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Using a digital course in a classroom environment

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This article sets out a number of ways a teacher can use digital Medical English content with their students in a physical classroom. 

Using a digital course with Medical English students makes all kinds of sense. Content is dynamic, multimedia and engaging. It works on all devices, is portable, downloadable and updateable. On the SLC platform, teachers can add their own content, set assignments and discussion forums, leave feedback and reset student work.

However, many teachers haven’t used a digital course before, especially in a classroom with students, so here are some tried and tested strategies and activities they can think about. The examples refer specifically to the Medical English classroom.

Classroom Strategies

  1. Flipped classroom: Set students work to do on the digital course before the classroom lesson takes place. This can be anything from vocabulary to grammar to skills work. Students work individually. You can log in to see their work before the lesson begins. In the classroom, go through the work covered, asking students to contribute answers and ideas. Then practise the target language through quizzes, role plays and problem-solving activities, either from the course or from your materials (which you can upload onto the platform). Students work in small groups and feedback to the classroom. 
  2. Collective answers: Share the course page, either on the whiteboard where everyone can see it, or if not possible, on your and your learners’ devices. Go through the activities together, asking students to take turns to shout answers out for you to input. Submit the answers at the end of the activity and review any errors.
  3. Active integration: Alternate between individual and group tasks to ensure collaboration and change the dynamic in the classroom. For instance, students can work individually on digital activities on their devices and then discuss their answers with a partner.
  4. Maintain a connection to real-life scenarios: Emphasize how the content applies to real-world medical practice. Analyse the clinical communication videos and discuss the language used. Then adapt them in role-plays that reflect hospital or clinic scenarios.
  5. Map to clinical syllabus: Align the order you cover units to match what students are doing in their clinical education – the teaching platform allows you to reorder the content. Discuss any language issues they might encounter when in a clinical environment.
  6. Gamification: Introduce competitive elements like quizzes, races, or team-based challenges based on the course content to make learning more dynamic.
  7. Reflective Practice: Ask students to reflect on their learning, discussing how they can apply medical terminology and communication skills in their future roles. Ask them to keep a learning diary where they make a note of their thoughts and plans.

Classroom Activities

Here are some interactive classroom activities tailored to digital Medical English course content:

  1. Role-Play Scenarios
    • Objective: Practice clinical communication and terminology.
    • Setup: Assign roles such as doctor, nurse, or patient. Use the digital course inputs (e.g. video, audio or transcripts) to set up realistic scenarios.
    • Activity: Students act out the scenario in pairs or small groups, focusing on accurate use of medical terms and appropriate patient communication. Others provide feedback and ideas for improvement at the end. Note the key learning points for everyone.
  1. Diagnostic Discussions
    • Objective: Apply medical terminology to problem-solving.
    • Setup: After completing a section on symptoms or diagnoses, present a related case study.
    • Activity: Students analyse the case in small groups, discussing possible diagnoses and treatments using the vocabulary and phrases from the course.
  1. Interactive Quizzes with a Twist
    • Objective: Reinforce terminology and concepts.
    • Setup: Use multiple-choice or gap-fill activities from the digital course, but adapt them into a quiz game (e.g., “Kahoot!” or a points-based team challenge).
    • Activity: Teams compete to answer correctly, encouraging a lively classroom environment.
  1. Diagram Labelling Race
    • Objective: Enhance understanding of anatomy and medical processes.
    • Setup: Use diagrams from the course and create an interactive labelling task.
    • Activity: Teams race to correctly label diagrams projected on a screen, so encouraging quick recall and collaborative learning.
  1. Patient Case Presentations
    • Objective: Develop clinical communication and presentation skills.
    • Setup: Students prepare short presentations based on scenarios and cases provided in the course.
    • Activity: Each student or group presents their case, explaining symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment in clear medical English. Provide opportunity for peer feedback and then whole class feedback. Note the key learning points.
  1. Group Brainstorming on Hospital Scenarios
    • Objective: Build confidence in hospital communication.
    • Setup: Pose a challenge, e.g. a difficult patient interaction or a multi-disciplinary team meeting.
    • Activity: Groups brainstorm how to respond using appropriate language and terminology, referencing course inputs for support.

Homework or Extension Activities

  • As above, assign a reflective journal where students write about what they learned from the digital course each week and how they can apply it in their medical practice.
  • Create discussion threads or forums on the platform where students can share and discuss research articles or cases relevant to the course content. These can be time-limited or ongoing. 

Incorporating these strategies and activities will not only maintain student engagement but also ensure they develop practical skills for their future roles.

SLC provides free teacher training – both onboarding and ongoing mentoring and advice – for all teachers using our digital courses.

Get in touch for more details and discover how it can work for you and your team.

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