Abstract
Education is undergoing profound changes due to permanent technological innovations. This paper reports the results of a pilot study aimed at developing, implementing and evaluating the course, "Applicative Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Medicine," upon medical school entry. The Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, introduced a curriculum reform in 2014 that included the implementation of the course, “Applicative Use of ICT in Medicine” for first year medical students. The course was designed using a blended learning format to introduce the concepts of Web-based learning environments. Data regarding student knowledge, use and attitudes towards ICT were prospectively collected for the classes of 2015/16 and 2016/17. The teaching approach was supported by multimedia didactic materials using Moodle LMS. The overall quality of the course was also assessed. The five level Likert scale was used to measure attitudes related to ICT. In total, 1110 students were assessed upon medical school entry. A small number of students (19%) had previous experience with e-learning. Students were largely in agreement that informatics is needed in medical education, and that it is also useful for doctors (4.1±1.0 and 4.1±0.9, respectively). Ability in informatics and use of the Internet in education in the adjusted multivariate regression model were significantly associated with positive student attitudes toward ICT. More than 80% of students stated that they had learned to evaluate medical information and would use the Internet to search medical literature as an additional source for education. The majority of students (77%) agreed that a blended learning approach facilitates access to learning materials and enables time independent learning (72%). Implementing the blended learning course, "Applicative Use of ICT in Medicine," may bridge the gap between medicine and informatics upon medical school entry. Students displayed positive attitudes towards using ICT and gained adequate skills necessary to function effectively in an information-rich environment.
Highlights
Education has undergone profound changes due to recent technological advancements [1,2,3]
The goal of the study was to assess knowledge, use, and student attitudes towards Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) among first year medical students, to explore factors related to student attitudes towards the use of ICT in medical education, and to develop, implement, and evaluate the blended learning course, “Applicative Use of ICT in Medicine," upon medical school entry
A major curriculum reform was introduced at UBFM in 2014 which consisted of several novel elements, Bridging the gap between informatics and medicine upon medical school entry one of which included the implementation of the course, “Applicative use of ICT in Medicine,” upon medical school entry
Summary
Education has undergone profound changes due to recent technological advancements [1,2,3]. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) resources have become available, both for support of on-site education and for on-line learning. It is both important and interesting to assess the knowledge acquired and attitudes that students have towards their use [4,5,6]. The concept of lifelong learning [13], as an ongoing pursuit of knowledge which enhances personal development, and self-sustainability, competitiveness and employability, have become of vital importance in medicine. The introduction of new technologies has changed how we receive and gather information, collaborate with others and communicate, while assistive technologies have become important considerations when discussing lifelong learning
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