The Ancillary Learning Resources Used by Medical Students for Self-Directed Learning

Abstract

The Internet is an important source of medical information. It not only increases the scope of available medical resources, but also provides opportunities that support self-directed learning and the individual learning preferences of medical students. This study identifies the common online learning resources used by medical students and their perceptions regarding the use of online resources for learning. This study was conducted at a South African medical school which offers a six-year medical degree program. A mixed methods study design was used. The study consists of two phases, an initial qualitative phase that used focus group discussions, and a subsequent quantitative phase that used an online survey. The focus group discussions informed the design of the survey. This survey was distributed to medical students in years three to six. A total of 19 medical students participated in the focus group discussions. The focus group discussions highlighted that online resources provided students with flexibility regarding how information could be acquired and also facilitated the learning process. However, there were concerns regarding credibility, depth and contextual relevance of some online resources. From 201 survey responses, 83% of respondents used online learning resources as often or more often than university-provided materials. The most popular resources were YouTube (91%), UpToDate (86%) and Medscape (75%), of which UpToDate and YouTube were found to be more useful than textbooks (p < .001). Students used these resources to establish a basic conceptual understanding of a clinical topic (79%). Using these was also considered time efficient (73%). Online resources complement student learning. However, there are concerns regarding resource credibility, depth and contextual relevance. Medical schools should consider advising students on the rational and effective use of these online resources and should consider assisting in the development of information seeking and management so that students can successfully meet their learning goals.