Abstract
BackgroundAt postgraduate level evidence based medicine (EBM) is currently taught through tutor based lectures. Computer based sessions fit around doctors' workloads, and standardise the quality of educational provision. There have been no randomized controlled trials comparing computer based sessions with traditional lectures at postgraduate level within medicine.MethodsThis was a randomised controlled trial involving six postgraduate education centres in the West Midlands, U.K. Fifty five newly qualified foundation year one doctors (U.S internship equivalent) were randomised to either computer based sessions or an equivalent lecture in EBM and systematic reviews. The change from pre to post-intervention score was measured using a validated questionnaire assessing knowledge (primary outcome) and attitudes (secondary outcome).ResultsBoth groups were similar at baseline. Participants' improvement in knowledge in the computer based group was equivalent to the lecture based group (gain in score: 2.1 [S.D = 2.0] versus 1.9 [S.D = 2.4]; ANCOVA p = 0.078). Attitudinal gains were similar in both groups.ConclusionOn the basis of our findings we feel computer based teaching and learning is as effective as typical lecture based teaching sessions for educating postgraduates in EBM and systematic reviews.
Highlights
At postgraduate level evidence based medicine (EBM) is currently taught through tutor based lectures
Computer based teaching sessions have advantages over lectures: they are more flexible for doctors to fit into their work and learning programme; there is the ability to pause or revisit areas of the session; they have more learner led interaction; hyperlinks and additional materials can be provided instantly for the learner; they address the issue of standardizing the quality of teaching materials across a region; and they deal with the cost and logistical difficulties of specialist lecturers teaching large numbers of students in different locations [1,2]
We developed a questionnaire for pre and post intervention measurements in knowledge and attitudes using previously validated assessment tools for evaluating EBM teaching [15,16,17]
Summary
At postgraduate level evidence based medicine (EBM) is currently taught through tutor based lectures. Computer based teaching sessions have advantages over lectures: they are more flexible for doctors to fit into their work and learning programme; there is the ability to pause or revisit areas of the session; they have more learner led interaction; hyperlinks and additional materials can be provided instantly for the learner; they address the issue of standardizing the quality of teaching materials across a region; and they deal with the cost and logistical difficulties of specialist lecturers teaching large numbers of students in different locations [1,2]. BMC Medical Education 2007, 7:23 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/7/23 by computer based teaching have mainly been at undergraduate level [3,4,5]. Based on adult learning theory internally driven postgraduates may be more likely to adopt computer based teaching more avidly than their undergraduate counterparts who are less worried how they are taught as long as their teaching is assessment focused
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