From Text to Test: Pre-Lecture Reading Boosts Medical Students' Comprehension and Retention

Medical students frequently attend lectures without prior review of the related literature when preparing for examinations. It raises the question of whether studying the material in advance could enhance their learning outcomes during lectures.

A total of 102 medical students from a Saudi Arabian university took part in this research. Participants were assigned to one of 2 cohorts: one read a 4-page passage before a 15-minute lecture, while the other attended the lecture before reading the passage. Knowledge acquisition was measured using a test that assessed their ability to recall concepts administered 3 times-prior to the session, post reading, and after attending the lecture. This design allowed for a comparison of the effects of each sequence of learning activities.

This study revealed that the combined approach produced notably greater attainment than lecture alone (p < 0.001). When the order was compared, reading prior to the lecture yielded notably better results (p < 0.05) than lecture followed by reading.

In contrast to the usual approach among medical students, preparing by reading before attending lectures leads to improved learning performance.