Mind Mapping as a Novel Method in Teaching the Morphology of Skin Lesions: A Quasi-Experimental Study

INTRODUCTION: Mind mapping is a visual mapping technique used in a few disciplines of medical education to represent ideas linked to and arranged around a central core idea or topic through different subtopics/categories. We aimed to utilize this technique to teach the undergraduate medical students the morphology of skin lesions and assess its effectiveness. METHODS: This pre- and post-test quasi-experimental study was done among 144 undergraduate medical students. A total of 144 students were selected, and odd and even roll numbers were categorized into two groups using simple random sampling. Group 1 (intervention group) students were taught using mind mapping technique and Group 2 (control group) with traditional lecture-based teaching. A Computer-Assisted pre-test and post-test were carried out. A feedback questionnaire was administered to the intervention group to explore the students’ perceptions regarding mind mapping as a learning tool. The data were analysed using SPSS software (version 16), and the difference in the mean pre- and post-test scores was found using independent sampled-t-test. RESULTS: Pre and post-test score distribution was 5.04±1.27 and 11.44±2.52 (p-value=<0.001), respectively, in the intervention group. In the control group, the pre and post-test score distributions were 4.83±1.39 and 8.04±1.63, respectively. The mean rank of the mind mapping group was higher (76.43) than the lecture group (67.5). Among the students, 97.2% agreed on the fact that mind mapping enhanced their interest in learning, and 91.7% of the students were satisfied with mind mapping as the learning method. CONCLUSION: To kindle the interest and develop critical thinking skills in students, faculty members should continue to explore and evaluate the efficacy of various learning and teaching strategies. Mind mapping could be a novel and integral part of conventional teaching techniques in medical education as evidenced by our student's performances.