Comparison of Case‐Based and Lecture‐Based Learning in Dental Education Using the SOLO Taxonomy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the impact of case-based learning (CBL) and lecture-based learning (LBL) on fourth-year dental students' clinical decision making by using the Structure of Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. Participants in the study were fourth-year dental students (n=55) in academic year 2012-13 taught in a large-group LBL context and fourth-year dental students (n=54) in academic year 2013-14 taught with the CBL methodology; both took place in the oral diseases course at Yeditepe University Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul, Turkey. All eligible students participated, for a 100 percent response rate. A real case was presented to the students in both groups to assess their clinical decision making on the topic of oral diseases. Their performance was evaluated with the SOLO taxonomy. Student t-test was used for statistical evaluation, and signiicance was set at the p<0.05 level. A statistically signiicant difference was found between the mean scores of the relational and extended abstract categories of the CBL and LBL groups (p<0.05). Students who were taught with CBL had higher scores at the top two levels of the SOLO taxonomy than students taught with LBL. These indings suggest that an integrated case-based curriculum may be effective in promoting students' deep learning and it holds promise for better integration of clinical cases likely to be encountered during independent practice.Dr. Mehmet İlgüy is Associate Professor,

Case-Based Learning and its Application in Medical and Health-Care Fields: A Review of Worldwide Literature

“…Another pathology article from Africa, describing a course in laboratory medicine for mixed graduate medical education (residents) and CME for clinicians, defines CBL: “Case-based learning is structured so that trainees explore clinically relevant topics using open-ended questions with well-defined goals.” 7 The exploring that students or trainees do factors into other definitions. In a dental education article originating in Turkey, the authors remark: “The advantages of the case-based method are promotion of self-directed learning, clinical reasoning, clinical problem solving, and decision making by providing repeated experiences in class and by enabling students to focus on the complexity of clinical care.” 8 Another definition of CBL was offered in a physiology education paper regarding teaching undergraduate medical students in India: “What is CBL? By discussing a clinical case related to the topic taught, students evaluated their own understanding of the concept using a high order of cognition.…”

“…Another attempt to measure deeper learning was reported from a dental school in Turkey. 8 The authors compared a CBL course with an older LBL course from the previous year by using “SOLO” taxonomy, developed by Biggs and Collis. 73 SOLO taxonomy rates the learning outcomes from prestructural through extended abstract.…”

“…For example, in unistructural, the second item of SOLO, items could be “define”, “identify”, or “do a simple procedure”, whereas in the “extended abstract” level, the items are “evaluate”, “predict”, “generalize”, “create”, “reflect”, or “hypothesize” in higher mental order tasks. 8 A post-test was used to measure the responses on the test. The test questions were assigned to SOLO categories.…”

Case-based education to improve learning and faculty teaching of residents and students in a clinical setting

“…SOLO taxonomy measures learning from prestructural (de ine, identify) through extended abstract (evaluate, generalize, predict, create, hypothesize, re lect). Students who attended the case-based discussions had signi icantly higher scores in the higher mental order tasks of the SOLO compared to students only attending traditional lectures [6]. This study demonstrated advanced critical thinking skills in the group that attended case-based discussions.…”

Integration of case based learning and bedside teaching in undergraduate students in pediatrics

“…They found that physicians had the lowest scores in reaching higher level of reflective thinking. Ilguy et al found significant benefit in higher level of learning using CBL program 17.…”