title: Use of learning media by undergraduate medical students in pharmacology: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: The ubiquity of the internet and computer-based technologies has an increasing impact on higher education and the way students access information for learning. Moreover, there is a paucity of information about the quantitative and qualitative use of learning media by the current student generation. In this study we systematically analyzed the use of digital and non-digital learning resources by undergraduate medical students. Daily online surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a cohort of 338 third year medical students enrolled in a general pharmacology course. Our data demonstrate a predominant use of digital over non-digital learning resources (69 ± 7% vs. 31 ± 7%; p < 0.01) by students. Most used media for learning were lecture slides (26.8 ± 3.0%), apps (22.0 ± 3.7%) and personal notes (15.5 ± 2.7%), followed by textbooks (> 300 pages) (10.6 ± 3.3%), internet search (7.9 ± 1.6%) and e-learning cases (7.6 ± 3.0%). When comparing learning media use of teaching vs. pre-exam self-study periods, textbooks were used significantly less during self-study (-55%; p < 0.01), while exam questions (+334%; p < 0.01) and e-learning cases (+176%; p < 0.01) were utilized more. Taken together, our study revealed a high prevalence and acceptance of digital learning resources by undergraduate medical students, in particular mobile applications.
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Gutmann
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
authors: Felizian
authors: F
authors: Kühbeck
authors: TUM MeDiCAL Center of Medical Education, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
authors: Pascal O
authors: PO
authors: Berberat
authors: Institut für Didaktik und Ausbildungsforschung in der Medizin, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
authors: Martin R
authors: MR
authors: Fischer
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Engelhardt
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Sarikas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010600:Pharmacology / Q000193:education*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013337:Students, Medical; D055815:Young Adult