Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
Background: Despite acquiring vast content knowledge about the functioning of the human body through university teaching, medical students struggle to transfer that knowledge to one of the core disciplinary practices – differential diagnosis. The authors aimed to overcome this problem by implementin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
F1000 Research Ltd
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | MedEdPublish |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://mededpublish.org/articles/12-61/v2 |
| _version_ | 1797943214837071872 |
|---|---|
| author | Christian Fässler Christian Marc Schmied Tanmay Sinha Manu Kapur Jörg Goldhahn |
| author_facet | Christian Fässler Christian Marc Schmied Tanmay Sinha Manu Kapur Jörg Goldhahn |
| author_sort | Christian Fässler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Despite acquiring vast content knowledge about the functioning of the human body through university teaching, medical students struggle to transfer that knowledge to one of the core disciplinary practices – differential diagnosis. The authors aimed to overcome this problem by implementing computer-based virtual environment simulations in medical education courses. Methods: In an experimental study, the authors compared problem-solving in medical computer-based virtual environment simulations prior to instruction with an instruction-first approach. They compared the effects on isomorphic testing and transfer performance of clinical knowledge and clinical reasoning skills as well as evoked learning mechanisms. The study took place in spring 2021 with undergraduate medical students in the scope of a medical trajectory course. Due to Corona-Virus-19 measures participants completed all study activities remotely from home. Results: The authors did not find any learning activity sequence to be superior to the other. However, when looking at the two learning activities individually, they found that problem-solving in computer-based virtual environment simulations and direct instruction might be equally effective for learning content knowledge. Nevertheless, problem-solving in computer-based virtual environment simulations with formative feedback might be more effective for learning clinical reasoning skills than mere instruction. Conclusions: The findings indicate that problem-solving in computer-based virtual environment simulations might be more effective for learning clinical reasoning skills than mere theoretical instruction. The present study has a high level of ecological validity because it took place in a realistic setting where students had to perform all learning and testing tasks autonomously. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:20:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-20704e8db2424b4788441072be307689 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2312-7996 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:20:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | MedEdPublish |
| spelling | doaj.art-20704e8db2424b4788441072be3076892023-01-26T01:00:00ZengF1000 Research LtdMedEdPublish2312-79962023-01-011220857Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]Christian Fässler0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3282-7913Christian Marc Schmied1Tanmay Sinha2Manu Kapur3Jörg Goldhahn4Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, SwitzerlandDepartment of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, SwitzerlandDepartment of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, SwitzerlandDepartment of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, SwitzerlandDepartment of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, SwitzerlandBackground: Despite acquiring vast content knowledge about the functioning of the human body through university teaching, medical students struggle to transfer that knowledge to one of the core disciplinary practices – differential diagnosis. The authors aimed to overcome this problem by implementing computer-based virtual environment simulations in medical education courses. Methods: In an experimental study, the authors compared problem-solving in medical computer-based virtual environment simulations prior to instruction with an instruction-first approach. They compared the effects on isomorphic testing and transfer performance of clinical knowledge and clinical reasoning skills as well as evoked learning mechanisms. The study took place in spring 2021 with undergraduate medical students in the scope of a medical trajectory course. Due to Corona-Virus-19 measures participants completed all study activities remotely from home. Results: The authors did not find any learning activity sequence to be superior to the other. However, when looking at the two learning activities individually, they found that problem-solving in computer-based virtual environment simulations and direct instruction might be equally effective for learning content knowledge. Nevertheless, problem-solving in computer-based virtual environment simulations with formative feedback might be more effective for learning clinical reasoning skills than mere instruction. Conclusions: The findings indicate that problem-solving in computer-based virtual environment simulations might be more effective for learning clinical reasoning skills than mere theoretical instruction. The present study has a high level of ecological validity because it took place in a realistic setting where students had to perform all learning and testing tasks autonomously.https://mededpublish.org/articles/12-61/v2Clinical knowledge clinical reasoning skills learning activity sequencing problem-solving prior to instruction situated learning transfereng |
| spellingShingle | Christian Fässler Christian Marc Schmied Tanmay Sinha Manu Kapur Jörg Goldhahn Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] MedEdPublish Clinical knowledge clinical reasoning skills learning activity sequencing problem-solving prior to instruction situated learning transfer eng |
| title | Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full | Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_fullStr | Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_short | Problem-solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education: An experimental study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_sort | problem solving in virtual environment simulations prior to direct instruction for differential diagnosis in medical education an experimental study version 2 peer review 2 approved |
| topic | Clinical knowledge clinical reasoning skills learning activity sequencing problem-solving prior to instruction situated learning transfer eng |
| url | https://mededpublish.org/articles/12-61/v2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christianfassler problemsolvinginvirtualenvironmentsimulationspriortodirectinstructionfordifferentialdiagnosisinmedicaleducationanexperimentalstudyversion2peerreview2approved AT christianmarcschmied problemsolvinginvirtualenvironmentsimulationspriortodirectinstructionfordifferentialdiagnosisinmedicaleducationanexperimentalstudyversion2peerreview2approved AT tanmaysinha problemsolvinginvirtualenvironmentsimulationspriortodirectinstructionfordifferentialdiagnosisinmedicaleducationanexperimentalstudyversion2peerreview2approved AT manukapur problemsolvinginvirtualenvironmentsimulationspriortodirectinstructionfordifferentialdiagnosisinmedicaleducationanexperimentalstudyversion2peerreview2approved AT jorggoldhahn problemsolvinginvirtualenvironmentsimulationspriortodirectinstructionfordifferentialdiagnosisinmedicaleducationanexperimentalstudyversion2peerreview2approved |