Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32234063›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2020

Should the PBL tutor be present? A cross-sectional study of group effectiveness in synchronous and asynchronous settings.

Samuel Edelbring, Siw Alehagen, Evalotte Mörelius, AnnaKarin Johansson, Patrik Rytterström

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Samuel EdelbringSchool of Health Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82, Örebro, Sweden. samuel.edelbring@oru.se.
Siw AlehagenDepartment of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences (HMV), Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
Evalotte MöreliusDepartment of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences (HMV), Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
AnnaKarin JohanssonDepartment of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences (HMV), Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
Patrik RytterströmDepartment of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences (HMV), Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.

Funding

Linköpings Universitet Educational development programme
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe tutorial group and its dynamics are a cornerstone of problem-based learning (PBL). The tutor's support varies according to the setting, and it is pertinent to explore group effectiveness in relation to different settings, for example online or campus-based. The PBL groups' effectiveness can partly be assessed in terms of cognitive and motivational aspects, using a self-report tool to measure PBL group effectiveness, the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (TGEI). This study's aim was to explore tutor participation in variations of online and campus-based tutorial groups in relation to group effectiveness. A secondary aim was to validate a tool for assessing tutorial group effectiveness in a Swedish context.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with advanced-level nursing students studying to become specialised nurses or midwives at a Swedish university. The TGEI was used to measure motivational and cognitive aspects in addition to overall group effectiveness. The instrument's items were translated into Swedish and refined with an expert group and students. The responses were calculated descriptively and compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A psychometric evaluation was performed using the Mokken scale analysis. The subscale scores were compared between three different tutor settings: the tutor present face-to-face in the room, the tutor present online and the consultant tutor not present in the room and giving support asynchronously.

resultsAll the invited students (n = 221) participated in the study. There were no differences in motivational or cognitive aspects between students with or without prior PBL experience, nor between men and women. Higher scores were identified on cognitive aspects (22.6, 24.6 and 21.3; p < 0.001), motivational aspects (26.3, 27 and 24.5; p = 002) and group effectiveness (4.1, 4.3, 3.8, p = 0.02) for the two synchronously tutored groups compared to the asynchronously tutored group. The TGEI subscales showed adequate homogeneity.

conclusionsThe tutor's presence is productive for PBL group effectiveness. However, the tutor need not be in the actual room but can provide support in online settings as long as the tutoring is synchronous.

Indexed as

AdultCognitionCross-Sectional StudiesEducation, NursingFemaleHumansMaleMotivationNursingProblem-Based LearningPsychometricsSelf ReportStudents, NursingSwedenProblem-based learningTutorial groupsTutoring

Identifiers

PMID32234063
PMCPMC7110819

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.