Mackey Cassandra, Jandu Simi, Fidrocki James, Raduzycki Tyler, Carey Jennifer
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Department of Emergency Medicine, Worcester, MA, US.
J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2025 Apr 3;12:23821205251327287. doi: 10.1177/23821205251327287. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.
Simulation is an effective teaching method that improves learner competence and confidence. Optimizing group size balances efficiency without sacrificing efficacy. While simulation technology is widely used in medical education, no standard for learner group size exists. This study investigates the optimal group size for simulation, aiming to identify best practices that maximize efficiency and efficacy in learning environments.
This systematic review adheres to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A team of emergency medicine educators screened citations and reviewed relevant full-text articles. Inclusion criteria focused on group sizes with the best outcomes. Quality assessment employed the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument approach to evaluate evidence.
Thirty-four articles were identified; 17 were deemed relevant for full-text review. The studies varied in methods, including prospective and retrospective reviews, mixed methods, and randomized controlled trials. Smaller groups improved outcomes, with an ideal size dependent on learning objectives. Five studies suggested groups of up to 4 learners were optimal, with mixed results on the exact number. One study identified 6 as the ideal group size. Debriefing was effective in larger groups, while procedural skills were best taught in groups of 2 to 4 learners.
This review suggests smaller group sizes are more effective for efficiency, knowledge, and confidence. For procedural skills, groups of 2 to 4 are most effective, and effectiveness declines with more than 6 participants. Smaller groups allow for more hands-on learning and cognitive engagement. While clinical skills can be taught in larger groups, learners favor smaller groups for debriefing and complex scenarios. Effective curriculum planning should account for available resources, the type of simulation, and the material being taught, with group sizes adjusted to optimize learning outcomes.
模拟是一种提高学习者能力和信心的有效教学方法。优化小组规模可在不牺牲效果的前提下平衡效率。虽然模拟技术在医学教育中被广泛应用，但尚无关于学习者小组规模的标准。本研究调查模拟的最佳小组规模，旨在确定能在学习环境中最大限度提高效率和效果的最佳实践方法。
本系统评价遵循系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目指南。一组急诊医学教育工作者筛选文献引用并审查相关全文文章。纳入标准侧重于具有最佳结果的小组规模。质量评估采用医学教育研究质量工具方法来评估证据。
共识别出34篇文章；17篇被认为与全文审查相关。这些研究方法各异，包括前瞻性和回顾性审查、混合方法以及随机对照试验。较小的小组能改善结果，理想规模取决于学习目标。五项研究表明，每组最多4名学习者是最佳选择，但具体人数的结果不一。一项研究确定6为理想的小组规模。在较大的小组中，总结汇报很有效，而操作技能最好在2至4名学习者的小组中教授。
本综述表明，较小的小组规模在效率、知识掌握和信心提升方面更有效。对于操作技能，2至4人的小组最有效，超过6名参与者时效果会下降。较小的小组能提供更多实践学习和认知参与的机会。虽然临床技能可以在较大的小组中教授，但学习者更喜欢在较小的小组中进行总结汇报和处理复杂场景。有效的课程规划应考虑可用资源以及模拟类型和所教授的内容，并调整小组规模以优化学习效果。
