Student's experiences of simulation based education vs. problem based learning in emergency medical care training

English: An in-depth study was done into Simulation Based Education (SBE) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) with a view to understanding which method of education is best suited to paramedic education. The researcher performed a survey of students who were studying towards becoming a paramedic at the Free State College of Emergency Care in Bloemfontein. Paramedic education requires the educator to understand a variety of teaching skills and an understanding to support the needs of the students. As such, the educator’s role is critical for learning to occur in the classroom and it requires the educator to have sound knowledge about different teaching strategies, as well as an understanding of which strategies work best with the specific discipline content information. This study sought to bridge the gap created by the absence of guidelines by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for curriculum deployment in emergency medical care (EMC) training. With the recent shift from vocationally-based training to higher education in paramedic education a dire need exists to explore student paramedics’ perception of the curriculum that is being used in EMC training. Simulation is currently being used as a summative assessment instrument to measure students’ competency, but it does not integrate educational methods which are being used in emergency medicine and in other allied health care education. Universities and other institutions use outcomes-based education and training as set out by the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Countries such as the United States and Australia make use of integration of PBL and SBE or Case-based learning (CBL) and SBE. SBE and PBL studies were used to frame and focus the study. This study is situated in the field of Health Professions Education and focused on the profession of EMC. The research methods comprised analysis of documents that contextualise the use of clinical simulation by emergency care education programmes in South Africa. A review of scholarship provided a conceptual framework for understanding health care simulation as an educational methodology and its use as an instrument of assessment in EMC. Literature on PBL was also sought in EMC and since no articles could be found locally, articles from Australia, the United States and medicine were used to draw conclusions. Limited articles could be found internationally and even less information was found when the researcher looked within the South African EMC system with regard to different curriculums in use for paramedic education. A quantitative descriptive design was employed and a questionnaire survey was used as the method of data collection for the empirical phase of the study. All participants was first introduced to SBE and PBL prior the completion of the questionnaire survey. This ensured that each participant knew exactly how each method of education works. Data from questionnaire survey was analysed and interpreted in conjunction with the ICT Department University Free State, and the experience of the researcher, to examine which method of education is preferred by paramedic students’ which was the main unit of analysis, and the subunits, namely, how students experienced SBE and PBL. The data collected from the questionnaire survey was analysed and a description and discussion of the research findings were documented. Based on the literature review and the responses to the questionnaire, several prominent conclusions were reached. One of the key issues identified is that simulation is employed as a tool of assessment only, and not as an integration of an educational method. PBL also received favourable feedback from students who had never encountered PBL before this session. These research findings can assist with decisions as to whether future (more comprehensive and potentially more costly) research projects are justified. Both SBE and PBL prepare the paramedic with knowledge, skills and competence to treat a patient safely and with quality care. SBE should be seen as a method of education that can be integrated with other methods of education such as lectures, PBL and bedside teaching. Understanding the competence of paramedics is an important resource. They transport millions of people to hospitals each year and consequently, the need to measure how they learn is an important task. The study serves to frame the breadth, depth and scope of SBE and PBL in paramedic education in South Africa.