Expert Guided Training Versus Self Learning with Virtual Patients

Acibadem University

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Emergencies; Virtual Patient; Educational Problems

Treatments: Other: Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06675409

Acibadem U

Details and patient eligibility

About

Virtual patients have increasingly been used in the training of healthcare professionals to enhance critical decision-making skills in emergency patient management education. The aim of this study is to investigate the contribution of the virtual patient simulation used in the education of paramedic students by comparing the effectiveness of self-directed learning with expert-guided learning. Additionally, it is believed that the study will be beneficial for educators responsible for program design who are interested in integrating the case-based learning method with virtual patients into their curriculum.

Full description

Virtual patient-based simulation training is increasingly being used in healthcare and medical education to enhance problem-solving and critical decision-making skills. There are two common approaches in these trainings: instructor-led learning and self-directed learning. In instructor-led virtual patient-based simulation training programs, an experienced subject matter expert guides students through virtual patient simulation activities. The instructor provides feedback, support, and encourages discussion and collaboration among students during the training. This approach is beneficial for students who benefit from structured activities and social support in a group learning environment. However, it can be time-consuming, costly, and may not be suitable for every student.

In self-directed learning, the responsibility for learning lies entirely with the student. Students are given access to virtual patient simulations and are encouraged to work through the cases independently. This approach may be more suitable for students who are self-motivated, enjoy autonomy, and have the discipline to work independently. It also offers a cost-effective and flexible option. However, in this approach, the feedback and support needed for skill development are limited to the feedback reports generated by the computer-based virtual patient software program.

In the literature, studies on the use of virtual patient applications in paramedic students' emergency patient management training are limited. This study aims to contribute to educators who use or plan to use virtual patient simulation by comparing instructor-led virtual patient-based simulation training with self-directed virtual patient-based simulation training to determine which approach is more effective in enhancing students' critical decision-making skills.

Enrollment: 93 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 19 to 21 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Volunteer 4th-semester paramedic students from the Department of Vocational Health Sciences at the University

Exclusion criteria

Previous experience with the same clinical scenarios

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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93 participants in 2 patient groups

Expert Guided Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The expert-guided group will participate in virtual patient sessions consisting of 12 patient scenarios under the guidance of an expert. These patient scenarios are selected clinical cases designed to enhance critical decision-making skills in emergency patient management. Throughout the training, students will receive verbal feedback from experts on their performance

Treatment:

Other: Education

Self Learning Group

Experimental group

Description:

The self-learning group will also participate in training with the same 12 patient scenarios as the other group, but instead of expert guidance, the students in this group will engage with the virtual patient scenarios independently and manage the process without instructor guidance. In this group, feedback on students' performance will be provided in written form by the computer-based virtual patient simulator.

Treatment:

Other: Education