Effectiveness of the application of small private online course combined with PBL model based on massive open online course in the teaching of neurology

BMC Med Educ. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):1518. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06460-5.

Abstract

Background: Due to the complex and abstract anatomy of the nervous system, neurology has become a difficult subject for students of clinical disciplines. It is imperative to develop new teaching methods to improve students' enthusiasm for learning this course. Small private online courses (SPOC) combined with problem based learning (PBL) blended teaching models based on massive open online course (MOOC) provides a new direction for future neurology teaching reform. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of applying SPOC combined with PBL in neurology teaching.

Methods: This study was conducted during the 2020 intake of undergraduate students at the Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University. A total of 48 students were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to either a Lecture-Based Learning (LBL) group or a SPOC + PBL group, with 24 participants in each group. After the classes, comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of teaching methods, increases in learning interest, level of participation in learning, satisfaction, and closed-book unit test scores.

Results: The average unit test score of the SPOC + PBL group was 84.29 ± 1.65, the average score of LBL group was 77.0 ± 1.92. The difference in average scores between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The proportion of students with 91-100 points in SPOC + PBL group was higher than that of LBL group, and the difference was statistically significant, P < 0.01. Student satisfaction survey in the SPOC + PBL group was significantly higher than that in the LBL group, P < 0.01.

Conclusions: The application of SPOC combined with PBL teaching based on MOOC in neurology teaching may be more effective than traditional LBL model. It is expected to help medical students overcome the "fear" of learning neurological diseases, improve the teaching effect of neurology courses, and meet the needs of modern medical education by employing a hybrid course structure and adopting a problem-oriented approach.

Keywords: Instructional effectiveness; Neurology teaching; PBL; SPOC.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Computer-Assisted Instruction / methods
  • Curriculum
  • Education, Distance
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate* / methods
  • Educational Measurement
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Educational
  • Neurology* / education
  • Problem-Based Learning*
  • Students, Medical
  • Teaching