Meinlschmidt Gunther, Koc Sara, Boerner Emma, Tegethoff Marion, Simacek Thomas, Schirmer Liam, Schneider Michael
Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Methods and Approaches, Trier University, Universitaetsring 15, Trier, 54296, Germany.
Department of Digital and Blended Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 May 30;25(1):804. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07307-3.
Effective communication skills are fundamental for health care professionals, yet conventional training methods face challenges in scalability and accessibility due to resource constraints. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, offers innovative ways for enhancing communication skills training by simulating realistic conversational scenarios and providing personalised, adaptive feedback. This manuscript is presented as study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial that aims at evaluating the efficacy of an AI-supported higher education training protocol incorporating generative AI exercises to enhance communication competencies among psychology students.
In this cluster-randomised controlled trial, psychology students enrolled in communication skill seminars at a medium sized university in a medium sized German city will participate. Classes will be assigned within a parallel group design to the AI condition (AI-enhanced exercises alongside teaching-as-usual, TAU, that includes classical exercises) or the control condition (TAU only). Additional non-randomised comparison classes will comprise students with TAU only, but not be part of main analyses. The primary outcome is the change in communication skills from baseline, assessed through questions reflecting the communication techniques emphasised in the training. Secondary outcomes include communication skills, self-efficacy and self-concept, motivation, attitudes toward AI, user experience with the AI tool, student evaluations of course quality, and feasibility aspects such as uptake and usability. Data will be collected via online surveys and the university's teaching platform. Statistical analyses will employ mixed models to evaluate the intervention's impact.
This study will provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of integrating AI into higher education communication skills training. Successful integration of AI-enhanced training could revolutionise educational practices by offering scalable, accessible, and personalised learning experiences. The findings may have broader implications for incorporating AI tools in various educational and professional training contexts, while addressing ethical considerations and promoting responsible use of AI in education.
This trial has been pre-registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) under identifier 'th6f4'.
有效的沟通技巧是医疗保健专业人员的基本技能，但由于资源限制，传统的培训方法在可扩展性和可及性方面面临挑战。人工智能（AI）的出现，尤其是生成式人工智能，通过模拟现实对话场景并提供个性化、适应性反馈，为提高沟通技巧培训提供了创新方法。本手稿作为一项整群随机对照试验的研究方案呈现，旨在评估一种结合生成式人工智能练习的人工智能支持的高等教育培训方案对提高心理学专业学生沟通能力的效果。
在这项整群随机对照试验中，德国一个中等规模城市的一所中等规模大学中参加沟通技巧研讨会的心理学专业学生将参与其中。班级将在平行组设计中被分配到人工智能组（在常规教学，即TAU，包括经典练习的基础上增加人工智能增强练习）或对照组（仅TAU）。额外的非随机比较班级将仅包括接受常规教学的学生，但不参与主要分析。主要结果是从基线开始的沟通技巧变化，通过反映培训中强调的沟通技巧的问题进行评估。次要结果包括沟通技巧、自我效能感和自我概念、动机、对人工智能的态度、人工智能工具的用户体验、学生对课程质量的评价以及诸如接受度和可用性等可行性方面。数据将通过在线调查和大学教学平台收集。统计分析将采用混合模型来评估干预的影响。
本研究将为将人工智能整合到高等教育沟通技巧培训中的有效性和可行性提供实证证据。成功整合人工智能增强培训可以通过提供可扩展、可及和个性化的学习体验来彻底改变教育实践。研究结果可能对在各种教育和专业培训背景中纳入人工智能工具具有更广泛的意义，同时解决伦理问题并促进在教育中负责任地使用人工智能。
本试验已在开放科学框架（OSF）上以标识符“th6f4”进行预注册。
