The influence of online video learning aids on preparing postgraduate chiropractic students for an objective structured clinical examination

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of providing online procedural videos to postgraduate chiropractic students preparing for an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).

METHODS: Eighty-three postgraduate chiropractic students enrolled in a diagnostic unit during 2017 received supplemental video resources prior to their final OSCE. Ninety students enrolled in the 2016 offering of the unit acted as the control group. Two-sample t tests were used to compare OSCE results between groups and paired t tests were used for within-group comparisons. Regression analysis was used to examine the association of age, undergraduate grade point average, and gender with the final OSCE scores. Students were also surveyed regarding their perceptions of the video resources using a purpose-built questionnaire.

RESULTS: A paired t test comparing initial and final OSCE scores found a small but significant increase in scores for the 2017 (mean change 3.6 points; p = .001) but not the 2016 (mean change -1.1 scores; p = .09) cohort. The 2017 cohort had significantly more change than the 2016 cohort (mean difference 4.7 points; p < .001). Analysis of responses to the questionnaire highlighted overall positive feedback for the procedural videos.

CONCLUSION: Online procedural videos as learning resources had a small but positive effect on OSCE performance for a group of postgraduate chiropractic students. Students perceived the resource as being helpful for OSCE preparation.