[Case-based learning in thoracic surgery : A comparison between online and face-to-face teaching].

Background: In modern medical education, traditional face-to-face teaching is increasingly being supplemented by innovative teaching methods, such as case-based learning or e‑learning.
Aim of the Work: Design and evaluation of a new course concept in thoracic surgery to motivate students and at the same time find ways to relieve the medical staff in their teaching activities.
Material and Methods: All students of the third clinical semester at the University of Regensburg completed a case-based course on the topic of pulmonary nodules in the summer semester 2016 and winter semester 2016/2017 as part of the practical course in thoracic surgery. This involved a moderated face-to-face seminar for one group of students and a purely online event for the other group. The knowledge gain and the subjective learning experience of the students were evaluated via questionnaires.
Results: A total of 190 students took part in the courses, 88 in the face-to-face course and 102 in the online course. Although both groups recorded a significant increase in knowledge as a result of the course intervention, the students in the face-to-face course showed significantly higher subjective satisfaction compared to their peers in the online course.
Conclusion: Case-based learning was shown to be a promising concept in thoracic surgery education, although establishing online learning procedures proved to be more challenging than presence-based teaching.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)