E-Learning Simulations for Teaching Clinical Decision-Making in an Audiology Training Program

Clinical decision-making is an essential component of most clinical processes across the health sector and an ongoing challenge for clinical education programs to teach to students. The traditional methods of teaching these skills outside of lectures are mainly through clinical placements and problem-based learning (PBL) sessions, but availability and consistency can be variable and resource heavy. To address these challenges, an e-simulation module specific to pediatric infant diagnostic testing has been developed and implemented into the teaching program. We aimed to establish whether e-simulation resulted in student skill acquisition.

Academic performance measures for 67 audiology students who used a traditional PBL and 108 students who used the e-simulation module were collected and analyzed. Student survey results generated both quantitative and qualitative data, which were analyzed using a thematic analysis with an inductive approach.

Findings indicated that the e-simulation platform introduced in this study yielded learning outcomes similar to the traditional PBL format previously used. Participants experienced a significant in situ increase in understanding of infant diagnostic testing concepts following the use of the e-simulation and evaluated the e-simulation platform positively.

The data support that an e-simulation-based approach in clinical education presents pedagogical benefits and can provide a meaningful sustainable inclusion in today's clinical teaching programs.