HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Reinhard Friedl Andreas Hannekum Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Friedl, R. Articles by Stracke, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Friedl, R. Articles by Stracke, S. Related Collections Education

Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:1760-1766
© 2006 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original article: Cardiovascular

Multimedia-Driven Teaching Significantly Improves Students' Performance When Compared With a Print Medium

^a Department of Heart Surgery, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
^c Department of Cardiac Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
^b Division of Nephrology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

Accepted for publication September 21, 2005.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr. Friedl, University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Heart Surgery, Steinhövelstr. 9, 89073 Ulm, Germany (Email: reinhard.friedl{at}medizin.uni-ulm.de).

BACKGROUND: In this study, we compared the educational value of a multimedia module about aortic valve replacement as a preparation for the operating room with a print medium of identical content.

METHODS: One hundred twenty-six students were randomly assigned in a prospective study to either use the multimedia course (n = 69) or a print version (n = 57). A 20-item multiple-choice test was performed before and after learning with the respective medium. Both groups participated in an operation during which they were evaluated with 28 standardized tasks and questions. Individual motivation, computer literacy, and didactic quality of both media were assessed with psychometric tests.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the multiple-choice pretest (multimedia, 30.6% ± 12.4% versus print, 27.9% ± 11.4%) and posttest responses (multimedia, 76.7% ± 13.3% versus print, 76.9% ± 11.1). Mean percentage of correct answers during the operation was 82.9% ± 10% in the online group and 64.7% ± 12% in the print group (p < 0.0001). The multimedia group needed significantly (p < 0.001) less study time (105 ± 24 minutes) when compared with the text group (122 ± 30 minutes). There were no statistically significant differences in motivation, computer literacy, and didactic quality of either medium.

CONCLUSIONS: Regarding factual knowledge, there is no difference between multimedia-driven learning and a print medium. During heart operations, when understanding of complex temporal and spatial events is essential, students' performance is significantly improved by multimedia-enhanced teaching. The latter further proved to be more efficient in terms of study time.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Rappa, M. Larose-Pierre, C. McDonald, A. J. Massey, and A. Singh Integrating Innovative Technologies Into a Psychiatric Pharmacy Clerkship Rotation Journal of Pharmacy Practice, December 1, 2006; 19(6): 386 - 394. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Friedl, H. Hoppler, K. Ecard, W. Scholz, A. Hannekum, W. Oechsner, and S. Stracke Comparative Evaluation of Multimedia Driven, Interactive, and Case-Based Teaching in Heart Surgery Ann. Thorac. Surg., November 1, 2006; 82(5): 1790 - 1795. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Gold Invited commentary. Ann. Thorac. Surg., May 1, 2006; 81(5): 1766 - 1766. [Full Text] [PDF]