Application of small private online course in lymphoma clinical teaching for medical undergraduates

Abstract

Objective To explore integrated teaching based on small private online course (SPOC) in lymphoma clinical courses for medical undergraduates. Methods A total of 60 medical undergraduates in the department of hematology were randomly allocated to SPOC teaching group (n=30) and problem-based learning (PBL) teaching group (n=30) according to scores of the basic medical theoretical examination for lymphoma clinical courses education. After teaching activities, personal experiences were evaluated by anonymous questionnaires from medical undergraduates and instructors. Besides teaching efficacies assessed by objectively measurable score system including academic examination scores, clinical skill and capabilities in analyzing clinical problems of students, were systematically analyzed and compared between two groups by SPSS 19.0. Results The survey results showed that compared with PBL teaching group, SPOC teaching group had higher teaching feedback evaluation and better teaching experience, and SPOC were widely rec-ognized by teachers and students. The SPOC teaching group's scores of the three items in the exam were better than those of the PBL teaching group, with the academic achievement [(84.03±7.66) vs. (77.60± 8.22), P=0.005], the performance of practical skills [(87.83±8.17) vs. (81.97±6.13), P=0.001], and case analysis results[(88.17±6.53) vs. (80.10±6.91), P=0.000], and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion Integrated teaching based on SPOC is feasible for lymphoma clinical courses, which can trigger interest of students, enhance learning abilities and their clinical capabilities. Moreover, this novel medical education approach may provide new ideas and theoretical basis in training qualified and talent doctors. Key words: Small private online course (SPOC); Problem-based learning (PBL); Lymphoma; Clinical teaching