Abstract:
Objective: The present study investigates the knowledge, perceptions
and the utilisation of e-learning modalities in medical education by the students in
Sri Lanka. We also examined the potential barriers which may prevent the uptake
of e-learning strategies in health and medical education.
Methods: A questionnaire focusing on the knowledge, attitudes and expectations
of medical students towards e-learning was distributed to all final year medical
students (n=136) at the Faculty of Medicine, Sri Jayewardenepura University, Sri
Lanka. The survey was conducted during their regular lectures and completed
questionnaires were collected after their classes.
Findings: 100 surveys (74%) were completed and returned. Nearly half of the
respondents (43%) admitted that they were familiar with the term e-learning. Only
19% of respondents stated that they had used e-learning modalities for educational
purposes. The majority of respondents said that they had not used web-based
learning material or multimedia resources for medical education. However, more
than half of (56%) respondents agreed that e-learning modalities would be useful
tools in medical education and 49% said that e-learning must be expanded in
medical education.
Conclusions: Despite the majority of respondents believed that e-learning
modalities can be a useful tool to address some of the problems in medical
education in developing countries, a lack of technology and learning opportunities
have restricted the potential benefits.
