title: Comparing three experiential learning methods and their effect on medical students' attitudes to learning communication skills.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite numerous studies exploring medical students' attitudes to communication skills learning (CSL), there are apparently no studies comparing different experiential learning methods and their influence on students' attitudes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared medical students' attitudes to learning communication skills before and after a communication course in the data as a whole, by gender and when divided into three groups using different methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Second-year medical students (n = 129) were randomly assigned to three groups. In group A (n = 42) the theatre in education method, in group B (n = 44) simulated patients and in group C (n = 43) role-play were used. The data were gathered before and after the course using Communication Skills Attitude Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students' positive attitudes to learning communication skills (PAS; positive attitude scale) increased significantly and their negative attitudes (NAS; negative attitude scale) decreased significantly between the beginning and end of the course. Female students had more positive attitudes than the male students. There were no significant differences in the three groups in the mean scores for PAS or NAS measured before or after the course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of experiential methods and integrating communication skills training with visits to health centres may help medical students to appreciate the importance of CSL.
authors.affiliation: The School of Communication, Media and Theatre, University of Tampere, Finland. jonnapauliina.koponen@uef.fi
authors.forename: Jonna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koponen
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pyörälä
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Isotalus
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D003142:Communication; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012381:Role Playing; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*