Learning Through Patient Stories: Fostering Sensemaking in A Technology Enhanced Learning Environment for Clinical Diagnosis

Abstract

Clinical diagnosis of genetic disorder requires sensemaking based on the symptoms of a patient. Making a diagnosis needs information gathering from the patient, interpreting the information, conducting tests and advice on further treatment. Furthermore, the experience of diagnosis requires developing a personal connect with the patient, which allows immersion in the case being investigated. This has been known to promote learners’ attention so that they can better notice relevant information, and minute or unusual details. It can help them recall and relate to their own previous experiences. Karyotype learning environment provides learners with an authentic situation of solving video-based cases of patients suffering from genetic disorders . Students perform the clinical diagnosis by building and revising scientific explanations for the given cases while going through a series of learning activities. In this paper, we report a study conducted with 26 bioscience students to understand whether working with karyotype improves students’ sensemaking and how the design of karyotype supportsstudents’ learning experience.