Case-based vs lecture-based learning for ischemic stroke education: a randomized controlled trial in Argentine medical students
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN31260053 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN31260053 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | 1e |
- Submission date
- 31/07/2025
- Registration date
- 01/09/2025
- Last edited
- 02/09/2025
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Teaching medical students how to handle ischemic stroke—a serious condition where blood flow to the brain stops—is extremely important. Traditional lessons (called lecture-based learning or LBL) are common, but there is a different method called case-based learning (CBL) that uses real-life examples to help students learn. This study aims to compare CBL and LBL in medicine students to see how it improves their knowledge, practical skills, and enjoyment of learning about acute ischemic stroke. The goal is to find the best way to teach this important topic.
Who can participate?
Students in their 4th year of medical school at the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) in Argentina, aged 19-27, who are taking a neurology course and agree to join. Only volunteers who attend regular lectures can take part, and those retaking the course cannot join.
What does the study involve?
Students will be picked randomly into two groups of 45. One group will have two 45 minutes CBL sessions (90 minutes total), and the other will have a 90 minutes LBL session. We’ll test their knowledge with a 50-items multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) before, right after, and 6 months later. We’ll also check their clinical skills with an observed skills clinical examination (OSCE) after the class and ask them to fill out a short survey (5-point Likert scale) about their satisfaction with the learning method.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There’s no big benefit right away for students other than increasing their knowledge about cerebrovascular disease, but the results can lead to changes in the teaching model for better learning outcomes for future students and greater stroke awareness. There are no serious risks; everything happens during regular university courses, and the tests don’t affect their grades.
Where is the study run from?
The study is run by Rodrigo Agustín Palma Pérez, an independent researcher, and takes place partly at the Faculty of Medicine of niversidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) and partly at the Hospital Escuela José Francisco de San Martín in Corrientes, Argentina.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study will start in September 2025 and is expected to run until March 2026.
Who is funding the study?
The study is self-funded by the researcher, with no outside money
Who is the main contact?
Rodrigo Agustín Palma Pérez, agustin3456@gmail.com
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
Estados Unidos 1203
Corrientes
3400
Argentina
 ORCID ID |
0009-0002-0910-8096 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +54 (0)3794590777 |
| agustin3456@gmail.com |
Study information
| Study design | Single-centre randomized single-blind controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Hospital, University/medical school/dental school |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Case-based vs lecture-based learning for ischemic stroke education: a randomized controlled trial in Argentine medical students |
| Study acronym | CL-EDUCAT |
| Study objectives | Primary objective: To test whether case-based learning (CBL) improves the acquisition of knowledge about acute ischemic stroke (AIS) compared to lecture-based learning (LBL) in fourth-year medical students, measured by multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) scores. Secondary objectives: 1. To determine whether differences in the acquisition of theoretical knowledge about AIS persist in the long term in fourth-year medical students, assessed by MCQ scores at 6 months between CBL and LBL. 2. To evaluate whether there are differences in the development of clinical skills for AIS management in fourth-year medical students between CBL and LBL, measured by Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores. 3. To analyze whether there are differences in the satisfaction of fourth-year medical students with the AIS learning experience between CBL and LBL, assessed by scores on a 5-point Likert scale survey. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Submitted 23/07/2025, UNNE/Hospital Escuela (Moreno 1250, Corrientes, 3400, Argentina; +54 (0)3794422290; cbi@med.unne.edu.ar), ref: 1 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Medical education |
| Intervention | Participants (90 4th-year medical students) are randomized into two groups (CBL and LBL, 45 per group) using a computer-generated random number sequence. Allocation is concealed using sealed envelopes opened by an independent coordinator not involved in the intervention or assessment. CBL (Experimental): 90 minutes (total) interactive case-based learning sessions on ischemic stroke. LBL (Active Comparator): 90 minutes (total) traditional lecture-based session on ischemic stroke. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Acquisition of knowledge measured using a 50-item multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) at 1 week post-intervention |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Retention of knowledge measured using a 50-item multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) at 6 months 2. Development of clinical skills measured using Observed Skills Clinical Examination (OSCE) at 1 week post-intervention 3. Student satisfaction with teaching method measured using a 5-point Likert scale survey at 1 week post-intervention |
| Overall study start date | 22/09/2025 |
| Completion date | 31/03/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Learner/student |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 19 Years |
| Upper age limit | 27 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 90 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. 4th-year medical students at Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) 2. Enrolled in Neurology 3. Willing to participate |
| Key exclusion criteria | Students retaking the course |
| Date of first enrolment | 23/09/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/09/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Argentina
Study participating centres
Corrientes
3400
Argentina
Corrientes
3400
Argentina
Sponsor information
Hospital/treatment centre
Rivadavia 1250
Corrientes
3400
Argentina
| Phone | +54 (0)3794430113 |
|---|---|
| docenciahescuela@gmail.com |
University/education
Mariano Moreno 1250
Corrientes
3400
Argentina
| Phone | +54 (0)379 4426345 |
|---|---|
| campusvirtualmed@gmail.com | |
| Website | https://med.unne.edu.ar/ |
Funders
Funder type
Other
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/06/2027 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Data sharing statement to be made available at a later date |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication in a peer-reviewed journal |
| IPD sharing plan | The data-sharing plans for the current study are unknown and will be made available at a later date |
Editorial Notes
12/08/2025: Study's existence confirmed by Hospital Escuela José Francisco de San Martín.
