Student e-learning Behavior of Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University.

Abstract

Background : Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand has established the e-learning system to support self-directed learning for medical students since 1995.

Objective : To determine e-learning behavior of the students of the Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University and to improve the e-learning system in order to meet student’s needs.

Research Design : Exploratory Research

Setting : Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University.

Methods : This is a cross sectional research to find e-learning behavior of the students of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand regarding the e-learning system which provides online lectures. It was analyzed during first semester 2012 (from May to October 2012). Undergraduate students of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, especially in the preclinical years were recruited. Data collection was done by questionnaire distributions and analyzed from e-learning system. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate the behavior of e-learning, users requirements and attitude toward the e-learning

Results : In total, 665 lessons were provided on the system; 468 lessons (70.4%) were for undergraduate students; 389 (83.1%) of which were for preclinical year students. From May to October 2012, there were 38,091 times of usage: June 4,806 times, July 8,400 times, August 15,097 times, September 5,337 times and 4,451 times in October. Regarding the period of students’ e-learning use, the peak period was from 8.00 a.m. - 15.59 p.m. which was 20,470 times (53.74%). The most occupied day was Sunday 6,757 times. The most frequent visitors were first year students 18,671 times (49.01%). According to the access location, most e-learning applications were from outside the faculty and outside the university 24,589 times (64.55%). Concerning the improvement of the e-learning system, 68.29% of students needed to use the system from their mobile devices, for example, smartphones or tablets. Moreover, 67.17% required content update every year; 61.17% need user friendly system to download the files.

Conclusion : In order to increase the users, the faculty should add more contents for all students every year and also for the postgraduate; add the features besides normal lecture attendance, for instances, the lecture documents, knowledge evaluation tests and eventually online examinations; improve the audiovisual quality in higher definition; produce the lessons for the postgraduate since are more and more are interested.