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Randomised, controlled study investigating the optimal instructor: student ratios for teaching suturing skills
1Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, The Wilson Centre, 200 Elizabeth Street, Eaton South 1E 583, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C5, Canada. adam.dubrowski@utoronto.ca
Medical Education
|January 31, 2006
Summary
The optimal instructor-to-student ratio for teaching clinical skills like wound closure is 1:4. Higher or lower ratios did not improve learning outcomes in medical students.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Skills Training
Background:
- Shift towards simulation-based training for medical students.
- Need for clear guidelines on instructor-to-student ratios in technical skills labs.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine the optimal instructor-to-student ratio for teaching simulated wound closure.
- Inform staffing decisions for laboratory-based teaching sessions.
Main Methods:
- 108 undergraduate medical students participated in a 1-hour wound closure course.
- Randomized into three groups with varying instructor-to-student ratios (1:12, 3:12, 6:12).
- Assessed learning using pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed retention tests focusing on "economy of movements".
Main Results:
- Groups with ratios of 1:12 and 3:12 showed similar improvements in economy of movements.
- The 6:12 ratio group demonstrated significantly less improvement (P < 0.005).
Conclusions:
- The optimal instructor-to-student ratio for this skill was identified as 1:4.
- Ratios higher than 1:4 yielded no additional learning benefits.
- Lower ratios resulted in significantly diminished learning, aligning with motor learning theories.