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TRUVACE RECORD VERSION
record: TRV-2026-2748
version: 1
kind: certified
reason: Certified into the record
timestamp: 2026-11-12T17:18:34.129321Z
status: published
lens: g_space
sector: education
headline: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Chatbots on Self-Directed Learning in Health Sciences Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
dek: Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of AI-powered chatbots on self-directed learning (SDL; primary outcome), satisfaction, confidence, and critical thinking in health professions students. Methods We systematically searched five databases Library up to July 2026. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment (RoB 2 for RCTs; ROBINS-I for quasi-experimental studies). Random-effects meta-analyses using REML estimation were performed, with Hartung-Knapp-Sidi…
gain_title: A meta-analysis of five studies with 365 health professions students found AI chatbots may improve self-directed learning (Hedges's g=0.85, 95% CI 0.50-1.21), though certainty was low.
problem_title: (none)
trace_subject: (none)
gain_reading: A meta-analysis of five studies with 365 health professions students found AI chatbots may improve self-directed learning (Hedges's g=0.85, 95% CI 0.50-1.21), though certainty was low.
gain_evidence: AI chatbots may improve self-directed learning (Hedges’s g=0.85; 95% HKSJ CI: 0.50-1.21; p=0.003; 5 studies
problem_reading: (none)
problem_evidence: (none)
quick_read: A systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 14 studies (11 randomized trials, 3 quasi-experimental; 1,182 students) testing AI chatbots in health professions education. In the five studies (365 participants) that measured self-directed learning, chatbots were linked to a large improvement (Hedges's g=0.85).

Satisfaction also rose in five studies with 320 participants (g=1.05), but results varied widely between studies (I2=75.9%) and the prediction interval ran from -0.67 to 2.77. The evidence for both outcomes was rated low certainty.

The confidence result did not hold up: using the stricter Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method, the interval for three studies (227 participants) crossed zero. Critical thinking and self-efficacy could not be pooled because the studies differed too much.
limitation: Certainty of evidence was low because studies used different self-directed learning measures and the sample was smaller than optimal; the confidence finding was fragile and critical thinking could not be pooled.
tag: Evidence-backed gain
key_points: Fourteen studies were included: 11 randomized trials and 3 quasi-experimental studies, with 1,182 health professions students in total. | Self-directed learning: g=0.85 across 5 studies and 365 participants, with a prediction interval of 0.21-1.50. | Leave-one-out sensitivity analyses kept the self-directed learning effect between 0.75 and 0.93, all with p<0.05. | Satisfaction: g=1.05 across 5 studies and 320 participants, with high heterogeneity (I2=75.9%). | Confidence: the HKSJ interval of -0.37 to 1.98 crossed the null, while the conventional Wald-type interval (0.27 to 1.35) suggested significance. | Critical thinking and self-efficacy were not pooled because of extreme heterogeneity.
rundown: Researchers searched five databases up to July 2026. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias, using RoB 2 for randomized trials and ROBINS-I for quasi-experimental studies.

Random-effects meta-analyses used REML estimation with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman confidence intervals and prediction intervals where feasible. Certainty of evidence was graded with GRADE and rated low for self-directed learning and satisfaction.

The authors attribute the low certainty to indirectness, because studies measured self-directed learning with different tools, and to imprecision, because the sample was below the optimal information size. They call for longer-term evaluations and validated multi-item scales such as the Self-Directed Learning Scale and SRSSDL.
sources:
- peer_reviewed | Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development | https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205261491865 | 2026-10-01
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