Tutored videotape-instruction in clinical decision-making.

Tutored videotape-instruction (TVI) is a method for providing high quality instruction in topics for which the supply of expert teachers is limited. A small group of students and a tutor can watch a videotaped lecture that can be interrupted for discussion or questions. The tutor facilitates discussion and directs the students to outside reading. The authors in this report describe the use of tutored videotape-instruction in teaching clinical decision-making. Students were randomly assigned to a tutored videotape-instruction group or to a group that heard identical live lectures. The two groups had the same mean score on a final examination on the course material. The group that heard the live lectures rated the quality of instruction higher than the videotape group; however, the ratings were high for both groups. Tutored videotape-instruction provides expertise in a specialized topic and the advantages of instruction in small groups.