'Sketchnotes' - An Illustrated Revision Aid for Medical Students

Background

My attention was first drawn to this project back in 2016, when myself and my classmates on the MSc Medical Art programme met with staff at Ninewells Hospital and the University of Dundee to discuss potential project ideas. Natalie Lafferty, e-learning lead and coordinator of the Technology and Innovation in Learning Team (TILT) at Dundee Medical School, highlighted a need for a resource that could help to supplement complicated lecture material on the school's third year Neurology teaching block. She had the idea of creating lecture summaries based on the concept of 'sketchnoting' - a visual style of note-taking that has grown in popularity in recent years. I was immediately interested, and began working with Natalie to further
develop the idea.

Process

We decided to begin by producing a single page as a pilot project to test the concept. I began by going through some of the lectures to first familiarise myself with the content, deciding to focus on a lecture covering Pain and Thermosensation, as I had studied this during my undergraduate degree and was familiar with the topic.

After collaborating with creative and scientific staff, we developed a layout that was carefully designed to best summarise the most important points of the lecture. The style of illustration is also no accident. For example, the little facial expressions of the neurons aren't just there for show - they convey the function of the neurons themselves. Recognition of facial expressions is such a primal process, it can really help with memory retention.

The final draft of 'Pain and Thermsensation'Click here to download your own printable black and white version. — The final draft of 'Pain and Thermsensation'
Click here to download your own printable black and white version.

The final version was circulated among a small group of medical students, and the feedback we received was so positive and constructive that we decided to take the project further and expand it into other areas of the Neurology curriculum.

In the months that followed, I collaborated further with staff and students to identify the various topics that would most benefit from having a summary sheet created. Students also gave feedback on how they might use this resource in practice, and as one might expect, almost every student gave a unique answer! I therefore worked on designing each page with flexibility in mind; keeping colours to a minimum and only including the most vital points so as to give students the freedom to add their own colours and/or notes.

In total, 15 pages focussing on various difficult and/or fundamental topics on Neurology were created. Several more were drafted but sadly not included in the final set due to time constraints.

Here's a sample of some of the final pages:

A small survey was conducted among medical students to find out what they thought of this kind of resource, if and how they might use it, as well as how they might like to see it developed in the future. The majority of students surveyed stated that the sketchnotes would be a useful addition to their course materials, and would like to see the concept extended into other challenging specialties, such as cardiology.
Some suggested the illustrations be converted to flashcards, or be made available as
stand-alone versions that students could use to save time when constructing their own notes. A small proportion of students stated that it would not be a resource
they would use personally, as they felt it did not complement their individual
learning style.

All in all I was extremely pleased with the feedback on the project. It seems to be a small indication that even in today's fast-moving climate of innovative learning technologies, there is still a place for more traditional (i.e. physical) learning resources. During my discussions with students, many said that they still preferred writing and drawing by hand when revising challenging topics, and the research does seem to corroborate this (See 'Further Reading' below).

The project culminated in a dissertation book alongside an exhibition as part of the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design Masters Show 2016. As part of the display, visitors could choose from a selection of the printed sketchnotes and colour them in, using their own choice of colours or by using the display as a reference.

I had a lot of fun working on this project. Neurology is a challenging but fascinating area of medicine, and it was a great experience working with staff and students to develop what I hope is a valuable addition to the renowned teaching at Dundee Medical School.

If you have any questions, would like to request a digital copy of the full project book, or would like to discuss licensing/commissioning sketchnotes for your own course, get in touch with me here!

Acknowledgments

This project was a collaborative effort and wouldn't have been possible without the input of several staff members and medical students at Dundee University and beyond. Particular thanks goes to Natalie Lafferty, for championing the concept and getting the ball rolling, and medical artists Annie Campbell and Dr Caroline Erolin for their invaluable creative input!