A Comparative Study on Traditional and Case Based Teaching Learning Methods and Its Impact on Academic Performance Among First Year Medical Students

Abstract

Background: The goal of medical education is to develop skilled practitioners who are attuned to the health issues faced by the community. Although lectures are commonly employed to impart new information, a drawback is that the audience tends to be passive and may thus become disengaged. Learning is made up of various interconnected components and involves complex mental processes like problem-solving and analytical thinking. The goal of using structured methods and organized resources is to equip students with effective learning tools. This enables them to gain a deep understanding of cognitive processes and develop the relevant skills needed for their careers. Case-Based Learning (CBL) involves examining a health issue presented by a patient, analysing and understanding pertinent details from past cases, systematically exploring and evaluating the situation, and planning the appropriate management for the patient. Materials and methods: The present study was cross sectional case control study conducted in the department of anatomy, Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur, Karnataka, India. Results: A total of 192 first year MBBS students participated in the first session of the study and 172 first year MBBS students participated in the second session of the study. The pre-test and post-test total scores of first and second session shows that students have performed better in CBL group when compared to the traditional lecture method of teaching. In the Critical Thinking Exercise scores of session -1 and 2, CBL group was found to be higher when compared to the traditional lecture group which was statistically significant. Comparison of means of internal assessments scores of CBL and Traditional lecture groups showed that the mean internal assessments score of CBL group was higher compared to Traditional lecture group which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Incorporating case-based learning (CBL) into our medical curriculum as a regular teaching method for large group settings should be considered. The integration of didactic lectures with CBL proves to be an effective educational approach. Positive feedback from both students and faculty suggests that CBL has been successfully introduced in departments like anatomy. However, further research is needed to evaluate how well students learn, understand, and retain the course content to fully support the implementation of this method in large undergraduate classes. KEY WORDS: Case-based learning, Traditional teaching learning methods, Critical thinking.