Strides in Development of Medical Education

Document Type : Brief report

Authors

1 M.Sc. in Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

2 M.Sc. in Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

3 B.Sc. in Emergency Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

Abstract

Background & Objective: Today the concept of virtual education has gained much attention as distance learning and has provided learning opportunities outside the borders of a country or state for everyone The consideration of the success of virtual training is impossible without the consideration of individuals viewpoints toward it Despite this fact less attention has been paid to students attitudes in the published studies This study investigates the students attitudes toward virtual education and its relationship with learning styles Methods: In this correlationdescriptive study 114 bachelors and masters students of Razi School of Nursing and Midwifery of Kerman Iran in 2013 were selected based on census sampling method Data were collected using demographic questionnaire the researchermade questionnaire of attitude toward virtual learning and the Gaziano Learning Styles Questionnaire Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard error) independent ttest ANOVA Pearson correlation and linear regression in SPSS software All Pvalues of ;le 005 were considered significant Results: The mean score of nursing students attitude toward virtual learning was 330 ± 034 The highest frequency among learning styles used by students was related to visual (50%) auditory (272%) and kinetic styles (228%) In the regression analysis visual style (P = 0009 ;beta = 027) and auditory style (P = 0008 ;beta = 017) had a significant relationship with attitudes of nursing students toward virtual education Conclusion: Students had positive attitudes toward virtual learning Moreover attitudes toward virtual education differed among people with different learning styles Therefore the consideration of individual needs and different learning styles of learners is essential in virtual education

Keywords

  1. Jowkar A, Khaseh A. Information resources to support electronic education systems: Case Study Students of virtual training courses in Shiraz University. J Res Plan Higher Educ. 2007; 13(1):91-112. [In Persian]
  2. Luursema JM, Verwey WB, Kommers PAM, Annema JH. The role of stereopsis in virtual anatomical learning. Interacting with Computers. 2008; 20(4-5):455–60.
  3. Ali A, Elfessi A. Examining Students Performance and Attitude s towards the Use of Information Technology in a Virtual and Conventional Setting. J Interactive Online Learning. 2004; 2(3):1-9.
  4. Kiteley RJ, Ormrod G. Towards a team-based, collaborative approach to embedding e-learning within undergraduate nursing programmes. Nurse Educ Today. 2009; 29(6):623-9.
  5. Shaikhi Fini A. Survey on Professors and Students’ Attitude bout Virtual Learning in Iran Universities. WSEAS Transactions on Advances in Engineering Education. 2008; 4(5):31-5.
  6. Teo T, Noyes J. Development and validation of a computer attitude measure for young students (CAMYS). Computers in Human Behavior. 2008; 24(6):2659–67.
  7. Dorrian J, Wache D. Introduction of an online approach to flexible learning for on-campus and distance education students: lessons learned and way forward. Nurse Educ Today. 2009; 29(2):157-67.
  8. Gaziano J, Liesen L. Student Attitudes toward Online Learning. [Cited 2010 Sep 23]. Available from: www.docstoc.com/docs/124653173/Student-Attitudes-Toward-Online-Learning#
  9. Vuorela M, Nummenmaa L. How undergraduate students meet a new learning environment? Computers in Human Behavior. 2004; 20(6): 763–77.
  10. Teo T. Assessing the computer attitudes of students: An Asian perspective. Computers in Human Behavior. 2008; 24(4): 1634–42.
  11. Peyman H, Sadeghifar J, Alizadeh M, Yaghoubi M, Nahal M, Yamani N, et al. Learning Styles of First Year Nursing and Midwifery Students in Ilam University of Medical Sciences. Iran J Med Educ. 2012, 11(9): 1350-8. [In Persian]
  12. Smith P, Dalton J. Getting to grips with learning styles. Australian: The national center for vocational Education Research (NCVER). Australian government; 2005:1-24.
  13. Jacobsen HE. A comparison of on-campus first year undergraduate nursing students' experiences with face-to-face and on-line discussions. Nurse Educ Today. 2006; 26(6):494-500.
  14. Green SM, Weaver M, Voegeli D, Fitzsimmons D, Knowles J, Harrison M, et al. The development and evaluation of the use of a virtual learning environment (Blackboard 5) to support the learning of pre-qualifying nursing students undertaking a human anatomy and physiology module. Nurse Educ Today. 2006; 26(5):388-95.
  15. Dağ F, Geçer A. Relations between online learning and learning styles. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2009; 1(1): 862–71.
  16. McVeigh H.  Factors  influencing  the utilization  of  e-learning  in  post  registration nursing  students.  Nurse  Educ  Today.  2009; 29(1):91-9. 
  17. Karimi  Mooneghi  H,  Dabbaghi  F,  Oskouei  F. Learning  style  in  theoretical  courses:  nursing students`  perceptions  and  experiences.  Iran  J Med  Edu.  2009;  9(1):  41-5.  [In  Persian]
  18. Yu S,  Yang  KF.  Attitudes  toward  Web-based distance  learning  among  public  health  nurses in  Taiwan:  a  questionnaire  survey.  Int  J  Nurs Stud.  2006;  43(6):767-74.
  19. Reime MH,  Harris  A,  Aksnes  J,  Mikkelsen  J. The  most  successful  method  in  teaching nursing  students  infection  control  –  Elearning  or  lecture?  Nurse  Educ  Today.  2008; 28(7):798-806.
  20. Wilkinson A,  Forbes  A,  Bloomfield  J, Fincham  Gee  C.  An  exploration  of  four  webbased  open  and  flexible  learning  modules  in post-registration  nurse  education.  Int  J  Nurs Stud.  2004;  41(4):411-24.
  21. Massoud,  S.  L.  Computer  attitudes  and computer  knowledge  of  adult  students.  J Educ  Computing  Res.  1991;  7(3):  269-91.
  22. Yuliang  L.  A  comparative  study  of  learning styles between  online  and  traditional students.  J  Educ  Computing  Res.  2007; 37(1):  41-63.
  23. Halsne A, Gatta L. Online Versus Traditionally-delivered Instruction: A Descriptive Study of Learner Characteristics in a Community College Setting. [Cited 2008 Sep 29]. Available from: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/sprin g51/halsne51.html
  24. Harris R Dwyer W, Leeming F. Are learning styles relevant in Web-based instruction? J Educ Computing Res. 2003; 29(1):13-28.
  25. Kubiatko M, Halakova Z. Slovak high school students' attitudes to ICT using in biology lesson. Computers in Human Behavior. 2009; 25(3):743-8.