Educational Intervention on Undergraduate Cancer Awareness and Self-Directed Learning.
Traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) can increase cancer awareness in undergraduates. However, because of the rapidly changing knowledge base in medicine, undergraduates must develop skills required for lifelong self-directed learning (SDL). Problem-based learning (PBL) has been suggested as an SDL approach. This study used a nonequivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design for comparing PBL and LBL for their effectiveness in increasing cancer awareness and SDL among nonmedicine or nonnursing major undergraduates in a health-related general education course. Experimental groups 1 and 2 were instructed using PBL while the control group was instructed using LBL. Cancer educational programs were offered to experimental group 1 and the control group but not to experimental group 2. Among the 325 undergraduates who completed a questionnaire regarding cancer awareness and SDL in the pretest, 223 completed the 12-week follow-up survey of the posttest. Cancer awareness significantly improved between the pretest and posttest in the control group (P < 0.001). No significant difference in cancer awareness improvement was observed between experimental group 1 and the control group (P = 0.934). Cancer awareness improvement in experimental group 2 was significantly less than in the control group (P = 0.010). No statistically significant change in SDL was observed in the control group during the study (P = 0.897). However, the SDL of experimental groups 1 and 2 improved more significantly than that of the control group (P = 0.049 and 0.023, respectively). Therefore, PBL is an effective method of increasing cancer awareness and SDL in undergraduates.
Department of Healthcare Information and Management, School of Health Technology, Ming Chuan University, 5 De Ming Rd., Gui Shan District, Taoyuan County, 333, Taiwan. lihlian@mail.mcu.edu.tw.
Lih-Lian
0000-0002-1459-3308
LL
Hwang
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D000073819:Self-Directed Learning as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Cancer awareness; Problem-based learning; Self-directed learning; University students