The value of an e-learning bundle in the acquisition of a clinical skill : exploring the perceptions of third-year medical students at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction: The influence of e-learning and blended learning approaches (such as flipped classrooms) on the assimilation of theoretical knowledge has been studied extensively. However, health professions education requires not only the acquisition of theoretical knowledge but also the ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with clinical psychomotor skills to graduate as a clinically competent healthcare practitioner. While it is challenging to teach clinical psychomotor skills online, the cognitive component as well as practical demonstrations can be addressed in a flipped classroom scenario. This study aimed to determine how valuable students found an e-learning bundle on the administration of injections in preparation for a face-to-face contact session on the same topic. Materials and methods: Forty-one of 133 third-year medical students undergoing the Internal Medicine rotation participated in the study. They had to have completed the e-learning bundle on injections, attended the face-to-face contact session and completed an online medical e-learning evaluation questionnaire within 72 hours thereafter. Results: The students indicated that they had found the e-learning bundle to be extremely valuable in their preparation for the contact session, with a mean score of 9 out of a possible 10. The students also reported positively on the content, the relevance for their level of training and their overall enjoyment of the bundle. The students identified some barriers, namely not having enough time for preparation within a very full curriculum and experiencing technical difficulties such as slow loading and incompatible video formats. Discussion: Using an e-learning bundle in preparation for a contact session seems to be beneficial before actually practising the skills. By creating protected time for the students to complete the online learning related to clinical skills, the face-to-face contact sessions can be more focused on the actual psychomotor component, resulting in more time for deliberate practice in the Simulation and Clinical Skills Unit (SCSU). The latter has been proven to improve performance in clinical skills in real-life scenarios.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Die invloed van e-leer en gemengde leerbenaderings (soos omgekeerde klaskamers) op die assimilasie van teoretiese kennis is breedvoerig bestudeer. Onderwys in gesondheidsberoepe vereis egter nie net die inwin van teoretiese kennis nie maar ook die vermoë om teoretiese kennis met kliniese psigomotoriese vaardighede te integreer om as ‘n klinies bevoegde gesondheidswerker te kwalifiseer. Alhoewel dit uitdagend is om kliniese psigomotoriese vaardighede aanlyn aan te leer kan die kognitiewe komponent sowel as praktiese demonstrasies in ‘n omgekeerde klaskamer-scenario aangespreek word. Hierdie studie was daarop gemik om vas te stel hoe waardevol studente ‘n e-leer bundel oor die toediening van inspuitings gevind het ter voorbereiding van 'n aangesig-tot-aangesig kontakgeleentheid oor dieselfde onderwerp. Materiaal en metodes: Een-en-veertig van 133 derdejaar mediese studente wie die rotasie van Interne Geneeskunde ondergaan het aan die studie deelgeneem. Hulle moes die e-leer bundel oor inspuitings voltooi het, die aangesig-tot-aangesig kontakgeleentheid bywoon en binne 72 uur daarna ‘n aanlyn mediese e-leer evalueringsvraelys voltooi. Resultate: Die studente het aangedui dat hulle die e-leer bundel uiters waardevol gevind het in hul voorbereiding vir die kontaksessie, met ‘n gemiddelde telling van 9 uit 'n moontlike 10. Die studente het ook positief gerapporteer oor die inhoud, die relevansie vir hul vlak van opleiding en hulle algehele genieting van die bundel. Die studente het ‘n paar hindernisse geïdentifiseer, naamlik dat hulle nie genoeg tyd gehad het vir voorbereiding binne ‘n baie vol kurrikulum nie en tegniese probleme ondervind het, soos stadige laaityd en onversoenbare videoformate. Bespreking: Die gebruik van ‘n e-leer bundel as voorbereiding vir ‘n kontaksessie blyk voordelig te wees voordat die vaardighede geoefen word. Deur die beskerming van tyd vir studente om die aanlynleer wat met kliniese vaardighede gepaard gaan te voltooi, kan die aangesig-tot-aangesig kontakgeleenthede meer gefokus word op die werklike psigomotoriese komponent, wat meer tyd vir doelbewuste oefening in die Simulasie- en Kliniese Vaardighede-eenheid (SKVE) tot gevolg het. Laasgenoemde het bewys dat dit die prestasie in kliniese vaardighede in werklike scenario’s verbeter.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Medicine -- Study and teaching -- South Africa, Clinical competence -- South Africa, Blended learning -- South Africa, Flipped classrooms -- South Africa, Medicine -- Study and teaching -- South Africa, Medical education -- South Africa, Web-based instruction -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation