Blended learning in basic medical laboratory courses improves medical students' abilities in self-learning,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Blended learning combines online and classroom instruction.
• Its effectiveness across diverse medical courses is not well-established.
• This study investigates blended laboratory courses in medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore medical students' perceptions of blended laboratory courses.
• To assess the impact on overcoming learning difficulties.
• To evaluate effectiveness in achieving knowledge goals.

Main Methods:

• Implemented blended laboratory courses for medical students at Guilin Medical University.
• Collected student and teacher feedback on the learning experience.
• Compared quiz scores with traditional laboratory teaching methods.

Main Results:

• 71.1% of students found online lectures improved understanding of core concepts.
• 63.01% believed blended labs were more effective for knowledge acquisition.
• Teachers reported enhanced student interest, hands-on abilities, and confidence.
• Quiz scores significantly improved with the blended learning method.

Conclusions:

• Blended laboratory courses are perceived as successful and beneficial by both students and teachers.
• This approach effectively enhances learning efficiency and practical skills in undergraduate medical education.
• Blended learning is a viable and welcomed alternative to traditional laboratory teaching models.