In-Person vs. Virtual: A Comparative Study of Teaching Methods in Nutritional Medicine.

Background/Objectives: Nutritional medicine remains underrepresented in medical education despite its relevance across specialties. Online learning offers a resource-efficient option to address this gap, yet evidence on the effectiveness and acceptability of online learning modules (OLMs) is limited...

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Publicado en:Nutrients Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 821 - 834
Autores principales: Trutwin, Benjamin Caspar Raphael, Eilers, Jantje, Herrmann, Hans Joachim, Neurath, Markus Friedrich, Kohl, Matthias, Zopf, Yurdagül, Burgard, Leonie Cordelia
Formato: research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article
Publicado: MDPI Mar2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2026
      vid: 18
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      pub: MDPI
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        atl: In-Person vs. Virtual: A Comparative Study of Teaching Methods in Nutritional Medicine.
      aug:
        au:
          Trutwin, Benjamin Caspar Raphael
          Eilers, Jantje
          Herrmann, Hans Joachim
          Neurath, Markus Friedrich
          Kohl, Matthias
          Zopf, Yurdagül
          Burgard, Leonie Cordelia
        affil: Hector-Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Department of Medicine 1, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
      sug:
        subj:
          Nutrition Education
          Medicine Education
          Videorecording
          Online Education
          Lecture
          Learning
          Academic Performance Evaluation
          Student Experiences Evaluation
          Outcomes of Education
          Human
          Comparative Studies
          Colleges and Universities
          Germany
          Students, Medical
          Random Assignment
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Adult
          Male
          Female
          Artificial Intelligence
          Questionnaires
          Behavior
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          T-Tests
          Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test
          Mann-Whitney U Test
          Fisher's Exact Test
          Confidence Intervals
          Social Media
          Funding Source
          Exploratory Research
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background/Objectives: Nutritional medicine remains underrepresented in medical education despite its relevance across specialties. Online learning offers a resource-efficient option to address this gap, yet evidence on the effectiveness and acceptability of online learning modules (OLMs) is limited. Methods: In this exploratory randomized controlled single post-test trial, medical students were assigned to either an OLM or an in-person lecture (IPL) on nutritional medicine (n = 91, no a priori sample size calculation performed). After course completion, students took a knowledge test and completed a questionnaire on their learning experience. Group differences were analyzed using permutation Welch t-tests, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests, or Fisher's exact tests, depending on variable characteristics, with α = 0.05. Results: OLM students achieved significantly higher test scores than IPL students (mean difference: 2.4 points on a 0–40 scale), resulting in differences in grade classification (p < 0.05). OLM was further rated more favorably regarding content delivery, overall course evaluation, and exam preparation (all p < 0.05), while self-reported attention, concentration, and involvement did not differ between groups. Flexibility, time savings, and convenience were the most frequently reported advantages of OLM over IPL. Conclusions: This study suggests that OLM in nutritional medicine may be associated with higher test performance and more favorable student evaluations compared to IPL. These findings highlight the potential of online learning as a scalable, resource-efficient approach that may help address persistent gaps in nutritional medicine education. Building on this evidence, future work should examine how such modules can be optimally integrated into medical curricula to complement existing teaching structures.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        randomized controlled trial
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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