Malta Kiana, Glickman Cynthia, Hunter Krystal, McBride Amanda
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, 401 Broadway, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
Cooper University Hospital, 1 Cooper Plaza, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Mar 3;25(1):329. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-06846-z.
Case-based active learning groups (ALGs) are an approach to learning medicine through the exploration of patient cases in a collaborative small group setting. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this institution had to convert the preclinical curriculum to a virtual format. Currently, few studies have explored the effects of this change on relationships and skills in case-based learning, and our study aimed to explore the impact of the virtual curriculum on future physicians' interpersonal development and learning preferences.
An anonymous Qualtrics survey consisting of multiple choice questions (MCQs) and an optional open-ended commentary was distributed to medical students in Classes 2023-2025 enrolled at our institution. Only the MCQs were quantitatively analyzed. Comparisons between 2025 and 2023 and 2024 responses, as well as between 2023 and 2024 responses were performed via chi-square analysis, with an alpha level of 0.05 for all the statistical tests.
A total of 158 responses were collected. The class of 2025 students served as a control, as they enrolled after in-person learning was reinstated, whereas Classes 2023 and 2024 students experienced one year of virtual learning. There was no significant difference between virtual or in-person learning in terms of positive impacts on education (p = 0.7), participation (p = 0.2), or teamwork (p = 0.1), but most students rated these skills overall better with in person delivery methods. Additionally, while there was no significant difference across student groups regarding preference for a delivery method, 50.4% of students preferred a hybrid model versus 40.4% who wanted completely in person format, and a 9.2% minority of students were in favor of fully virtual ALG (p = 0.2).
Our study revealed that students do not prefer a completely in-person or virtual format. Our data provide a valuable post pandemic evaluation of preclinical students' engagement and well-being, suggesting that the skills and relationships fostered through virtual case-based learning are preserved.
基于案例的主动学习小组（ALGs）是一种在协作性小组环境中通过探索患者案例来学习医学的方法。由于新冠疫情，该机构不得不将临床前课程转换为虚拟形式。目前，很少有研究探讨这种变化对基于案例学习中的人际关系和技能的影响，而我们的研究旨在探讨虚拟课程对未来医生人际发展和学习偏好的影响。
向我校2023 - 2025级的医学生发放了一份由多项选择题（MCQs）和一个可选的开放式评论组成的匿名Qualtrics调查问卷。仅对多项选择题进行了定量分析。通过卡方分析对2025年与2023年及2024年的回复进行比较，以及对2023年与2024年的回复进行比较，所有统计检验的显著性水平为0.05。
共收集到158份回复。2025级学生作为对照组，因为他们是在恢复面对面学习后入学的，而2023级和2024级学生经历了一年的虚拟学习。在对教育的积极影响（p = 0.7）、参与度（p = 0.2）或团队合作（p = 0.1）方面，虚拟学习或面对面学习之间没有显著差异，但大多数学生总体上认为面对面授课方式下这些技能更好。此外，虽然不同学生群体在授课方式偏好上没有显著差异，但50.4%的学生更喜欢混合模式，而40.4%的学生希望完全采用面对面形式，9.2%的少数学生支持完全虚拟的主动学习小组（p = 0.2）。
我们的研究表明，学生不偏好完全面对面或虚拟的形式。我们的数据为疫情后临床前学生的参与度和幸福感提供了有价值的评估，表明通过虚拟案例学习培养的技能和人际关系得以保留。
