title: Systematic review of effectiveness of situated e-learning on medical and nursing education.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because of the complexity of clinical situations, traditional didactic education is limited in providing opportunity for student-patient interaction. Situated e-learning can enhance learners' knowledge and associated abilities through a variety of activities. Healthcare providers who interact with virtual patients in designed situations may avoid unnecessary risks and encounters with real patients. However, the effectiveness of situated e-learning is inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of situated e-learning in prelicensure and postlicensure medical and nursing education.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature databases of PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, and Cochrane Library were searched. The study eligibility criteria included articles published in English, which examined the effectiveness of situated e-learning on the outcomes of knowledge and performance for clinicians or students in medicine and nursing. Effect sizes were calculated with 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen articles were included for meta-analysis. Situated e-learning could effectively enhance learners' knowledge and performance when the control group received no training. Compared to traditional learning, the effectiveness of situated e-learning on performance diminished but still remained significant whereas the effect become insignificant on knowledge. The subgroup analyses indicate the situated e-learning program significantly improved students' clinical performance but not for clinicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Situated e-learning is an effective method to improve novice learners' performance. The effect of situated e-learning on the improvement of cognitive ability is limited when compared to traditional learning. Situated e-learning is a useful adjunct to traditional learning for medical and nursing students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing & Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University and Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jui-Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yi-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsin-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: William Scott
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Erdley
authors.forename: Chyi-Her
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ying-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet
keywords: e-learning; medical and nursing education; meta-analysis; situated learning