Chatgpt vs traditional pedagogy: a comparative study in urological learning.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Urology
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Background:

• Technological advancements are transforming medical education paradigms.
• Evaluating novel learning tools like ChatGPT is essential for modern medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of ChatGPT, traditional lectures, and a combined approach for learning urological concepts.
• To assess learning outcomes in medical students using different educational methodologies.

Main Methods:

• A randomized triple-blind study involving 121 medical students with no prior urology curriculum.
• Students were divided into three groups: ChatGPT only, traditional lecture only, and a combined ChatGPT + lecture approach.
• Learning outcomes were assessed using a 30-question test on the topic of adrenal glands.

Main Results:

• The combined ChatGPT + lecture group achieved higher median test scores than the ChatGPT-only group (12 vs. 10, p=0.007).
• Multivariable analysis confirmed the significance of the combined approach, adjusting for student demographics and prior AI experience (estimate: 2.6, p=0.002).
• Approximately 70% of questions were answered correctly more often by students in the combined learning groups.

Conclusions:

• ChatGPT's educational potential is maximized when supplemented with foundational knowledge and teacher guidance.
• A combined approach of ChatGPT and traditional lectures yields superior learning outcomes in urology compared to standalone methods.
• Teacher-guided instruction remains indispensable, even with the integration of advanced AI tools like ChatGPT in medical education.