An innovative Socratic method-based artificial intelligence platform for healthcare education: A quasi-experimental study

AIM: To investigate the impact of the Socratic Playground for Learning system on self-efficacy, critical thinking skills and learning experiences among healthcare professional students. BACKGROUND: The Socratic teaching method fosters critical thinking and self-reflection but depends on instructor expertise. Generative AI enables personalized learning, though it may introduce biases and inaccuracies. The Socratic Playground for Learning system integrates both approaches to provide personalized learning experiences. DESIGN: This study employed a quasi-experimental, single-group pretest-posttest design. METHODS: This study collected data from a convenience sample of 31 students. Over the study period, participants were asked to explore the system alongside their scheduled teaching program. Self-efficacy and critical thinking ability were assessed before and after the exploration of the system. Additionally, participants' subjective learning experiences were evaluated after using the system. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to determine the significance of difference. RESULTS: The study included participants from six healthcare disciplines, with a mean professional experience of 5.71 ± 3.36 years. The results indicated a significant increase in self-efficacy scores at post-test, with a effect size of 0.57 (95 % CI [0.02, 1.12], p = 0.041), though critical thinking skills showed no statistically significant change. At post-test, participants reported a stronger preference for the system compared with traditional teaching methods, reflecting overall positive perceptions of its usability. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating generative artificial intelligence with the Socratic teaching method represents a promising advancement in healthcare education. Future research could continue to explore this approach to transform traditional educational paradigms.