Introducing e-learning/teaching in a physiology course for medical students: acceptance by students and subjective...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physiology Laboratory Courses
• E-learning Technologies

Background:

• Information retrieval has evolved, impacting educational methods and leading to the rise of e-learning.
• Institutions face challenges in adopting e-learning due to limited subject-specific research on different teaching modalities.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of new teaching methods is crucial for modern education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of computer-aided course instructions (CACI) versus traditional paper workbooks in a preclinical medical physiology laboratory course.
• To assess student perceptions regarding workspace, acceptance of CACI, participation incentives, and perceived knowledge gain.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study design was employed, evaluating a physiology laboratory course module before and after CACI implementation.
• An online questionnaire with Likert items was administered to medical students to gather feedback.
• Key metrics included workspace redesign, acceptance of CACI, active participation, and subjective knowledge acquisition.

Main Results:

• Students overwhelmingly preferred the computer-aided course instructions (CACI) over the paper workbook.
• Despite preference, the subjective gain in knowledge was not perceived to be improved by the introduction of CACI.
• Findings align with existing research suggesting e-learning does not always enhance learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Computer-aided course instructions (CACI) meet current student expectations for modern educational tools.
• While preferred, the implementation of CACI in this context requires further investigation regarding its impact on actual learning success.
• The adoption of CACI is justified from a student satisfaction and technological expectation standpoint.