Evaluation of Interactive Spaced Education as a teaching tool in the context of Chronic Kidney Disease
Educational Technology; Education Distance; Education Medical; Renal Insufficiency Chronic.
Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) currently reaches epidemic proportions in the world and despite the effort to teach the appropriate approach to this disease, studies have identified gaps in the knowledge of CKD, emerging the need to seek pedagogical strategies that help in its teaching-learning process. Aims: To evaluate the Interactive Spaced Education (ISE) tool for the second-, third-, and fourth-year medical students learning in an extracurricular course on CKD, objectively and from the perspective of the student. Methods: It is a quasi-experimental study whose population was composed of second-, third-, and fourth-year medicine students enrolled in a CKD extension course, lasting 6 weeks. The course was offered to two classes in the second semester, using lecture and ISE online tool. The ISE program was composed for 3 cycles, with 20 items each that were repeated in all cycles. The ISE participation rate in the two groups and progressive achievement among students who completed > 75% of ISE items were calculated. The tool has been evaluated by the students through a Likert score questionnaire and open questions about opinion and suggestions. Results and discussion: The participation rate was low because the course did not form part of the graduation curriculum. It was demonstrated through the Friedman test that there was an effect of the use of the tool on the improvement in student performance, and through the Bonferoni correction, it was evidenced that the difference between the first and third cycle was significant. The students judged the strategy useful for reinforcing key aspects and for professional practice, in addition to showing interest in participating in other activities with the use of the tool. Students have identified the benefits of test and spacing ISE effects. Conclusion: ISE was effective in improving performance and presented good acceptability among students who completed the program.