Improve student performance in the psychiatry subject with 3D animation.

Abstract

Medical education has been greatly impacted by the integration of information communication and technology in pedagogy, which has led to the emergence of modern instructional tools in education. Modern instructional tools like 3D animation are very effective tools for teaching and learning, especially in subjects that involve complex concepts or processes that are difficult to represent with traditional instructional tools such as textbooks, and lectures. The main objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using 3D animation in teaching psychiatry to clinical medicine students at Kenya Medical Training College. The study used a randomized controlled trial design, where participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (3D animation) or a control group (textbook). Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The study targeted 61 respondents and the sample size was 53 respondents (11 lecturers and 42 students). A pilot test to ensure reliability and validity of the questionnaires was done on 30 respondents from the nursing department at Kenya Medical Training College. The analysis of the results was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 29 to ascertain the main question on effectiveness of using 3D animation on student performance in the psychiatry subject. The t-test results showed a statistically significant difference in means between the two groups, with t(40) = -7.332, p < 0.001 (two-tailed). The mean difference between the two groups was -8.190, with a standard error of 1.117. The 95% confidence interval of the difference ranged from -10.448 to -5.933. Therefore the use of 3D animation instructional materials had a statistically significant positive effect on test scores compared to textbook instructional materials in the context of teaching psychiatry. The study recommends the integration of 3d animations in medical education curriculum at Kenya Medical Training College and other institutions of higher learning.

Key words: Instructional tools, 3d Animation, Student performance, Medical education