Six Ways University Partners Are Integrating Osmosis Into Their Curricula

When healthcare educators incorporate e-learning platforms and resources into the classroom, both students and educators experience several advantages. Students benefit from enriched learning experiences, particularly those with diverse learning styles, while educators enhance their teaching and mentoring approaches.

At Osmosis from Elsevier, we support health educators as they “reach further.” Below is an ontology of ways to integrate Osmosis resources into your formal curriculum. Let’s explore the six primary approaches for integrating Osmosis into your curriculum, starting with providing students with reliable self-directed learning materials, all the way up to the most supportive methods, like flipping the classroom.

1. Active, Self-Directed Learning for Students

To integrate Osmosis into your curriculum as an active learning opportunity, you can encourage students to use Osmosis videos, flashcards, and MCQs as they move through the syllabus. This also helps students build their lifelong learning muscles — an important part of any healthcare professional’s career.

Active, self-directed learning allows your students to engage with the material through activities or exercises while you function as a learning facilitator. Active learning is particularly beneficial for linking ideas by building upon information from previous courses or forming a schema.

2. Library Resource for Health Professions Students

For healthcare students, having a personal library of medical knowledge at their fingertips is ideal. With Osmosis, you can provide high-quality supplemental resources to the many students you support as a librarian. Osmosis will train you as a platform expert so you can better support your students and recommend content to supplement their coursework, in addition to guiding students who need additional help. You can peruse the Osmosis library to find content that best fits your curriculum needs.

3. Formative Assessment and Student Performance Tracking

Healthcare education should include a healthy mix of summative and formative assessments. Tracking students’ use of Osmosis video playlists, flashcards, and MCQs as they move through your curriculum is a formative assessment to consider. Educators can monitor students’ performance on these low-stakes assessments, including the accuracy of the first attempt versus the latest attempt.

Ways formative assessment helps healthcare students include:

Identifying strengths and weaknesses: Immediate feedback helps students recognize areas where they excel and areas that require further attention.
Promoting active learning: Encouraging students to engage with the material actively, such as with quizzes, discussions, and small-group exercises, promotes deeper understanding and retention.
Monitoring progress: Continuous formative assessments enable students and educators to monitor progress over time. Regular check-ins help identify if students are on track with their learning objectives and if adjustments are needed.
Enhancing self-reflection: Students assess their performance and understanding. Self-awareness allows students to take ownership of their learning and set realistic goals for improvement.
Building confidence: Positive reinforcement fosters a sense of accomplishment and motivates students to continue their efforts.

4. Support for At-Risk and Remediation Students

The Osmosis faculty analytics dashboard is a great tool for identifying at-risk students. Educators can see data such as playlist completion, question confidence, flashcard accuracy, and more to spot learning gaps early. Educators can use Osmosis to develop custom video playlists for all students. The students can be assigned to watch the videos and take the associated quizzes. Once students dive into the playlist, educators can look at the analytics to track performance and identify and remediate at-risk students.

Early remediation detection and intervention are key to addressing challenges effectively and helping students succeed in their medical education. As an educator, you play a critical role in providing constructive feedback and implementing remediation strategies tailored to the student’s individual needs.

For example, a personalized remediation plan can be created for the student, outlining specific goals and objectives. The plan may include additional Osmosis study materials, tutoring, clinical experiences, or other interventions.

5. Curricular Supplement for Students

Osmosis can be used as a curricular supplement to enhance the overall learning experience for healthcare students by providing additional resources, perspectives, and practical applications that may not be covered extensively in the core curriculum. The Osmosis library offers a diverse range of topics for you to explore that will help as curriculum supplements.

Some reasons why Osmosis curricular supplements are necessary for healthcare students include the need for specialized knowledge, clinical relevance, interdisciplinary learning, career preparation, and diversity and inclusion.

It’s an educator’s job to carefully consider and ensure the integration of curricular supplements does not overwhelm students or deviate too far from essential learning objectives. Therefore, you can direct students to specific Osmosis videos and assessment items that best fit the curriculum.

6. Flipped Classroom and Blended Learning

The flipped classroom and blended learning models leverage technology and e-learning platforms to allow students to independently review lectures, lesson plans, and practical tutorials. In this study, the flipped classroom model improves learning outcomes and student engagement, increasing class attendance and accuracy in instructional assessment.

To incorporate a flipped classroom or blended learning model in your curriculum, you can assign curated Osmosis video playlists and corresponding assessment items to review before class. Students can then come to class with a baseline of knowledge from the Osmosis videos, allowing educators to focus on application and discussion to reinforce and build on students’ understanding.

The Adaptability and Versatility of Osmosis

The integration of e-learning platforms and resources, such as Osmosis, into healthcare education yields numerous advantages for both students and educators. This transformative approach enriches learning experiences, accommodating diverse learning styles among students while simultaneously empowering educators to evolve their teaching methodologies.

Ways you can integrate Osmosis into your class, course, or curriculum are not limited to the six approaches above. As healthcare education continues to evolve, Osmosis advocates for a forward-thinking approach, encouraging educators to embrace these innovative strategies to enhance the learning journey and ultimately better prepare healthcare professionals for the challenges of their dynamic and demanding careers.

Interested in how Osmosis from Elsevier can support clinical education in your school’s program? Schedule a call today.