Modern approaches to teaching students in the pediatric faculty: problem-based and independent work using simulation technologies

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of task-based and self-directed learning among students in the Department of Pediatrics, using simulation technologies, in the development of practical skills and clinical reasoning. The study included 120 fourth- and fifth-year students from the Faculty of Pediatrics at Tashkent State Medical University. The participants were divided into a main group (n = 60), which was trained using a task-oriented and self-directed learning model incorporating simulation technologies, and a comparison group (n = 60), which was trained using traditional methods. The results showed that a high level of practical skill development, as assessed by the OSCE, was observed in 86.7% of students in the experimental group, which was significantly higher than the corresponding figure in the control group—61.7% (p < 0.05). The mean total score for performing a pediatric examination was 84.3 ± 6.2 points in the main group and 72.5 ± 7.1 points in the comparison group (p < 0.01). The number of errors in assessing vital signs was significantly lower in the main group (0.9 ± 0.3) compared with the comparison group (1.6 ± 0.4; p < 0.05). In addition, the proportion of students demonstrating confidence and logical consistency in their clinical decisions was 81.7% in the main group versus 58.3% in the comparison group (p < 0.05). The results obtained demonstrate the high effectiveness of task-oriented and independent learning using simulation technologies. This educational model contributes to improving students’ practical training, developing clinical reasoning, and reducing the number of diagnostic errors, thereby enhancing the readiness of future pediatricians for professional practice.

1. Viktorov V. V., Sadritdinov M. A. Simulation-Based Training Technologies in Medicine // Innovative Educational Technologies in the Development of Professional Competencies: Proceedings of the Interuniversity Conference on Teaching Methods with International Participation (Ufa, May 1–31, 2015). Ufa: Bashkir State Medical University, 2015. pp. 85–86. URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=30018519 (accessed May 15, 2026).

2. Gavrilova D. V., Sizov, Y. S. Simulation Technologies in Medicine and Education // Bulletin of Medical Internet Conferences. 2019. Vol. 9, No. 10. p. 427. URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=42327133 (accessed May 15, 2026).

3. Kamyshnikova L. A., Efremova O. A., Ivakhno E. N., Dubrova V. A. “Possibilities for Using Simulators in Medical Education” // Medical Technologies. Evaluation and Selection. 2019. No. 3 (37). P. 46–52. DOI: 10.31556/2219-0678.2019.37.3.046-052

4. Molchanova A. A., Osipova I. V., Chechina I. N. Experience with the Use of Simulation Technologies in Training Students in General Medicine // Virtual Technologies in Medicine. 2019. No. 1 (21). pp. 17–20. DOI: 10.46594/2687-0037_2019_1_17

5. Cook D., Hatala R., Brydges R., Zendejas B., Szostek J., Wang A., Erwin P., Hamstra S. Technology-enhanced simulation for health professions education // JAMA. 2011. Vol. 306(9). pp. 978–988. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.1234

6. Issenberg S., McGaghie W., Petrusa E., Gordon D., Scalese R. Features and uses of high-fidelity medical simulations that lead to effective learning: a BEME systematic review // Medical Teacher. 2005. Vol. 27. pp. 10–28. DOI: 10.1080/01421590500046924

7. McGaghie W., Issenberg S., Petrusa E., Scalese R. A critical review of simulation-based medical education research: 2003–2009 // Medical Education. 2009. Vol. 44. P. 50–63. DOI: 10.1111/j.13652923.2009.03547.x

8. Okuda Y., Bryson E., DeMaria S., Jacobson L., Quinones J., Shen B., Levine A. The utility of simulation in medical education: what is the evidence? // Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine. 2009. Vol. 76. P. 330–343. DOI: 10.1002/msj.20127

9. World Health Organization. Transforming and Scaling Up Health Professionals’ Education and Training. Geneva: WHO Press, 2013. 124 p. URL: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/93635 (accessed May 15, 2026).