But Did You Die? Developing Critical Thinking in Paramedics Using Interactive Branching Scenarios

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to design and evaluate scenario-based instruction aimed at improving paramedics' medical assessment skills. Aimed at emergency medical technicians, the project used Keller's ARCS Model, Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction, and the basics of effective game design, to design instruction that presented various medical scenarios within an online platform. The goal of the instruction was to improve the technicians' critical thinking and decision-making skills. To evaluate the instruction, 12 (n = 12) emergency medical technicians participated in an evaluation of the instruction. As participants interacted with the online instruction, data related to the timing and accuracy of their performances were recorded. In addition, open-ended surveys were used to collect qualitative data with regards to the instruction. Results found participants exhibited increased speed and prioritization of questioning per scenario as a result of the instruction. Participants also exhibited increased accuracy in pre-hospital diagnoses and stronger justification of those diagnoses. While participants reported finding the instruction engaging, they indicated that the interactivity of the instruction played a more critical role. This report examines the study's findings in detail and explores possible explanations for training emergency medical technicians. Further study is needed to better understand how problem-based learning using interactive branching scenarios may be beneficial in medical education.