Student's experiences of simulation based education vs. problem based learning in emergency medical care training

[摘要] English: An in-depth study was done into Simulation Based Education (SBE) and Problem BasedLearning (PBL) with a view to understanding which method of education is best suited toparamedic education. The researcher performed a survey of students who were studyingtowards becoming a paramedic at the Free State College of Emergency Care inBloemfontein.Paramedic education requires the educator to understand a variety of teaching skills andan understanding to support the needs of the students. As such, the educator's role iscritical for learning to occur in the classroom and it requires the educator to have soundknowledge about different teaching strategies, as well as an understanding of whichstrategies work best with the specific discipline content information.This study sought to bridge the gap created by the absence of guidelines by the HealthProfessions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for curriculum deployment in emergencymedical care (EMC) training. With the recent shift from vocationally-based training to highereducation in paramedic education a dire need exists to explore student paramedics'perception of the curriculum that is being used in EMC training.Simulation is currently being used as a summative assessment instrument to measurestudents' competency, but it does not integrate educational methods which are being usedin emergency medicine and in other allied health care education. Universities and otherinstitutions use outcomes-based education and training as set out by the requirements ofthe South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Countries such as the United States andAustralia make use of integration of PBL and SBE or Case-based learning (CBL) and SBE.SBE and PBL studies were used to frame and focus the study. This study is situated in thefield of Health Professions Education and focused on the profession of EMC.The research methods comprised analysis of documents that contextualise the use of clinicalsimulation by emergency care education programmes in South Africa. A review ofscholarship provided a conceptual framework for understanding health care simulation asan educational methodology and its use as an instrument of assessment in EMC. Literatureon PBL was also sought in EMC and since no articles could be found locally, articles fromAustralia, the United States and medicine were used to draw conclusions. Limited articlescould be found internationally and even less information was found when the researcherlooked within the South African EMC system with regard to different curriculums in use forparamedic education.A quantitative descriptive design was employed and a questionnaire survey was used asthe method of data collection for the empirical phase of the study. All participants was firstintroduced to SBE and PBL prior the completion of the questionnaire survey. This ensuredthat each participant knew exactly how each method of education works. Data fromquestionnaire survey was analysed and interpreted in conjunction with the ICT DepartmentUniversity Free State, and the experience of the researcher, to examine which method ofeducation is preferred by paramedic students' which was the main unit of analysis, and thesubunits, namely, how students experienced SBE and PBL.The data collected from the questionnaire survey was analysed and a description anddiscussion of the research findings were documented.Based on the literature review and the responses to the questionnaire, several prominentconclusions were reached. One of the key issues identified is that simulation is employedas a tool of assessment only, and not as an integration of an educational method. PBL alsoreceived favourable feedback from students who had never encountered PBL before thissession.These research findings can assist with decisions as to whether future (more comprehensiveand potentially more costly) research projects are justified.Both SBE and PBL prepare the paramedic with knowledge, skills and competence to treat apatient safely and with quality care. SBE should be seen as a method of education that canbe integrated with other methods of education such as lectures, PBL and bedside teaching.Understanding the competence of paramedics is an important resource. They transportmillions of people to hospitals each year and consequently, the need to measure how theylearn is an important task. The study serves to frame the breadth, depth and scope of SBEand PBL in paramedic education in South Africa.

[发布机构] University of the Free State