title: Using Complementary Learning Clusters in Studying Literature to Enhance Students' Medical Humanities Literacy, Critical Thinking, and English Proficiency.
abstract: This study examined whether students studying literature in complementary learning clusters would show more improvement in medical humanities literacy, critical thinking skills, and English proficiency compared to those in conventional learning clusters. Ninety-three students participated in the study (M age = 18.2 years, SD = 0.4; 36 men, 57 women). A quasi-experimental design was used over 16 weeks, with the control group (n = 47) working in conventional learning clusters and the experimental group (n = 46) working in complementary learning clusters. Complementary learning clusters were those in which individuals had complementary strengths enabling them to learn from and offer assistance to other cluster members, hypothetically facilitating the learning process. Measures included the Medical Humanities Literacy Scale, Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment, English proficiency tests, and Analytic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric. The results showed that complementary learning clusters have the potential to improve students' medical humanities literacy, critical thinking skills, and English proficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Administration, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan; Department of Medical Education, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Foreign Languages, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan; Department of Medical Education, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taiwan yhuei@csmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ya-Huei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006809:Humanities / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007858:Learning; D008091:Literature; D008297:Male; D013334:Students; D013850:Thinking; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: critical thinking skills; english proficiencies; medical humanities literacy; optimal complementary learning clusters; studying literature