Deriving and Validating an Instrument for Assessing Students' Perspectives on a Completely Digital Problem-based Learning Curriculum during COVID-19

Chia-Ter Chao ； Chao-Chi Ho ； Wei-Chung Hsu ； Jeng-Yi Shieh ； Huey-Ling Chen ； Chiun Hsu ； Yen-Lin Chiu ； Mong-Wei Lin

《Journal of Medical Education》 24卷4期 (2020/12) Pp. 183-194

https://doi.org/10.6145/jme.202012_24(4).0002

摘要

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered global lockdowns and social distancing mandates. Traditional problem-based learning (PBL) could be potentially compromised. Completely digitalized PBL curricula could be adapted into or even replace traditional ones. This study investigated whether students' perspectives about PBL confidence changed during digital PBL implementation and aimed to derive and validate an instrument for measuring confidence in PBL curricula. Methods: A completely digital PBL small-group discussion program panel was established in National Taiwan University College of Medicine in March 2020 to replace the traditional PBL course for medical students as an immediate response to COVID-19. The first phase comprised developing and validating an adapted questionnaire assessing students' confidence in different PBL indicators, implementing the first digital PBL course, and administering questionnaires regarding traditional PBL and first digital PBL. The second phase comprised repeated digital PBL practices and another survey on digital PBL. Students' perspectives before and after implementation of digital PBL, and comparisons of first exposure and subsequent repeated practice phases were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Data were collected from 110 medical and 2 pharmacy students. The derived novel PBL confidence questionnaire (＂DigPBL questionnaire＂) included 5 and 6 items for the ＂Team dynamics＂ and ＂Facilitator competence＂ dimensions, respectively. Initial exposure to a completely digital PBL curriculum significantly attenuated students' confidence in the PBL program compared to traditional PBL. The subsequent repeated digital PBL practice significantly reversed the confidence decline as shown by improvement of the two dimensions. Conclusions: Team dynamics and facilitator competence influenced medical students' digital PBL-related confidence. Repeated digital PBL practice significantly alleviated the negative aspects of the initial phase of digital PBL curricula implementation.

關鍵字

coronavirus disease 2019 ； COVID-19 ； digital problem-based learning ； medical students ； online education ； problem-based learning

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