University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816-2205, USA.
Adv Physiol Educ. 2013 Jun;37(2):201-6. doi: 10.1152/advan.00169.2012.
Due to growing demand from students and facilitated by innovations in educational technology, institutions of higher learning are increasingly offering online courses. Subjects in the hard sciences, such as pathophysiology, have traditionally been taught in the face-to-face format, but growing demand for preclinical science courses has compelled educators to incorporate online components into their classes to promote comprehension. Learning tools such as case studies are being integrated into such courses to aid in student interaction, engagement, and critical thinking skills. Careful assessment of pedagogical techniques is essential; hence, this study aimed to evaluate and compare student perceptions of the use of case studies in face-to-face and fully online pathophysiology classes. A series of case studies was incorporated into the curriculum of a pathophysiology class for both class modes (online and face to face). At the end of the semester, students filled out a survey assessing the effectiveness of the case studies. Both groups offered positive responses about the incorporation of case studies in the curriculum of the pathophysiology class. This study supports the argument that with proper use of innovative teaching tools, such as case studies, online pathophysiology classes can foster a sense of community and interaction that is typically only seen with face-to-face classes, based on student responses. Students also indicated that regardless of class teaching modality, use of case studies facilitates student learning and comprehension as well as prepares them for their future careers in health fields.
由于学生需求的增长以及教育技术的创新，高等学府越来越多地提供在线课程。传统上，像病理生理学这样的硬科学课程都是以面对面的形式教授的，但对临床前科学课程的需求不断增长，迫使教育工作者将在线内容纳入课程，以促进理解。案例研究等学习工具被整合到这些课程中，以帮助学生互动、参与和培养批判性思维能力。对教学技巧的仔细评估至关重要；因此，本研究旨在评估和比较学生对在面对面和完全在线病理生理学课程中使用案例研究的看法。在两种课程模式（在线和面对面）中，都将一系列案例研究纳入病理生理学课程的课程中。在学期结束时，学生填写了一份评估案例研究效果的调查问卷。两个小组都对在病理生理学课程中纳入案例研究做出了积极的回应。根据学生的反应，这项研究支持了这样一种论点，即通过正确使用创新的教学工具，如案例研究，在线病理生理学课程可以培养社区感和互动感，这通常只能在面对面的课程中看到。学生还表示，无论课程的教学模式如何，使用案例研究都可以促进学生的学习和理解，为他们未来在健康领域的职业生涯做好准备。
