Innovating web-based pre-test and post-test to motivate students’ learning during clinical skills training session in Skills Laboratory

ByWidyandana

Innovating web-based pre-test and post-test to motivate students’ learning during clinical skills training session in Skills Laboratory

Authors: Widyandana, N. Kurniawati

Backgrounds: Pre-test and post-test in clinical skills training session are necessary to motivate students’ to study before practicing skills in skills laboratory. Nowadays, e-learning has become a trend in medical education for its benefits. E-learning is considered fun for the students, easy to access, and 24-hours open.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of paper-based to web-based pre-test and post-test in motivating students’ learning in skills laboratory. To explore students’ and instructors’ opinions on the effectiveness of pre- and post-test in clinical skills training.

Methods: An experimental study is done by giving undergraduate students an instruction to take pre- and post-test in “Advanced Life Support” skills training topic. Seventy-eight of 4th-year medical students in Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada and seven clinical skills teachers were randomly recruited in this study. The students were divided into 3 groups; the web-based test group (WB,n=30), paper-based test group who were given notification before test (PN,n=18), and paper-based test group who were not given notification (PWN,n=30). The test scores were analyzed using Paired Sample T-test and One Way ANOVA. The qualitative data were collected using survey questionnaire from the students and teachers. The result of which were analyzed using Inductive Content Analysis by two coders.

Results: Significant differences (p<0.05) were found in the pre and post-test scores between WB with PN and PWN. No significant difference found between PN with PWN. However, the significant difference between pre-test and post-test within the same group was only found in WB (p<0.05). Based on survey questionnaire, students and instructors suggested that pre- and post-test should be continued to be used in skills training because they think it improves students’ motivation to study before practicing skills, increases students’ focus during practice, and increase the effectiveness of the training. However, the test still needs to be improved, e.g. improve the suitability of questions with the guide-book, administer more questions about technical skills rather than theoretical aspect, increase the accessibility of the web and the speed of internet connection, and also add some clinical skills training video to make the test more interesting.

Conclusion: The use of web-based pre- and post-test in clinical skills training in Skills Laboratory of FM UGM has been observed to be able to motivate students’ learning.  The test can be given with or without notification before the test. Somehow it should be continuously improved to increase the effectiveness.

Keywords: web-based, paper-based, pre/ post-test, clinical skills training, undergraduate students

Presented in the Institute of Medical and Health Science Education, 2013, at University of Hongkong

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