Association of Online Learning Behavior and Learning Outcomes for Medical Students: Large-Scale Usage Data Analysis.
big data analytics
learning engagement
learning outcomes
medical online learning platform
writing notes
Journal
JMIR medical education
ISSN: 2369-3762
Titre abrégé: JMIR Med Educ
Pays: Canada
ID NLM: 101684518
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
21 Aug 2019
21 Aug 2019
Historique:
received:
29
01
2019
accepted:
22
07
2019
revised:
16
06
2019
entrez:
23
8
2019
pubmed:
23
8
2019
medline:
23
8
2019
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Digital learning environments have become very common in the training of medical professionals, and students often use such platforms for exam preparation. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are a common format in medical exams and are used by students to prepare for said exams. We aimed to examine whether particular learning activities contributed more strongly than others to users' exam performance. We analyzed data from users of an online platform that provides learning materials for medical students in preparation for their final exams. We analyzed whether the number of learning cards viewed and the number of MCQs taken were positively related to learning outcomes. We also examined whether viewing learning cards or answering MCQs was more effective. Finally, we tested whether taking individual notes predicted learning outcomes, and whether taking notes had an effect after controlling for the effects of learning cards and MCQs. Our analyses from the online platform Amboss are based on user activity data, which supplied the number of learning cards studied and test questions answered. We also included the number of notes from each of those 23,633 users who had studied at least 200 learning cards and had answered at least 1000 test exam questions in the 180 days before their state exam. The activity data for this analysis was collected retrospectively, using Amboss archival usage data from April 2014 to April 2017. Learning outcomes were measured using the final state exam scores that were calculated by using the answers voluntarily entered by the participants. We found correlations between the number of cards studied (r=.22; P<.001) and the number of test questions that had been answered (r=.23; P<.001) with the percentage of correct answers in the learners' medical exams. The number of test questions answered still yielded a significant effect, even after controlling for the number of learning cards studied using a hierarchical regression analysis (β=.14; P<.001; ΔR These results show that online learning platforms are particularly helpful whenever learners engage in active elaboration in learning material, such as by answering MCQs or taking notes.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Digital learning environments have become very common in the training of medical professionals, and students often use such platforms for exam preparation. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are a common format in medical exams and are used by students to prepare for said exams.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to examine whether particular learning activities contributed more strongly than others to users' exam performance.
METHODS
METHODS
We analyzed data from users of an online platform that provides learning materials for medical students in preparation for their final exams. We analyzed whether the number of learning cards viewed and the number of MCQs taken were positively related to learning outcomes. We also examined whether viewing learning cards or answering MCQs was more effective. Finally, we tested whether taking individual notes predicted learning outcomes, and whether taking notes had an effect after controlling for the effects of learning cards and MCQs. Our analyses from the online platform Amboss are based on user activity data, which supplied the number of learning cards studied and test questions answered. We also included the number of notes from each of those 23,633 users who had studied at least 200 learning cards and had answered at least 1000 test exam questions in the 180 days before their state exam. The activity data for this analysis was collected retrospectively, using Amboss archival usage data from April 2014 to April 2017. Learning outcomes were measured using the final state exam scores that were calculated by using the answers voluntarily entered by the participants.
RESULTS
RESULTS
We found correlations between the number of cards studied (r=.22; P<.001) and the number of test questions that had been answered (r=.23; P<.001) with the percentage of correct answers in the learners' medical exams. The number of test questions answered still yielded a significant effect, even after controlling for the number of learning cards studied using a hierarchical regression analysis (β=.14; P<.001; ΔR
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
These results show that online learning platforms are particularly helpful whenever learners engage in active elaboration in learning material, such as by answering MCQs or taking notes.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31436166
pii: v5i2e13529
doi: 10.2196/13529
pmc: PMC6724501
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
e13529Informations de copyright
©Martina Bientzle, Emrah Hircin, Joachim Kimmerle, Christian Knipfer, Ralf Smeets, Robert Gaudin, Peter Holtz. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 21.08.2019.
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