Use of the Computer and Internet by Teachers in Medical Education: A Study at a Medical College of North India.

ABSTRACT

Background: The computer and internet are used widely by the education community. A number of studies carried out in different parts of the world including India, have clearly shown that medical students use this technology freely and frequently. However, the situation with regard to medical teachers is not very clear as little information is available. The present study was conducted to determine the extent of the use of computers and internet by teachers in medical education. Methods: A questionnaire based study was conducted among all available teachers working at S.R.M.S. Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly (U.P.), India between March and June, 2012. Total of 142 medical teachers participated. Results and Conclusion: The majority (83.09%) use computers and internet for teaching. These teachers use computers for PowerPoint presentations while teaching, a vast majority of them (88.13%) use the internet to prepare their teaching materials. A significant statistical correlation was observed between computer and internet use and the younger age of teachers (p<0.001). Similarly, a significant correlation (p<0.001) was noted with the rank of teachers; non-users are predominantly professors, while users belonged to lower ranks (assistant professor or associate professor).