Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Poster Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved
Proposal
Although cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, many Canadians are unaware that cancer is a diverse set of diseases that require different diagnostic tools and treatment strategies. Thus, education focusing on cancer research is critical to advance current public conversations around the disease. It is hypothesized that university students immersed in cancer research and education through experiential learning become effective community educators. The Windsor Cancer Research Group (WCRG) offers many experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students by connecting them to local researchers, health care professionals, patients and caretakers. In order to gain more insight into an empirical measure of the training program’s success and needs for improvement, a survey was developed to assess both the transferable skills acquired by student participants of WCRG’s experiential learning opportunities. The results from this study show that these experiences enrich the training of students, reinforces their interest in biomedical careers, encourages them to be community educators, and builds self-efficacy. Student involvement in creating accessible platforms embedded with educational tools for the public, and its impact on patient care, also addresses a clear social need for proper communication about cancer research and the promotion of healthy and safe communities.
Experiential Learning is the Key to Developing Transferable Skills in Cancer Research and Education
Although cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, many Canadians are unaware that cancer is a diverse set of diseases that require different diagnostic tools and treatment strategies. Thus, education focusing on cancer research is critical to advance current public conversations around the disease. It is hypothesized that university students immersed in cancer research and education through experiential learning become effective community educators. The Windsor Cancer Research Group (WCRG) offers many experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students by connecting them to local researchers, health care professionals, patients and caretakers. In order to gain more insight into an empirical measure of the training program’s success and needs for improvement, a survey was developed to assess both the transferable skills acquired by student participants of WCRG’s experiential learning opportunities. The results from this study show that these experiences enrich the training of students, reinforces their interest in biomedical careers, encourages them to be community educators, and builds self-efficacy. Student involvement in creating accessible platforms embedded with educational tools for the public, and its impact on patient care, also addresses a clear social need for proper communication about cancer research and the promotion of healthy and safe communities.