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Promotion of self-directed learning using virtual patient cases.
Neal Benedict1, Kristine Schonder, James McGee
1School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
|September 21, 2013
Summary
Virtual patient cases effectively promote self-directed learning (SDL) in advanced therapeutics courses. This innovative approach proved as effective as traditional lectures, with students finding the cases valuable and engaging.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Digital Learning Technologies
- Pharmacy Education
Background:
- Traditional lecture-based instruction in advanced therapeutics courses can be enhanced with innovative pedagogical tools.
- Self-directed learning (SDL) is a crucial skill for healthcare professionals.
- Virtual patient (VP) simulations offer a promising avenue for interactive learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of virtual patient cases in fostering self-directed learning (SDL) within a required advanced therapeutics course.
- To compare the effectiveness of VP cases against traditional lecture-based instruction.
Main Methods:
- Virtual patient software utilizing a branched-narrative decision-making model replaced lectures.
- Students engaged in SDL principles within simulations, making clinical recommendations and receiving feedback.
- Group discussions supplemented the VP cases for further clarification and clinical perspective.
Main Results:
- Students rated VP cases as organized (90%), enjoyable (82%), challenging (97%), and valuable (91%).
- VP cases were perceived to improve class time utilization (78%) and promote SDL (84%).
- No significant difference in assessment scores was observed between the VP case group and the lecture-based control group.
Conclusions:
- Virtual patient cases are a well-supported and effective alternative to traditional lectures in advanced therapeutics.
- This method successfully promotes self-directed learning and knowledge acquisition.
- VP cases demonstrate comparable effectiveness to conventional teaching methods in this educational setting.
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