title: Delivery of a urology online course using Moodle versus didactic lectures methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To subjectively and objectively compare an accessible interactive electronic library using Moodle with lectures for urology teaching of medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty consecutive fourth-year medical students and one urology teacher were exposed to two teaching methods (4 weeks each) in the form of problem-based learning: - lectures and - student-centered group discussion based on Moodle (modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment) full time online delivered (24/7) with video surgeries, electronic urology cases and additional basic principles of the disease process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 40 students completed the study. While 30% were moderately dissatisfied with their current knowledge base, online learning course delivery using Moodle was considered superior to the lectures by 86% of the students. The study found the following observations: (1) the increment in learning grades ranged from 7.0 to 9.7 for students in the online Moodle course compared to 4.0-9.6 to didactic lectures; (2) the self-reported student involvement in the online course was characterized as large by over 60%; (3) the teacher-student interaction was described as very frequent (50%) and moderately frequent (50%); and (4) more inquiries and requisitions by students as well as peer assisting were observed from the students using the Moodle platform.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Moodle platform is feasible and effective, enthusing medical students to learn, improving immersion in the urology clinical rotation and encouraging the spontaneous peer assisted learning. Future studies should expand objective evaluations of knowledge acquisition and retention.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil; Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, PUC-Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: reisleo.l@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Leonardo Oliveira
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ikari
authors.affiliation: Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, PUC-Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Khaled A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Taha-Neto
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil; Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, PUC-Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gugliotta
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernandes
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014572:Urology / Q000193:education*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Deep approach; Electronic problem-based learning; Medical teaching; Peer assisted learning; Personalized learning; Student-centered; Virtual programs