E-learning Readiness among Dental Students and Faculty Members Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic

Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure..

PURPOSE: The purpose was to assess students' and faculty readiness toward online dental education in Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire distributed to students (undergraduates and postgraduates) and faculty at King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Dentistry, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2018. It assessed individual characteristics, system competency needs, social influence, institutional support, overall readiness, and the needed technical support in using e-learning for personal as well as teaching and learning (T&L) purposes. The readiness response scale for each domain was categorized as follows: low (mean value = 1-<3), acceptable/moderate (mean value = 3-<4), and high readiness level (mean value = 4-5). Descriptive and group comparisons were conducted using Pearson's Chi-square test, paired sample t-test, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc test. The statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS: the total completed response rate was 400/550 (72.7%) comprising undergraduates (n = 312), postgraduates (n = 38), and faculty (n = 50). The results showed an acceptable level of online skills with no statistically significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05). A statistically significant difference between the two categories of uses, personal and T&L, was found (P < 0.05). The undergraduate students reported statistically significantly lower readiness level in online English literacy, perceived impact of online technology on education, technology accessibility, importance of institutional support, overall readiness, and the need for technical support (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Significant differences between students' and faculty readiness for e-learning adoption in dental education were reported. The current study captured the prepandemic e-readiness of students and faculty as a baseline for future assessment of pandemic effect on education.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:8

Enthalten in:

Journal of microscopy and ultrastructure - 8(2020), 4 vom: 07. Okt., Seite 168-174

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Linjawi, Amal I [VerfasserIn]
Agou, Shoroog [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Curriculum reform
Dental education
E-learning
Journal Article
Online
Technology

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 20.04.2022

published: Electronic-eCollection

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.4103/JMAU.JMAU_40_20

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM321820851