ATTITUDE OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS TOWARDS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LEARNING PURPOSES AT LAHORE MEDICAL & DENTAL COLLEGE, PAKISTAN

Abstract

BACKGROUND: With the advent of the Internet, particularly Web 2.0 technologies, the learning paradigm shifted from a top-down method centered on academicians and knowledge to a networked one. Social media is a broad word that refers to a number of web-based technologies that allow users to contribute, share, and collaborate. They provide innovative and diverse educational opportunities for learning as well as teaching. To keep the pace with the knowledge and information explosion in constantly evolving medical world, the social media keeps its users abreast

OBJECTIVE: To determine the attitude of undergraduate medical students towards using social media for learning purposes.

MATERIALS & METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted opting non-probability convenient sampling. 333 students from Lahore medical & dental college, Lahore participated who had an internet enabled devices and profiles on different social media platforms. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software was used for data entering and analysis. And the attitude was assessed by utilizing a standardized self-reported questionnaire.

RESULTS: The mean ± SD of age was 21 ± 1.78. The social media platforms with which the students had the best learning experiences were WhatsApp (64.3%), Instagram (45.9%), Facebook (28.8%), YouTube (21.6%), Wikipedia (19.8%) and Twitter (7.2%). Out of 333 participants, 77.7% (n=259) students had positive attitude and 22.2% (n=74) students had negative attitude towards using social media for learning purposes.

CONCLUSION: Undergraduate students from all medical disciplines reported to have positive attitudes towards use of social media for learning purposes. They find it convenient for academic purposes. The most popular and preferred social media platforms for academic learning were Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

KEY TERMS: Attitude, Benefits, Learning purposes, Medical students, Social media