Effect of curricular change on student perceptions of the learning environment

Background: The University of Michigan Medical School implemented a new 1st-year curriculum designed in part to redress environmental stressors identified in the previous curriculum. A centralized action-oriented evaluation program also was implemented to ensure the achievement of curricular goals. Description: We describe the initial effects of planned curricular reform on students' perceptions of the learning environment. Evaluation: Survey data on students' satisfaction with the learning environment were collected at year's end before and after implementation of the new 1st-year program, The attitudes of women and African American students were examined because of their known disproportionate dissatisfaction. Conclusions: Effect size analysis indicated a real and practical improvement in all students' ratings of the new learning environment overall. Research on the long-term environmental effects of curricular reform is ongoing. We anticipate that interactions among faculty, students, and administrators concerning environmental improvements will provide a positive model for students' future interactions with professional colleagues and patients.