gms | German Medical Science

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of a small exam in terms of PINGO (Peer Instruction for very large Groups) according to the topic towards a special lecture. A cohort of dental students within an orthodontic course at the University of Greifswald was tested after every lecture with 10 questions presented with PINGO to the lectured topic.

Material/Methods: Eleven lectures were read by orthodontic clinicians. At the end of every speech 51 dental students reviewed their knowledge about that topic by using their smartphone or tablet to cast their votes. At the end of every vote all possible answers were discussed with the auditorium by showing the results. The students had a chance asking questions and settling problems. Subsequently every student was filling out a questionnaire with appropriate or incorrect statements for evaluating the education effect of PINGO.

Results: All 51 students participated with PINGO. Most of them enjoyed this new type of interactive learning. Nearly everyone had a chance to deepen their orthodontic knowledge with this online survey. They learned more and felt better prepared for the final exam. More than two third of all students would recommend PINGO for other lectures.

Discussion: Just a small part of students listening to lectures understanding the central concepts of the topic. If they participate active with the lecture complex topics are easier to understand. To motivate students for an active participation during a lecture CRSs are one possibility. 51 students were listening to every lecture but not everyone was in possession of a smartphone or tablet. Although the others worked together in most of them PINGO had a positive outcome.

Conclusion: PINGO as part of CRS is an effective tool for the integration of students during a lecture and to present them a conclusion about the most important information during a dissertation. PINGO seems to be an important step to motivate students listening to lectures.