APPLICATION OF THE LEARNING CYCLE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION

Abstract

This study was designed to compare factual knowledge retention and clinical skills outcomes of two different teaching designs: inquiry via the learning cycle and exposition via power point presentation. This research was guided by the following questions:

-How do senior medical students, who are taught by the learning cycle (inquiry students) compare to medical students taught by power point presentation (exposition students) when managing a crisis of malignant hyperthermia assessed by medical fidelity human simulator one month following the teaching?

-How do inquiry students compare to exposition students on retention of factual knowledge one month following the teaching assessed by multiple-choice test?

-Is there a relationship between students' performance during simulation and on a multiple-choice test one month following teaching?

The research method employed was quantitative data sources, including three multiple-choice tests and a scoring system for a management of high fidelity medical simulation crisis related to the subject taught.

Major findings of the study include:

-Clinical skills score of students who were taught by the learning cycle were not statistically significantly different when compared with students in the exposition teaching.

-Students who were taught by the learning cycle had statistically significant higher knowledge retention a month later.

-Clinical skills improved with increased medical knowledge, and that was more significant in students who were exposed to exposition teaching.

Although this is the first study to report on the application of the learning cycle in medical education, the results of the study is encouraging and the learning cycle could improve medical students' learning.