The effect of question generation activity on students’ learning and perception

Introduction Student-generated questions can be a very helpful tool in medical education. The use of this activity can allow the students to feel more involved in the subjects covered and may improve their knowledge and learning. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of question-writing activity as a stimulus factor on learning in midwifery students and determine their perception about this activity. Methods This quasi-experimental study with two groups of pre- and post-tests was conducted on two groups of midwifery students who had taken the immunology course. Two classes of midwifery students (N=62) participated and were randomly assigned to two different groups. One class was selected as the experimental group (n=32) and the other class was considered as the control group (n=30). The experimental group's students were asked to write questions covering different topics of the syllabus components taught during 15 weeks from February 2016 to May 2016. They were asked to write, answer and explain their multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The students' performance in immunology course was compared between the two groups at the end of the semester. After their final exam, we asked them to fill in a questionnaire on their views about this activity. The data were analyzed by independent t- test using SPSS software, version 18. Results The differences between pre- and post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups were 24.53±5.74 and 20.63±5.58, respectively. The results of independent t-test showed that these differences in the two groups were significant (p=0.009). Nevertheless, most of the students stated that question-writing activity as a learning tool is an unfamiliar exercise and unpopular learning strategy. Conclusion Results showed that question writing by students has been found to promote learning when it is implemented as a part of the teaching curriculum in immunology course; therefore, this activity could be effective in improving the students' learning.