Objectives: There is a recognised decrease in knowledge retention and engagement in students entering their second year of study. To help support students through this transition, an anatomy ‘Kickstart’ program (a two-hour synchronous online interactive revision lecture) was offered in the week prior to commencing second-year. The aim of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of Kickstart and evaluate whether attendance at the program improves learning outcomes.
Methods: This mixed-methods study collected data from students in three clinical courses. Attendance at Kickstart was compared to first- and second-year marks, and an anonymous online survey explored students’ perceptions of the program.
Results: Of 335 students, 39% attended Kickstart. Students who attended achieved significantly higher marks in their second-year subject relative to non-attendees (p<0.05). For two of the courses these improvements were independent of academic ability (as measured by first-year marks; p<0.05). Survey responses identified a range of emotional and practical/knowledge motivators for attending. 90% of survey respondents said Kickstart helped them revise first-year concepts and 42% said it improved confidence. Attendees’ overall impressions varied regarding format and content, and preferences were expressed for future delivery of Kickstart as short interactive videos.
Conclusion: Our results align with previous findings of the benefits of a Kickstart program for students entering second-year anatomy. Given the benefits on students’ marks, but the low attendance rate for this synchronous format, a self-paced, asynchronous format, tailored to individual students’ knowledge gaps should be considered.
Keywords: anatomy; education; transition
Ethical statement: This research has been approved by La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee, number HEC23020