Comparison of WhatsApp® and Face-to-Face case based learning in undergraduate dental students: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

The study compares two different interfaces of CBL (WhatsApp® and Face-to-Face) in undergraduate dental students and examines WhatsApp's effectiveness as a teaching tool.

METHODS

A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted from May 2023 to October 2023 at Ayub College of Dentistry, Orthodontic Department, Abbottabad, involving 30 participants randomly assigned to control (Face-to-Face) Group-1 and experimental (WhatsApp®) Group-2. The six-week study utilized pre-validated questionnaires and Multiple-Choice Questions assessments, comparing post-test scores. Assessment of the intervention involved evaluating Kirkpatrick levels one and two, with responses being rated using a five-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis employed Students' t-tests for group comparisons and paired t-tests for MCQ results before and after the intervention for each group. A p-value less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance, with SPSS version 23 used for analysis.

RESULTS

The study involved 30 participants with a mean age of 23.23±0.67 years, encompassing both males (53.3%) and females (46.7%). All survey participants (100%) used WhatsApp, highlighting its popularity. Everyone had internet access, with 73.3% using smartphones and 26.7% using laptops for mobile internet. Post-intervention, both control and experimental groups exhibited improved post-test scores (p<0.001), but the comparison between groups showed no statistically significant difference (p>0.50). Over 50% of students expressed satisfaction with WhatsApp as a teaching tool, resulting in a learning gain of 36.18%.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that both WhatsApp® and Face-to-Face CBL effectively improved dental students' learning, with WhatsApp® yielding results comparable to traditional methods.