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Effect of technology on student class performance and class absence
1Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine, Miami Shores, FL 33161, USA. ssesodia@mail.barry.edu
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
|December 4, 2012
Summary
Instructional technology availability negatively impacted medical student performance, increasing absences and decreasing test scores. Reevaluation of its use for accessing lecture materials is recommended for medical physiology courses.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physiology
- Educational Technology
Background:
- Investigated the impact of instructional technology on student performance in a podiatric medical school's physiology course.
- Assessed the relationship between technology availability and academic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if instructional technology availability affects student performance in medical physiology.
- To analyze the influence of technology on test scores and class attendance.
Main Methods:
- Employed multiple linear regression analysis.
- Utilized instructional technology availability, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, undergraduate GPA, and class absence as predictors.
- Examined overall student test performance as the outcome variable.
Main Results:
- Instructional technology availability correlated with a slight decrease in mean test performance.
- Class absence increased with technology availability and negatively impacted performance when technology was present.
- MCAT scores and undergraduate GPA showed a positive correlation with student performance.
Conclusions:
- Instructional technology did not improve, but rather hindered, the performance of absentee students.
- The utility of instructional technology for providing access to supplementary lecture materials requires critical reassessment.
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