Linda Hutchinson provides a good overview of Educational Environment
(ABC of learning and teaching, BMJ 2003;326:810-2). Genn (2001) and Harden
(2001) have also highlighted the importance of understanding the
environment for effective management of the learning development and
change within the health professions. Stimulated by their suggestions for
action research (Genn and Harden 1986), we ( Roff and McAleer, 1997)
developed the 50-item Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM)
using a panel of nearly 100 medical educators from around the world. The
inventory was validated by over 1000 students world-wide and is now being
used widely in order to measure and 'diagnose' undergraduate educational
climates in the health professions, habing been translated into Spanish,
Portuguese, Arabic, Swedish, Norwegian, Malay and Thai and used in several
settings including the Middle East (Al-Qahtani, 1999), Thailand
(Primparyon et al, 2000), Nepal and Nigeria (Roff et al, 2001). It is
currently being used in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Norway, Sweden, Venezuela, Brazil, the West Indies, Sri Lanka,
Oman and the Yemen.
The DREEM gives a global score (out of 200) for the 50 items, and has
five sub-scales relating to Students’ Perceptions of Learning; Students
Perceptions of Teachers; Students’ Academic Self-Perceptions; Students’
Perceptions of Atmosphere; Students’ Social Self-perceptions. It has a
consistently high reliability and data can be collected and analysed
according to variables such as year of study; gender; courses/attachments
We have also developed the Postgraduate Hospital Education
Environment Measure (PHEEM) with our graduate student Dr Alyson Skinner.
Another of our graduate students, Dr Miles Holt, has developed the
Anaesthetic Theatre Teaching Environment Measure (ATTEM) and Dr Kevin
Cassar has developed an inventory for Basic Surgical Trainees. The PHEEM
has been translated into Dutch for administration in the Netherlands and
is about to be used in the USA and Australia.
The DREEM has been recommended to the 30 UK medical schools by the Council
of Heads of Medical Schools and at least two schools have begun to
administer it.. The PHEEM has been recommended by the Council of
Postgraduate Medical Deans of the United Kingdom. They are now available
for electronic administration – please contact us at s.l.roff@dundee.ac.uk
or j.p.g.mcaleer@dundee.ac.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Sue Roff
Centre for Medical Education,
Dundee University Medical School,
Dundee, DD2 1LR Scotland
References:
Al-Qahtani MF, Approaches to Study and Learning Environment in Medical
Schools with Special Reference to the Gulf Countries, A thesis presented
for the PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of
Dundee December 1999
Bharat Bassaw, Sue Roff, Sean McAleer, Syam Roopnarinesingh, Jerome
de Lisle, Surujpaul Teelucksingh and Shireen Gopaul, Students’
perspectives of the Educational Environment, Faculty of Medical Sciences,
Trinidad, submitted early 2002
Genn JM (2001) AMEE Medical Education Guide No.23 (Part 1):
Curriculum, environment, climate, quality and change in medical education
- a unifying perspective. Medical Teacher 23(4) 337-344
Genn JM and Harden RM (1986) What is medical education here really
like?: Suggestions for action research studies of climates of medical
education environments. Medical Teacher 8(2);111-124
Harden RM (2001) The learning environment and the curriculum Medical
Teacher 335-336
Primparyon P, Roff S, McAleer S, Poonchai B and Pemba S (2000)
Educational environment, student approaches to learning and academic
achievement in a Thai nursing school Medical Teacher 22;4:359-365
Roff S, McAleer S, Harden RM, Al-Qahtani M, Ahmed AU, Deza H,
Groenen G and Primparyon P (1997) Development and validation of the Dundee
Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) Medical Teacher 19;4: 295-9
Roff S, McAleer S, Ifere OS, and Bhattacharya S (2001) A global
diagnostic tool for measuring educational environment: comparing Nigeria
and Nepal (2001) Medical Teacher 23;4 378- 382
Roff S, McAleer S, Skinner A, Development and validation of an
instrument to measure the postgraduate clinical learning and teaching
educational environment for hospital-based junior doctors in the UK
(submitted early 2002)
Till H, Roff S and McAleer S Identifying the Strengths and Weaknesses
of a New Curriculum by Means of the DREEM Inventory AMEE Poster 2002
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
22 April 2003
sue r roff
senior research fellow
Centre for Medical Education, Dundee University Medical School DD2 1LR
Rapid Response:
Measuring Education Environment
Dear Sir
Linda Hutchinson provides a good overview of Educational Environment
(ABC of learning and teaching, BMJ 2003;326:810-2). Genn (2001) and Harden
(2001) have also highlighted the importance of understanding the
environment for effective management of the learning development and
change within the health professions. Stimulated by their suggestions for
action research (Genn and Harden 1986), we ( Roff and McAleer, 1997)
developed the 50-item Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM)
using a panel of nearly 100 medical educators from around the world. The
inventory was validated by over 1000 students world-wide and is now being
used widely in order to measure and 'diagnose' undergraduate educational
climates in the health professions, habing been translated into Spanish,
Portuguese, Arabic, Swedish, Norwegian, Malay and Thai and used in several
settings including the Middle East (Al-Qahtani, 1999), Thailand
(Primparyon et al, 2000), Nepal and Nigeria (Roff et al, 2001). It is
currently being used in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Norway, Sweden, Venezuela, Brazil, the West Indies, Sri Lanka,
Oman and the Yemen.
The DREEM gives a global score (out of 200) for the 50 items, and has
five sub-scales relating to Students’ Perceptions of Learning; Students
Perceptions of Teachers; Students’ Academic Self-Perceptions; Students’
Perceptions of Atmosphere; Students’ Social Self-perceptions. It has a
consistently high reliability and data can be collected and analysed
according to variables such as year of study; gender; courses/attachments
We have also developed the Postgraduate Hospital Education
Environment Measure (PHEEM) with our graduate student Dr Alyson Skinner.
Another of our graduate students, Dr Miles Holt, has developed the
Anaesthetic Theatre Teaching Environment Measure (ATTEM) and Dr Kevin
Cassar has developed an inventory for Basic Surgical Trainees. The PHEEM
has been translated into Dutch for administration in the Netherlands and
is about to be used in the USA and Australia.
The DREEM has been recommended to the 30 UK medical schools by the Council
of Heads of Medical Schools and at least two schools have begun to
administer it.. The PHEEM has been recommended by the Council of
Postgraduate Medical Deans of the United Kingdom. They are now available
for electronic administration – please contact us at s.l.roff@dundee.ac.uk
or j.p.g.mcaleer@dundee.ac.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Sue Roff
Centre for Medical Education,
Dundee University Medical School,
Dundee, DD2 1LR Scotland
References:
Al-Qahtani MF, Approaches to Study and Learning Environment in Medical
Schools with Special Reference to the Gulf Countries, A thesis presented
for the PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of
Dundee December 1999
Bharat Bassaw, Sue Roff, Sean McAleer, Syam Roopnarinesingh, Jerome
de Lisle, Surujpaul Teelucksingh and Shireen Gopaul, Students’
perspectives of the Educational Environment, Faculty of Medical Sciences,
Trinidad, submitted early 2002
Genn JM (2001) AMEE Medical Education Guide No.23 (Part 1):
Curriculum, environment, climate, quality and change in medical education
- a unifying perspective. Medical Teacher 23(4) 337-344
Genn JM and Harden RM (1986) What is medical education here really
like?: Suggestions for action research studies of climates of medical
education environments. Medical Teacher 8(2);111-124
Harden RM (2001) The learning environment and the curriculum Medical
Teacher 335-336
Primparyon P, Roff S, McAleer S, Poonchai B and Pemba S (2000)
Educational environment, student approaches to learning and academic
achievement in a Thai nursing school Medical Teacher 22;4:359-365
Roff S, McAleer S, Harden RM, Al-Qahtani M, Ahmed AU, Deza H,
Groenen G and Primparyon P (1997) Development and validation of the Dundee
Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) Medical Teacher 19;4: 295-9
Roff S, McAleer S, Ifere OS, and Bhattacharya S (2001) A global
diagnostic tool for measuring educational environment: comparing Nigeria
and Nepal (2001) Medical Teacher 23;4 378- 382
Roff S, McAleer S, Skinner A, Development and validation of an
instrument to measure the postgraduate clinical learning and teaching
educational environment for hospital-based junior doctors in the UK
(submitted early 2002)
Till H, Roff S and McAleer S Identifying the Strengths and Weaknesses
of a New Curriculum by Means of the DREEM Inventory AMEE Poster 2002
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests