A study to compare the performance of students following self-directed learning sessions conducted without online support and self-directed learning sessions conducted with the help of online support in the department of physiology

Background: Medical students need to develop self-directed learning (SDL) skills to become life-long learners. Aims: To compare the performance of students following SDL sessions conducted in the offline mode and SDL sessions conducted with the help of online support in the department of physiology. Methodology and Participants: This study was conducted on 200 first-phase MBBS students (Batch 21–22) after taking Institutional Ethical Clearance and informed consent of the participants. Nerve muscle physiology was taught using the two methods of SDL. The assessment was done using multiple choice questions. Pre-test and post-test were conducted for all sessions and ten such sessions were assessed in the present study. Feedback was taken from students and facilitators. Program evaluation was done using Kirkpatrick level 1 evaluation. Pre-test and post-test scores of the same group were compared using the paired t-test and among two groups were compared using an unpaired t-test. Results: Students performed significantly better in SDL sessions where online support was better and the performance of female students was significantly better as compared to male counterparts (87.27 ± 7.09 vs. 84.79 ± 8.49; P<0.001**). Students were satisfied with the SDL sessions and more so with online support. Faculty members and students emphasized that online support increased bonding among students as well as bonding with the facilitators. Conclusions: Providing online support to medical students was found to have positive effects on learning in the present study. Female students developed better problem-solving attitudes and critical thinking abilities as compared to males and were more motivated in learning.