ToSkORL-3: Teaching of basic head and neck examination skills in online courses – what can we expect?

Introduction Teaching concepts changed rapidly during the COVID19 pandemic. Online lessons became the mainstay of teaching in medical schools. Even practical skills were taught in online-only courses in many medical schools. In this project, teaching of basic examination skills of the head and neck considered as relevant for general practitioners took place in an online course. The aim of the course was to evaluate the performance of students without prior experience in head and neck examination after completion of the course.

Methods 54 students underwent an objective standardized examination of skills comprising 5 different examination items after completing the online course. Theoretical knowledge, practical performance and self-evaluation were measured using Likert-scales.

Results On average, students without previous experience in head and neck examination achieved good to moderate skill levels. Evaluation of theoretical knowledge was significantly better than practical skills. Students who considered their online course preparation as particularly meticulous, achieved significantly better results. High concordance between self-evaluation of practical skills and expert-evaluation was observed. In case of misjudgment, students mainly underestimated their own skills.

Conclusion Online courses can significantly contribute to teaching of basic examination skills of the head and neck. Good to moderate skill levels with little interindividual differences can be achieved. However, practical training remains mandatory for in-depth teaching of practical skills.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 May 2023