Implementation of research-based learning in the teaching process of the foreign language for medical students through the example of the model lesson



Modern medicine requires not only qualified specialists in this field but also it uses high technologies. To achieve this new quality level we need to form effective system of medical education. In such a case the modernization of existing methods of teaching should be the basis for the improvement of the effectiveness of medical education [1, 621]. And research-based learning (RBL) is among them. The implementation of RBL elements in the teaching process of the English language is justified and obvious. Since most of the research studies are published in English and a graduate of a modern university should have not only good knowledge, be mobile, active, but also must know a foreign language at a professional level and has skills of presenting data, compilation of annotations, abstracts, essays, etc. in English.

Let us review as an example the model lesson with RBL elements for the second-year students of “Dentistry” specialty.

The theme of the lesson is «Pathology of the form and structure of the teeth. Data presentation». The aim of the lesson is to increase the vocabulary on the theme; to promote the development of scientific research skills through verbal, written and communication skills by preparation of data presentation. After completing this lesson, students will be able to comprehend the video about the description of different types of diagrams; choose the type of diagram for data presentation; present the diagrams orally on medical theme.

Equipment: projector; laptop; Power Point presentation; CD-disc with the video “How to describe diagrams”.Handouts: copies with the questions to the video; copies with the matching task; copies with the completing the sentences task; copies with articles;copies with the assessment criteria.

The process of the lesson:

1. Organizational moment: greeting, absentees, conversation about the theme and the aim.
2. Students’ comprehension of the home task text on the topic “Pathology of the form and structure of the teeth”.

Teacher: The home task was to read and understand the text on the current topic [2, P. 53].

The aim of every task in this section is to increase the vocabulary on the theme «Pathology of the form and structure of the teeth».

a) Teacher: Your first task: in order to remember the words and understand them you should know their definitions. You should match a word and its definition. Work in pairs. You have 3 minutes.

The students are given the following card:

1. to involve	a) passed from the genes of a parent to a child
2. entire	b) to include someone or something in something, or to make them take part in or feel part of it
3. hereditary	c) physical weakness and bad health caused by having too little food, or too little of the types of food necessary for good health
4. congenital	d) whole or complete, with nothing missing
5. malnutrition	e) when two or more thing join or are combined
6. gestation	f) the number, type and arrangement of teeth in a person or animal
7. fusion	g) describes a disease or condition that exists at or from birth
8. reverse	h) to happen; to exist or be present
9. dentition	i) the opposite of what has been suggested
10. to occur	j) (the period of) the development of a child or young animal while it is still inside its mother’s body

b) Teacher: Now let’s try to use these words in a context. You have 9 sentences. Complete them with the words from the previous task. You have 4 minutes. Work with your partner.

The students are given the cards with the sentences:

1. The teeth may be affected during ________, as well as postnatally, and a study of the mother’s history as well as that of a child is necessary.
2. Abnormalities of anatomical form and histological structure include multiple teeth, hyperplasia or overdevelopment, and hypoplasia or underdevelopment of the ________ tooth, and hypoplasia of part of the tooth, the crown or root.
3. Hypoplasia or underformation of the dentine may _________ in spite of perfectly formed enamel and crowns of normal dimensions.
4. ________ implies that two teeth forming from separate enamel organs have been made into one.
5. Enamel hypoplasia is typically caused by ________, illness, infection or fever during tooth formation.
6. _________ defects, __________ transmitted diseases, and diseases affecting the mother during gestation may have their effects on the deciduous teeth.
7. Hypoplasia is the ________of hyperplasia and results in small dwarfed teeth.
8. In some instances only the gross appearance of the tooth is affected, the structure remaining normal; in others the structure itself is changed, or both form and structure may be ________.
9. Dysplasia is the result of development disturbances that may affect both the deciduous and permanent ___________.

The result is that the vocabulary is consolidated.

3. Watching the video “How to describe diagrams”.

Teacher: Pathologies which we are discussing are not only practical problems but also they are deeply scientific. When we read different scientific articles we can see some statistical data which may be presented in diverse kinds of diagrams and charts. And today we will find out about the types of diagrams and vocabulary for their description.

a) Firstly, open your books on p. 120 [3, P. 120]. Look through the text and tell me what types of diagrams are here.

The students run through the article about types of charts, and after reading the teacher and the students discuss the new information.

b) Teacher: We will watch the video on these types of diagrams and vocabulary for their description. After watching the video you will answer the questions on it. And now look through them. You have just 2 minutes. In your cards you have gaps for completing. You will have enough time to answer the questions while watching because the video is educational and that is why it is slow. Your aim is to comprehend the video about the description of different types of diagrams.

The video is downloaded from the YouTube channel “English Language Learning”. Its duration is 3 minutes. The students watch the video and answer the questions to this video individually.

1. What is usually set on the horizontal axis in a line graph or a bar chart?
2. What is usually set on the vertical axis in a line graph or a bar chart?
3. What verbs can you use to describe upward trends?
4. What nouns can you use to describe upward trends?
5. What verbs do you use to describe downward trends?
6. What nouns should we use to describe downward trends?
7. What verbs or phrases can you use for indicating steady trends?
8. What adverbs or adjectives can you name for describing movement on a chart?
9. What do pie charts show?
10. What recommendations for describing pie charts are given?

The result is that the students practise at initial and full comprehension.

Teacher: Well done! Let’s have 5 minutes break. For our next part of the lesson we need laptops. So prepare them please.

During the break the teacher puts 3 cards for 3 groups on the tables (“Dental clinics”, “Equipment of dental clinics”, “Filling materials”).

4. Work on data presentation using scientific articles on the professional theme.

Teacher: Let’s continue our lesson. For our next task we need 3 groups. As you can see there are 3 cards for 3 groups (“Dental clinics”, “Equipment of dental clinics”, “Filling materials”). They are some kind of revision of our previous material. You will be divided into groups by the following way: I have cards with words; each word is related to one of these categories. You can’t see a word. You should choose one card, read the word and think of the category the word is related to. And take your seat there according to the category.

The number of words depends on the number of students in a group. During this lesson there were 12 students, so there were 12 cards with the following words: standard dental care, emergency dental care, private practice, hospital dental clinics, apex locator, electrocauter, mirror, dental handpiece, temporary filling, composite resin, permanent filling, silver amalgam.

Every group receives its own article concerning the main topic. The task of each group is to understand the article, find the data, think of the diagram they can present these data, and create this presentation with some material on this or that pathology. The time of the task is limited. The students have only 20 minutes. The aim is to choose the type of diagram for data presentation and to present the diagrams orally using the vocabulary from the video.

Students discuss their articles and the way they will present the given data in the groups.

5. Students’ presentations.

While one group is presenting, the rest of the students are listening. The students are given the list of assessment criteria made according to the recommendations from the video. While listening they should put their marks on the field. After each presentation the teacher and the students discuss it.

	Criteria	1	2	3	4	5	Total
Group 1	Using a range that identifies the lowest, the medium and the highest values
	Identifying the sharpest changes
	Using the appropriate verbs, nouns, adverbs and phrases
	Data measuring upward and downward trends is set on the vertical axis
	Periods of time are set on the horizontal axis

Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 present their data and some information from the article they have read.

6. Summary: feedback, marks, new home task.

References:

1. Койков В. В. Роль в подготовке инновационно-активных специалистов системы здравоохранения /В. В. Койков, Г. А. Гербисалина // Денсаулық сақтау дамыту журналы. — 2012. — № 4. — С. 621–673
2. «Стоматология» мамандығының 2 курс студенттеріне арналған «Кәсіби бағытталған шет тілі" пәнінен лексикалық-грамматикалық жаттығулар жинағы [Мәтін]: учебное пособие / А. А. Ахметова; ҚММУ. — Алматы: Эверо, 2014. — 104 б.
3. Professional English in Use [Text]: medicine / E. H. Glendinning, R. Howard. — Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. — 175 р.