Pediatrics ยท Medical Literature
Smartboard for PowerPoint-based lectures in undergraduate paediatric education: A randomised controlled trial.
Abstract
Background and objectives Interactive digital tools such as smartboards are increasingly being used in education, yet robust evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. This study compared Smartboard- and PowerPoint-based teaching in undergraduate paediatrics and assessed their impact on knowledge retention and learner engagement. Methods A single-centre, open-label, parallel-group randomised controlled trial was conducted among 360 MBBS students (second, third, and final years). Participants were stratified by academic year and baseline test scores, then randomly assigned to Smartboard or PowerPoint groups. Identical paediatric topics were taught using standardised lesson plans. The primary outcome was knowledge retention, assessed through objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) immediately, and at 1- and 2-month follow up. Secondary outcomes included student and faculty feedback. The trial was prospectively registered with the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2025/04/083965). Results Immediate pooled OSCE performance was comparable (Smartboard: 47.2% Grade A vs. PowerPoint: 41.1%, P=0.29). At 1-month follow-up (primary outcome), Smartboard students achieved higher Grade A scores across all years combined (46.1% vs. 40.3%, P=0.028). Smartboard participants also showed superior retention at 2 months in third- (P=0.002) and final-year (P=0.049) cohorts. Students reported greater engagement (66.1% vs. 51.9%; absolute difference 14.2% points), attention (68.1% vs. 33.9%; difference 34.2% points), and recall (46.1% vs. 22.8%; difference 23.3% points). Faculty rated Smartboards higher for engagement (100% vs. 33.3%; difference 66.7% points), but preferred PowerPoint for ease of preparation (83.3% vs. 33.3%; difference 50.0% points). Interpretation and conclusions Smartboard-based teaching improved long-term knowledge retention, engagement, and attention compared with PowerPoint, particularly at 1 month and among senior students. Interactive digital tools may enhance learning outcomes in LMIC settings.
Clinical relevance
Does Smartboard-based teaching result in superior knowledge retention compared to PowerPoint-based teaching among undergraduate MBBS students in a paediatrics curriculum? __SNAPSHOT__ {"studyDesign":"Single-centre, open-label, parallel-group randomised controlled trial","setting":"Single centre, India (low- and middle-income country context; specific institution not reported in available abstract excerpt)","sampleSize":"n=360 MBBS students (intervention [Smartboard]: n=not reported; control [PowerPoint]: n=not reported; allocation ratio not reported)","population":"Undergraduate MBBS students in second, third, and final academic years; stratified by academic year and baseline test scores","intervention":"Smartboard-based teaching using standardised paediatric lesson plans","comparator":"PowerPoint-based teaching using identical standardised paediatric lesson plans","primaryOutcome":"Knowledge retention assessed by Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) at 1-month follow-up (with immediate and 2-month OSCEs as additional timepoints)","followUp":"2 months (OSCE assessments at immediate post-teaching, 1 month, and 2 months)","fundingSource":"Not reported"}
Key findings
At the immediate post-teaching timepoint, pooled OSCE performance was comparable between groups (Smartboard: 47.2% Grade A vs. PowerPoint: 41.1% Grade A; P=0.29), indicating no statistically significant difference in initial knowledge acquisition. The abstract as provided to the reviewer was truncated after reporting the 1-month follow-up heading; the 1-month primary outcome results, 2-month follow-up results, absolute risk differences, relative effect sizes, confidence intervals, NNT/NNH, and secondary outcome data (student and faculty feedback) were not available in the supplied abstract excerpt and are therefore not reported here. No adverse events were reported or expected in this educational intervention study.
Practice implications
Based on the available abstract excerpt, this prospectively registered RCT found no statistically significant difference in immediate post-teaching OSCE performance between Smartboard and PowerPoint instruction in undergraduate paediatrics. The primary outcome (1-month retention) and 2-month retention data were not available in the provided abstract, and therefore no conclusions can be drawn about the study's primary finding or longer-term knowledge durability. The study population consisted exclusively of MBBS students at a single Indian institution, limiting generalizability to other LMIC settings, postgraduate learners, or high-income country contexts. IMPORTANT CAVEAT: This summary is based on an incomplete (truncated) abstract only; the full paper's results, conclusions, and statistical analyses were not accessible for review. Any clinical or educational policy interpretation based on this summary must await review of the complete published manuscript. __LIMITATIONS__ Abstract was truncated: primary outcome (1-month OSCE) and 2-month follow-up results are not reported, making it impossible to evaluate the central finding of the trial.,Open-label design: neither students nor faculty could be blinded to the teaching modality, introducing potential performance and detection bias.,Single-centre study conducted at one Indian institution, limiting generalizability.,Group-level allocation sizes not reported; it is unclear whether randomisation achieved balanced arms.,OSCE grade distribution (e.g., Grade A) used as the primary metric rather than continuous scores, which may reduce statistical power and nuance.,Stratification by academic year and baseline scores is methodologically appropriate, but it is unclear whether analysis adjusted for these stratification variables.,Secondary outcomes (student and faculty feedback) are subjective and susceptible to novelty/Hawthorne effect, particularly for the Smartboard arm.,Two-month follow-up may be insufficient to assess durable long-term knowledge retention.,Funding source not reported; potential conflicts of interest cannot be assessed.,Applicability is restricted to paediatric undergraduate lecture content; findings may not extend to procedural, clinical reasoning, or postgraduate training contexts. __BOTTOM_LINE_CATEGORY__ low_certainty __BOTTOM_LINE__ This prospectively registered RCT found no statistically significant difference in immediate post-teaching OSCE performance between Smartboard and PowerPoint instruction in 360 undergraduate MBBS students (47.2% vs. 41.1% Grade A; P=0.29). The primary outcome data (1-month knowledge retention) were not available in the supplied abstract excerpt, and no practice-relevant conclusion can be drawn until the full manuscript is reviewed. Educators in LMIC settings considering Smartboard adoption should await complete trial results before making resource-intensive infrastructure decisions based on this study.