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Dental Students' Use of Student-Managed Google Docs and Other Technologies in Collaborative Learning
Bradley S Roberts1, Eugenia P Roberts2, Steven Reynolds1
1Bradley S. Roberts is Assistant Clinical Professor, Dental Institute, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona; Eugenia P. Roberts is Assistant Clinical Professor, Dental Institute, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona; Steven Reynolds is Associate Dean of Clinical Dental Education, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Illinois; and Amy F. Stein is a biostatistician, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Midwestern University-Arizona.
Dental students increasingly use online tools like Google Docs for collaborative e-learning, with a significant decline in traditional textbook use. Educators need to understand these evolving digital study habits.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Educational Technology
- Digital Learning
Background:
- Traditional textbooks face competition from digital technologies in student learning.
- Dental students are increasingly adopting online platforms for educational purposes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey dental students on their use of Google Docs and other online technologies for collaborative e-learning.
- To compare e-learning technology adoption and textbook usage between 2015 and 2017.
Main Methods:
- Online surveys administered to all dental students at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona in 2015 and 2017.
- Data collected on the usage of Google Docs, other e-learning tools, and traditional textbooks.
Main Results:
- A 36% increase in Google Docs usage across dental classes from 2015 to 2017 was observed.
- A 67% increase in students reporting prior Google Docs use during undergraduate education.
- Significant decline in hard copy textbook use from 24.5% (2015) to 14.8% (2017).
- Google Docs, Blackboard, and peer collaboration emerged as popular study methods in 2017.
Conclusions:
- Dental student reliance on collaborative online technologies for e-learning has grown substantially.
- There is a notable decrease in the use of hard copy textbooks among dental students.
- Further research is essential for dental educators to understand and integrate these evolving digital learning tools effectively.