14.5 Mapping the Gaps: Student-Led Learning and Curriculum Insight
Tracks
Botanical 1 room
| Friday, October 24, 2025 |
| 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM |
| Botanical 1 room |
Details
Format: Non-academic verbal presentation (30-minute)
Speaker
Miss Jessica Stephens
Student
University of Tasmania
Mapping the Gaps: Student-Led Learning and Curriculum Insight
2:45 PM - 3:15 PMAbstract Overview
What do after-hours tutorials reveal about what medical students are missing?
Each week at the Rural Clinical School (RCS), medical students gather after hours for voluntary tutorials—informal, student-led sessions often fuelled by curiosity. These "Wednesday Night Tutes" have become a staple of the RCS experience, known for their relevance and practicality. Topics range from OSCE prep to overlooked clinical pearls, often pitched from a "what I wish I knew" perspective by senior students.
This project reviews three years of tutorial content to explore what students are choosing to teach, request, and prioritise when given the freedom to shape their own learning. By reviewing the breadth and themes of these peer-organised sessions, we aim to identify areas that may be underserved or missing from the core curriculum.
Our analysis reflects not only what’s being taught but what’s being requested—revealing patterns in student interests and perceived educational gaps. This project invites reflection on how student-driven initiatives can inform curriculum development, enhance relevance, and support graduate preparedness. These sessions might seem informal, but they tell a bigger story about what matters to students and how peer-led teaching can point to real gaps in medical education.
Each week at the Rural Clinical School (RCS), medical students gather after hours for voluntary tutorials—informal, student-led sessions often fuelled by curiosity. These "Wednesday Night Tutes" have become a staple of the RCS experience, known for their relevance and practicality. Topics range from OSCE prep to overlooked clinical pearls, often pitched from a "what I wish I knew" perspective by senior students.
This project reviews three years of tutorial content to explore what students are choosing to teach, request, and prioritise when given the freedom to shape their own learning. By reviewing the breadth and themes of these peer-organised sessions, we aim to identify areas that may be underserved or missing from the core curriculum.
Our analysis reflects not only what’s being taught but what’s being requested—revealing patterns in student interests and perceived educational gaps. This project invites reflection on how student-driven initiatives can inform curriculum development, enhance relevance, and support graduate preparedness. These sessions might seem informal, but they tell a bigger story about what matters to students and how peer-led teaching can point to real gaps in medical education.
Biography
Jessica Stephens is a senior medical student at the Rural Clinical School in Burnie with a keen interest in medical education and peer-led learning. Having both benefited from and contributed to student-led tutorials, she has developed a deep appreciation for the value of collaborative teaching—particularly in rural settings. Her involvement in facilitating these sessions has sparked a passion for exploring how students learn best and how grassroots initiatives can shape more responsive and relevant medical education. Jessica is especially interested in the ways peer-driven teaching can complement and reshape formal curricula, by offering valuable insights into curriculum design, learner priorities, and gaps in medical training.
