Explaining medical students' learning outcomes in blended course designs: combining self-reported and observational learning experiences

Exploring the impact of online and offline teaching methods on the cognitive abilities of medical students: a comparative study

BACKGROUND

Online education has become increasingly popular, but research on the effectiveness of different teaching models in developing cognitive skills is limited. This study investigated the relationship between different teaching models (online and offline) and the development of cognitive skills in clinical medicine students.

METHODS

Survey data were collected from 2018 entry students who participated in online teaching and 2019 entry students in offline teaching at Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University. National Quality Open Courses (NQROC) were provided to both groups of students. The study examined the total score of physiology final exam, score of each type of question, and NQROC learning engagement in different score segments under the two teaching models. Non-parametric statistical methods were utilized to analyze the total score of physiology final exam, score of each type of question, and the NQROC learning engagement. Spearman's rank correlation was utilized to analyze the relationship between the score of physiology final exam and the students' NQROC learning engagement.

RESULTS

The study found no statistically significant difference in the total score, short-answer questions (SAQs) score, and case study questions (CSQs) score between online and offline teaching models. However, the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) score was higher in the online teaching model (Z=-4.249, P < 0.001), suggesting that online teaching may be an effective way to improve lower-order cognitive skills among students. In contrast, low-achieving students had higher total scores (Z=-3.223, P = 0.001) and scores in both MCQs (Z=-6.263, P < 0.001) and CSQs (Z=-6.877, P < 0.001) in the online teaching model. High-achieving students in the online teaching model had higher total scores (Z=-3.001, P = 0.003) and MCQs scores (Z=-5.706, P < 0.001) but lower scores in CSQs (Z=-2.775, P = 0.006). Furthermore, students' NQROC learning engagement was greater in the online teaching model.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggested that online teaching was not statistically significantly different from offline in cognitive domains and was more desirable than offline in strengthening lower-order cognitive skills. However, it was important to note that offline teaching may be more effective in reinforcing higher-order cognitive skills among high-achieving students. In conclusion, this study provided important insights into the effectiveness of different teaching models in developing cognitive skills among medical students and highlighted the potential benefits of online teaching in enhancing students' lower-order cognitive skills.

Research on the Mixed Education Mode for the Safety Engineering Major during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic

During the COVID-19 epidemic, many countries faced a critical situation in terms of the global economy and human social activities, including education. In China, the coronavirus is better controlled. Chinese university students have returned to school to study. Despite previous research on online education and learning, the readiness of students for the online and offline learning models implemented at this particular time is not well understood. This paper discusses a hybrid education model for undergraduate students in the safety engineering major. Questionnaires are administered to faculty and students from different colleges and universities in the same major to statistically summarize the influencing factors of mixed or hybrid education. The system dynamics (SD) model is constructed and simulated to determine that using online in the tenth to fifteenth, twenty-fifth to thirtieth, and fortieth to forty-fifth min of classroom teaching (50 min in total) can effectively increase students' interest and engagement in learning. More hands-on activities should also be considered to enhance students' motivation to acquire knowledge, and consideration could be given to encourage interaction among students. This study will be continuously improved by a follow-up study of undergraduate student performance. This study has important implications for educators implementing online and offline blended instruction.