Student Perception Regarding the Utility of Information Technology as a Facilitator of Learning in Medical Education

Introduction: Information Technology (IT) has influenced all fields including healthcare and Medical Education (ME). The present generation of students have grown up in an IT enriched atmosphere and are comfortable with most IT tools and gadgets. Aim: To understand the perception of first year MBBS students regarding role of IT in ME. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire based study was carried out on 250 first year MBBS students from August 1st, 2019 to August 31st, 2019 over a period of one month. A questionnaire containing three sections was administered to the students before the starting of IT module in foundation year. The responses to the items of the questionnaire were assessed on the basis of the student responses on the likert scale. Results: The study revealed that students acknowledged the utility of IT for academic purposes and were primed for its inclusion as an essential component of the medical curriculum. The students conceded to browsing internet on their computers and smartphones for social media handles. However, when it came to teaching methods, students were not comfortable with the idea of replacing traditional teaching methods with e-learning. Also, students were more comfortable in reading hard copies instead of e-books. Conclusion: It was concluded that there is a need to amalgamate the traditional teaching methods with the innovative e-learning platforms in such a way that they become mutually inclusive and facilitate the learning process. Also, ME practices need to be continuously re-evaluated to make the educational process more effective for learners, teachers and for the society in general.