• Henry Averns, Mark Maraschiello, Elaine van Melle, and Andrew Day.
• Queens University, Ontario, Canada.
• J Rheumatol. 2009 Mar 1; 36 (3): 623-7.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of an online module in the development of medical students' clinical hand examination skills.MethodsWe developed a Web-based module to teach examination of the hand to first-year medical students (n = 99) to address the core skills expected in undergraduate medical training in Canada. The module was compared to the standard recommended text and tutor-led teaching using a validated objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and a written knowledge test.ResultsA total of 17 students completed the OSCE from the book-based learning group, 18 from the tutor-led group, and 26 from the online module group. The average total OSCE score was significantly higher for students in the online module group compared to the textbook group (73.2% and 60.5%, respectively; p = 0.003). There was no significant difference between students in the online module and tutor-led groups (73.2% and 69.0%, respectively; p = 0.31). The online module group had a significantly higher mean total knowledge score than the textbook group (8.4 and 5.7, respectively; p < 0.001; maximum score 10) and the tutor-led group (8.4 and 7.4, respectively; p = 0.04).ConclusionOur study provides evidence that a well designed Web-based module, supported by sound educational theory, is an effective tool in the teaching of musculoskeletal examination skills, and provides some advantages over tutor-led teaching in terms of knowledge retention.

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