The level of knowledge retention and the attitude of students towards traditional and combined human genetics teaching

Abstract

The aim of this research was to compare knowledge retention and course satisfaction among the students who attended a combined teaching course (traditional form and online course) and those who attended only the traditional course in human genetics. The study comprised 169 students divided in two groups. The first group included 88 students who attended the combined course, and the second group participated in the traditional course. A knowledge test was given after the end of the courses and six months later.. The results of both groups were compared. Further on, the students in the combined course were divided in three categories according to the levels of online activities: weak, moderate and very active. The categories were compared with each other, and with the results of the students who attended the traditional course. The students who attended the combined course achieved considerably higher results on both tests compared to the students who attended the traditional course. The average number of points on both tests was statistically considerably higher in the group of very active students compared to those moderately active or weak and, of course, better than the students who attended the traditional course The results show that the online course was marked highly, showed higher knowledge retention and that the satisfaction with the combined course was exceptional.