Impact of e-learning and role play-based training on psychology students’ communication skills: a feasibility study

ABSTRACT

Background

Given the importance of communication skills in the psychologist-patient relationship, several training programs have been proposed. Cumulative microtraining (CMT) has shown positive impacts on communication skills in previous studies.

Methods

The aim of this naturalistic pre–post study was to test the feasibility of a hybrid CMT program and obtain preliminary data on its impact on communication skills in French-speaking third-year psychology students. The training included an e-learning curriculum and role plays. Pre–post measures included recorded peer-to-peer role plays and self-assessments by participants themselves using the Calgary Cambridge Grid (n = 38) and assessed by an independent rater (n = 29) with a checklist focused on objective behaviors and the CARE questionnaire measuring perceived empathy.

Results

The results showed increases in most communication skills at different levels. Summarizing, paraphrasing, and structuring skills were significantly increased after training (all P ≤ 0.001), as were self-reported measurements (all P < 0.001), and empathy and confidence assessed by an independent rater (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This study provides new evidence on the impact of CMT, including e-learning and role plays, on both self-rated assessments and assessments by an independent rater who measured communication and empathy in a population of French-speaking students. These findings highlight the importance of implementing such instruction in initial training despite the cost involved. It demonstrates the feasibility of its inclusion in university curriculum, facilitated by the adaptation of theoretical aspects of teaching in e-learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Communication
• cumulative microtraining
• communication skills
• E-learning
• Role-plays‌
• academic training
• psychology
• empathy

Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the Ethic committee Faculty of Psychology speech therapy and educational sciences at the University of Liège on April 8, 2020 (Reference : 1920–55).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Kim [39] suggested that φ = 0.1 is a small effect size, φ = 0.30 a moderate effect size, and φ = 0.50 a large effect size.

2 Cohen [30] suggested that d = 0.2 should be considered a small effect size, while d = 0.5 represents a medium effect size and d = 0.8 a large effect size.

Additional information

Funding

This work was suported by a PhD grant named “PDR humanities grant” internal to the University of Liege.

Notes on contributors

Manon Goosse

Manon Goosse is a psychologist, P.hD. candidate at the University of Liege. Her thesis aims to create, execute and evaluate different pedagogical devices to improve communication skills of different healthcare students.

Fanny Kreusch

Fanny Kreusch, Ph.D., is a psychologist and psychotherapist in cognitive-behavioral therapy working at the University clinic of Psychology. She obtained her thesis at the University of Liege and she is still involved in different research projects related to clinical psychology as well as on pedagogic activities.

Henk T. Van der Molen

Henk T. van der Molen, professor of psychology at the Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies of the Erasmus University of Rotterdam and at the Open University in the Netherlands. He has focused on the development, execution, and evaluation of communication skills training programs. He has been involved in the construction of more than 20 programs and 30 interactive computer programs on communication skills.

Sylvie Willems

Sylvie Willems, Ph.D., is a psychologist specializing in neuropsychology, director of the University clinic of Psychology and speech therapy. She received her thesis, pursue her research, and is in charge of several courses at the University of Liege. Her research and teaching interests include memory development assessment and care; the quality of healthcare relationships, and evidence-based practice.