Medical students' self-appraisal of first-year learning outcomes: use of the course valuing inventory.

The aims of this paper were: to appraise how medical students perceive the meaning and value of their first-year experiences in medical studies, as measured by the Course Valuing Inventory (CVI); and to identify the relationships between the CVI responses and the learners' attributes and expectations. The study involved 282 second-year students of a six-year medical programme over a four-year timeframe. Factor analysis identified five dimensions of CVI responses: worthiness of learning experience, emotional awareness, personal development, cognitive enhancement and task drive. Higher CVI scores related positively and significantly to female gender, stronger self-confidence as a learner, greater motivation to learn, meaning orientation and reflection in learning. The CVI score was the strongest independent predictor of intention to continue the studies as a motivational consequence of first-year learning experience. In addition, a separate test showed significant relationships between the dimensions of CVI responses and the DREEM score (Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure). In conclusion, CVI responses that are more positive are likely to be associated with a quest for meaning, reflection in learning and autonomous motivation, given the relevance of the educational environment for the proximal interests of the students.