gms | German Medical Science

Background: Academic studies place high demands on the development of learning capacities. Beyond learning techniques, knowledge about the effect of the learning environment, as well as the ability for self-regulation, self-determination and self-care play a major role in the development of learning skills. A longitudinal learning workshop was developed aiming to support academic learning life. The study at hand describes and evaluates this intervention.

Methods: Students participated in a seven-week program fostering reflection and training on physical, physiological, psychological and mental dimensions of learning. Fifty evaluations of medical students reflecting the workshop underwent qualitative analysis of open-ended questions concerning changes students experienced in their learning life. In addition, general satisfaction was measured quantitatively.

Results: Qualitative results revealed an impact on five core dimensions of students’ learning life: knowledge gained about the process of learning, enhanced awareness of intrapersonal learning processes, getting easier into action, experience of change and raised skills of regulating one’s learning behavior. Students evaluate the workshop as helpful, supportive and as a source of guidance. Quantitative results demonstrated good overall satisfaction with the intervention.

Conclusions: Educating knowledge about learning how to learn and providing skill training of how to regulate physiology, psychology and mentality should be taken into account in order to support the multidimensional learning life of students. Using a holistic, anthropologically grounded approach could be considered to enhance healthy, meaningful and efficient ways of learning. This learning workshop seems to be a useful and transferable tool to support students’ development of learning capacities.

Take home messages: Influencing academic performance by addressing the entire learning life enables processes of change at physiological, psychological, and mental levels and should therefore be considered for further efforts in supporting students’ academic learning and in future research.