Implementation of an Audience Response System in a Case Conference Curriculum: Results of a Placebo-Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Audience response systems (ARS) are used to engage learners.
• Their effectiveness in resident education requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if integrating an ARS into resident case conferences improves information retention and attentiveness.
• To compare outcomes between a site using ARS and a control site.

Main Methods:

• A pre-test/post-test design was employed.
• One hospital site incorporated Poll Everywhere into case conferences; the other did not.
• Participants completed pre-tests, post-tests, and self-rated attentiveness.

Main Results:

• Post-test scores increased compared to pre-test scores at both sites.
• No significant differences were found in self-perceived attentiveness or post-test scores between the ARS and control groups.
• ARS integration did not enhance material retention or perceived attentiveness.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating audience response systems into resident case conferences did not yield significant improvements in information retention or learner attentiveness.
• Further research may explore different ARS implementations or educational settings.