The Effects of Standing Tutorials on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Among Undergraduate Students

NCT03493659 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 00909
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 96
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an education model utilized by Maastricht University and many other universities worldwide. PBL occurs in small, collaborative tutorials, under the facilitation of a tutor. This study explores the effects of standing tutorials, compared against sitting tutorials, on PBL among undergraduate students. A quantitative approach will be taken to objectively measure students' learning, and a qualitative approach will be taken to obtain a deeper understanding of the processes of learning. It is hypothesized that students in the standing tutorials will be able to recall more academic concepts and link the concepts better than students in the sitting tutorials (H1). Audio-recording of the tutorials will be used to measure the discussions within the tutorials. The transcriptions obtained from the recording will be studied through text analysis. It is hypothesized that students in the standing tutorials will produce more discussions, and therefore a higher word count (H2). It is also hypothesized that the students in the standing tutorials will use more word categories that are conducive to the discussion and learning process (H3). Through the qualitative approach, the content of the transcriptions will be analysed through a thematic analysis. It is hypothesized that the students in the standing tutorials will produce more learning-oriented interactions (H4). Two additional factors that would be measured are subsequent physical activity and academic achievement. ActivPAL accelerometers will be used to measure the students' daily activity, to find out if the students' daily activities are affected by the standing tutorials, for example, students may sit more as a result of fatigue from the standing tutorials, or conversely transfer the active behaviour from the standing tutorials to other activities outside the tutorial group.It is hypothesized that standing tutorials do not affect the students' subsequent physical activity, and therefore there will be no significant differences of daily activity between students in the sitting and standing tutorials (H5). With regards to academic achievement, it is hypothesized that the students in the standing tutorials will have higher academic achievements after the course compared to the students in the sitting tutorials (H6).

Conditions

Problem-Based Learning

Keywords

Standing; Sitting; Learning; Problem-Based Learning; Undergraduate

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Process of Learning

  The discussions that are carried out during PBL will be audio-recorded and undergo text and thematic analysis

  1 hour

• Outcome of Learning

  Concept Tests will be administered where students list the number of concepts they can recall, and draw a concept map. Both the recalled concepts and the map will be scored independently and combined for a final score.

  10 minutes

• Academic Achievement

  Grades of Final Exam

  2 hours

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change of Subsequent Physical Activity

  7 days

• Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)

  5 minutes

Other Outcomes (4)

• Attendance

  Less than 5 minutes (recorded by tutor, as required by the course, even without this intervention study)

• Tutor Rating

  Less than 5 minutes

• Search, Preparing and Reporting Phase Questionnaire

  5 minutes

Study Arms (4)

Sit-Sit

NO INTERVENTION

The participants will sit during the tutorials, and sit during the concept tests given to measure their learning.

Sit-Stand

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The participants will sit during the tutorials. Intervention: Behavioral: Standing during Concept Test will be administered

Behavioral: Standing during Concept Test

Stand-Stand

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The participants will stand during the tutorials, and stand during the concept tests given to measure their learning. Intervention: Behavioral: Standing during Concept Test and regular tutorial session will be administered.

Behavioral: Standing during Concept Test and regular tutorial session

Stand-Sit

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The participants will stand during the tutorials. Intervention: Behavioral: Standing during regular tutorial session will be administered. However, participants will sit during the concept tests given to measure their learning.

Behavioral: Standing during regular tutorial session

Interventions

Standing during Concept Test BEHAVIORAL

The participants will stand with a standing desk at an ergonomically correct height during the administration of the Concept Test.

Sit-Stand

Standing during regular tutorial session BEHAVIORAL

The participants will stand with a standing desk at an ergonomically correct height during their regular tutorial sessions.

Stand-Sit

Standing during Concept Test and regular tutorial session BEHAVIORAL

The participants will stand with a standing desk at an ergonomically correct height during the administration of the Concept Test and during their regular tutorial sessions.

Stand-Stand

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Matriculated undergraduate students of Maastricht University
• Students who have given their consent to participate in this study.
• The course subject is well-established and mandatory for all students within the specific bachelor's programme. A well-established course will be chosen so that clear scoring is possible on the concept tests (explained in the Materials and Analysis sections) that will be administered to the students. The course should be mandatory for all students within the bachelor's programme so as to reduce the selection bias that may otherwise occur if we decide to select tutorial groups that only specific groups of students signed up for. An example of a well-established and mandatory course for students in the Biomedical Sciences bachelor's programme at Maastricht University would include 'Brain, behaviour and movement, 'Human genetics, reproduction and prenatal development' and so on.
• The course coordinators and tutors who are the gatekeepers of the students would have given their permission and cooperation in planning the study into the tutorials.
• The duration of the course would last at least 10 tutorial classes.
• The duration of each tutorial is 2 hours.
• The timing of the tutorial groups will have to be similar to minimize any effects arising due to tests being carried out at different times of the day.
• The course is taught in English.

You may not qualify if:

• For the standing tutorials, those who are suffering from musculoskeletal discomfort or pathologies that may prevent or influence movement
• Non-matriculated student of Maastricht University
• Non-matriculated student of the chosen course for the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Maastricht University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Maastricht University

Maastricht, Limburg, 6200MD, Netherlands

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants are assigned to either a sitting or a standing tutorial, where their learning will be measured.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 16, 2018
• First Posted: April 10, 2018
• Study Start: April 10, 2018
• Primary Completion: June 29, 2018
• Study Completion: June 30, 2019
• Last Updated: August 15, 2019

Record last verified: 2018-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: December 2019 - depending on the time when summary data are published or otherwise made available.

Locations

NL (1)