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IJAR.2016.488

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Type of Article:  Original Research

Volume 5; Issue 1 (January 2017)

Page No.: 3398-3403

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.16965/ijar.2016.488

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY CLINICAL EXPOSURE AND E-LEARNING IN TEACHING ANATOMY

Chimmalgi M *1, Regi Jose 2, K Chandra Kumari 1.

*1 Professor of Anatomy, Sree Gokulam Medical College & Research Foundation, Venjaramoodu, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

2 Professor of Community Medicine, Sree Gokulam Medical College & Research Foundation, Venjaramoodu, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

Corresponding Author: Dr. Mamata Chimmalgi, Professor, Department of Anatomy, Sree Gokulam Medical College & Research Foundation, Venjaramoodu, Trivandrum – 695607 Telephone: 91-9387122769 / 9763887130 

E-Mail: mamatachimmalgi@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to determine if Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) and E-learning can be effective alternative methods of teaching anatomy for the first-year medical students. Secondary objectives were to determine (a) if there was gender bias with these methods and (b) if these methods influenced high, average or low achievers selectively.

Materials and Methods:  Study was conducted in the department of anatomy with 150 first-year medical students participating in it. Students were randomly divided into three groups of 50 each. Six selected topics were taught to the three groups using ECE, e-learning and traditional lecture alternatively. After each session, a test was conducted using 20 objective questions to assess the learning outcome. Average score of the groups were analysed using Fisher one-way ANOVA or Welch test. Multiple comparisons were done using post-hoc tests when the difference between the average scores was found to be significant. Gender difference in the scores for each method was noted. Learning outcome of high, average and low achievers with ECE and e-learning were compared.

Results: Average total scores after ECE were comparable to lecture and superior to e-learning in five of the six sessions. E-learning, however, was not as effective as ECE in improving the test scores. Except for one group, where the boys outperformed the girls after e-learning, girls outperformed the boys in all the groups with all the three methods of instruction. ECE or e-learning did not influence high, average or low achievers selectively.

Conclusion: Based on the learning outcome, ECE can be an effective method to teach Anatomy in the described format. E-learning did not improve the test scores in the self-study format used in this study, but, 3D visualization can benefit the students when used as an adjunct to the traditional methods.

Key words: Early Clinical Exposure, E-learning, Blended Learning, learning outcome.

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Cite this article: Chimmalgi M, Regi Jose, K Chandra Kumari. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY CLINICAL EXPOSURE AND E-LEARNING IN TEACHING ANATOMY. Int J Anat Res 2017;5(1):3398-3403. DOI: 10.16965/ijar.2016.488