Learning from Simple Ebooks, Online Cases or Classroom Teaching When Acquiring Complex Knowledge. A Randomized Controlled Trial in Respiratory Physiology and Pulmonology

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 9; p. e73336
• Main Author: Worm, Bjarne Skjødt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 09.09.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Anesthesiology; Anesthesiology - education; CAI; Classrooms; Clinical trials; Cognition & reasoning; Complexity; Computer assisted instruction; Computer-Assisted Instruction - methods; Computers; Distance learning; E-books; Education, Distance - methods; Handheld computers; Health education; Humans; Internet; Knowledge acquisition; Learning; Medical personnel; Multimedia; Online instruction; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Portable computers; Problem solving; Randomization; Recall; Relaying; Respiratory physiology; Smartphones; Students; Studies; Systematic review; Tablet computers; Tablets; Taxonomy; Teaching methods; Training
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073336

E-learning is developing fast because of the rapid increased use of smartphones, tablets and portable computers. We might not think of it as e-learning, but today many new e-books are in fact very complex electronic teaching platforms. It is generally accepted that e-learning is as effective as classroom teaching methods, but little is known about its value in relaying contents of different levels of complexity to students. We set out to investigate e-learning effects on simple recall and complex problem-solving compared to classroom teaching. 63 nurses specializing in anesthesiology were evenly randomized into three groups. They were given internet-based knowledge tests before and after attending a teaching module about respiratory physiology and pulmonology. The three groups was either an e-learning group with eBook teaching material, an e-learning group with case-based teaching or a group with face-to-face case-based classroom teaching. After the module the students were required to answer a post-test. Time spent and the number of logged into the system was also measured. For simple recall, all methods were equally effective. For problem-solving, the eCase group achieved a comparable knowledge level to classroom teaching, while textbook learning was inferior to both (p<0.01). The textbook group also spent the least amount of time on acquiring knowledge (33 minutes, p<0.001), while the eCase group spent significantly more time on the subject (53 minutes, p<0.001) and logged into the system significantly more (2.8 vs 1.6, p<0.001). E-learning based cases are an effective tool for teaching complex knowledge and problem-solving ability, but future studies using higher-level e-learning are encouraged.Simple recall skills, however, do not require any particular learning method.