• Peter Iserbyt and Mark Byra.
• Research Group for Physical Activity, Sports & Health, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: peter.iserbyt@faber.kuleuven.be.
• Resuscitation. 2013 Nov 1;84(11):1591-5.

BackgroundResearch investigating design effects of instructional tools for learning Basic Life Support (BLS) is almost non-existent.AimTo demonstrate the design of instructional tools matter. The effect of spatial contiguity, a design principle stating that people learn more deeply when words and corresponding pictures are placed close (i.e., integrated) rather than far from each other on a page was investigated on task cards for learning Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) during reciprocal peer learning.MethodsA randomized controlled trial. A total of 111 students (mean age: 13 years) constituting six intact classes learned BLS through reciprocal learning with task cards. Task cards combine a picture of the skill with written instructions about how to perform it. In each class, students were randomly assigned to the experimental group or the control. In the control, written instructions were placed under the picture on the task cards. In the experimental group, written instructions were placed close to the corresponding part of the picture on the task cards reflecting application of the spatial contiguity principle.ResultsOne-way analysis of variance found significantly better performances in the experimental group for ventilation volumes (P=.03, ηp2=.10) and flow rates (P=.02, ηp2=.10). For chest compression depth, compression frequency, compressions with correct hand placement, and duty cycles no significant differences were found.ConclusionThis study shows that the design of instructional tools (i.e., task cards) affects student learning. Research-based design of learning tools can enhance BLS and CPR education.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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