NYITCOM Puts Tablets to the Test

Researchers from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) are investigating whether iPads help second-year medical students prepare for the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX I). The study, led by Jerry Balentine, D.O., vice president of medical affairs and global health, and Bhuma Krishnamachari, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and assistant dean of research, is being funded by a $5,000 grant from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine with findings expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Given the widespread use of iPads across all levels of academia, Balentine and Krishnamachari wanted to focus specifically on how the popular tablets help students retain information through online video lectures. Their goal is to help medical schools optimize how this technology delivers classroom lessons to help students achieve higher COMLEX scores.

“I see iPads as crucial in giving students more flexibility to view their lectures,” says Krishnamachari. “Studying their impact on the learning process is important because this is the modality that educators and students are moving to.”

The initial phase of the research asked 126 NYITCOM students to self-report on their iPad usage through an online survey. Participants were asked to what extent they used the tablet devices vs. computers to view class lectures during each semester of their first two years of medical school. Students were also asked to provide their own assessment of how iPads help them view lectures. After analyzing this data, Balentine and Krishnamachari plan to further assess how iPad use may prove beneficial in improving COMLEX I scores.

“Ultimately, we’d like to identify what’s the best way to use iPads to achieve the best outcomes,” adds Krishnamachari.