The Effect of Instruction on Learning: Case Based Versus Lecture Based

There is scarcity of evidence demonstrating the impact of the instructional approach on curriculum outcomes of knowledge retention and clinical judgment in nursing education. The study aimed at determining the influence of 2 instructional formats, namely, case-based and lecture-based learning, on knowledge retention and judgment skills offered to 2 cohorts of nursing students in a junior nursing course. The scores of both cohorts were compared using a 65-selected-response test, 8 months after the offering of the course. A stratified comparison was completed using an independent samples t test. The t test was also used to compare the scores on judgment skills such as noticing, interpreting, deciding, and reflecting. Findings did not reveal significant difference in the mean test scores of both cohorts regarding knowledge retention (p = .178), yet a significant difference was noted on the judgment skill of reflecting among the case-based cohort (t = 2.202; p = .033). This study adds evidence regarding the effectiveness of a case-based instruction on developing the skill of reflecting, thus supporting calls for contextualizing learning. Further probing into the instructional strategies that equip nursing students with knowledge remains an ongoing challenge for the discipline.