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62         June 2017, Vol. 9, No. 2  AJHPE

Not all 1st-year students who enter the medical programme in the Faculty 
of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein, 
South Africa, are successful, despite the application of strict selection 
and admission criteria. Selection criteria include high academic scores 
in school-leaving examinations and achievement according to National 
Benchmark Tests (NBTs). Furthermore, applicants may have held secondary 
school leadership roles, as well as achieving in both sport and cultural 
activities, for which additional admission points are allocated. Across all 
institutional faculties, research has shown that student success is ‘a complex 
phenomenon with many influencing factors’,[1] which include cognitive, 
motivational, dispositional, sociocultural and economic variables.[2]

While acknowledging that complex factors contribute to entry-level 
student unpreparedness for higher education, institutional support is 
considered vital for students struggling academically in their 1st year of 
study. International research has shown that faculties can contribute to 
student support by using strategies to enhance self-efficacy in students 
in all disciplines.[3] In the UFS undergraduate medical programme, early 
monitoring of assessment results and student academic support and 
development are in place.[4] The identification of effective strategies for 
medical student remediation has been investigated, which include providing 
at-risk students with an alternative learning environment, teaching to 
smaller groups of students and improving students’ generic skills.[5,6] Results 
show that mandatory remedial courses offered to small groups of medical 
students have proved successful.[6,7]

In line with the international trend of providing remediation 
programmes,[6,7] UFS medical students who fail one or more of their 
first-semester modules for the first time, are given the opportunity to 
join a 6-month Learning Development Programme (LDP) during the 
second semester. Academic success in the LDP allows students a second 
opportunity to re-enter the mainstream medical programme at the start of 
the following academic year. Theoretical underpinnings of a remediation 

course include mindful design of the syllabus to include aspects of active 
learning and carefully selected course content, with the aim to promote 
student self-regulation and self-reflection.[7] The theory behind successful 
remediation includes the three key steps of diagnosis, use of remedial activi-
ties, and subsequent re-testing.[8]  Additionally, according to Hommes et al.,[9] 
collaboration between students benefits their performance and influences their 
learning,

Over a number of years, the focus of the LDP for UFS medical students 
has been on modules providing additional content knowledge, i.e. medical 
terminology, language skills, medical physics, basic biochemistry and 
physiology, and integrated anatomy and physiology. Since 2013, the LDP 
curriculum also includes a new generic skills module – Lifelong Learning 
Skills (LLLS). The rationale behind this revised curriculum was that recent 
international research has indicated that key generic learning skills were 
contributing factors in the academic success of medical students.[5,7] These 
generic skills include information literacy, data handling, information and 
computer technology, problem-solving, self-management and teamwork.[5] 
Critical thinking skills are also considered to be a key generic skill, specifically 
for medical education.[7]

According to Murdoch-Eaton and Whittle,[5] the challenge for medical 
educators is to train healthcare professionals to recognise ‘unstated 
assumptions, values or prejudices, to evaluate evidence, interpret data and 
inspect arguments using discrimination, accuracy and judgement’. The 
focus of the LLLS module is on developing generic skills in students, and 
introducing them to professional conduct, ethics, and critical thinking 
in healthcare. Motivation, learning styles and study techniques, time 
management, communication skills, problem-solving and professional 
behaviour in the health sciences are all key learning areas in the module. 
International research has shown that curricula for medical education may 
undervalue student motivation, and ways to stimulate intrinsic motivation 
may improve the manner in which future medical education is planned and 

Background. Students who fail the first semester in an undergraduate medical programme at the University of the Free State may join a Learning 
Development Programme (LDP) in the second semester. A new generic skills module, Lifelong Learning Skills (LLLS), was added to the curriculum in 2013.
Objective. To ascertain whether the LLLS module helped to improve the generic learning skills of LDP students.
Methods. Student reflections and a self-administered questionnaire with open-ended questions were used to obtain feedback.
Results. Students believed that the LLLS module enhanced their generic skills, and that it was beneficial to them. Aspects such as motivation, time 
management and critical thinking improved. Furthermore, they indicated that the skills mastered during the module continued to be useful in the 
subsequent academic year.
Conclusion. The students’ reflections made a valuable contribution to understanding ways in which they can be supported. Through student insights, 
future presentation of the LLLS module can be enhanced.

Afr J Health Professions Educ 2017;9(2):62-66. DOI:10.7196/AJHPE.2017.v9i2.694

A learning development module to support academically unsuccessful 
1st-year medical students
C A Kridiotis, MA (Health Professions Education), BTech, BCom; S Swart, PhD (Health Professions Education), MA (Industrial Psychology)

Division of Health Sciences Education, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Corresponding author: C A Kridiotis (c.kridiotis@intekom.co.za) 

This open-access article is distributed under 
Creative Commons licence CC-BY-NC 4.0.



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June 2017, Vol. 9, No. 2  AJHPE         63

delivered.[10] When studying students’ wellbeing, motivational strategies and 
‘approaches to learning and their perception of their learning environment’, 
it was found that the same learning environment may not be perceived in 
the same way by all students.[11] The LDP provides unsuccessful students 
with an alternative learning environment.

In a large-scale study conducted in the USA across various institutions, 
Booth et al.[12] researched factors that students thought had supported 
their educational success, in an attempt to understand how institutions 
could deliver support to students, both inside and outside the classroom. 
Feedback from the study showed that students regarded ‘being directed’ and 
working towards a goal as important, and that being focused and aiming 
to succeed were equally important. It was also reported that if students 
felt that they were nurtured and valued, and that there was someone who 
encouraged them to succeed, it had a positive impact on their studies. When 
students were actively engaged, and when they participated in lectures 
and felt that they were connected with the institutional community, these 
factors contributed to student success.[13] International results highlight 
that collecting data on self-regulated learning among medical students and 
on student participation in learning activities, may ‘help medical schools 
to identify students who are at risk for poor performance early in their 
training’.[13] Students’ confidence in their individual academic-related skills 
plays a role in their motivation to achieve, and although student perceptions 
may be self-reported, there is an association between level of practice of a 
skill and confidence to use the skill.[14] 

The newly developed LLLS module in the LDP at the Faculty of Health 
Sciences, UFS, is aligned with the abovementioned research findings, and 
aims to help students to address their goals, function in a small and nurtured 
environment, and overcome their academic shortcomings in positive ways. 
The current research sought to gauge student perceptions regarding the new 
LLLS module.

The objectives of the study were:
• to ascertain whether there was a student perception that the introduction 

of the LLLS module within the LDP of the Faculty of Health Sciences, 
UFS, helped to improve their generic learning skills

• to ascertain whether there was a student perception that the LLLS module 
made a difference to the way they approached their studies, and whether 
the module could be improved in future

• to determine whether the module was perceived by students to have 
had an ongoing impact not only on their generic skills, but also on their 
attitudes, professional conduct, group skills, and overall academic success.

Methods
The study used a qualitative methodology, with some quantitative elements. 
Student academic statistics were used as an overview to determine the 
number of students who passed and failed. The qualitative methodology 
included student reflections on the LLLS module. These reflections were 
documented and reviewed by the researchers over a period of two years. Ten 
medical students were in the LDP in 2013, and 15 in 2014. 

In the second part of the research, a self-administered questionnaire 
with open-ended questions was used to gain information from the first 
group of students (n=7), who had successfully progressed through the LDP 
in 2013, re-entered the second-opportunity mainstream programme and 
successfully completed semesters 1 and 2 in the mainstream. Students were 
asked to reflect on the benefits of the LLLS module in particular and the 
LDP in general, a year after completion of the programme, and subsequent 

academic success in the mainstream programme. By analysing academic 
achievements and student self-reflection, triangulation was used as a 
validity process. The data were edited, categorised and summarised by both 
researchers, and thematical analysis was used to identify common themes 
in the responses. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from 
the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, UFS (Ecufs ref. no. 
112/ 2014). Permission was obtained from the Dean of the Faculty of Health 
Sciences, Head of the School of Medicine and Vice-Rector: Teaching and 
Learning, UFS.

Results
During 2013, 158 1st-year students enrolled in the first semester of the 
medical programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences at UFS. Of these 
students, 144 (91.1%) passed the first semester, 12 (7.6%) failed the first 
semester and 2 (1.2%) voluntarily discontinued their studies. Of the 
12 students who failed the first semester, 10 (6.3%) were placed in the 
LDP for the second semester. One of the students had already obtained 
a qualification before being selected for the medical programme and, 
according to regulations, was not allowed into the LDP. At the end of the 
second semester LDP, 7 of the medical students in the LDP achieved an 
overall average mark of 75% for all the modules in the programme and were 
readmitted to the first semester of the mainstream medical programme in 
2014. Two students were unsuccessful in the LDP, as shown in Table 1. One 
student discontinued his studies.

In 2014, 149 1st-year medical students were enrolled for the first semester 
of the medical programme. Of the total group, 131 (87.9%) passed the 
first semester, 17 (11.4%) failed the first semester and 1 student (0.7%) 
voluntarily discontinued his/her studies. Fifteen students (10.1%) were 
admitted to the LDP for the second semester, of whom 12 obtained the 
required minimum of 75% average for all modules and were readmitted to 
the first semester of the mainstream medical programme for 2015. Three 
students were unsuccessful in the LDP (Table 1).

Key reflections of the 2013 LDP students included that many expressed 
the feeling that they had lost a degree of self-confidence after failing the 
first semester. Most students viewed their experience of the LLLS module 
as very beneficial, and the small size of the group promoted mutual support 
among the group members. During the LLLS module they were given 
the opportunity to express their opinions and interact with each other. 
The facilitators of the LLLS module positively reinforced the students, 
further ensuring that they felt connected and nurtured. The facilitators 
also ascertained that the students were made aware that, with the right 

Table 1. Statistics of 1st-year medical students at the end of the first 
semester of 2013 and 2014 

Outcome
2013, n (%) 
(N=158)

2014, n (%) 
(N=149)

Successful (passed first or second examination 
opportunity)

144 (91.1) 131 (87.9)

Unsuccessful (no admission to write examination, 
or failed examination) 

12 (7.6) 17 (11.4)

Dropped out of the medical programme 2 (1.3) 1 (0.7)

Admitted to LPD 10 (6.3) 15 (10.1)

Successful in LPD 7 (4.4) 12 (8.1)

Unsuccessful in LPD 2 (1.3) 3 (2.0)



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64         June 2017, Vol. 9, No. 2  AJHPE

approach to their studies, academic success was within their reach. Essential 
reflections of students regarding the most beneficial aspects of the generic 
skills learned in the LLLS module during 2013 are shown in Table 2.

Some students indicated that they would like more information on 
applying new learning styles, and also that more help was needed in 
applying study techniques, and test and examination management. These 
shortcomings, having been identified, were addressed in subsequent 
facilitation of the LLLS module.

The comments of the 15 medical students in the LDP during the second 
semester of 2014 included reflections, e.g. that they found the module 

insightful and beneficial, as they reassessed the way in which they learnt 
and applied knowledge. The LLLS module encouraged the students and 
made them approach the future positively, despite the fact that they had 
failed. They reported having acquired skills in writing scientific reports, 
presenting and critical reflection, which they did not have before. The 
module also brought about an improvement in attitudes and perspectives, 
preparing students to become academically and socially better prepared for 
the challenges of medical education. 

Further reflections of the 2014 LDP students included comments that 
although some of the module content was similar to what they were taught 
in semester 1 in the mainstream, the attention to foundational knowledge in 
this module made the understanding and retention of the study material more 
manageable. The underlying support provided to the students in the LDP 
course enabled them to grasp concepts they had previously found challenging. 
The module was considered by one student ‘to have made a huge impact on 
my studies and the way I look at university life’. One effective and beneficial 
skill acquired by students was improved time management. Their reflections 
regarding the generic skills learned in the LLLS module are shown in Table 3.

Quantitative data were used to track the academic progress of the students 
in the year following the LDP, to ascertain whether students maintained 
their level of academic success. The students who had passed the LDP in 
2013 and re-entered the mainstream medical programme (n=7) had all been 
academically successful. These students indicated that they had learnt better 
time management during their LLLS module, which was very beneficial. 
The students also indicated that the LDP in general had motivated them to 
study consistently and consequently and to prepare ahead of their classes in 
the mainstream programme. Students were asked a year after completing 
the LDP which module(s) they considered to have been the most beneficial 
during the programme. Student perceptions on the efficacy of the LDP in 
general, as well as the contributing factors to their initial academic failure 
and subsequent academic success, were documented by the researchers. The 
students cited the modules of integrated anatomy and physiology, medical 
terminology, and basic biochemistry and physiology as being the most 
helpful. The consolidation of core knowledge during ‘the slower pace’ of 
the LDP modules was cited as very beneficial to the students after they had 
re-entered and were successful in the mainstream programme. 

When asked to comment on factors that contributed to their subsequent 
success in the mainstream programme, students indicated that during the 
second opportunity, they were more aware of the way in which they would 
be assessed. By being familiar with the assessment methods, they could 
adjust their learning. In the mainstream, integrated assessment methods are 
used, which require deep learning and challenge students to apply critical 
thinking. The LLLS module had informed students of assessment principles 
and key action words, as well as giving them the opportunity to practise the 
use of study techniques, learning skills such as effective summarising and 
ways to maximise retention of study material. The students also indicated 
that timeous feedback on the results of assessment helped them to plan 
for the next test. When students were part of the LDP, their progress was 
carefully monitored and they became familiar with the support services at 
the Division of Health Sciences Education, which also played a role, as the 
students were comfortable with asking for assistance when they needed it. 
Additionally, the second-opportunity students indicated that the student 
mentors who had been appointed during 2014 to guide mainstream students 
also played an important supportive role, and that this contributed to their 
academic success.

Table 2. Most beneficial aspects of the key generic skills taught in the 
LLLS module, 2013
Learning unit Students’ reflection on beneficial aspects

Motivation and self-
management

‘Helped build up confidence after failing 
first semester.’
‘Helped build a constructive, positive 
attitude.’
‘Discovered other students faced the same 
challenges as I did.’

Learning styles and study 
techniques

‘Discovered how best to study using my 
personal learning style.’
‘Helped me study large amounts of work.’
‘Assisted with becoming more effective 
while studying.’

Time management ‘Helped to discover how to make an 
effective study timetable.’
‘Helped to avoid procrastination by using
a study timetable.’
‘Managing study time by writing it down 
in the form of a schedule made a huge 
difference.’

Communication skills and 
critical thinking skills

‘The oral presentation was a very good 
exercise.’
‘I was apprehensive about giving the oral 
presentation, but felt confident afterwards.’
‘Built confidence and helped the group to 
bond.’

Group work, problem-solving 
and conflict management

‘Helped me realise I must take the view-
points of others into consideration.’
‘Made it easier to function in a group.’
‘Helpful – being more considerate and 
mindful of the opinions of others.’

Stress management ‘Helped me identify my stressors and 
helped me cope better with stress.’
‘Discovered techniques to help me deal 
with stress.’
‘Helped, I had been very stressed out when 
I failed.’
‘Realised I could ask for help.’

Test and examination 
management

‘Was useful to discover techniques to 
approach tests and examinations.’
‘Learning key action words to identify 
what examiner is asking for was useful.’
‘Helpful, we could have spent even more 
time on this.’



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June 2017, Vol. 9, No. 2  AJHPE         65

Discussion
In the first part of the survey, students indicated that the skills they had learnt 
during the LLLS module helped them regain their confidence after a demoralis-
ing failure in semester 1. Students learnt to plan and apply time management 
and effective study techniques. They concluded that the following factors played 
a role in increased levels of confidence: (i) the small-group approach with sup-
portive facilitators; (ii) interaction with peers; (iii) class discussions; and (iv) oral 
presentations within the small-group setting of the LLLS module. Stegers- 
Jager et al.[15] reported that participation by students in scheduled learning 
activities was strongly related to academic performance in the first year. A simi-
lar trend was found in the LLLS module. Students who were more conscientious 
regarding attendance outperformed those with poor session attendance. This 
trend was in line with a recent study among medical students in China, which 
showed that student engagement in lectures and recognition that effort needed 
to be put into studies, directly contributed to achievement.[16]

In the second part of the survey, students indicated the generic skills 
development continued to be useful in the academic year that followed, 

as they studied timeously and more effectively. The slower pace at which 
the academic modules within the LDP were presented, was perceived as 
beneficial to students, and they felt their core knowledge in modules such as 
anatomy and physiology had been consolidated during the LDP. Former LDP 
students reported that, once they were back in the mainstream programme, 
their core knowledge of anatomy and physiology compared favourably with 
the levels of knowledge demonstrated by their peers. This insight is a topic 
to be considered in further research, and would justify research into the 
short-, medium- and long-term effects of a short, integrated programme on 
study skills and learning development of 1st-year medical students.

The LDP students of 2013, who were the first group to take the LLLS 
module, were positive about its benefits, and indicated that the skills they 
had learnt during the module had continued to be useful in the subsequent 
academic year. The group of students were aware of the academic challenges 
they had to face in their continued studies, but were more equipped on a 
personal level to deal with the challenges, as they had acquired techniques 
to deal with the academic workload and the accompanying stress. Using the 

Table 3. Beneficial aspects of the key generic skills taught in the LLLS module, 2014
Learning unit Students’ reflection on beneficial aspects

Motivation and self-management ‘Learned about goal setting, to keep being motivated.’
‘Helped benchmark my needs, identified lack of resources.’
‘Made me realise what went wrong last semester.’

Learning styles and study techniques ‘Practical application methods of learning strategies extremely valuable.’
‘I realised I have below average self-acceptance, and am critical of others – things I have to work on.’
‘I learned to improve, implement deep learning, being more effective while studying.’
‘I learned to summarise, formulate questions while learning.’
‘Helped me understand the preparation-teaching-learning-assessment and reflection cycle.’
‘I am more accommodative of people than I was previously.’

Time management ‘I organised my study space, used tips to study more effectively.’
‘I realised how much I procrastinate and how to avoid this.’
‘Managing my study time by planning a schedule.’
‘I learnt that working continuously is better than cramming.’
‘Making a weekly, daily and semester planner helped me to record and plan for tests and assignments, very helpful.’

Communication skills and critical 
thinking skills

‘I learned about written academic submissions, which was worthwhile.’
‘The chance to give an oral presentation in front of a smaller audience was beneficial, and will prepare me for giving a 
presentation in front of a larger audience.’
‘I benefited from having to write a scientific essay and reference it correctly.’
‘I benefited by having some classes with other allied health professionals, such as nurses. This gave me understanding 
and insight.’

Group work, problem-solving and 
conflict management

‘This module’s focus was on the social aspects of ethical dilemmas.’ 
‘The focus on group work is something I appreciated, I saw how my behaviour affects the other members of the group.’
‘I do not enjoy group work, but because of this learning unit, I now know how to take part in group work and 
discussions in a responsible and accountable manner.’
‘Helped me to think outside the box.’
‘I realised that in the medical profession we will be faced with dilemmas, which will need critical thinking.’
‘I found it hard to critically reflect on an article, which worries me. I need to improve this skill.’

Stress management ‘Stress is a constant and chronic problem throughout the medical field and I believe this unit approached it in the 
right way.’
‘I was able to identify how my stress is manifested.’
‘Although this learning unit did help me identify stressors and the symptoms of stress, I still do not know how to manage 
my stress.’

Test and examination management ‘I found that reflecting on a test helped me to prepare for the next test.’
‘It was useful to learn about different kinds of questions and how to approach them.’
‘Good techniques during the test, such as reading the question analytically and identifying the action words, is useful.’



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66         June 2017, Vol. 9, No. 2  AJHPE

goal-orientation theory to design an intervention to reinforce mastering goals 
as a successful outcome, ‘may enhance the effectiveness of medical student 
training’.[17] As indicated earlier by Hommes et al.,[9] collaboration between 
students benefits their performance and influences learning, which was also 
found in the current research, as frequent collaboration between the same 
group of students in the LLLS module strengthened the bond between them, 
and had a positive influence on their confidence and performance. After an 
unsuccessful first semester, students may also have had a better understanding 
of how to avoid pitfalls during assessment at university, which may also have 
played a role in their subsequent academic success.

Conclusion
The students noted the benefits of the remedial LDP, with support from 
facilitators and interaction with their peers within the small group. They 
considered that the slower pace at which the academic modules within 
the LDP were presented had helped them to consolidate core knowledge, 
which became apparent once they were back in the mainstream medical 
programme. The rationale behind the development and introduction 
of the new LLLS module was that recent research, both nationally and 
internationally, indicated that key generic learning skills were contributing 
factors in the academic success of health sciences students. The LLLS 
module was found to have addressed the need for enhanced key generic 
skills among 1st-year medical students who had initially been unsuccessful, 
in line with findings by Burch et al.,[6] who stress that ‘the importance of 
generic skills in underpinning effective learning is increasingly appreciated’.[6] 
The reflections of students made a valuable contribution to understanding how 
the key generic skills can be useful to medical students. The generic skills 
taught were found to supplement the core knowledge component of the LDP 
and promote lifelong learning skills in medical students in their subsequent 
years of study.

Acknowledgements. Dr Daleen Struwig, Faculty of Health Sciences, UFS, for 
technical and editorial preparation of the manuscript.

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