title: Peer teaching: a randomised controlled trial using student-teachers to teach musculoskeletal ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study (a post-intervention assessment) was designed to assess the effectiveness of peer-assisted learning (PAL) using student-teachers (STs) with limited training to teach complicated technical skills for interpreting ultrasound images of the shoulder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students in Years 3 and 4 of medical school were randomly assigned to two groups. In the PAL group (PG), teaching was delivered by a group of nine STs from Years 3 and 4, who undertook a 30-minute general training and 1 week of self-teaching. In the staff-led group (SG), students were taught by a group of three ultrasound-experienced doctors. Exposure took place in two separate lessons (each of 120 minutes) and introduced eight standard sectional planes (EULAR) using a 10-MHz Nemio XG system (Toshiba Medical Systems GmbH). The theoretical and practical learning outcomes were tested using a multiple-choice question (MCQ) test and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Qualitative differences were evaluated using Likert scale-based items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluation of differences between the PG (n = 75) and SG (n = 76) in the theoretical (MCQ score; P = 0.644) and practical (total OSCE score; P = 0.133) outcomes showed no difference between the two groups. However, the STs themselves showed significantly better results overall (P < 0.05). Staff members were rated more highly than STs, especially on items relating to competence (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complicated technical skills can be adequately taught to students using the PAL system by STs with limited training. Self-teaching learning strategies are successful in contexts of limited teacher training. However, despite positive objective results, STs still face prejudice from students with regard to competency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. mknobe@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knobe
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Münker
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Sellei
authors.forename: Malte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holschen
authors.forename: Saskia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mooij
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Rohlfing
authors.forename: Fritz-Uwe
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Niethard
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pape
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010379:Peer Group; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult