Dr. Sandra Sumalla, a researcher at the Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana (International Iberoamerican University, UNIB), is participating in a study that analyzes the educational impact and perception of Human Nutrition and Dietetics students after using the E+DIEting_Lab clinical simulation chatbot platform, designed as a self-learning and training tool using “virtual patient” case studies.
The study evaluated the usefulness, usability, and design of the platform through a pilot program developed between December 2023 and April 2025, with the participation of 475 students from various European universities. All completed an initial survey, and 305 completed the final evaluation, representing a dropout rate of 36%. The analysis was based on descriptive statistics and pre- and post-intervention comparisons using t-tests for independent samples.
Among the participants, the majority were women (75.4%), and there was linguistic diversity, with six languages represented. In terms of perceived outcomes, students reported clear gains: 79.7% indicated an upgrade in practical skills in clinical dietetics and communication; 90% said that the new digital tools improved classroom practice; and 73.9% reported an improvement in interpersonal skills.
Self-assessment of competence in using chatbots as a learning tool also increased significantly: the average knowledge score rose from 2.32 to 2.66 and the skills score from 2.39 to 2.79 on a Likert scale of 0 to 5 (p < 0.001 in both cases).
However, after using the platform, an important detail was observed: although the overall opinion remained positive, the scores given by students for “effectiveness” and “usefulness” as self-learning tools dropped slightly. Specifically, effectiveness went from 3.63 to 3.42 and usefulness from 3.63 to 3.45. According to the article, this small decline does not imply a rejection of the tool, but rather that, upon testing it in practice, students adjusted their assessment to be more realistic, while still maintaining a favorable perception of the approach.
In conclusion, it was noted that the implementation and pilot evaluation of E+DIEting_Lab support the potential of structured digital simulations to improve perceived competencies in clinical nutrition, and they propose their findings as support for the adoption of chatbots in Dietetics curricula, as well as to guide future innovations in digital education.
If you would like to learn more about this study, click here.
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