Effective Medical Education Resource Design and Integrative Learning: A Lesson in Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) is the most common ciliopathy affecting children and has a diverse penetrance. Health care practitioners must be aware of the varying phenotypes and pathophysiology during embryonic development so that proper management and counseling options may be considered. With limited instructional contact hours during training, effective online learning resources are becoming increasingly important. The objective of this project was to create an interactive, online learning module to provide a comprehensive and integrated lesson on ARPKD and to evaluate its educational value at different years of training. The module was created using an actual ARPKD case integrated with a normal development tutorial and self‐assessment tools that provide instant feedback for reinforcement of the material. The module was given to first‐year medical students, graduate students and pathology residents in various years of training. The educational value of the module was evaluated by a user survey and quantitative comparison between pre‐ and post‐test scores, assessed before and after utilizing the module. A retention study was conducted thirty days after completion of the module to determine the long‐term educational value of this teaching modality. The results show that the interactive and clinically oriented module effectively promoted learning and retention, and was positively received by trainees in all stages. Stand‐alone, online learning modules that present clinical cases in a highly integrated manner show promise as an effective undergraduate and graduate medical education tool.