Perceptions of Students on Distance Education and E-Learning in Dentistry Education: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Objective: Developing information and communication technology have led to advent of distance education term and new learning materials in training institutions; unforeseen situations like a pandemic can turn distance education into a necessity rather than an option. This study aimed to evaluate the undergraduate dentistry students’ perceptions of distance education implemented to adhere to compulsory social isolation measures. Materials and methods: In the current study, a structured e-questionnaire comprising 27 items, including a 5-point Likert scale with 10 items (Google Forms®) was administered to undergraduate dental students in Turkey. A total of 1208 complete responses were received and examined in the final statistical analyses to assess students’ perception of distance education. Results: Most students were not familiar with the term evidence-based. Many respondents (n = 723, 59.9%) noted that they were better motivated in their lessons with face-to-face education in the classroom. Cronbach’s alpha value of the distance-education perceptions scale was 0.629. Factor analysis identified five sub-dimensions. The distance-education scores of the students at the foundation university were significantly higher than those of students at the state university. Conclusion: The results of this study show that students need more training on seeking and evaluating evidence-based information online. The study found that the training institution is a factor affecting students’ perceptions of distance education for dental instruction. Institutions need to re-evaluate their available educational programs as to the effectiveness of training modalities of distance education and e-learning for professional training in dentistry.

Keywords

• distance education
• e-learning
• dental education
• pandemia

Diş Hekimliği Eğitiminde Öğrencilerin Uzaktan Eğitim ve E-Öğrenme Algıları: Zorluklar ve Fırsatlar

Abstract

Amaç: Gelişen bilgi ve iletişim teknolojisi, eğitim kurumlarında uzaktan eğitim döneminin ve yeni öğrenme materyallerinin ortaya çıkmasına neden olmuştur; pandemi gibi öngörülemeyen durumlar, uzaktan eğitimi bir seçenekten ziyade bir zorunluluk haline getirebilir. Bu çalışma, diş hekimliği lisans öğrencilerinin zorunlu sosyal izolasyon önlemlerine uymak için uygulanan uzaktan eğitime ilişkin algılarını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamıştır. Gereç ve yöntem: Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'deki diş hekimliği lisans öğrencilerine 10 maddelik 5'li Likert ölçeği (Google Forms®) dahil 27 maddeden oluşan yapılandırılmış bir e-anket uygulanmıştır. Öğrencilerin uzaktan eğitim algısını değerlendirmek için toplam 1208 tam yanıt alındı ​​ve nihai istatistiksel analizlerde incelendi. Sonuçlar: Çoğu öğrenci kanıta dayalı bilgi hakkında bilgiye sahip değildi. Katılımcıların çoğu (n = 723, %59.9) sınıfta yüz yüze eğitimle derslerinde daha iyi motive olduklarını belirtti. Uzaktan eğitim algıları ölçeğinin Cronbach alfa değeri 0.629'dur. Faktör analizinde beş alt boyut belirlenmiştir. Vakıf üniversitesindeki öğrencilerin uzaktan eğitim puanları devlet üniversitesindeki öğrencilere göre anlamlı derecede yüksekti. Sonuç: Bu çalışmanın sonuçları, öğrencilerin çevrimiçi kanıta dayalı bilgileri arama ve değerlendirme konusunda daha fazla eğitime ihtiyaç duyduklarını göstermektedir. Çalışma, eğitim kurumunun öğrencilerin diş hekimliği eğitimi için uzaktan eğitim algılarını etkileyen bir faktör olduğunu bulmuştur. Kurumların, diş hekimliğinde mesleki eğitim için uzaktan eğitim ve e-öğrenme eğitim yöntemlerinin etkinliği açısından mevcut eğitim programlarını yeniden değerlendirmeleri gerekmektedir.

Keywords

• uzaktan eğitim
• diş hekimliği eğitimi
• e-öğrenme
• pandemi

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