Instant Messaging in Dental Education.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Communication
• Digital Health Tools

Background:

• Instant messaging (IM) is a preferred communication tool among health professions students.
• Understanding student and faculty perspectives on IM in dental education is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore dental students' IM communication practices.
• To assess faculty members' views on using IM with students.
• To determine the utility of IM in the dental learning environment.

Main Methods:

• Structured interviews were conducted with 20 dental students (years 1-5) and 6 faculty members.
• Topic guides focused on mobile device communication activities and perceptions.
• Qualitative data analysis explored themes related to IM usage and effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Email, social networking, and IM were preferred communication tools, with IM used for shorter messages.
• WhatsApp was the most utilized IM application due to features like read receipts and group functionality.
• Students desired improved communication with faculty via IM, while faculty expressed reservations, preferring monitored and university-sanctioned use.

Conclusions:

• Dental students view IM as a valuable tool for communication and learning.
• Faculty acceptance of IM is contingent on university oversight and demonstrated positive learning outcomes.
• Further research is needed to establish best practices for integrating IM into health professions education.