Peter Schulz*, Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Mainz, Germany Keyvan Sagheb, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany, Mainz, Germany Harald Affeldt*, Department Research & Teaching, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany, Mainz, Germany Kathy Taylor, Department for medical Biometrie, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany, Mainz, Germany Kawe Sagheb, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany, Mainz, Germany Christian Walter, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany, Mainz, Germany Track: Research Presentation Topic: Web 2.0-based medical education and learning Presentation Type: Poster presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Last modified: 2013-08-22 Free Full Paper

If you are the presenter of this abstract (or if you cite this abstract in a talk or on a poster), please show the QR code in your slide or poster (QR code contains this URL).

Background: Tablet computers as well as internet-based smartphones are increasingly employed in the education of dental and medical students.

Objective:
This study investigates which specific devices of internet-based learning supports are preferred and, whether these techniques affect the learning behavior.

Methods: The study group comprises randomly selected students (n=141) of dentistry and medicine (all students are in clinical sections, 70,5% female and 29,5% male). We were interested in (i) whether the probands rountinely use mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers, (ii) which respective operating systems were employed, (iii) how much of learning activities are internet-based (e.g. Learning Management Systems [LMS]), and (iv) are social networks (Web 2.0) considered.

Results: All students own a private computer (95% possess laptops, 5% desktop PCs). In addition to the possession of computers 11% owned an iPad (iOS), 27% an iPhone (iOS), 22% a smartphone (Android), and 2% a tablet computer (Android). The question between the relation of internet-based learning activities and the possession of specific internet-device showed, that students owning a computer and in addition a mobile tablet or a smartphone reported an increased activity of 29% in internet-based learning performance. Exploitation of LMS by students is substantial. 19% employed programs designed for iPads and/or iPhones (iOS), and 8% used programs written for the Android Operating System. Peak performances were assessed for learning by means of social networks like Facebook (82% of study participants) and Google+ (51%). Other networks are virtually ignored (e.g. Twitter 0.7%). Similar to the outcome of an increased activity of internet-based learning performance by tablets, the owners of both a computer and a tablet/smartphone appear increasingly engaged (17% increased activity) in utilization of the social network Facebook. Despite the fact of an increased use of social networks 71% of the students do not want a connection from e-learning systems to personal information within social networks. Our studies also revealed an increased demand for expansion of E-learning offers. While 2 years ago 76% of randomly selected interrogated students (n=173) requested an auxiliary provision of E-learning software, now 89% requested these learning supports.

Conclusions: Our study suggests an incremental employment of E-learning devices for prospective medical and dental education. The more students are familiar with the use of computerized techniques, the more accept e-learning supports. This also specifically applies for social networks. As essential prerequisite appears the development of software (e.g. Webapplications), which can be easily utilized both on tablets and smartphones with iOS or Android. The University Medical Department most recently established the E-learning system ILKUM taking all the requirements mentioned so far into account. A serious question is the integration of social networks into e-learning programs what will be realized in ILKUM. In conclusion medical students demand mobile learning becoming a major part of learning in the future.