Lecture-First Versus Practical-First Teaching Strategies in Cardiovascular Ultrasound Education: A Randomized Comparison of Undergraduate Performance.
Fahad F Almutairi, Rawan Abdeen, Fatimah Jambi et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of lecture-first (LF) versus practical-first (PF) teaching strategies in cardiovascular ultrasound education among 54 undergraduate radiologic sciences students. LF students outperformed PF students in overall performance (median score: 0.9 vs. 0.82, P=0.009) and practical skills (0.95 vs. 0.82, P=0.002), while theoretical knowledge scores were similar between groups.
Key findings
- LF students had a median overall performance score of 0.9 compared to 0.82 for PF students (P=0.009).
- Practical skills scores were higher in the LF group (0.95) than in the PF group (0.82, P=0.002).
- Students attending extra practice sessions scored significantly higher overall (0.9 vs. 0.83, P=0.004).
- Theoretical knowledge scores were comparable between LF (0.86) and PF (0.85) groups (P=0.9).
Why it matters
The study highlights the importance of teaching sequence in ultrasound education, suggesting that a lecture-first approach may enhance both overall performance and practical skills. This insight can inform curriculum design in medical education.