Collaborative Project-Based Learning Versus Case-Based Learning in Difficult Airway Management: a Comparative Study...

This study critically evaluates the differential impacts of Collaborative Project-Based Learning (CPBL) and Case-Based Learning (CBL) on developing distinct competency domains in difficult airway anesthesia education, challenging the presumption of pedagogical equivalence between these approaches.

In a controlled trial, fifty first-year residents from internal medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine were randomized to CPBL (n = 25) or CBL (n = 25) interventions focused on difficult airway management. We employed a multi-dimensional assessment framework evaluating: knowledge retention, clinical problem-solving, critical thinking, presentation skills, and longitudinal competency maintenance.

While both groups demonstrated comparable immediate knowledge acquisition in written examinations, CPBL produced superior outcomes in oral assessment (16.32 ± 1.31 vs. 14.16 ± 1.46, p < 0.001) and long-term knowledge retention (one-month follow-up: 73.88 ± 4.86 vs. 63.40 ± 3.46, p < 0.001). Conversely, CBL excelled in developing clinical reasoning skills, with significantly higher scores in diagnostic rationale (8.04 ± 1.17 vs. 7.28 ± 1.40, p = 0.043) and management processes (12.68 ± 1.44 vs. 11.48 ± 1.23, p = 0.003). The pedagogical trade-offs were further evidenced in presentation assessments, where CPBL favored knowledge demonstration and CBL enhanced logical coherence.

Our findings challenge one-size-fits-all approaches to active learning in medical education. CPBL demonstrated distinct advantages for knowledge consolidation and retention, while CBL more effectively cultivated analytical thinking and clinical decision-making. These results necessitate a strategic, competency-based selection of pedagogical approaches in anesthesia training programs.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-026-02670-2.