12 tips to hear the voices of introverts in medical education … and to improve the learning climate for everyone

Abstract

Small group, highly interactive teaching is growing in popularity, making medical school stacked in favor of the extraverted student. The resulting discomfort experienced by introverted students is well documented and troubling. Not just for their wellbeing, but also for the educational climate as a whole. Everyone misses out on learning opportunities when a group of students is not heard or feels uncomfortable to speak up. In this piece, we offer twelve tips to create a safe and comfortable learning environment for all students, regardless of where they find themselves on the introvert-extravert continuum. In these tips we will focus on self-knowledge and perceptions of silence, didactic strategies and learning activities, starting a conversation to become more aware of differences and reflect on them, training for introverted students and fair assessment.

Keywords

• inclusivity
• educational strategies
• curriculum design
• assessment
• classroom management
• education
• teachers
• students
• faculty development
• reflection