Abstract:

Background:
Ophthalmology teaching is being reduced across medical schools, impacting eye care around the world. Thus, online modalities fill the gap in ophthalmology education through its accessibility, currency, and interactivity. Animations are a novel form that encompass these benefits to engage students and simplify complex concepts. This study investigated the impact of animations on undergraduate medical student’s knowledge and confidence in ophthalmology. Furthermore, we aimed to gauge student perception of animations to guide future development.

Methods:
An educational evaluation study was conducted on 92 participants. Three animations on visual acuity, visual fields, and pupils were developed. A questionnaire including multiple-choice questions (MCQ) was shown before and after each animation to assess theoretical knowledge. A 5-point Likert scale was used to assess confidence in knowledge, confidence in skills, and perception of the animation’s enjoyment and usefulness.

Results:
The mean pretest MCQ score was 58.9% and improved to 82.8% in the posttest. The mean pretest confidence in knowledge was 3 and improved to 4.43 in the posttest. The mean pretest confidence in ophthalmic skills was 3.3 and improved to 4.3 in the posttest. Participants perceived the animation modules to be at least “Somewhat Useful” and at least “Slightly more enjoyable than other online learning activities”. Perception of usefulness was heavily correlated with enjoyment (Visual Acuity–R2=0.229; Visual Field–R2=0.202; Visual Acuity–R2=0.483).

Conclusion:
Animated teaching modules have a significant impact on improving knowledge, confidence in knowledge and confidence in skills. When used in conjunction with conventional educational methods, animations are engaging and effective in teaching ophthalmology.

Keywords:

Ophthalmology Education, Audio-Visual Teaching Module, e-learning, Animation, Ophthalmology Knowledge and Clinical Skills.