Case-Based Collaborative Learning in Undergraduate Radiology Teaching-Are Essential Conditions for Group Discussions Met?

Bas de Leng; Manoj Mannil; Rakesh Patel; Friedrich Pawelka; Harald Seifarth; Benedikt Sundermann

doi:10.1016/j.acra.2024.03.043

Case-Based Collaborative Learning in Undergraduate Radiology Teaching-Are Essential Conditions for Group Discussions Met?

Acad Radiol. 2024 Apr 23:S1076-6332(24)00218-6. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2024.03.043. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Bas de Leng¹, Manoj Mannil², Rakesh Patel³, Friedrich Pawelka⁴, Harald Seifarth⁵, Benedikt Sundermann⁶

Affiliations

¹ Educational Institute (IfAS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany (B.d.L., F.P.). Electronic address: bdeleng@uni-muenster.de.
² Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany (M.M.); Caritas-Krankenhaus Bad Mergentheim, Bad Mergentheim, Germany (M.M.).
³ Institute of Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom (R.P.).
⁴ Educational Institute (IfAS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany (B.d.L., F.P.).
⁵ Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Esslingen, Esslingen, Germany (H.S.); Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany (H.S.).
⁶ Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, and Institute of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Evangelisches Krankenhaus, Medical Campus, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany (B.S.).

PMID: 38658212
DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2024.03.043

Abstract

Background: Delivering case-based collaborative learning (cCBL) at scale using technology that both presents the clinical problem authentically and seeks to foster quality group discussion is a challenge, especially argumentation which is critical for effective learning. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of essential conditions to capitalize on a technology-enhanced cCBL scenario for teaching radiology and facilitating quality group discussion.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 114 fourth-year medical students who completed a technology-enhanced cCBL scenario for teaching neuroradiology. It consisted of individual online pre-class work and face-to-face in-class work, where group discussion followed individual work at a workstation. Items from the "Heedful Interrelating in Collaborative Educational Settings" scale and "positive emotional engagement" questionnaire assessed the quality of social-cognitive processes and emotional engagement during the group discussions. Structured interviews were used to explore the teachers' awareness of and engagement with the technology.

Results: The mean scores of most "heedfulness" items were below 3.5 (7-point scale), suggesting that participants did not enter the debriefing with a mindset conducive for argumentation. However, for the affective states "interest" and "enjoyment" the mean scores were above 5. Free text comments suggested participants enjoyed the superficial interactions, but did not necessarily engage in argumentation. Structured interviews revealed teachers were aware of the possibilities of the learning dashboard and used it as a common frame of reference, but did not really succeed to use it as a springboard for discussion.

Conclusion: A technology-enhanced cCBL scenario is useful for teaching radiology in undergraduate medical education, but the added value of acquiring in-depth knowledge will only be achieved when students are aware of the importance of an "heedful" mind-set.

Keywords: Case-based learning; Group discussion; Heedful; Mindset; Radiology; Undergraduate.