WeChat: a new clinical teaching tool for problem-based learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional student-centered approach which utilizes carefully constructed real-world, ill-defined problems as a context for students to extend their prior experiences and knowledge through discussion and self-directed and collaborative learning that fosters the development of problem-solving and reasoning skills.1 Compared with traditional lecture-dominant teaching and learning approaches, PBL prompts students to actively engage not only in knowledge construction and develop competencies across multiple contexts,2,3 but also in self-directed learning and general work-related skills.4 PBL has a large contribution to medical education, but it has limitations. It is considered less effective than traditional learning methods because it is time-consuming.5 Other obstacles to the popularity of PBL include a predominating uncertainty about the breadth and depth of learning without a syllabus, concerns about overlooking things, and the high self-motivation required.6 So implementations of PBL is highly desirable. It is well known that Facebook and Twitter are introduced into medical education in colleges and universities in the western countries,7 achieving great success. Recently, Chinese medical educators are actively exploring new teaching methods to adapt to the social development. New media, WeChat,8 have been widely utilized in medical schools and exert a positive influence. WeChat is the most popular platform visited daily by university students in China. It is currently recognized as the best social networking site used by people of all ages and professions in China. WeChat is connecting more than a half billion Chinese people now. Apart from free chat, WeChat’s large-scale network platform hosts a vast amount of user-generated data, including text, voice call, video, and images. Group chat is perfect for professional online discussion. Its characteristics of convenience, promptness, and good cross-platform support enrich and simplify the communication model to offer WeChat application users communication that is more prompt.9 WeChat, owing to its immediate communication and source sharing, break the spatial and temporal limitations and change the teaching mode of the traditional classroom, making communication more convenient. The teaching mode of WeChat combined with PBL Ethics Review is used for a ongoing prospective study comparing WeChat-PBL and PBL. It is not necessary to the present descriptive study. The teacher divides all students into several WeChat groups with 3-4 students per group. After obtaining written agreement from patients, the teacher collects their clinical data, including basic information, chief complaint, symptoms, signs, and laboratory examinations. These data are presented in words. Imaging data and surgery materials are presented in images and video, respectively. The teacher delivers the materials and questions to the WeChat groups before class. The students research this material individually and then discuss the questions with each other in their small WeChat group. They can communicate and exchange ideas with their WeChat group colleagues to solve the problems. One representative of each group shows their discussion and conclusions in a slide show to the classroom. The teacher makes comments about their work. Students can further discuss their experiences after class to enhance the teaching effects.