JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Residents in subspecialty units, such as pediatric endocrinology, are provided with several learning opportunities that encompass theoretical and practical knowledge, skills, and attitudes. However, due to the often short-term residencies, not all clinical situations are experienced. Medical education research indicates that e-learning presents an excellent complementary opportunity to address this gap. We developed a unique blended learning teaching approach that includes structured case-based e-learning courses based on Kolb’s learning cycle model.

Objective:

To evaluate the utility and usability of blended learning with a novel e-learning tool.

Methods:

We employed a problem-solving approach and utilized the physical separation of case-based e-learning and theoretical content delivery as the educational model for residents in an pediatric endocrinology and diabetology unit. Residents worked asynchronously on clinical scenarios and complete formative assessments with immediate feedback (flipped class teaching method). In addition, all cases could be discussed with the specialists during the face-to-face learning opportunities (blended learning). We evaluated Kirkpatrick’s level 1 (Reaction) and level 2 (Learning) outcomes using the postgraduate Medical E-learning Evaluation Survey (MEES) User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ).

Results:

Questionnaires from 12 pediatric residents and one questionnaire from a 4th-year medical student were evaluated. The main strengths in MEES were the ability to apply translatable content to daily real-world work (12/13 users), providing summaries when needed (9/13 users), offering accessible sources of information (9/13 users), and feedback on answers (8/13 users). The main weaknesses concerned the devices used for e-learning (5/13 users), the personalization of the e-learning (4/13 users), and the presence of an instrument to help navigate the e-learning (4/13 users). No significant problems or defaults were reported. According to the UEQ results, dependability is the least well-evaluated category, whereas attractiveness and stimulation are the best-evaluated categories.

Conclusions:

Our e-learning proposal provides a practical approach to applying theoretical knowledge through interactive clinical cases. The evaluations show that users are highly motivated for e-learning, highlighting the adaptability and effectiveness of our tool for medical postgraduate education in pediatric endocrinology. The identification of strengths and weaknesses in our e-learning will guide us in adapting and improving the tool. We believe that evaluating the various aspects of e-learning is crucial, as these elements can significantly impact learning outcomes.