Table 2.

Summary of the active learning modalities for genomic medicine discussed in the text

Role-playing
Advantages	• Students can learn to apply their newly acquired knowledge in a safe environment.
	• The scenario of a case for role-playing is easily adjustable.
	• Students can experience different roles in the clinical scenario.
	• It is cost effective.
Disadvantages	• The activity may lack the sense of a real clinical situation.
	• It requires multiple well trained facilitators to make the learning activity successful.
Efficacies	• Learning to document relevant family history and conduct genetic risk assessment.
	• Developing interpersonal and communication skills
	• Gaining competencies in interprofessional collaborations
	• Understanding the ethical ramifications of genetic test results.
	• Learning the importance of counseling patients with genetic conditions.
Standardized patients
Advantages	• Well-trained standardized patients can create an authentic learning atmosphere.
	• Students can learn to apply their newly acquired knowledge in a safe environment.
	• The clinical scenario is adjustable.
Disadvantages	• Hiring enough well-trained standardized patients could be costly.
	• Since the standardized patient session is generally one-on-one, it is hard to accommodate a large class size.
Efficacies	• Learning to document relevant family history and conduct genetic risk assessment.
	• Developing interpersonal and communication skills.
	• Understanding the ethical ramifications of genetic test results.
	• Learning firsthand the importance of counseling patients with genetic conditions.
Computer-based modules
Advantages	• There is no physical constraint in designing a virtual scenario, therefore it is highly adjustable to the rapidly advancing genomic medicine.
	• The learning format affords flexible scheduling and pacing for learners.
	• It can target a large number of students with different skill levels
	• It is cost effective.
Disadvantages	• It lacks the human encounter
	• It can lack the sense of a real clinical situation.
Efficacies	• Acquisition of technical knowledge in genetic testing.
	• Recognizing the ethical ramifications of genetic test results.
	• Cultivating an attitude for life-long learning
Case-based/problem-based learning
Advantages	• It can highlight the clinical relevance of basic science in disease diagnosis and patient care.
	• Designing cases for problem-based learning is highly adjustable.
	• It can highly motivate students since the learning process is led by students.
Disadvantages	• Group size needs to be relatively small.
	• It requires multiple well-trained facilitators to make the session effective.
Efficacies	• Learning to apply basic genetics concepts to clinical cases.
	• Acquisition of technical knowledge in genetic testing.
	• Learning to document relevant family history and recognize patterns of Mendelian inheritance.
	• Cultivating an attitude for life-long learning
Personal genomic testing and cadaver genomic testing
Personal genomic testing
Advantages	• The use of personal genomic information motivates students to learn.
	• Practical skills to use genomic testing in patient care are obtained through in depth hands-on learning.
	• An extensive array of knowledge for practicing genomic medicine can be obtained.
Disadvantages	• Positive test results and sequence variants of unknown significance can cause psychologically adverse effects on students.
	• Positive test results can cause family issues.
	• Hands-on instruction is labor intensive on instructors and not applicable for a large class size.
	• Genomic testing is expensive.
Efficacies	• Gaining an in-depth understanding of the risks, benefits, and limitations of genomic testing.
	• Learning to recognize pathogenic sequence variants and their inheritance pattern.
	• Increasing confidence in the ability to advise patients on genomic test results.
	• Gaining an in-depth understanding of genomic medicine concepts.
	• Cultivating empathy towards patients with genetic conditions.
	• Understanding the ethical ramifications of genetic test results.
	• Cultivating an attitude for life-long learning.
Cadaver Genomic Testing
Advantages	• There is no concern for psychologically adverse effects on participating students.
	• Students are motivated to learn because of their invested work in cadaver dissection.
	• Students gain an experience in clinical reasoning of genomic testing results in relation to the pathological findings of the cadaver.
Disadvantages	• There could be potential ethical issues such as postmortem disclosure of genetic information.
	• DNA sample preparation from cadaver for sequencing can be technically challenging.
	• Genomic testing is expensive.
Efficacies	• Gaining an understanding of the risks, benefits, and limitations of genomic testing in relation to the known pathological conditions.
	• Learning to recognize pathogenic sequence variants and their inheritance pattern.
	• Learning to recognize that genomic tests require interpretation with respect to the pathogenic condition.
	• Understanding the ethical ramifications of genetic test results
	• Cultivating an attitude for life-long learning