A Comparison of Two Small Group Teaching Techniques

A new technique of teaching in small group format is being inculcated by the academia. Need is there to know the effectiveness of the new technique as well as to assess the factors for its preference so it could be modified to be more productive. Case based learning technique (CBL) has been in practice throughout the world for a few decades now and is considered the set method for teaching small groups. Our institute adopted it some four years back, when it shifted towards modular system of teaching. It is the primary method for conducting small group discussions. We decided to implement the previously mentioned gamification technique of conducting small group discussions. Need was there to know the effectiveness of the new technique as well as to assess the factors for its preference so it could be modified to be more productive. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of gamification teaching technique in comparison to the traditional CBL technique both quantitatively and qualitatively. As a result, from June to October 2021, a mixed-method randomised controlled trial was conducted on first-year medical students at Khyber Medical College. In this study, group-based teaching involving both CBL and gamification approaches was used in a cross-over manner. The study recorded (quantitatively) that post testing mean score of gamification teaching technique was 3.41±0.982, while for CBL the mean was 3.55±1.055, recording an insignificant difference with p-value of 0.608. In qualitative analysis, about 12 (80%) students preferred the gamification technique, their perception being that it instils competitiveness, increases the involvement of students in class and their motivation level. This study also showed that the CBL approach had the advantage of quick learning through the facilitator presentation and was simple to follow due to the handouts. Some of the stated drawbacks of CBL included the fact that the participants thought it was a boring and monotonous method of learning. The reported disadvantage of gamification was that since the facilitator wasn't directing them, the students were unsure of the accuracy of the information they prepared at first. The study concluded an insignificant difference among the two techniques quantitatively; however qualitatively, the students preferred gamification, as a better technique for learning.