A Computer-Assisted, Real-Time Feedback System for Medical Students as a Tool for Web-Based Learning

Abstract

Objectives Medical students sometimes do not receive proper feedback from their instructors. This study evaluated a newly developed automated and personalized real-time feedback system intended to address this issue. Methods Third- and fourth-year medical students participated in quizzes focusing on 17 learning objectives and a five-scale survey that queried their prior knowledge related to blood transfusions. Immediately after completing the quizzes, the students received automated and personalized, real-time feedback and were instructed to take part in self-directed learning. This activity was followed by a final quiz. After completion of the final quiz, the students responded to the five-scale survey that probed the usefulness of and satisfaction with the automated, personalized, real-time feedback system. Results Eighty students took part in this study. The third-year group had a higher score for prior knowledge and also on the first quiz (P= 0.008, P= 0.046, respectively). There was no significant difference in final quiz scores between the third- and fourth-year groups (P= 0.633). The scores for usefulness of and satisfaction with the automated, real-time feedback system were 4.45 and 4.34, and 4.55 and 4.40 in the third- and fourth-year students, respectively. Conclusions The automated, personalized, real-time feedback system provided timely and effective feedback for medical students and was helpful for their self-directed learning.