{"title":"Evolving resource use for self-directed learning in physiology among first-year medical students in a classroom setting.","authors":"Himel Mondal","doi":"10.1152/advan.00236.2024","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Self-directed learning (SDL) is integral to medical education. It helps in fostering critical thinking, independence, and problem-solving skills. With advancements in technology, digital tools like search engines, interactive content, and large language model (LLM) chatbots have become supplementary tools to traditional materials such as textbooks. However, limited data exist on SDL resource preferences among medical students in India since the inception of LLMs like ChatGPT. To address this, 64 medical students participated in a classroom-based SDL session on anemia. Students freely selected resources during a 40-min preparation period, followed by 20 min of writing responses to a total of five higher-order knowledge questions (i.e., questions started with \"Explain why\"). Postsession, they anonymously reported their resource use. Among 63 valid responses, 46.03% used one resource, 39.68% used two, and 14.29% used three. Search engines (61.9%) and LLM chatbots (60.32%) were the most frequently used, followed by textbooks (26.98%), with less reliance on notes, journals, and videos. Hence, there is a growing preference for search engines and LLM chatbots as an educational tool in self-directed learning in a classroom setting.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This study reports a shift in educational resource use for self-directed learning (SDL) among medical students after introduction of large language model (LLM) chatbots. Students use multiple sources, with digital tools like search engines and LLM chatbots nearly matching each other as the most preferred resources. Despite the accessibility and efficiency of digital tools, traditional resources like textbooks remain relevant, though less frequently chosen.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"394-397"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Advances in Physiology Education","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00236.2024","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/2/24 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Self-directed learning (SDL) is integral to medical education. It helps in fostering critical thinking, independence, and problem-solving skills. With advancements in technology, digital tools like search engines, interactive content, and large language model (LLM) chatbots have become supplementary tools to traditional materials such as textbooks. However, limited data exist on SDL resource preferences among medical students in India since the inception of LLMs like ChatGPT. To address this, 64 medical students participated in a classroom-based SDL session on anemia. Students freely selected resources during a 40-min preparation period, followed by 20 min of writing responses to a total of five higher-order knowledge questions (i.e., questions started with "Explain why"). Postsession, they anonymously reported their resource use. Among 63 valid responses, 46.03% used one resource, 39.68% used two, and 14.29% used three. Search engines (61.9%) and LLM chatbots (60.32%) were the most frequently used, followed by textbooks (26.98%), with less reliance on notes, journals, and videos. Hence, there is a growing preference for search engines and LLM chatbots as an educational tool in self-directed learning in a classroom setting.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study reports a shift in educational resource use for self-directed learning (SDL) among medical students after introduction of large language model (LLM) chatbots. Students use multiple sources, with digital tools like search engines and LLM chatbots nearly matching each other as the most preferred resources. Despite the accessibility and efficiency of digital tools, traditional resources like textbooks remain relevant, though less frequently chosen.
期刊介绍:
Advances in Physiology Education promotes and disseminates educational scholarship in order to enhance teaching and learning of physiology, neuroscience and pathophysiology. The journal publishes peer-reviewed descriptions of innovations that improve teaching in the classroom and laboratory, essays on education, and review articles based on our current understanding of physiological mechanisms. Submissions that evaluate new technologies for teaching and research, and educational pedagogy, are especially welcome. The audience for the journal includes educators at all levels: K–12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.