Audience Response System (ARS) Use in the SCORE (Surgical Council on Resident Education) Surgery Training Curriculum: A Mixed Methodology Study

Background Audience Response Systems (ARS) could help overcome the limitations of traditional lectures by providing interactivity, engagement, and assessment. The perception of ARS use in surgical education is not well documented. Objective Examine the use of an ARS in teaching This Week In SCORE (Surgical Council on Resident Education)sessions to general surgery residents and medical students. Methods ARS was used at weekly SCORE question sessions in a new general surgery residency program by four residents, 97 medical students, and 20 faculty. The study employed a mixed quantitative and qualitative method: two separate 10-question surveys for faculty and trainees (49% response rate) and a focus group discussion that included one faculty member, two residents, and two students. Results In 85 (85%) responses, the faculty favored the use of ARS in SCORE. Among the total of 510 responses from 51 residents and students, 57% agreed with the favorable use of ARS, while 28% were neutral and, in 14% of cases, negative. A greater proportion of faculty and learners preferred ARS over traditional lectures. The focus group content analysis showed a positive effect and preference from learners and faculty. Engagement, thinking stimulation, and group participation were the most common positive comments. No significant negative influence on ARS use was reported. Conclusions The use of an ARS in This Week In SCORE ​​​sessions were preferred by most of the faculty and a majority of learners. The benefits are ease of use and stimulation of discussion. ARS has the potential for more widespread utilization in additional educational settings.