The gap between medical faculty's perceptions and use of e-learning resources

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• e-Learning resources are increasingly prevalent in medical education.
• Research on faculty perceptions and usage of these resources is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine medical faculty's utilization of e-learning resources.
• To identify practical strategies for enhancing the adoption of e-learning in medical training.

Main Methods:

• A 30-item questionnaire was administered to approximately 500 full-time faculty members across 35 South Korean medical schools.
• Data collection utilized both online and paper formats, followed by descriptive and reliability analyses.

Main Results:

• Eighty faculty members from 28 schools responded, with varied demographics.
• Despite positive perceptions of usefulness and usability, only 39% incorporated e-learning resources.
• Key barriers identified were lack of relevant resources, insufficient lecture time, and unawareness of availability.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists between medical faculty's favorable views and actual use of e-learning resources.
• Further investigation into individual and institutional barriers is crucial for increasing faculty adoption of e-learning tools.