Background: Although surface understanding, such as anatomy, often is performed in lectures based upon textbooks, it is possible to build up didactic content through learning by doing. One approach is to give the students opportunity to work together in small groups with human body model (torso).  

By taking out organs from the torso, anatomical knowledge is facilitated.

Additional, in order to check their understanding after a new topic, questions were to be discussed in seminars.

Aim: This study aimed to assess use of student’s evaluation in order to improve teaching quality. Could implemented changes based on student’s evaluation and comments in 2010 improve the quality of active teaching significantly in 2011?

Methods: First year biomedical scientist students completed a questionnaire. The evaluation response was 80% in 2010 (66 students) and 71% in 2011 (55 students).

Performed changes were to give a more understandable instruction about the active learning with the torso, create an unruffled climate giving the student opportunity to be a good team worker. They were given more time with fewer organs to present.

In seminars, they got questions ahead of a new subject instead of after. To provide a fruitful discussion between the students and the teachers, students were clearly informed that everybody should check their understanding ahead of the seminar.

Results: We could not observe significant differences in the evaluation of the lectures, which reach high score level both in 2010 and 2011.

Nevertheless, the  active teaching improved significantly in 2011 as 82% of the students gave the highest score, as to be compared with 52%  in 2010 (p<0.01).

Regarding the seminars, maximum score was given by 65% of the students in 2010, however this improved significantly in 2011 as the maximum score was given by 82%  of the students, (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Implemented changes based on student’s evaluation and comments significantly improve teaching quality.