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2016.1190704. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2016.1190704
Merchán Tamayo, Jully Paola, Meredith Rocchi, Jenepher Lennox Terrion, and Simon Beaudry. 2022. “First Impressions Matter! An Experiment Comparing Autonomous and Controlling Language in Course Syllabi.” International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 16 (2). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2022.160207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2022.160207
Mislang, Jonathan. 2011. “The Experiences of Undergraduate Nursing Students Enrolled in a Team Teaching Curriculum.” MSN diss., University of British Columbia.
Perry, Bill, and Timothy Stewart. 2005. “Insights into Effective Partnership in Interdisciplinary Team Teaching.” System 33 (4): 563–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2005.01.006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2005.01.006
Peters, Matt. 2000. “Does Constructivist Epistemology Have a Place in Nurse Education?” The Journal of Nursing Education 39 (4): 166–72. https://doi.org/10.3928/0148-4834-20000401-07. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3928/0148-4834-20000401-07
Phillips, D. C. 1995. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Many Faces of Constructivism.” Educational Researcher 24 (7): 5–12. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x024007005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X024007005
Plank, Kathryn M. 2011. “Introduction.” In Team Teaching: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy, edited by Kathryn M. Plank. Stylus Publishing.
Porter, Andrew C., and John Smithson. 2001. “Defining, Developing, and Using Curriculum Indicators.” Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) Research Report Series, University of Pennsylvania. https://www.cpre.org/sites/default/files/researchreport/788_rr48.pdf. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/e383612004-001
Pyle, Marsha A. 2012. “New Models of Dental Education and Curricular Change: Their Potential Impact on Dental Education.” Journal of Dental Education 76 (1): 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2012.76.1.tb05237.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2012.76.1.tb05237.x
Roth, Wolff-Michael, and Kenneth Tobin. 2004. “Coteaching: From Praxis to Theory.” Teachers and Teaching 10 (2): 161–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/0954025032000188017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0954025032000188017
Rytivaara, Anna, Jonna Pulkkinen, and Iines Palmu. 2023. “Learning about Students in Co-Teaching Teams.” International Journal of Inclusive Education 27 (7): 803–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1878299. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1878299
Saldaña, Johnny. 2021. The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. 4th ed. Sage Publications.
Sandholtz, Judith H. 2000. “Interdisciplinary Team Teaching as a Form of Professional Development.” Teacher Education Quarterly 27 (3): 39–54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23478234.
Scherer, Hannah H., Megan O’Rourke, Rachel Seman-Varner, and Peter Ziegler. 2020. “Coteaching in Higher Education: A Case Study of Instructor Learning.” Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education 3 (1): 15–29. https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v3i1.37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v3i1.37
Schmidt, Henk G., and Silvia Mamede. 2020. “How Cognitive Psychology Changed the Face of Medical Education Research.” Advances in Health Sciences Education: Theory and Practice 25: 1025–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-020-10011-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-020-10011-0
Shibley, Ivan A. 2006. “Interdisciplinary Team Teaching: Negotiating Pedagogical Differences.” College Teaching 54 (3): 271–74. https://doi.org/10.3200/ctch.54.3.271-274. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3200/CTCH.54.3.271-274
Tedesco, Lisa A. 1995. “Issues in Dental Curriculum Development and Change.” Journal of Dental Education 59 (1): 97–147. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.1995.59.1.tb02922.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.1995.59.1.tb02922.x
Thousand, Jacqueline S., Richard A. Villa, and Ann I. Nevin. 2006. “The Many Faces of Collaborative Planning and Teaching.” Theory into Practice 45 (3): 239–48. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4503_6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4503_6
Tsai, Olivia, Clarissa Wallace, and Karen Pinder. 2021. “Lecture Slides Design: Medical Students’ Preferences of Best Practices.” The FASEB Journal 35 (S1). https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.01617. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.S1.01617
van der Hoeven, Dharini, Lea El Hachem, Samyia Chaudhry, Julian N. Holland III, and Kathi R. Shepherd. 2021. “Methods and Timing of Curricular Integration in U.S. Dental Education in Preparation for the Integrated National Board Dental Examination.” Journal of Dental Education 85 (3): 359–69. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12442. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12442
Van der Veken, Jos, Martin Valcke, Jan De Maeseneer, Lambert Schuwirth, and Anselm Derese. 2009. “Impact on Knowledge Acquisition of the Transition from a Conventional to an Integrated Contextual Medical Curriculum.” Medical Education 43 (7): 704–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03397.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03397.x
Vygotsky, Lev S., and Michael Cole. 1978. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
Wijnen-Meijer, Marjo, Sjoukje van den Broek, Franciska Koens, and Olle ten Cate. 2020. “Vertical Integration in Medical Education: The Broader Perspective.” BMC Medical Education 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02433-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02433-6
Woods, Nicole N., Lee R. Brooks, and Geoffrey R. Norman. 2005. “The Value of Basic Science in Clinical Diagnosis: Creating Coherence among Signs and Symptoms.” Medical Education 39 (1): 107–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2004.02036.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2004.02036.x
Wright, Kyle, Lucy Killewo, Kristen Dunn, and Irina F. Dragan. 2022. “Using Psychometrics to Assess Curricular Changes for Integrated National Board Dental Examination Preparation.” Journal of Dental Education 86 (S3): 1696–98. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12881. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12881
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Elisabeth Lopez, Lillian Moran
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
