Intersecting Virtual Patients and Microbiology: Fostering a culture of learning

BACKGROUND: The use and integration of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) resources in medical education has attracted considerable commentary and support. “Virtual Patients” are one such resource. Whilst evidence exists supporting the benefits of these resources, there has not been specific consideration of their implications for teaching microbiology; nor attention paid to both the internal and external factors that influence learner engagement with virtual patients. The principle aims of this study are to identify factors that explicitly and implicitly influence the student's interaction with a microbiology virtual patient resource and how these interactions reflect upon the use of the resource. METHODS: A mixed method quantitative (online questionnaire; n=161) and qualitative (student focus groups; N=11) study was undertaken amongst third year medical students enrolled at Queen's University Belfast in the academic year 2012 – 2013. RESULTS: The results supported prior evidence that virtual patients are a useful learning tool (mean score of 5.09 out of 7) that helped them to integrate microbiology principles with clinical experiences. How students used the virtual patients and the depth of the subsequent benefits was dependent upon their perception of the importance of the resource. This was influenced by a number of factors including how the resources were presented and positioned within the curriculum, whether they were formally examined or timetabled and the importance attributed by peers who had already completed the examinations. CONCLUSION: Integration of virtual patients into the microbiology curriculum is widely endorsed and may even be considered superior to other methods of teaching. How students use these resources is dependent upon a positive perception of their importance. Educators should be aware of the factors that shape this perception when integrating TEL resources into curricula.