The Solution

The integration of Osmosis’ medical education platform, which gives faculty flexible options to assign and monitor student asynchronous learning from customized playlists to topical quiz questions.

By assigning students pre-work in the form of engaging, high-quality Osmosis videos to prime student learning, faculty can begin lectures at a higher level and have more time for application-based and small group learning.
 
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted in-person course delivery, faculty, like Dr. Ray Pavlick, used blended learning strategies and supported didactic education with on-demand learning resources such as Osmosis. Early on, Dr. Pavlick instructed students to watch Osmosis videos on YouTube before class. As Osmosis expanded, Dr. Pavlick created playlists on the platform, so he now only assigns one link at a time. He also tracks student engagement with videos and learning through the analytics dashboard.

“Students like having a lot of tools and a lot of different ways to learn. The videos, flashcards, questions, notes, etc. have provided a ‘one stop shopping’ experience for students, giving them multiple tools in one place,” said Dr. Pavlick. “The more tools they have, the more engaged they are. Variety is key in keeping them engaged and Osmosis has provided that.”

The Challenge

Freeing up class time to facilitate higher-level learning, so students can master critical thinking and application.

PA program faculty at ATSU were looking for ways to deepen student learning and make class time more effective. “Students are great consumers of information, they can find it…The bigger challenge is, ‘okay what do I do with all of it, how do I apply this to a real-life patient?’” With this in mind, faculty at ATSU wanted to spend more time teaching students how to apply what they learned.

They also recognized that students will always need to be knowledgeable about changes in medicine, so they need life-long learning skills well beyond their time at ATSU. “Students have to discover self-learning and be motivated to stay up-to-date as things change,” says Dr. Pavlick.

Consequently, A.T. Still University was searching for an instructional strategy to accomplish two things

1. Open more class time dedicated to application, like a flipped classroom, and
2. Increase self-paced student asynchronous learning

The Result

PA students utilize Osmosis to learn anytime, anywhere throughout their educational journey - and Osmosis expanded to include every ATSU campus.

Together, ATSU and Osmosis are working to modernize the learning environment for students. “The artistic style that Osmosis uses is catchy and it helps students remember the content. I find myself cutting and pasting images from the videos and using them in class presentations because I know that the students will remember them,” says Dr. Pavlick.

Osmosis continues to provide unique content on a platform that students can take anywhere in their busy, on-the-go lifestyles for continuous learning and success. Dr. Pavlick notes, “We’ve seen students at the gym watching Osmosis videos on the treadmill. Some students commute and carpool; if it’s not their day to drive, they can sit in the backseat and watch videos. The students love to be able to multitask and use the Osmosis app to listen and watch videos anywhere.”

Due to the high levels of engagement among students and faculty, support for Osmosis spread throughout the institution spearheaded by the university’s senior leadership, Dr. Ted Wendel. Now Osmosis is used at all campuses and within eight health science disciplines, from osteopathic medicine to physical therapy.
When asked if he’d recommend Osmosis to other health professions programs, Dr. Pavlick says, “If you’re at all hesitant, don’t be. I know there are some risks that are taken when you are trying [something new] for the first time…but I think Osmosis, for us, is really opening our eyes for our faculty and our students” about the power of video-based learning in the curriculum.