Exploring the Educational Value of Popular Culture in Web-Based Medical Education: Pre-Post Study on Teaching Jaundice Using “The Simpsons”

BACKGROUND: The potential of popular culture as a tool for knowledge delivery and enhancing engagement in education is promising but not extensively studied. Furthermore, concerns exist regarding learning fatigue due to increased reliance on videoconferencing platforms following the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure effective web-based teaching sessions that maintain attention spans and enhance understanding, innovative solutions are necessary. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the use of specific popular culture case studies to enhance student engagement in a web-based near-peer teaching session. METHODS: We delivered a web-based teaching session to undergraduate medical students in the United Kingdom. The session included clinical vignettes and single-best-answer questions using characters from “The Simpsons” television show as patient analogies for various causes of jaundice. A pre-post survey, employing a 7-point Likert scale, was distributed to gather data from participants. RESULTS: A total of 53 survey responses were collected. Participants reported significantly improved understanding of jaundice after the session compared to before the session (median 6, IQR 5-6 vs median 4, IQR 3-4.5; P<.001). The majority of participants agreed that the inclusion of “The Simpsons” characters enhanced their knowledge and made the teaching session more memorable and engaging (memorability: median 6, IQR 5-7; engagement: median 6, IQR 5-7). CONCLUSIONS: When appropriately integrated, popular culture can effectively engage students and improve self-perceived knowledge retention. “The Simpsons” characters can be used pedagogically and professionally as patient analogies to deliver teaching on the topic of jaundice.