Online learning in dentistry: the changes in undergraduate perceptions and attitudes over a four year period.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the changing perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate dental students towards e-learning between 2001-2004. DESIGN, SAMPLE AND SETTING: This was a retrospective analysis of online questionnaire data, collected from four successive cohorts of final year students undertaking an online therapeutics course in a large teaching hospital.


METHODS
Students were required to complete a structured and open questionnaire relating to their perceived ICT skills, the course itself, and their perceptions of e-learning. Simple numeric qualitative and qualitative analyses were applied.


RESULTS
Questionnaires were returned by 328 students (98% response rate). Students' perceptions of having advanced ICT skills increased from 5.5% to 14.5%, with home internet access rising from 62.3% to 89.1 % (2001-2004). There was an increase in: ease of access (25.3% to 47.3%), perception of time saving (17.9% to 37.4%), appreciation of combining traditional and e-learning methods (43.8% to 57.4%) and online tutor access (21.9% to 40.7%). Free comments supporting good e-learning experiences rose from 7.2% to 32.7% with poor remarks decreasing (3.1% to 1.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
Students' perceptions of their ICT skills has increased, matched by better equipment and greater appreciation of e-learning. A shift towards preference of a blended approach of traditional and e-learning is evident.
Reynolds
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Centre of Flexible Learning in Dentistry, King's College London, Floor 3 Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London WC2R 1HH. p.a.reynolds@kcl.ac.uk
Rice
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Uddin
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D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires