Introduction of social media to aid active-learning in medical teaching

WeChat is one of the most popular social media mobile apps in China. WeChat was introduced to the course of Introduction to Human Health and Disease, as an instant interactive platform to enhance students' learning. Over a period of two years, a WeChat official account (OA) was set up and 157 push notifications were sent per semester. The push notifications included course notices, pre-class thought questions, after-class study materials, simulation exercises, teacher-student interactions, feedback and questions, and research progress relevant to the course. WeChat OA served as an active-learning teaching tool, accelerated further advancement of instant feedback and improvement in teaching activities, improved student-centered communication, and resulted in a high degree of student satisfaction.