Evaluating the impact of interactive and entertaining educational conferences
Karen Jerardi1, Lauren Solan2, Dominick DeBlasio3
1Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3244 Burnet Ave, 5th Floor, Kasota Bldg., MLC 9016, 45229-3039, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Karen.Jerardi@cchmc.org.
Perspectives on Medical Education
|November 9, 2013
Summary
Interactive conferences significantly boosted resident satisfaction and engagement compared to traditional lectures. While knowledge acquisition remained similar, the enhanced engagement suggests interactive formats are valuable for medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Adult Learning Theory
Background:
- Adult learning principles emphasize the importance of active engagement for effective knowledge acquisition.
- Traditional medical education conferences often rely on passive lecture formats, potentially limiting learner participation and satisfaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the impact of resident-led interactive conferences versus traditional lectures on learner satisfaction, engagement, and knowledge acquisition.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating multimedia and audience participation in medical education settings.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study was conducted at a pediatric academic institution, comparing two conference formats: traditional PowerPoint lectures (control) and interactive sessions with multimedia and audience participation (intervention).
- Learner and presenter satisfaction and learner engagement were assessed using post-conference surveys.
- Knowledge acquisition was measured by analyzing pre- and post-conference open-ended questions.
Main Results:
- Learner satisfaction ratings significantly improved in the interactive group (median 5) compared to the control group (median 4; p=0.03).
- Learner engagement ratings were also significantly higher in the intervention group (median 5) versus the control group (median 4; p<0.01).
- Presenters reported higher audience engagement in the interactive conferences (median 4) compared to lectures (median 3; p=0.01). Knowledge acquisition did not differ significantly between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Interactive resident-led conferences enhance learner and presenter satisfaction and engagement in medical education.
- Despite no significant difference in knowledge acquisition, the improved engagement and satisfaction support the adoption of interactive conference formats.
- Future research could explore methods to further enhance knowledge transfer within interactive educational settings.
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