A Spiral And Discipline-Oriented Curriculum In Medical Imaging

This contribution describes and evaluates an experimental combination of a spiral and discipline-oriented curriculum implemented in the bachelor’s and master’s program in Medicine and Technology. The implementation in the master’s program is in the form of a study line in Medical Imaging and Radiation Physics containing three disciplines: Imaging modalities, Radiation therapy and Image processing. The two imaging courses in the bachelor’s program and the first imaging course in the master’s program follow a spiral curriculum in which most disciplines are encountered in all courses, but in a gradually more advanced manner. The remaining courses in the master’s program follow a discipline-oriented curriculum. From a practical point of view, the spiral course portfolio works well in an undergraduate environment, where the courses involved are to be taken by all students and in the order planned. However, in the master’s program, such a tight schedule is impractical since students are likely to seek specialization. From a pedagogical point of view, the spiral curriculum is advantageous to use in the initial semesters where the teaching can be conducted so that the students can build on their intuitive understanding of the subject. The program was evaluated in terms of the progression in scientific demands in exam from course to course and in terms of the pattern of course selection by the students. The analysis was based on 96 students. The pattern of course selection was found to follow the intentions of the program, thus demonstrating high fulfillment of the learning outcomes.