Environments, processes, and outcomes - using the LEPO framework to examine medical student learning preferences with traditional and electronic resources

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographics

Age (years)	n = 358	%
22 or younger	29	8.1%
23–30	259	72.3%
31 or older	70	19.6%
Graduate Level	n = 357	%
UME (Medical Students)	224	62.7%
GME (Residents/Fellows)	133	37.3%
Medical Schools	n = 355	%
US Allopathic	295	83.1%
International	43	12.1%
US Osteopathic	17	4.8%
Learner Types	n = 324	%
Accommodatingᵃ	127	39.2%
Convergingᵇ	107	33.0%
Assimilatingᶜ	52	16.0%
Divergingᵈ	38	11.7%
USMLE Step 1 Scores	n = 233	%
Less than 190	5	2.1%
191–210	33	14.2%
211–230	64	27.5%
231–250	89	38.2%
Greater than 250	42	18.0%

ᵃActive Processing & Concrete PerceivingᵇActive Processing & Abstract PerceivingᶜReflective Processing & Abstract PerceivingᵈReflective Processing & Concrete Perceiving

Table 2. Comparison of Study Preferences with Medical Schools and Third-Party Resources

	Student Preferences		Medical School Curricula Format				Third-Party Resources Format
Lecture Length	choice count	% of respondents	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value
10–20 min	26	7.3%	1	0.3%	4.861	<.001	81	26.7%	−6.772	<.001
20–30 min	84	23.5%	3	0.9%	9.187	<.001	106	35.0%	−3.261	0.001
30–40 min	155	43.3%	0	0.0%	13.963	<.001	43	14.2%	8.140	<.001
40–50 min	87	24.3%	66	18.9%	1.799	0.072	18	5.9%	6.435	<.001
50–60 min*	–	–	247	70.6%	–	–	22	7.3%	–	–
1 hour or more	6	1.7%	33	9.4%	−4.502	<.001	33	10.9%	−5.010	<.001
Time of Day	choice count	% of respondents	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value
Morning (8am-12pm)	194	54.2%	342	97.7%	−13.496	<.001	47	14.4%	11.444	<.001
Afternoon (12pm-5pm)	74	20.7%	6	1.7%	7.964	<.001	90	27.6%	−1.591	0.056
Evening (5pm-12am)	78	21.8%	2	0.6%	8.914	<.001	168	51.5%	−7.323	<.001
Other	12	3.4%	0	0.0%	3.455	0.001	21	6.4%	−1.671	0.475
Study Location	1st or 2nd choice count	% of respondents	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value
Library	173	49.7%	138	39.4%	2.733	0.003	153	46.5%	0.835	0.203
Home	181	52.0%	201	57.4%	−1.438	0.075	263	79.9%	−7.645	<.001
Small Group Lecture Rooms	159	45.7%	98	28.0%	4.845	<.001	32	9.7%	10.392	<.001
Lecture Hall	94	27.0%	177	50.6%	−6.386	<.001	13	4.0%	8.221	<.001
Public Venue	76	21.8%	53	15.1%	2.279	0.011	96	29.2%	−2.193	0.014
Other	13	3.7%	5	1.4%	1.923	0.027	10	3.0%	0.500	0.309
Presentation Styles	choice count	% of respondents	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value	choice count	% of respondents	z-score	p-value
Online lectures with simultaneous real time drawing/animations	200	56.0%	22	6.3%	14.226	<.001	203	62.3%	−1.658	0.097
Classroom or ‘podcasts’ of classroom lectures with PowerPoint®	194	54.3%	319	91.4%	−11.047	<.001	59	18.1%	9.797	<.001
Small Groups (12 or fewer students/group)	186	52.1%	167	47.9%	1.129	0.258	4	1.2%	14.820	<.001
Online Animated Videos	181	50.7%	8	2.3%	14.524	<.001	155	47.5%	0.824	0.412
Live interactive lectures with the use of chalkboard/whiteboards (i.e. chalk talks)	173	48.5%	74	21.2%	7.592	<.001	64	19.6%	7.905	<.001
Reading books or lecture notes	153	42.9%	74	21.2%	6.159	<.001	140	42.9%	−0.023	0.984
Large Group labs (i.e. physical exam session, etc.)	47	13.2%	143	41.0%	−8.330	<.001	3	0.9%	6.137	<.001
Lectures with no visuals (Audio/Speaking only)	15	4.2%	20	5.7%	−0.936	0.347	35	10.7%	−3.275	0.001

*Survey error – 50-60 min choice not available for student preferences. Overall, students preferred lectures <40 min (74%, n = 265), whereas 1.1% (n = 4, p < 0.001) of medical school lectures and 75.9% (n = 230, p = 0.575) of third-party lectures were <40 min.

Figure 1. Preferred Study Locations by Average Rank

Figure 2. Comparison of Preferred Presentation Styles with Medical Schools and Third-Party Resources

Table 3. Ratings (5-point Likert) of Curriculum Characteristics & Estimated Use & Efficiency of Curricular Material

Characteristics of Curriculum	Avg Rating of Medical Schools	Avg Rating of Third-Party	z-score	p-value
Length of Lecture	3.27	4.55	−15.692	<.001
Effectiveness of Teachers	3.34	4.75	−16.556	<.001
Quality of Lecture Material (Handouts, PowerPoints, videos, notes, etc.)	3.30	4.58	−15.248	<.001
Time of Day of Lectures	3.73	4.51	−9.429	<.001
Venue of Lectures (i.e. classroom, lecture hall, at home, etc.)	3.85	4.51	−8.837	<.001
Estimated Use & Efficiency of Curricular Material	Avg Hr/Day	Avg % Retained	% Retained/Hr	Source of Med Knowledge %
Classroom Lectures/Podcasts	2.68	26.0	9.7	24.0
Live interactive lectures with use of chalkboard/whiteboard (i.e. ‘chalk talks’)	0.86	34.8	40.7	5.8
Online lectures with simultaneous real time drawing/animations	1.02	46.5	45.6	11.8
Online animated videos	0.93	46.6	50.1	7.8
Lectures with no visuals (Audio/Speaking only)	0.45	15.7	34.6	1.4
Small Groups (12 or fewer students/group)	1.31	33.3	25.3	6.1
Large Groups or ‘labs’ (i.e. physical exam sessions, pathology sessions, etc.)	1.25	23.7	19.0	3.6
Reading school notes or textbooks	2.08	37.0	17.8	13.5
Reading review books (i.e. First Aid, Case Files, etc.)	1.82	44.2	24.3	17.5