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Information retrieved from a database and the augmentation of personal knowledge
R de Bliek1, C P Friedman, B M Wildemuth
1Laboratory for Computing and Cognition, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7530, USA.
Summary
Biomedical databases significantly enhance problem-solving skills by providing accessible information. This study shows database-assisted knowledge improves over time, even as personal recall declines.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Information Science
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Medical students often struggle with novel problems due to limited personal knowledge.
- Assessing the impact of external information retrieval on learning is crucial for effective medical education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate how biomedical database information enhances medical students' problem-solving abilities.
- To investigate the longitudinal changes in information retrieval skills over time.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving two cohorts of medical students over three assessment points.
- Students solved bacteriology problems using personal knowledge, then with database assistance.
- Personal knowledge and database-assisted scores were recorded at each assessment.
Main Results:
- Personal knowledge scores were initially low (12%), rose post-course (48%), and declined later (25%).
- Database-assisted scores showed a linear increase, from 44% to 57% to 75% across assessments.
- This indicates a sustained improvement in utilizing external information resources.
Conclusions:
- Database assistance consistently improves problem-solving, outperforming personal knowledge recall over time.
- The ability to locate relevant information in a database persists even when recall fails.
- This highlights the value of information retrieval skills in medical problem-solving.