Effects of EbeCast Digital Learning on Midwifery Students' Women's Health Skills

The use of digital learning technologies in health sciences education has increased substantially in recent years. In particular, video-based learning resources enable students to access educational materials regardless of time and location, thereby supporting more flexible and effective learning. However, teaching essential women's health clinical skills, including breast self-examination, vulvar self-examination, and gynecological examination, remains challenging because of limited laboratory practice, restricted clinical opportunities, and the need to protect patient privacy. These limitations may reduce students' opportunities for repeated practice and negatively affect both skill acquisition and long-term retention. This project aims to develop EbeCast, a QR code-supported, vodcast-based digital learning platform designed to improve women's health clinical skills among midwifery students. The platform will include instructional vodcast videos, QR code-supported clinical skill cards, module-based assessments, and learning analytics. Students will be able to access educational materials anytime, review clinical procedures repeatedly, and progress at their own learning pace. Although previous studies have demonstrated the educational benefits of podcasts and vodcasts in health professions education, there is very limited evidence regarding QR code-supported digital learning platforms specifically designed for teaching women's health skills in midwifery education and evaluated through randomized controlled trials. Therefore, EbeCast is expected to provide an innovative and sustainable educational model for midwifery training. The project is designed as a two-phase methodological and experimental study. During the first phase, educational materials, vodcast videos, QR code-supported skill cards, and the EbeCast digital learning platform will be developed. During the second phase, the effectiveness of the platform will be evaluated using a parallel-group randomized controlled trial with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. The study sample will consist of 64 third-year midwifery students (intervention = 32; control = 32) enrolled at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Karabük University. Both groups will receive the standard theoretical and laboratory curriculum, while the intervention group will additionally receive four weeks of access to the EbeCast platform. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form, the Women's Health Clinical Skills Knowledge Test, Women's Health Clinical Skills Assessment Checklists, the Clinical Skills Self-Efficacy Scale, and platform usage analytics. The project is expected to improve students' knowledge, clinical skill performance, self-efficacy, and long-term retention of women's health skills while providing an evidence-based, accessible, and sustainable digital learning model. Furthermore, the findings are expected to contribute to the digital transformation of midwifery education, provide an adaptable educational model for other health disciplines, and support future national and international scientific publications.

Inclusion Criteria: * Being a third-year undergraduate student in the Department of Midwifery, * Faculty of Health Sciences, Karabük University. * Being enrolled in the Women's Health and Diseases course. * Being 18 years of age or older. * Having internet access through a smartphone, tablet, or computer. * Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Being unwilling to participate in the study or choosing to withdraw at any stage. * Failing to complete the pre-test or post-test assessments. * Failing to complete the required EbeCast platform activities in the intervention group (e.g., not completing the majority of the assigned educational modules).