Is an E-Learning Resource on Depression an effective teaching method for use in a Blended Program of Undergraduate Primary Care Teaching?

Problem

E-learning is an approach to teaching and learning based on the use of electronic media and devices that has gained increasing importance in higher education. Studies evaluating e-learning have shown it to be an effective teaching tool particularly the when integrated into a curriculum alongside lectures for a blended learning experience. While the benefits of e-learning are well documented it appears to be under-utilised in the area of medical education. In recent years, our medical school has seen a surge in student numbers which has led to increased demands on teachers and available resources. Faced with this hurdle our discipline had to come up with novel strategies to continue to deliver our curriculum at a high standard. We developed an e-learning resource on depression for use as part of the Primary Care and Mental Health curriculum of fourth-year undergraduate medical students. Developing this e-learning resource required investment of faculty time, money, and space that needs to be justified. The effect on outcomes and learners experiences also must be considered. This study aims to examine the students’ assessment of this newly introduced learning platform.

Approach

In our undergraduate teaching program, General Practice is integrated with Psychiatry in the fourth year as part of a Primary Care and Mental Health module. We developed a two hour online learning resource on the topic of depression for students to complete as self-directed learning. Upon completion of the resource, students fill out a feedback form. Feedback has been taken from approximately 200 students scoring their responses on a likert scale to the following questions: Did you enjoy completing the resource? Is the resource easy to navigate? Are the learning outcomes clear and achieved? Is the information presented in a clear and concise manner? Were the tasks relevant? Did the questions facilitate your learning? What is the most and least useful part of the resource? Did you feel supported in your learning? Is the resource an effective teaching method? Would you like e-learning to be used as a medium of instruction more often?

Findings

Pending

Consequences

The benefits of university departments adopting e-learning are well documented in the literature, ranging from increased retention rates, ease of access and distribution, reduced administrative burden and ease of standardisation. But what is known of students’ experiences and attitudes when these e-learning resources are introduced? Can they be relied upon as an effective strategy to cope with increasing numbers? Without feedback from our learners we run the risk of using technology for technology’s sake, allowing technology to drive learning rather than the learner. By evaluating the usefulness of e-learning resources once introduced we can determine if the anticipated outcomes were achieved and whether the benefits merit the significant investment of time and money.