Effect of AI Critical Appraisal Training on Critical Thinking in Nursing Students

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

AI Critical Appraisal Training: Over 8 weeks, students complete 4 case assignments. For each case, they interact with an AI tool, screenshot the full dialogue, and then critically annotate the AI's responses: identify at least 3 errors or debatable points, provide corrected answers with evidence from textbooks, and write a brief reflection.

Traditional Case-Based Learning: Over the same 8 weeks, students analyze identical surgical nursing cases by consulting printed and electronic resources (excluding AI). They submit written answers to case questions and a personal reflection, and declare no AI use.

Study summary

This study is a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at evaluating the impact of the "AI Critical Thinking Training" teaching method on the critical thinking, AI literacy, and clinical reasoning abilities of undergraduate nursing students. Random allocation methods (such as the coin-tossing method) were used to randomly assign eligible classes as a whole to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group received AI critical thinking training (using AI to analyze cases and annotate their errors), while the control group received the same amount of time in traditional case-based teaching. The research tools included the Chinese version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, the AI Literacy Scale, the Clinical Reasoning Scale, and a standardized case analysis scoring sheet. Data collection was conducted twice, before the experiment (pre-test) and after the experiment (post-test). The protocol was based on mature educational theories, with a clear process and extremely low risk, demonstrating good scientific and feasibility. During the research process, if the participants felt any discomfort, they could immediately request to stop the research and withdraw from the study.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Critical Thinking Disposition — Baseline and Week 8
  Measured by the Chinese version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI-CV). The scale has 70 items, each rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 6=strongly agree). Total score ranges from 70 to 420. Higher scores indicate a stronger disposition toward critical thinking.

Trial sites (1)

Other trials for the same condition