Introducing integrated case-based learning to clinical nutrition training and evaluating students’ learning performance

OBJECTIVES: Clinical nutrition training is an essential course for clinical nutrition and dietetics (CN&D) students. The training combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills. The goal is to prepare competent graduates for future practice. Case-based learning is an active learning method based on cases from the clinical setting. This study aimed to introduce an integrated case-based learning (ICBL) method to the clinical training of a cohort of CN&D students and to evaluate its impact on the students’ knowledge of nutrition care process. METHODS: This action research project employed an ICBL-method of teaching in the clinical training of senior students in the CN&D course at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Ten integrated case-based learning sessions were conducted with 29 students. The record of the nutrition care process was used to evaluate the learners' performance through a pretest-posttest mechanism. Furthermore, a focus group interview was conducted to determine the impact of the ICBL-based training on the students' learning experience. RESULTS: All of the students (100%) showed improvement in their learning. There was a 55% improvement in their grades. There was also self-perceived improvement of their life-long learning skills after the ICBL sessions. CONCLUSION: Integraed case-based learning positively influenced learning among CN&D students. Consequently, the students were able to describe appropriate and individualized nutritional care plans. The students were satisfied with the training and considered ICBL to be an effective method of clinical training.