Using Narratives to Teach Students Enrolled in Science and Medical Science Bachelor's Degree Programs

Introduction: Narratives (as opposed to stories) can assess multiple facets of the same problem through the viewpoints of different characters.

Methods: Narratives related to three cancer patients, from diagnosis to cure or death, were used to teach seven cancer-related themes in a Cancer Pathology course offered to third-year medical science and science (college) undergraduates.

Results: The majority of students preferred narrative-based learning compared with traditional learning methods because they felt that it improved their learning experience and retention of information.

Conclusion: Narrative-based learning may improve the learning experience of students by contextualizing complex concepts and highlighting real-world applications of knowledge.