Meta-analysis and review of learner performance and preference: virtual versus optical microscopy.
Context Over nearly two decades, a wealth of literature describing the various capabilities, uses and adaptations of virtual microscopy ( VM) has been published. Many studies have investigated the effects on and benefits to student learning of VM compared with optical microscopy ( OM). Objectives Th...
| Published in: | Medical Education Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 428 - 441 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | equations & formulas research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
Apr2016
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=113879573&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 113879573 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 03080110 ESF jtl: Medical Education issn: 03080110 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Apr2016 vid: 50 iid: 4 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 113879573 113879573 113879573 10.1111/medu.12944 113879573 ppf: 428 ppct: 13 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Meta-analysis and review of learner performance and preference: virtual versus optical microscopy. aug: au: Wilson, Adam B Taylor, Melissa A Klein, Barbie A Sugrue, Megan K Whipple, Elizabeth C Brokaw, James J affil: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University, Chicago Illinois, USA sug: subj: Microscopy, Virtual Student Attitudes Academic Performance Human Systematic Review Meta Analysis CINAHL Database ERIC Database Embase Psycinfo kappa Statistic Descriptive Statistics Data Analysis Software Confidence Intervals Mantel-Haenszel Test ab: Context Over nearly two decades, a wealth of literature describing the various capabilities, uses and adaptations of virtual microscopy ( VM) has been published. Many studies have investigated the effects on and benefits to student learning of VM compared with optical microscopy ( OM). Objectives This study statistically aggregated the findings of multiple comparative studies through a meta-analysis in order to summarise and substantiate the pedagogical efficacy of teaching with VM. Methods Using predefined eligibility criteria, teams of paired researchers screened the titles and abstracts of VM studies retrieved from seven different databases. After two rounds of screening, numerical and thematic data were extracted from the eligible studies for analysis. A summary effect size and estimate of heterogeneity were calculated to determine the effects of VM on learner performance and the amount of variance between studies, respectively. Trends in student perceptions were also analysed and reported. Results Of the 725 records screened, 72 studies underwent full-text review. In total, 12 studies were viable for meta-analysis and additional studies were reviewed to extract themes relating to learners' perceptions of VM. The meta-analysis detected a small yet significant positive effect on learner performance (standardised mean difference 0.28, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.47; p = 0.003), indicating that learners experience marked knowledge gains when exposed to VM over OM. Variation among studies was evident as high heterogeneity was reported. An analysis of trends in learner perceptions noted that respondents favoured VM over OM by a large margin. Conclusions Although many individual studies have reported non-significant findings in comparisons of VM and OM, the enhanced power afforded by meta-analysis revealed that the pedagogical approach of VM is modestly superior to that of OM and is preferred by learners. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: equations & formulas meta analysis research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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