Blended pedagogy for radiograpic interpretation skills and its effect on test scores
Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Health Professions Education (MPHE)
Department
Educational Development
Abstract
Lack of engagement during didactic lectures (DL) has raised concerns for educators worldwide. Blended pedagogy (BP) has emerged as an innovation, which gains student's interest, motivation and active engagement and meets the demands of the millennial students. In this mixed-method study we aimed to look for a difference in test scores with DL and BP for teaching radiographic interpretation skills of final year dental students of JMDC, Karachi. We also aimed to explore the students' perceptions and how the elements of Community of Inquiry (Col) Framework manifest during the module as assessed by using modified Col survey instrument. Method: Blended pedagogy was introduced for students of batch of 2018. Their test scores were compared retrospectively with the batch of 2017, taught through didactic lectures. Students of batch 2018 completed a modified CoI survey (post module) and participated in Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Data was analyzed for descriptive variable. Independent sample t-test was used to check if the scores of two batches were significantly different. Thematic analysis was done for qualitative data. Results: Students in the BP group (2018) scored significantly higher than the DL group (p- value < 0.05). The Cronbach's alpha for the post-test for both batches was 0.88. The modified CoI survey results revealed that students perceived BP to be effective and the three elements of Col framework were well-represented. The mean scores on a 5-point Likert scale for the instrument and subscales (teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence) were found to be 4.0, 4.2, 3.7 and 3.9, respectively. Overall, students had a positive attitude towards BP and they perceived it to be advantageous, although some challenges were identified during the FGD. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that BP is useful for radiographic interpretation skills with regards to improvement in students' scores and positive students' perceptions; however, the results may be used with caution.
Recommended Citation
Iqbal, M. (2018). Blended pedagogy for radiograpic interpretation skills and its effect on test scores (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.