Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37101385›Full record

Trial reportMedical education online2023

The positive impact of introducing modified directed self-learning using pre-small group discussion worksheets as an active learning strategy in undergraduate medical education.

Ammara Yousaf, Hira Moin, Sadaf Majeed, Riffat Shafi, Sumreena Mansoor

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Medical education online, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
8.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Pecha Kucha in medical education: a narrative literature review.Korean journal of medical education · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. 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 at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ammara YousafPhysiology, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-6248-7991
Hira MoinPhysiology, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-8793-3844
Sadaf MajeedPhysiology, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-4648-8289
Riffat ShafiPhysiology, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-9527-2986
Sumreena MansoorBiochemistry, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0003-4303-0325
Shifa International Hospital · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDirected self-learning (DSL) is an active learning approach where the learners are provided with predefined learning objectives and some facilitation through the learning process in the form of guidance and supervision. It can help establish a strong foundation for autonomous and deep learning.

objectiveThe aim of this study was to introduce a modified form of DSL to second-year undergraduate medical students using pre-small group discussion (pre-SGD) worksheets. The authors intended to evaluate its effectiveness through theme assessment and investigate students' perceptions using a feedback questionnaire.

methodsThis was an analytical cross-sectional study. Modified DSL (MDSL) was introduced to 96 second-year undergraduate medical students in two themes. Students were divided randomly into two groups. One group was exposed to traditional DSL (TDSL), and the other was introduced to MDSL using pre-SGD worksheets for the first theme. Groups were reversed for the second theme. The activity was followed by a theme assessment, which was scored for research purpose only. The scores of this assessment were compared, and perceptions of the students were gathered using a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM's statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) version 22.

resultsThe comparison of theme assessment scores revealed statistically significant difference (P = 0.002) in median scores between control TDSL and experimental MDSL groups. The percentage of students scoring ≥80% in theme assessment was significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (P = 0.029). This strategy was well perceived by the students in terms of acceptability and effectiveness as depicted by a high degree of agreement on the Likert-scale.

conclusionModified DSL resulted in significant improvement in academic performance of undergraduate medical students. MDSL was also well perceived as an active learning strategy in terms of acceptability, effectiveness, and comparison with TDSL. [Figure: see text].

Indexed as

Education, Medical, UndergraduateStudents, MedicalCross-Sectional StudiesCurriculumHumansProblem-Based LearningActive learningmodified directed self-learningpre–small group discussion worksheetssmall group discussionundergraduate medical education

Identifiers

PMID37101385
PMCPMC10142312
OpenAlexW4367174637

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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.