Can the traditional class be replaced by the Worked Example in the teaching of Radiology?

Abstract

Introduction: During the last decade, the traditional model of medical education was widely debated, and recently, the Covid-19 pandemic added new challenges in teaching and learning in medical education. The Worked Example is an instructional tool in which an expert shows a detailed problem solution for a learner. Objective: This study aimed to compare, in an experimental study with medical students, lectures in online format with Worked Example for teaching chest tomography. Method: Experimental study through an educational intervention with medical students in the initial and final stages of clinical practice. Result: Analysis of variance of repeated measures (ANOVA) was used in the statistical analysis. There was a significant difference between the grades before and after training (F1; 74 = 46.008; p < 0.001) and between the course phases studied (F2; 148 = 19.452; p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (F2; 74 = 1.401; p = 0.240). There was no significant difference in mental effort reported in the comparison between groups (F1; 69 = 0.092; p = 0.762), but students in the 2th year had a significantly higher effort score. Conclusion: Worked Example, which is a good technique for students and suitable for digital formats, was equally effective as lecture, a well-known instructional method for teaching radiology.