JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Medical education has undergone drastic changes with the advent of novel technologies that enable e-learning. Medical students are increasingly utilising e-learning methods and universities have incorporated them into their curricula.

Objective:

This study was aimed at delineating the pattern of use of e-learning methods among medical undergraduates and new graduates of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo and identifying the challenges faced by these students in utilising e-learning methods.

Methods:

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo in April, 2020, with the participation of current undergraduates and pre-intern medical graduates, using a self-administered questionnaire that collected data on socio-demographic details, pattern of use of learning methods and challenges faced in utilising e-learning methods.

Results:

There were 778 respondents, with a response rate of 65.1%. All the study participants used e-learning resources with varying frequencies and all of them had at least one smart device with access to the internet. Electronic versions of standard textbooks(e-books), non-medical websites, online lectures, medical websites and medical phone applications were used by the majority. When comparing the extent of use of different learning methods, it appeared that students preferentially used traditional learning methods. The preference was influenced by the year of study and family income. The three most commonly used modalities for learning new study material and revising previously learnt content were notes on paper material, textbooks(paper version) and ebooks. The majority (98.7%) of participants have encountered problem/s in utilising e-learning resources. Most commonly faced problems were unavailability of free-of-charge access to some e-learning methods, expenses related to internet connection, poor connectivity of mobile internet, distractions while using online resources and lack of storage space on electronic devices.

Conclusions:

There’s a high uptake of e-learning methods among Sri Lankan medical students. However, when comparing the extent of use of different learning methods, it appeared that students preferentially used traditional learning methods. Majority of the students have encountered problems when utilising e-learning methods and most of these problems were related to poor economic status. Universities should take these factors into consideration when developing curricula in medical education.