Comparative Evaluation of Choose Your Own Adventure and Traditional Linear Case Formats in Radiology Small Group Teaching

We aim to compare Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) presentation format with linear case format as educational methods for teaching a radiology small group session to medical students.A radiology small group session was held for preclinical second-year medical students in the pulmonary course, whereby eight classrooms of students and eight radiology facilitators were each randomized to do either the linear case format or the nonlinear CYOA presentation format. All students in attendance were administered a survey at the end of the session, which assessed students' perceptions using five-point Likert-type questions. The survey also contained a four-question knowledge quiz on chest radiology. The facilitators were administered a qualitative survey as well. Between-group analyses were performed using Student's t-test.Of the 144 students who attended the small group sessions, 143 students completed the survey (99.3%). The CYOA format group reported significantly greater engagement in the cases (4.5 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 0.7, p0.001), satisfaction with the format (4.6 ± 0.6 vs. 3.7 ± 0.9, p0.001), and enhancement of clinical decision making skills (4.5 ± 0.6 vs. 3.5 ± 0.9, p0.001). The linear format group reported a greater role for the facilitator to add value (4.6 ± 0.5 vs. 4.3 ± 1.1, p = 0.033). There was no significant difference between groups in performance on the knowledge quiz.Medical students reported higher satisfaction, engagement, and enhanced clinical decision making skills with the CYOA presentation method compared to linear case format for radiology small group learning.