OBJECTIVES: To determine whether computer-assisted learning (CAL) is an effective tool for the instruction of technical skills. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective blinded randomized-control trial conducted on a cohort of 47 first-year medical students. METHODS: Students were instructed on two techniques of nasal packing (formal nasal pack and nasal tampon) for the management of epistaxis, using either a standard text-based article or a novel computer-based learning module. Students were evaluated on proper nasal packing technique using standardized subjective and objective outcome measures by three board-certified otolaryngologists. Blind assessments took place prior to and following instruction, using the assigned learning modality. RESULTS: There were 47 participants enrolled in the study. Both groups demonstrated improvement in performance of both packing procedures following training. A significant post-training difference favoring CAL learners over text-based learners was observed, using the global assessment of skill for both packing techniques (P < .001). Additionally, a significant post-training difference favoring CAL learners over text-based learners was observed for all checklist items for the tampon pack and five of eight items on the formal pack checklist. The vast majority of students (94.6%) indicated that if given the choice, they would prefer to learn using CAL rather than by using text-based learning materials. CONCLUSIONS: CAL learners demonstrated significantly greater improvement across both subjective and objective outcome measures when compared to the text-based group. Additionally, students favored learning via the CAL modality, which further suggests that CAL is a valuable means of imparting procedural knowledge to novice medical trainees.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether computer-assisted learning (CAL) is an effective tool for the instruction of technical skills. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective blinded randomized-control trial conducted on a cohort of 47 first-year medical students. METHODS: Students were instructed on two techniques of nasal packing (formal nasal pack and nasal tampon) for the management of epistaxis, using either a standard text-based article or a novel computer-based learning module. Students were evaluated on proper nasal packing technique using standardized subjective and objective outcome measures by three board-certified otolaryngologists. Blind assessments took place prior to and following instruction, using the assigned learning modality. RESULTS: There were 47 participants enrolled in the study. Both groups demonstrated improvement in performance of both packing procedures following training. A significant post-training difference favoring CAL learners over text-based learners was observed, using the global assessment of skill for both packing techniques (P < .001). Additionally, a significant post-training difference favoring CAL learners over text-based learners was observed for all checklist items for the tampon pack and five of eight items on the formal pack checklist. The vast majority of students (94.6%) indicated that if given the choice, they would prefer to learn using CAL rather than by using text-based learning materials. CONCLUSIONS: CAL learners demonstrated significantly greater improvement across both subjective and objective outcome measures when compared to the text-based group. Additionally, students favored learning via the CAL modality, which further suggests that CAL is a valuable means of imparting procedural knowledge to novice medical trainees.
Authors: Kristine Rasmussen; José Marcano Belisario; Petra A Wark; Joseph Antonio Molina; Stewart Lee Loong; Ziva Cotic; Nikos Papachristou; Eva Riboli-Sasco; Lorainne Tudor Car; Eve Marie Musulanov; Holger Kunz; Yanfeng Zhang; Pradeep Paul George; Bee Hoon Heng; Erica Lynette Wheeler; Najeeb Al Shorbaji; Igor Svab; Rifat Atun; Azeem Majeed; Josip Car Journal: J Glob Health Date: 2014-06 Impact factor: 4.413