BMC medical education
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BMC medical education · Jan 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effects of laryngeal mask airway passage simulation training on the acquisition of undergraduate clinical skills: a randomised controlled trial.
Effective use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) requires learning proper insertion technique in normal patients undergoing routine surgical procedures. However, there is a move towards simulation training for learning practical clinical skills, such as LMA placement. The evidence linking different amounts of mannequin simulation training to the undergraduate clinical skill of LMA placement in real patients is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness in vivo of two LMA placement simulation courses of different durations. ⋯ The results suggest that the value of extended mannequin simulation training in the case of LMA placement is limited. Educators considering simulation for the training of practical skills should reflect on the extent to which the in vitro simulation mimics the skill required and the degree of difficulty of the procedure.
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BMC medical education · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialA prospective randomized trial of content expertise versus process expertise in small group teaching.
Effective teaching requires an understanding of both what (content knowledge) and how (process knowledge) to teach. While previous studies involving medical students have compared preceptors with greater or lesser content knowledge, it is unclear whether process expertise can compensate for deficient content expertise. Therefore, the objective of our study was to compare the effect of preceptors with process expertise to those with content expertise on medical students' learning outcomes in a structured small group environment. ⋯ When preceptors are physicians, content expertise is not a prerequisite to teach first year medical students within a structured small group environment; preceptors with process expertise result in at least equivalent, if not superior, student outcomes in this setting.
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BMC medical education · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialInvolvement in teaching improves learning in medical students: a randomized cross-over study.
Peer-assisted learning has many purported benefits including preparing students as educators, improving communication skills and reducing faculty teaching burden. But comparatively little is known about the effects of teaching on learning outcomes of peer educators in medical education. ⋯ Our results suggest that involvement in teaching small group sessions improves medical students' knowledge acquisition and retention.
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BMC medical education · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effectiveness of a clinically integrated e-learning course in evidence-based medicine: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
To evaluate the educational effects of a clinically integrated e-learning course for teaching basic evidence-based medicine (EBM) among postgraduates compared to a traditional lecture-based course of equivalent content. ⋯ A clinically integrated e-learning course was at least as effective as a traditional lecture based course and was well accepted. Being less costly than traditional teaching and allowing for more independent learning through materials that can be easily updated, there is a place for incorporating e-learning into postgraduate EBM curricula that offer on-the-job training for just-in-time learning.
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BMC medical education · Jan 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialElectronic voting to encourage interactive lectures: a randomised trial.
Electronic Voting Systems have been used for education in a variety of disciplines. Outcomes from these studies have been mixed. Because results from these studies have been mixed, we examined whether an EVS system could enhance a lecture's effect on educational outcomes. ⋯ In this setting, EVS technology used in large group lectures did not offer significant advantages over the more traditional lecture format.