A comparative study regarding distance learning and the conventional face-to-face approach conducted problem-based learning tutorial during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Educational pedagogies were modified during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimise interruption to teaching. One approach has been the distance learning problem-based learning (PBL) tutorial utilising the online peer-to-peer platform. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of students using distance learning PBL tutorials using with that of students utilising the conventional face-to-face approach. Methods This retrospective study was conducted in a single academic institution. We compared two groups of fourth-year medical students from the same class: one group used distance learning (DL); the other, the face-to-face (FF) method. We used students’ baseline performance at the preceding block for one-to-one propensity score matching. Students utilising the PBL tutorial were given grades by their tutors according to a standardised scoring system encompassing five key areas (score range: 0–10). The main outcome was a student’s total score (i.e., the sum of the scores from the five key areas, ranging from 0 to 50). Result We matched 62 students in each group. With four tutorials, there were 490 observations, with 245 in each group. The mean total score for the DL group was 37.5 ± 4.6, which was significantly lower than that of the FF group (39.0 ± 4.4, p < 0.001). We noted that students in the DL group had a significantly lower scores for all five areas of proficiency: participation, communication, preparation, critical thinking and group skills. Conclusion Findings of this study revealed that the performance of students utilising the DL PBL tutorials was lower than that of students participating in the conventional FF approach. Further studies are needed to ascertain the underlying cause.

COVID-19 Lockdown Effects on Academic Functioning, Mood, and Health Correlates: Data from Dutch Pharmacy Students, PhD Candidates and Postdocs

“…That is, whereas some studies reported that this transition was associated with an improved mood and academic functioning [5,[11][12][13][14], other studies reported increased distress, decreased well-being and a worsened academic performance after the transition [2,3,6,8,9,15,16]. An experimental study comparing face-to-face and online problembased learning sessions suggests that poorer online academic performance during lockdown is related to decreased participation, communication, preparation, critical thinking and group skills [16]. Another factor that seems to negatively impact academic performance is the lack of structure and routine [15].…”

Effectiveness of tutorial videos combined with online classes in surgical knotting course during COVID-19 pandemic: A cohort study

“…Meanwhile, the delayed graduations, especially in medical education, may have negative impacts, especially in this pandemic management setting. Therefore, educational methods have been shifting to online approaches [ 2 , 8 , 9 ].…”

The Effect of Problem Based Learning Model on Creative and Critical Thinking Skills in Static Fluid Topics

“…It is oriented towards questions and problems that train creative thinking skills so that students are more focused on determining the problems sought through experiments and understanding physics concepts through actual experiments. If professional teachers apply PBL learning, it is suspected that the three dependent variables, namely the value of learning achievement, critical thinking skills, and creative students taught by PBL, will be higher than the scores of students with conventional learning (Foo et al, 2021).…”