Education on the Go: Studying the Use of Podcasts in Resident Education

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Podcasting has become a mainstream media commodity, although its implementation into medical education has yet to be studied. Podcasting curricula can be readily created and disseminated for educational efficiency. METHODS: Four podcasts were created to cover information from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Practice Bulletins. All residents in our academic program were randomized to access the bulletins or both podcasts and bulletins. Both groups were offered posteducation quizzes. Outcomes included resident quiz completion as well as overall performance. Analysis was performed using standard statistics in Stata 14, with significance defined as P<.05. This project was IRB-approved. RESULTS: Overall, 126 quizzes were administered to 36 residents. Thirty-eight (30.2%) posteducation quizzes were completed, including 16 (27.6%) from residents who received podcasts and 22 (32.4%) from those who did not, a difference that was not statistically significant (P=.56). Similarly there was no significant difference in average quiz scores between podcast and traditional groups (70±22.3% and 80±17.1% respectively, P=.17). DISCUSSION: Podcasts have become an efficient and popular way for residents to learn. We noted equivalent participation and comprehension of the curriculum whether or not podcasts were used in conjunction with self-directed reading. The addition of podcasts to a resident curriculum may not significantly improve scores or participation. Future studies may evaluate the efficiency of education through podcasting in the ob/gyn residency given its noninferiority to traditional self-directed learning.

Learning Through Listening: A Scoping Review of Podcast Use in Medical Education

“…Ten studies objectively assessed knowledge retention by looking at test scores. 14,15,20,28,37,42,51,53,63,67 Some of these studies evaluated changes in medical student knowledge (n = 4) 14,15,37,42 and others evaluated changes in resident and fellow knowledge (n = 6). 20,28,51,53,63,67 Overall, podcasts appear to be noninferior to traditional educational resources for knowledge retention.…”

“…51,67 The four studies that evaluated knowledge retention in residents and fellows all found participants who used podcasts performed as well as or better than participants who learned from other forms of instruction. 20,51,53,67…”

“…51,67 The four studies that evaluated knowledge retention in residents and fellows all found participants who used podcasts performed as well as or better than participants who learned from other forms of instruction. 20,51,53,67 Another study looked at the use of interpolated questions in podcasts to increase active learning. 63 Residents were randomized to listen to either a regular podcast or that same podcast with interspaced, interpolated questions.…”

“…37 Several studies evaluated knowledge retention in residents and fellows, comparing retention after podcasts with retention after traditional educational interventions, such as didactic lectures, 53,67 written curricula, 51 and bulletins. 20 In studies that used a pretest/posttest methodology, there were significant increases in posttest scores in the podcast cohort. 51,67 The four studies that evaluated knowledge retention in residents and fellows all found participants who used podcasts performed as well as or better than participants who learned from other forms of instruction.…”

Social Work Educators’ Opportunities During COVID-19: A Roadmap for Trauma-Informed Teaching During Crisis

“…Lee & Hannafin, 2016). Other ways to support choice are by offering content in multiple modes, such as by podcast or article, given that the difference does not appear to significantly affect learning outcomes (De Los Reyes et al, 2017;McNally et al, 2017). Online instructors should also be cognizant of shared trauma and endorse regular self-care.…”