158 - Artificial Intelligence Sparks Real Experiential Learning

Poster Board Number: 158
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Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Abstract Body : The integration of student partners into educational research and course development can create an environment for meaningful experiential learning for students, thereby increasing quality and relevance of the work. The authors report on the student experience in developing and testing an online, objectively structured practical examination (OSPE) tool graded by artificial intelligence (AI). OSPEs are a standard method of evaluation for anatomy education, but resource constraints and limited laboratory access exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Education Program in Anatomy at McMaster University to create an accessible online OSPE study tool powered and graded by AI to help students prepare for OSPEs. A team of eight undergraduate students completing a research thesis course and four faculty collaborated to create a variety of virtual OSPE questions and gathered anatomy student responses to train the AI to deliver immediate and accurate grading. The eight undergraduate thesis students were given the opportunity to provide anonymous written reflections regarding their experiences developing the AI-OSPE tool and working alongside faculty. Two faculty members reviewed the reflections and derived four themes: Novel Student Perspectives, Surprising Areas and Keys to Success, Difficulties and Challenges, and Skill Development. The students highlighted that their personal experience and knowledge with the course material, along with the diversity of students within the group, provided insight into what future users of the AI-OSPE tool may be hoping to find. Additionally, the students were surprised to learn that the faculty were quite receptive to their perspectives, which helped facilitate a friendly environment for open communication. Logistics of developing a novel technology with an interdisciplinary team, integration of different areas of anatomy, and the process of maneuvering through the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic were several of the difficulties faced by the undergraduate team. The authors suggest strategies to overcome these challenges and describe keys to success associated with working with a team of undergraduate students on a large student-driven research project. Furthermore, the authors describe the skills they developed during the learning process, including management of self-directed learning and delivery of constructive feedback. The student perspective can help inform successful partnership in learning between undergraduate students and faculty on research project teams, while informing the continued development of AI as a tool in higher education.