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Title:
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PRESCRIBING HELP FOR FUTURE DOCTORS: CHARACTERISTICS OF AN OPEN, ONLINE, MCAT STUDY FORUM |
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Author(s):
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Carla Van de Sande, Catherine Hart-Weber |
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ISBN:
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978-989-8533-04-3 |
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Editors:
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Demetrios G Sampson, J. Michael Spector, Dirk Ifenthaler and Pedro Isaías |
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Year:
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2011 |
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Edition:
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Single |
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Keywords:
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Peer tutoring, online forums, learning communities, medical school preparation, networked learning |
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Type:
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Full Paper |
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First Page:
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73 |
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Last Page:
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79 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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Free, open, online, help forums are a resource where students are connected to volunteer helpers who provide assistance with specific problems from schoolwork. These forums exist for a wide range of school subject areas and levels, and many students use these forums when they need help with completing their assignments outside of the classroom. In addition, students use these forums when they need help preparing for major examinations. One forum hosted by the Student Doctor Network® (SDN), a nonprofit educational organization, is widely used by students as they study to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®). The MCAT is a standardized, multiple-choice examination assessing problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Scoring well on this exam is paramount for students interested in medical careers since performance on the MCAT is a deciding factor for whether, and to what university, a student will be admitted to study medicine. In this project, characteristics of this asynchronous help environment were examined to determine whether conditions of learning are present. In particular, 342 threads posted in April and May 2010 were investigated for evidence of efficiency, conceptual depth, and peer tutoring. |
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