Abstract:

Created through the collaborative efforts of the University of Alberta (UofA, Canada) and Wenzhou Medical University (WMU, China), the five-year Alberta Institute Wenzhou Medical University (AIWMU) program provides an example of a high-calibre, medical education program—China’s first cooperative transnational education institution in medicine. An internationally informed program primarily delivered via online learning, AIWMU aims to develop educational competencies and nurture an international mindset among graduating students who can effectively address pressing healthcare challenges in China and globally. The AIWMU program enrolled its first cohort of 60 students in 2020. This presentation will describe the outcomes of a case study that focused on exploring the development and refinement of strategies for designing effective written assignments that supported developmental learning within the framework of this international medical education program. Selected homework assignments from Year 1 and 2 (Phase 1) of our 5-year collaborative medical program were categorized based on their chronological order. Early selected YR1 and YR2 assignments (from 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively) were compared with recent similar (revised) assignments (from 2023-24). Qualitative analysis was conducted comparing early and later assignments.

This analysis involved examining various aspects of the assignments, including but not limited to:
1) Friendly, supportive tone;
2) Linguistic clarity and coherence of instructions;
3) Complexity of topics addressed/ depth of critical thinking required/ cognitive load;
4) Support for navigating the intricacies of academic language and discipline-based conventions;
4) Intercultural sensitivity;
5) Instructor feedback.

Iterative refinement of written assignments was observed over time. Strategies for promoting cross-cultural communication competence and analytical depth included: diverse assessment formats, incorporating increasingly clear and specific structured writing prompts, culturally sensitive content, opportunities for personal reflection, and inclusion of feedback mechanisms to scaffold students' academic progression. Findings are being used to contribute to developing a QI feedback process informing ongoing curriculum development efforts. Adjustments to assignment design, instructional strategies incorporating assessments, and feedback mechanisms will be recommended to instructors based on identified strengths and areas for improvement to cultivate critical thinking and English writing proficiency to empower our ESL medical students further to thrive academically and professionally in an increasingly interconnected global landscape. Findings from this case study highlight the important role of ongoing assessment and feedback mechanisms in informing the iterative refinement of assignment design strategies and the need to tailor these to the unique challenges and opportunities a transnational medical education partnership presents.

Keywords:

Transnational medical education, ESL students, homework assignments, formative assessment, curriculum development.