title: Use of concept maps to promote electrocardiogram diagnosis learning in undergraduate medical students.
abstract: Concept mapping is an effective method in teaching and learning, however this strategy has not been evaluated among electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnosis learning. This study explored the use of concept maps to assist ECG study, and sought to analyze whether this method could improve undergraduate students' ECG interpretation skills. There were 126 undergraduate medical students who were randomly selected and assigned to two groups, group A (n = 63) and group B (n = 63). Group A was taught to use concept maps to learn ECG diagnosis, while group B was taught by traditional methods. After the course, all of the students were assessed by having an ECG diagnostic test. Quantitative data which comprised test score and ECG features completion index was compared by using the unpaired Student's t-test between the two groups. Further, a feedback questionnaire on concept maps used was also completed by group A, comments were evaluated by a five-point Likert scale. The test scores of ECGs interpretation was 7.36 ± 1.23 in Group A and 6.12 ± 1.39 in Group B. A significant advantage (P = 0.018) of concept maps was observed in ECG interpretation accuracy. No difference in the average ECG features completion index was observed between Group A (66.75 ± 15.35%) and Group B (62.93 ± 13.17%). According qualitative analysis, majority of students accepted concept maps as a helpful tool. Difficult to learn at the beginning and time consuming are the two problems in using this method, nevertheless most of the students indicated to continue using it. Concept maps could be a useful pedagogical tool in enhancing undergraduate medical students' ECG interpretation skills. Furthermore, students indicated a positive attitude to it, and perceived it as a resource for learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Ruimin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Bangrong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou 510150, PR China.
authors.forename: Zihao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhenda
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Xujing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Jieming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
authors.forename: Hanjian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: Concept maps; diagnosis; electrocardiogram (ECG)