The audience response system and knowledge gain: a prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: The introduction of an audience response system (ARS) in the obstetrics and gynaecology course for medical students at The University of Western Australia provided an opportunity to measure knowledge gain by ARS lecture formats compared with didactic lectures.

METHODS: The study was conducted over four obstetrics and gynaecology terms, alternating the ARS and didactic format between two selected lectures each term. Students completed multiple-choice quizzes immediately post-lectures and 5 weeks later.

RESULTS: Immediate post-lecture quiz mean scores for the ARS lectures were significantly higher compared with scores for the didactic lectures (7.5 vs. 6.7, p < 0.001). Pairwise comparisons between ARS and didactic lectures for each lecture topic showed significantly higher quiz scores for ARS lectures (preterm labour 8.3 vs. 7.4, p = 0.032; and prenatal diagnosis 6.9 vs. 6.0, p = 0.014). Quiz scores for the didactic preterm labour lecture were significantly higher than scores for the didactic prenatal diagnosis lecture (6.0 vs. 7.4, p < 0.001). Quiz results at 5 weeks showed no differences in scores between the ARS and the didactic lectures and no differences between lecture topics.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of the ARS in lectures appeared to improve knowledge gain immediately post-lecture but no difference was found after retesting at 5 weeks.