Investigation of the relationship between medical students' digital competency levels and their attitudes towards e-learning


Creative Commons License

Tekin M., Uysal İ.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (IJCI), vol.15, no.1, pp.620-636, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 15 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (IJCI)
  • Journal Indexes: ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Page Numbers: pp.620-636
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

As a requirement of our era, digital competence and e-learning have become basic competencies. The importance of these concepts has become clearer in medical education, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic. This period also triggered the transformation in education with technology. This study aimed to examine the relationship between medical students' digital competence levels and their attitudes toward elearning. Data were collected from 922 medical students who voluntarily participated in the study, using the Students' Basic Digital Competences Scale and the E-Learning Attitude Scale. It was determined that medical students had high levels of digital competence, and their e-learning levels were moderate. The digital content development, information and data literacy, communication, the university's virtual tools and social communication, and the problem-solving sub-dimensions of digital competence are significantly, positively, and moderately related to e-learning. Students' digital competency levels did not differ significantly according to sex and studied term. Men's e-learning attitudes are significantly higher than that of women. The e-learning attitudes of term 1 students are higher than term 4 and 5 students. Medical education is a process open to continuous improvement. This research will contribute to the explanations regarding the transformation after the pandemic concerning the aims of medical education.