Online Workshops Versus Live Medical Education on Self-Medication Literacy for Middle School Students. What Is the Best Pedagogic Method?

Objective: This study aimed to determine which pedagogic method, online workshops or live medical education, was the better way to teach about self-medication for middle school students.

Methods: The following groups were formed: group O (students receiving online education), group L (students participating in live medical education animated by a medical practitioner and a science teacher) and group C (students without any medical learning). To compare them, the students answered three multiple choice questions before and after the educational intervention. The students in group L were evaluated immediately after the live medical training and group O immediately after the online workshops (t1). Group C was only evaluated at t0.

Results: Group C N=195), group L (N=219) and group O (N=200, but 101 students who participated in the online workshops students dropped out before the end) were equivalent in terms of gender, but their ages and school grades were statistically different (P<0.001). A post-hoc test revealed that students in group O were older and in a higher grade than those in the other two groups (P<0.001) but the mean ages and school grades were equivalent in group L and group C. At t0, the results obtained were equivalent in the 3 groups. At t1, school students obtained better results in both groups (P<0.001) but these same results were significantly better in group L than those obtained in group O (P<0.001). Age, gender, school grade and school level had no effect on the students' results.

Conclusion: The study's findings suggest that live medical education is a superior approach for imparting self-medication knowledge to middle school students.