Profiling of Learners in Medical Schools as a Move Toward Precision Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Academic experiences seek to get the best out of learners, maximizing performance and developing the skills and competencies needed to foster lifelong learning. The more personalized and tailored the academic experience among learners, the better the outcome. Precision education is a novel approach to research and practice, which is concerned with identifying and tailoring education to the precise needs of the learner. An emerging area of precision education is using data to develop learner profiles for a better understanding of individual learners relative to the characteristics and competencies of lifelong learners. Objective: This scoping review aims to identify literature that reports on profiling learners within medical schools. Our review, as described in this paper, will describe the characteristics being measured, the methods and data sources used to generate profiles, and the resulting profiles that emerge. This review aims to provide guidance to those supporting medical school learners on the current state of learner profiling. Methods: This scoping review will use the Population, Concept, and Context framework, published by Joanna Briggs Institute, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The search strategy was developed in collaboration with a library specialist. An initial search was conducted in PubMed, ERIC, Google Scholar, Cochrane, CINAHL, and SCOPUS. Data will be extracted, and 2 authors will undertake the screening procedure using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Results: The database searches yielded 166 results, and title and abstract screening of 135 extracted articles is currently underway after eliminating 31 duplicates. We anticipate the scoping review to be completed in the first week of October 2022. The final scoping review will present the findings in a narrative and pictorial fashion. Conclusions: This review will help guide scholars looking to understand the current state of learner profiling within medical schools.