Analysis of Web-based learning methods in emergency medicine: randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: In medical education, Web-based learning is increasingly used as a complement to practical classes. The objective of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of three different forms of e-learning course on emergency medicine in terms of an indicator of knowledge growth and students’ satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For the purpose of the study, we developed and implemented a tool in the form of an online course: A – non-animated presentation, B – video, C – interactive video. The participants were undergraduate students of emergency medicine and nursing (n = 106). A pre-test and a post-test were carried out, and the resulting data were analyzed using parametric tests (t-test, ANOVA, post-hoc). Final questionnaires assessing six parameters of satisfaction were also evaluated. RESULTS: A significant increase in knowledge in the experimental group which used an interactive video was observed (p = 0.04). Moreover, the number of replays of learning material was the highest in group C (2.09 ±2.48). The level of post-course satisfaction turned out to be comparable in all three groups (p = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: The study allowed the interactive course to be identified as the most effective method of distance learning among selected ones. Due to the limitations of the study, we conclude that there is a need for further studies on the effectiveness of e-learning in emergency medicine.