Effectivity of near-peer teaching in training of basic surgical skills – a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background Near-peer teaching (NPT) is a special way of teaching where the tutor is one or more academic years ahead of the person being tutored. The literature agrees on the benefits of the method, but there are only a few publications examining its effectiveness using objective methods. The aim of our study was to examine the effectiveness of NPT in the training of basic surgical skills. Methods We included 60 volunteer students who participated in a 20 × 45 min long surgical skills course. Based on the results of a pre-course test, we randomly divided the students into six equal groups. All groups completed the same curriculum, with three groups being assisted by a NPT tutor. After the course, they completed the same test as at the beginning. The exams were recorded on anonymized videos and were blindly evaluated. The students’ satisfaction was monitored using a self-administered online anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. Results Overall, student performance improved with completion of the course (from 119.86 to 153.55 points, p < 0.01). In groups where a NPT tutor assisted, students achieved a significantly better score (37.20 vs. 30.18 points improvement, p = 0.036). The difference was prominent in surgical knotting tasks (14.73 vs. 9.30 points improvement, p < 0.01). In cases of suturing (15.90 vs. 15.46 points) and laparoscopy (7.00 vs. 4.98 points), the presence of the NPT tutor did not significantly affect development. Based on student feedback, although students positively assessed the presence of NPT, it did not significantly improve students’ overall satisfaction since it was already 4,82 on a scale of 5 in the control group. Conclusions Overall, involving a NPT tutor had a positive impact on student development. An outstanding difference was observed in connection with knotting techniques.

Distance Education for Basic Surgical Skills Using Homemade Tools—DIY Methods for Emergency Situations

“…We assessed students' efficacy in knot tying and suturing by online method, using OSATS scores correspondent for the past years [16,31], then evaluated them in comparison with results from the previous two years.…”

Near-Peer Teaching in Conjunction with Flipped Classroom to Teach First-Year Medical Students Basic Surgical Skills

“…Near-peer teaching (NPT) represents an alternative teaching approach that relieves the burden of traditional faculty-led teaching [ 13 ]. In this approach, the instructor is a person who is one or more years senior to another while being on the same level of educational training — for instance, senior medical students and junior medical students [ 4 , 5 , 14 – 16 ].…”

“…There are distinct theoretical features of NPT that underlie the effectiveness of this approach. These include, but are not limited to, reduced educational distance between the teacher and learner, a less formal educational setting, and smaller learner group sizes [ 13 , 24 , 25 ]. Moreover, NPT is advantageous to the peer instructors themselves, as it provides an opportunity for students to develop teaching skills in a low-pressure environment while enhancing their own knowledge [ 15 , 26 , 27 ].…”

“…Specific to the domain of medical students learning surgical skills, multiple studies have described the efficacy of NPT [ 14 , 39 – 45 ] as well as FC [ 29 , 37 , 46 ]. In a randomized control trial involving 60 third-year and fourth-year medical students, Pintér et al demonstrated that NPT had a positive impact on students’ development of suturing and knot-tying [ 13 ]. In a laparoscopic suturing course, Chiu et al randomized 59 medical students to a FC or traditional learning approach — post-course, students in the FC group scored significantly higher on an objective assessment of surgical skills [ 46 ].…”

E-Learning and Near-Peer Teaching in Ophthalmology during Covid-19

“…The Covid-19 TAs alsodeveloped as medical educators, as part of the medical school's Clinical Educator Programme (CEP), which ran a series of workshops and online modules on medical education for the tutors.A group of new graduates also developed an online Ophthalmology revision programme for students, in partnership with ophthalmologists based in Edinburgh, which was well received and demonstrated the impact of near-peer teaching. It is interesting to note that a recent study into the effectivity of near-peer teaching found it to be mutually benefit and to have a positive impact on student development [2].…”