ABSTRACT
The purpose of this project was to implement lecture-based cases into the traditional lecture time to see if it would enhance the students’ problem-solving and integration skills and their ability to retain information. The project involved two different classes of fourth-term chiropractic students from the spring and fall 2000 trimesters in a course entitled ‘‘Clinical Orthopedics and Neurology I,’’ a neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis course. The Spring class (66 students: 16 females and 50 males) was the control group and received a traditional 2-hour lecture each week. The fall class (81 students: 18 females and 63 males) was the experimental group and received 1 hour of traditional lecture combined with 1 hour of clinical cases in the 2-hour per week time block. The entering grade point averages and units for the two groups were compared to ascertain if there were statistically significant differences between the two groups. t -Tests were used to measure how each class performed on three multiple-choice examinations. The examinations included two types of questions, those that evaluated knowledge/recall and those that evaluated integration. The t -tests assessed what percentage of each group answered all the questions correctly, what percentage of each group answered the knowledge/recall questions correctly, and what percentage answered the integration questions correctly. In addition, a satisfaction survey was developed and given to the experimental group. There were no statistical differences between the control and experimental groups at baseline. In evaluating the first examination, no statistical difference was found between the two groups (p = .6). On the second examination, a statistical difference of 4% was found (p = .025) on how both groups performed on the test. On the final examination, a statistical difference of 2% was found (p = .19). However, there was no difference on the students’ performance on the knowledge/recall questions (p = .98). The difference of 4% was found in their performance on the integration questions (p = .02). The survey indicated that the students enjoyed the unfolding cases; they found them to be more challenging, they helped with both recall and integration, and they felt they were relevant to their future practice experience. The students were split as to whether teaching with cases required more study time or not. The results supported the hypothesis that the students’ ability to integrate information would improve, but did not support the hypothesis that their ability to retain basic knowledge would improve. A follow-up study (i.e., retention test) between the two groups would be necessary to show if a significant difference exists in their long-term ability to retain knowledge and integrate information. A satisfaction survey indicated that the students preferred teaching with cases to traditional lectures. (The Journal of Chiropractic Education 15(2): 53–60, 2001)