A prospective study of medical students' perspective of teaching-learning media: reiterating the importance of feedback.
To enhance successful communication, medical teachers are increasingly using teaching-learning media. To determine medical students' perception of three such media (blackboard, overhead projector, and slides), and to generate recommendations for their optimal use, a prospective questionnaire-based study was carried out among 7th semester medical students of the University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi. Students made a forced choice between: (1) The three media on 8 questions regarding their advantages and disadvantages and (2) four aspects of a lecture (teaching-learning media, topic, teacher and time of day) regarding which made the lecture most engaging. Resulting data was analysed by Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Chalk and blackboard was rated as best in allowing interaction and helping recall (p<0.001 each). The overhead projector was best in providing information pointwise (p<0.001; 67 students, 89.3%, considered this an advantage). More subject matter could be covered per lecture (p=0.001; 58 students, 77.3%, considered this a disadvantage). Slides were best in imparting clinical details (p=0.004), but were sleep inducing (p<0.001). The teacher's style of instruction was most important in making the lecture engaging (p<0.001). The teacher's role in the learning process is important. Students enjoy the slow pace and interaction allowed by blackboard, pointwise information presented by the overhead projector, and the clinical details a slide can provide. The results suggest that the lecture could best be a combination of two or more teaching-learning media. Students' interaction should be encouraged whatever the media used.
Dhaliwal
Upreet
U
Department of Ophthalmology, University College of Medical Sciences, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi.
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D018961:Educational Technology; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching