Utilizing short videos as a reflective method for teaching medical ethics concepts: an exciting experience for both students and their teacher
TL;DR
It appears that short, culturally sensitive educational videos have the potential to serve as an effective tool for teaching medical ethics.
Abstract
Educational approaches to teaching medical ethics are often successful provided that they engage students actively in class. The present study set out to develop, implement, and evaluate an instructional approach to teaching medical ethics using brief dramatized videos to present common clinical ethical dilemmas in culturally respectful, psychologically safe formats. Five short educational videos were created based on the general medical ethics curriculum in Iran, each depicting a specific ethical issue (informed consent, truth-telling, patient privacy, medical errors, and conflicts of interest). The videos featured child actors and were used in interactive classroom sessions over two academic semesters. This educational approach was evaluated by conducting a cross-sectional survey based on the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) model. The evaluation showed high levels of student satisfaction across all four CIPP domains, with particularly strong scores in student engagement, video content quality, and application of ethical principles. Students reported that the video-based sessions helped them better understand ethical challenges and facilitated deeper reflection on professional behavior. It appears that short, culturally sensitive educational videos have the potential to serve as an effective tool for teaching medical ethics. We therefore recommend future implementation across diverse educational contexts and studies.