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Learning clinical procedures through Internet visual resources: A qualitative study amongst undergraduate students
Author(s) -
Gao X.,
Wong L. M.,
Chow D. Y. S.,
Law X. J.,
Ching L. Y. L.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1600-0579
pISSN - 1396-5883
DOI - 10.1111/eje.12099
Subject(s) - bachelor , medical education , thematic analysis , the internet , focus group , qualitative research , psychology , inclusion (mineral) , quality (philosophy) , medicine , computer science , history , social psychology , social science , archaeology , sociology , world wide web , philosophy , epistemology , marketing , business
Objective Acquiring competency in performing clinical procedures is central to professional education of healthcare providers. Internet visual resources ( IVR ), defined as visual materials openly accessible on public websites, provides a new channel to learn clinical procedures. This qualitative study aimed to profile the experience and opinions of undergraduate students (in dentistry, medicine and nursing) in learning clinical procedures through IVR . Methods From clinical degree programmes (Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Nursing) of University of Hong Kong, 31 students were recruited to join six focus group discussions, which were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis using inductive method, in which themes emerge from data. Findings Students actively looked for IVR s through various means and used them for pre‐clinical preparation, post‐clinical revision, learning simple and advanced procedures, exploring alternative and updated techniques, and benchmarking against international peers. IVR s were valued for their visual stimulation, inclusion of a wide variety of real‐life cases, convenience in access, user‐friendliness and time‐saving features. Students tended to share and discuss IVR s with their peers rather than with tutors, even when contents deviated from school teaching or faculty's e‐learning materials. When doubts persisted, they chose to follow faculty guidelines for examination purpose. Students were frustrated sometimes by difficulties in judging the scientific quality, lack of immediate interactive discussions and loosely structured presentations in some IVR s. Teachers' attitudes towards IVR appeared to vary greatly. Conclusion Despite the wide spectrum of experience and opinions, IVR was generally viewed by undergraduates from across clinical faculties as enhancing their clinical confidence and self‐perceived competency, enriching their learning experience and serving as an important supplement to formal learning in the planned curriculum.