Assessment of the acceptance and effectiveness of peer-assisted learning in pediatrics

BACKGROUND: Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is the development of knowledge and skill through active help and support of equals. However, this has not been tested in medical education in India. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of PAL on improvement in cognitive assessment scores and its acceptance among undergraduate medical students in one public teaching medical university in North India. METHODOLOGY: After approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, three PAL sessions, 1 per week, each on specific topic, were conducted using small group discussion methodology with a faculty contact and student leader and 4–6 peer-learners, in 9(th) semester MBBS students. A pretest with multiple choice questions (MCQs) was followed by distribution of learning objectives and list of resource material. PAL session was conducted after 72 h, followed by posttest by MCQs and then focus group discussion (FGD) on students’ experiences. RESULTS: Of the 26 students enrolled, three PAL sessions was completed by 22 (84.6%) students. The correlation coefficient between pre- and post-test scores was 0.48 (P < 0.0001), with a 24.2% improvement in posttest scores. In the nine FGDs most said that PALs helped in the better preparation of the topic, clarifying doubts, lessened examination anxiety, improved communication skills, and increased self-confidence. CONCLUSION: PAL was well accepted, and it improved assessment scores. Therefore, it can be adopted for teaching selected topics across all subjects of MBBS course.