Development Strategies in Medical Education

Mendeley  

Zotero  

Mirmoghtadaie Z, Ahmady S, Bahramian P. Development and preliminary evaluation of an electronic clinical case-based learning system. DSME 2026; 13 (1) :33-46
URL: http://dsme.hums.ac.ir/article-1-418-en.html

Introduction: Case-based learning can engage learners with situations resembling clinical practice and support the integration of theoretical knowledge, information analysis, and decision-making. This study aimed to identify initial requirements, develop an electronic clinical case-based learning system, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of its features by medical education experts and nursing faculty members.
Methods: This applied design-and-development study was conducted in 2022–2023 using an iterative software development process. Key publications from 2012 to 2023 were reviewed to identify educational, communication, and functional requirements, which were then translated into software features. A prototype was developed using PHP, a MySQL database, and the MVP architectural pattern. The system was subsequently evaluated using two researcher-developed checklists completed by 10 medical education experts and 10 faculty members teaching medical-surgical nursing. Responses were summarized using frequencies and percentages, and open-ended comments were used to refine the prototype.
Results:  The ecase system was developed with three user roles: administrator, instructor, and learner. Its main features included course creation, clinical case authoring and presentation, question and test development, content search, assignment submission and feedback, and sharing through unique links. Most core features were considered desirable or necessary by the evaluators. However, opinions varied regarding unrestricted access to classes and clinical cases, access for non-members or users from other disciplines, and time restrictions. The evaluators’ feedback informed revision of the initial version.
Discussion: The preliminary expert evaluation indicated that the system incorporated several features required for electronic delivery of clinical cases. These findings reflect the initial functional adequacy of the system and should not be interpreted as evidence of educational effectiveness. Further studies should examine usability among students and instructors and assess effects on learning and clinical reasoning outcomes.