The role of three-dimensional knowledge target teaching combined with immersive clinical experience in otology teaching practice

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of three-dimensional knowledge-targeted teaching combined with immersive clinical experiences on otology education. A prospective study was conducted on 100 undergraduate interns in their eighth semester of otolaryngology training at Anhui Medical University from June 2023 to November 2024. They were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 50), which received conventional teaching, or an observation group (n = 50), which received a teaching model combining three-dimensional knowledge-targeted instruction integrated with immersive clinical experience (ICE). ICE involved supervised role-playing, progressive hands-on skill training, real-time instructor feedback, case discussions, and reflective journaling. Primary outcomes included teaching quality scores, clinical practice ability assessed by the Mini-CEX scale, and teaching satisfaction. In the post-intervention assessment, the observation group scored significantly higher than the control group both in teaching quality (all five dimensions; all P < 0.01) and in Mini-CEX-evaluated clinical abilities, including humanistic care (7.25 ± 0.33 vs. 5.45 ± 0.20), clinical judgment (7.56 ± 0.31 vs. 6.10 ± 0.31), medical interview (7.45 ± 0.66 vs. 6.20 ± 0.11), organizational efficiency (7.45 ± 0.69 vs. 6.45 ± 0.35), communication skills (7.45 ± 0.22 vs. 6.40 ± 0.20), physical examination (7.40 ± 0.41 vs. 6.30 ± 0.21), and overall performance (7.45 ± 0.62 vs. 6.56 ± 0.23) (all P < 0.01). Teaching satisfaction was also higher in the observation group than in the control group (90.00% vs. 72.00%; P = 0.021). Integrating three-dimensional knowledge-targeted teaching with immersive clinical experience enhances students’ performance in clinical practice and overall satisfaction. This innovative teaching model suggests a potential benefit of comprehensive student development, improves teaching satisfaction, and strengthens the foundation for advancing otology education.