A Brazilian original pedagogical approach to the teaching of neurology

Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2014 Oct;72(10):747-52. doi: 10.1590/0004-282x20140136.

Abstract

The two-arm Clinical Decisions/Diagnostic Workshop (CD/DW) approach to undergraduate medical education has been successfully used in Brazil.

Objective: Present the CD/DW approach to the teaching of stroke, with the results of its pre-experimental application and of a comparative study with the traditional lecture-case discussion approach.

Method: Application of two questionnaires (opinion and Knowledge-Attitudes-Perceptions-KAP) to investigate the non-inferiority of the CD/DW approach.

Results: The method was well accepted by teachers and students alike, the main drawback being the necessarily long time for its completion by the students, a feature that may better cater for different educational needs. The comparative test showed the CD/DW approach to lead to slightly higher cognitive acquisition as opposed to the traditional method, clearly showing its non-inferiority status.

Conclusion: The CD/DW approach seems to be another option for teaching neurology in undergraduate medical education, with the bonus of respecting each learner`s time.

MeSH terms

  • Brazil
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate / methods*
  • Humans
  • Neurology / education*
  • Problem-Based Learning / methods*
  • Stroke / diagnosis
  • Stroke / therapy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires