The effectiveness of self-directed learning in health professions education: a systematic review

Abstract

OBJECTIVES Given the continuous advances in the biomedical sciences, health care professionals need to develop the skills necessary for lifelong learning. Self-directed learning (SDL) is suggested as the methodology of choice in this context.Thepurposeof this systematicreviewisto determine the effectiveness of SDL in improving learning outcomes in health professionals. METHODSWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC and PsycINFO through to August 2009. Eligible studies were comparative and evaluated the effect of SDL interventions on learning outcomes in the domains of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Two reviewers working independently selected studies and extracted data. Standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated from each study and pooled using randomeffects meta-analysis.RESULTS The final analysis included 59 studies that enrolled 8011 learners. Twentyfive studies (42%) were randomised. The overall methodological quality of the studies was moderate. Compared with traditional teaching methods, SDL was associated with a moderate increase in the knowledge domain (SMD 0.45, 95% CI 0.23-0.67), a trivial and non-statistically significant increase in the skills domain (SMD 0.05, 95% CI ) 0.05 to 0.22), and a non-significant increase in the attitudes domain (SMD 0.39, 95% CI ) 0.03 to 0.81). Heterogeneity was significant in all analyses. When learners were involved in choosing learning resources, SDL was more effective. Advanced learners seemed to benefit more from SDL.CONCLUSIONS Moderate quality evidence suggests that SDL in health professions education is associated with moderate improvement in the knowledge domain compared with traditional teaching methods and may be as effective in the skills and attitudes domains.

The Impact of Team-Based Learning on a Foundational Pharmacokinetics Course

“…This prospective view was investigated by auditing examination scores on the subsequent clinical pharmacokinetics course. This study found a moderate effect size of the TBL format on subsequent performance, which is comparable to the effect size in knowledge acquisition with other instructional interventions, such as self-directed learning (range -1.6 to 3.8, average 0.45), 15 providing feedback (range 0.14 to 1.10, average 0.79) 16 and reciprocal teaching (eg, collaborative or cooperative learning) (range 0.86 to 0.88, median 0.88). 17 These findings seem logical, as the framework of TBL incorporates self-directed learning, feedback, and cooperative learning.…”

The Role of teacher in medical student self-directed learning process

“…The teacher has been trying to be a good facilitator, with more to enable students in the learning process. In line with the research that conducted by Murad (2010), which stated that the role of the teacher in the SDL process is primarily as a facilitator, not just as sources of material science. The teacher assist the students in learning how to learn.…”

“…Intervention of the teacher can make learning approach prone to shift back towards the teachercentered leaning. According to a systematic review conducted by Murad (2010), the teacher act more as a facilitator than as a scientific resource. There are a few researches that explore thoroughly the role of the teacher in the medical students SDL process.…”

Management of Self-directed E-learning from Open Accessed Journals in Science Education

“…Fourthly, E-learning of OA journals is helpful in the development of independence. In the absence of teachers, learners can learn more critically and more glad to post questions [10]. During self-learning of OA articles, learners can easily abstract important information, search related topics, and compare different results.…”