Concept Mapping Plays a Complementary Role in Optimizing the Effectiveness of Interactive Simulations in Medical Student Learning of Bacterial Sepsis Pathophysiology

The increasing complexity of medical education requires innovative tools to help students manage cognitive overload. Concept mapping (CM) enhances knowledge retention and integration by visually organizing information, and has received positive feedback in various educational contexts. However, the use of CM combined with interactive 3D courseware to teach the cellular mechanisms of bacterial sepsis is underexplored. This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating a 3D computer simulation with CM to improve understanding of sepsis. Fifty-two second-year medical students were randomized into three groups (A, B, and C). Each group completed five tasks: a pre-simulation self-assessment, a scaffolded pre-simulation CM, a computer simulation, a post-simulation CM, and a post-simulation self-assessment. Group A completed the tasks at the start of the sepsis case in the medical curriculum, Group B in the middle, and Group C at the end. A control group completed only the pre-simulation CM, and third-year students who had previously participated repeated the CM. Pre-simulation CM scores showed significant improvement in all three groups compared to the control group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Post-simulation, Group C significantly outperformed Groups A and B (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Third-year students scored 15 points higher than Groups A and B (<i>p</i> < 0.001), but their scores were similar to Group C's. CM scores improved across all intervention groups, with Group C showing more than double the increase seen in Groups A and B. This study suggests that combining 3D simulations with CM is an effective strategy for teaching complex medical concepts and warrants further exploration of its long-term impact.