Learning helminthiasis in an integrated manner through story writing and sharing by medical students

Objectives: To captivate students by employing an engaging, innovative, and collaborative approach using the creative storytelling and jigsaw technique for student-centered learning in a large group environment. Material and Methods: The student-centric educational intervention was conducted in 2023 for 2 nd phase MBBS ( n = 153) students in large groups to enhance student engagement. Competencies of microbiology and pharmacology were integrated using a combination of story writing in the form of an autobiography of helminths and collaborative learning using a jigsaw as a student-centric approach used as a teaching-learning method. Facilitators assessed the written autobiographies using an assessment framework and model answers to see the learning by the students together with the storyline. Students’ perceptions were assessed using an anonymous feedback form. Descriptive, Chi-square statistics (<0.05 as significant), and Cramer’s V value were calculated to analyze data and study the association between storyline and learning. Results: Out of 146 students, 33% scored >20/30 in the knowledge component, among which the majority were female. For the story part, the majority were able to write interesting to very interesting storylines, with female predominance. Overall, the students perceived this innovative teaching-learning activity as enjoyable that stimulated their interest in the topic as well as helping them enhance their communication skills and students also expressed their agreement in favor of using this intervention frequently in classrooms. Conclusion: The study concludes the importance of using innovative teaching-learning activities to enhance students learning, engagement, and interest in large classrooms.