The impact of digital flashcards on cardiovascular physiology academic performance in a medical course ? a dose-dependent effect between the amount of training and academic success

Autores da FMUP

• Ricardo José Araújo Ladeiras Lopes

  Autor

• Ricardo Manuel Alves Monteiro Fontes De Carvalho

  Autor

• Joaquim Adelino Correia Ferreira Leite Moreira

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Ferreira, D.
• Guimaraes, B
• Tsisar, S
• Goncalves-Teixeira, P

Unidades de investigação

• Cirurgia e Fisiologia

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Digital flashcards are used to review factual knowledge through active-recall and spaced-repetition, while allowing subsequent self-assessment.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>To assess if using digital flashcards is associated with cardiovascular physiology academic success and better knowledge retention in short- and medium-terms, through a dose-dependent effect.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>We conducted a single-faculty cohort study of 2nd-year medical students enrolling in cardiovascular physiology course, using a platform comprising 676 original flashcards. The grades from 0?20 scale of three exams were analyzed, being the latest optional and performed 1 month after the end of the course. One-sample t-test was used to compare the grades between flashcard users versus non-users, and the amount of training was correlated with the exams results using Pearsons correlation. Also, multiple linear regression models were created, using the respective grades as the dependent variable. A p value of lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>From 312 students enrolled, 279 agreed to participate in this study, and 87% used the platform. Flashcard-users exhibited higher grades versus non-users (11.83?3.57 vs. 9.50?3.55, plt;0.001; 12.47?3.03 vs. 11.45?3.24, p=0.225; 10.24?4.66 vs. 7.51?4.46, p=0.041; 1st, 2nd and 3rd exams, respectively). Among flashcard-users, the amount of training was positively correlated with the academic success (r=0.366, r=0.350, r=0.286; 1st, 2nd and 3rd exams, respectively, p?0.001 for all). Multiple linear regression models showed a statistically significant association between the theoretical exam results and the number of flashcards studied ? for every 1000, there was an increase in 0.98 (p=0.001), 1.22 (p=0.017) and 1.00 (p=0.022) in the grades of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd exams, respectively.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title> <jats:p>Studying cardiovascular physiology through digital flashcards has a moderate correlation with the exams results, exhibiting a positive and consistent dose-dependent effect, both in short- and medium-terms. Therefore, this strategy seems to improve academic success by increasing knowledge retention.</jats:p> <jats:p>Study algorithm</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Funding Acknowledgement</jats:title> <jats:p>Type of funding source: None</jats:p> </jats:sec>