Student Perceptions of Instructional Ultrasound Videos as Preparation for a Practical Assessment

BACKGROUND: Learning ultrasound early in the medical school curriculum helps students to understand anatomy and pathology and to perform defined ultrasound standard views. Instructional videos are a potentially valuable tool for improving the process of learning ultrasound skills. It was the aim of the present study to investigate how students perceived instructional videos as a learning aid, compared to other learning opportunities, in preparation for an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven concise ultrasound videos were created and implemented in the 4 (th) year at the Medical University of Vienna. The videos illustrate the predefined examination process, image optimization, and nine standardized ultrasound views. The videos were available to be used in preparation for the practical ultrasound examination, which was part of the objective structured clinical examination. The students’ perceptions of the instructional videos and other learning methods were surveyed using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 445 of 640 students (69.5% of the cohort) used the instructional videos. Of those students, 134 (30%) answered the questionnaire. Of this group, 88.9% rated the instructional videos as very helpful (49.6% as extremely helpful). An ANOVA revealed a significant difference between various learning materials in terms of helpfulness. Post hoc analysis showed that instructional videos were perceived as the second most helpful learning material after “self-execution and feedback.” CONCLUSION: The study revealed that students use instructional videos frequently and appreciate them as an extra tool for effective studying.