Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the efficacy of a perceptual and adaptive learning module (PALM) for teaching
the identification of 5 optic nerve findings.
Methods
Second- through fourth-year medical students were randomized to the PALM or a video
didactic lecture. The PALM presented the learner with short classification tasks consisting
of optic nerve images. Learner accuracy and response time guided the sequencing of
successive tasks until mastery was achieved. The lecture was a narrated video designed
to simulate a portion of a traditional medical school lecture. Accuracy and fluency
on a pretest, post-test, and 1-month delayed test were compared within and between
groups.
Results
Eighty-three students participated. Accuracy and fluency improved significantly (p < 0.001) from pretest to post-test for both the PALM (accuracy, Cohen's d = 2.94; fluency, d = 3.39) and the lecture (accuracy, d = 2.32; fluency, d = 1.06). For the delayed test, PALM performance remained significantly greater (p < 0.001) than the pretest in both accuracy (d = 0.89) and fluency (d = 1.16), whereas lecture performance remained greater in accuracy only (d = 0.44; p = 0.02).
Conclusions
The PALM facilitated visual pattern recognition for optic nerve diseases among novice
learners using a single brief self-guided session. The PALM may be applied alongside
traditional didactic lectures to expedite visual pattern recognition in ophthalmology.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 15, 2023
Accepted:
January 24,
2023
Received in revised form:
January 18,
2023
Received:
September 6,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Uncorrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
