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Peer-assisted versus faculty staff-led skills laboratory training: a randomised controlled trial
Peter Weyrich1, Nora Celebi, Markus Schrauth
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Medical Education
|January 24, 2009
Summary
Peer-assisted learning (PAL) effectively trains medical students in technical skills within a laboratory setting. This method proved as effective as traditional faculty-led instruction, offering a valuable alternative for skills development.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Skills Training
- Pedagogy
Background:
- Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is common in medical education, but its efficacy in technical skills training within laboratory settings requires systematic evaluation.
- Limited research exists on the effectiveness of peer tutors versus faculty staff for teaching practical procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of peer-assisted learning (PAL) for technical skills training in a medical skills laboratory.
- To compare the efficacy of PAL with traditional faculty staff-led training.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, randomized trial involving Year 3 medical students.
- Students were assigned to peer-assisted learning, faculty-led training, or a control group.
- Skills assessment utilized an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) with video recording and independent scoring.
Main Results:
- Both peer-assisted learning and faculty-led groups demonstrated significantly higher OSCE scores than the control group (P < 0.0001).
- No significant difference in performance was observed between the peer-assisted learning and faculty-led training groups (P = 0.92 for binary checklists, P = 0.11 for global rankings).
- Confounding variables did not significantly differ between the training groups.
Conclusions:
- Peer-assisted learning is a successful pedagogical approach for mastering technical procedures in skills laboratory environments.
- PAL demonstrates comparable effectiveness to training delivered by experienced faculty staff.