Preferences of the medical faculty members for electronic faculty development programs (e-FDP): a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• E-Learning
• Adult Learning Theory

Background:

• Medical faculties are crucial for training future physicians, necessitating effective teaching methods.
• Adult learning theory and technological advancements highlight e-learning as an optimal solution for faculty development.
• This study explores clinical faculty preferences for electronic faculty development programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the views and preferences of clinical faculty regarding electronic faculty development programs.
• To identify key components for successful e-learning implementation in medical education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of data from 18 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus groups.
• Participants included clinical faculty and e-learning specialists from Iranian medical universities (2017-2018).
• Conventional qualitative content analysis guided by Guba and Lincoln criteria for validity and accuracy.

Main Results:

• Five key categories emerged: Technology infrastructure, Learner characteristics, Program management, Content design, and Evaluation methods.
• Specific sub-categories included platform usability, learner motivation, blended learning strategies, content organization, and assessment approaches.
• Faculty highlighted preferences for individualization, blended learning, and mobile accessibility in e-learning.

Conclusions:

• Clinical faculty favor e-learning that incorporates individualization, blended learning, and mobile learning strategies.
• The microlearning approach, delivering concise, media-diverse content, is recommended as an effective e-learning solution.
• Electronic faculty development should prioritize flexible, accessible, and goal-oriented learning experiences.