O e-Learning na Educação Médica Contínua: aplicação a uma situação de ensino-aprendizagem em Oftalmologia

Abstract

n Introduction: The birth of the knowledge society gave way to a new paradigm in education whose main concept relies on continuous education. E-Learning, as a model of the teaching-learning process, fits perfectly this new paradigm: using digital technology allows the conception of educational events with underlying learning theories, in a customised way, at a global scale. Objectives: The assessment of the impact and the efficacy of e-Learning in the post graduate medical education, based on a distance educational event conceived for this investigation. Material and methods: An investigation was conducted, based on an educational experience that we designed, implemented, piloted and evaluated. All the steps are described. Three questionnaires were developed and applied to assess our sample’s characteristics (continuous medical education and cybernaut profile and learning style). A test of fifty multiple choice questions was presented before (diagnostic test) and after (final test) our educational event, as well as a test of ten multiple choice questions was given at the end of each session. At the end of the event all the participants were invited to answer a questionnaire of impact and satisfaction and received a Participation Certificate. Results: Our educational intervention was explored by a population of thirty seven residents of ophthalmology except for three doctors already ophthalmologists. Mean age was thirty three years old. All give high value to their continuous medical education, and use the Personal Computer (PC) more than four hours a week. They prefer the professional domain, mainly medline research and scientifically interesting sites. Experience in e-learning classes is scarce. The evaluation of general satisfaction with our educational event, based in twenty items or in a selected question of the final satisfaction questionnaire (Kirkpatrick’s level I) was very good. All the inquired items regarding the advantages of the e-learning methodology were considered important or very important, mainly the flexibility, practical-theoretical interaction and customised learning. Referred drawbacks were the absence of a real equipment manipulation. The Final Test mean classification – 88,1±15,1 (with or without Session Tests done) and the Final Evaluation mean classification – 85,4±15,1 (Final Test classification or mean classification Session Tests) were significantly higher (p<0,001) than the Diagnostic Test mean classification – 57,3±15,6, thus revealing knowledge learning Kirkpatrick’s level II). The time spent correlated positively with the obtained classification. Conclusion: Medical population presents psico intellect and social characteristics favourable to this methodology. These population’s perceptions on the systemic implementation of e-Learning in medical education are promising. This methodology shows adequacy to continuous medical education in ophthalmology as suggested by this investigation’s results.