Map of educational resources used by medical students. Competitiveness of resources of HE institution (comparison of the 2020 and 2021 results)

Abstract

Introduction. Educational resources for medical students are not limited to traditional resources available in the university electronic environment of (subscribed or created at the university). Studies of the usage statistics of the university information-educational environment cannot give a reliable answer to the question of what resources students use. The study analyzes the survey data on the use of publicly available and commercial educational services along with the university resources. In result, we determine how the structure of the information and educational environment of the university meets the identified needs of students.Methods. In April 2021, we conducted an online survey of 1,765 students from 10 medical universities. Respondents were proposed to indicate the frequency with which they use different educational resources. We compare the 2021 results with the data of the 2020 survey using the methods of statistical analysis. Comparison of the use of the same type of university resources, publicly available and purchased are performed. The risks of the use of information resources of the university are assessed. Relationships between the use of different resources have been determined. Clusters of respondents demonstrating similar informational behavior are identified.Results. No significant changes in the frequency of use of information resources have been registered since 2020. Students prefer to use free resources regardless of their source. Frequent viewing of teachers’ online lectures reduces interest in face-to-face lectures, and frequent use of paid video resources or mobile applications reduces interest in the university resources as a whole. Close links have been found between the use of different commercial resources. 42.3 % of students prefer the university-created resources, whereas 38.6 % of students are focused at the publicly available resources and 19.1 % prefer technological resources from any source.Conclusion. The information resources of the university compete for the attention of students with a huge number of third-party resources. High-quality video content can significantly increase the use of university resources. An expert assessment of popular medical resources and an increase in students’ awareness of the quality of these resources is needed.