Outcomes of Learning and Forgetting for the Undergraduate in Disaster Medicine Education by Blended Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction:Blended learning has been proven to support the teaching of various concepts across disciplines. This study aims to investigate the impact of the traditional blended teaching mode (self-study online and face-to-face consultation) on the undergraduate’s learning of disaster skills, and compared with face-to-face consultation, explore the influence of new mode (tutoring manipulation online) on the acquisition and forgetting of knowledge in disaster medicine based on the blended learning.Method:A prospective cohort study method was used. The two semesters in a school year adopted different blended teaching models for 8 weeks. In the first term, students conducted disaster theoretical knowledge before class through an Online Course created by our team. In class, teachers guided training about response and preparedness (face-to-face consultation). Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, a new training model was adopted (tutoring manipulation online) in the second term. Three knowledge tests were conducted before class, after class, and six months after the end of the term. An accuracy rate difference was defined between the second and first as correct improvement rate (CIR), and the difference between the second and third as forgetting rate (FR).Results:Seventy-five students were included in the traditional group, and 64 students were included in the new group. The three results in traditional group were (0.38±0.11) %, (0.65±0.11) %, (0.56±0.13) %,and (0.49±0.15) %, (0.71±0.13) %, (0.60±0.12) % in new group. The mean scores after 6 months on both groups were lower than at the end of the term (Ptraditional <0.001, Pnew =0.010). The new group had a higher accuracy rate on all tests than the traditional group (P <0.01).Conclusion:Traditional blended learning models can improve students’ performance in disaster training and deepen knowledge memory. The new blended model may replace the traditional model for disaster training during the Covid-19 pandemic.