Planning and implementing an e-learning course for medical students: Points to ponder

Abstract

Due to the ubiquitous presence and use of Internet and communication technologies, e-learning has found its scope even in the field of medical education. Despite the delivery of rich collaborative community of learning, it has been observed that a significant number of enrolled participants drop out and do not complete their course. These findings clearly suggest that before designing an e-learning course for medical students, there is an immense need for having a good team, software and hardware support. The first and foremost step for designing an e-learning course is to perform a needs assessment and then followed by deciding on the content of the course. The course should be designed with periodically spaced assessments, and the students should also receive feedback about their performance and the areas in which they need to improve on. In conclusion, e-learning courses in the field of medical education have revolutionized the entire practice of teaching–learning. However, the success of an e-learning program depends on the proper planning and keeping the course interactive.