TY - JOUR
T1 - The Use of the Internet within a Dental School
AU - Walmsley, Anthony
AU - White, Deborah
AU - Eynon, R
AU - Somerfield, L
PY - 2003/2/1
Y1 - 2003/2/1
N2 - The Internet is an increasingly popular medium for delivering educational material. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of students and their clinical teachers to the use of the Internet within a dental school in the UK. Questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate dental students in the three clinical years and to all their clinical academic teachers. All students and staff have access to computers and Internet at the university. The majority (72%) of students have access to a computer and 53% also have access to the Internet at home. Of the academic staff, 91% have a computer and 68% have access to the Internet at home. The reasons for use of the Internet differed between staff and students. Whilst equal proportions of students used the Internet for dentistry (38%) and for pleasure (35%), a higher proportion of staff used the Internet more for dentistry (36%) than for pleasure (14%). Students highlighted cost and time as barriers to Internet use, whereas staff lacked confidence in their ability to use the Internet. Less than half (44%) of the students are confident in the accuracy of information from the Internet compared to almost two-thirds (64%) of staff. This study revealed differences in the attitudes of staff and students to the use of Internet as a resource for dentistry. Students are positive to the suggestion that lectures should be presented on the web. Most students (74%) did not see that this would influence attendance at lectures whilst 91% of staff stated that it would decrease lecture attendance. In conclusion, this study revealed differences in the attitudes of staff and students to the use of Internet as a resource for dentistry.
AB - The Internet is an increasingly popular medium for delivering educational material. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of students and their clinical teachers to the use of the Internet within a dental school in the UK. Questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate dental students in the three clinical years and to all their clinical academic teachers. All students and staff have access to computers and Internet at the university. The majority (72%) of students have access to a computer and 53% also have access to the Internet at home. Of the academic staff, 91% have a computer and 68% have access to the Internet at home. The reasons for use of the Internet differed between staff and students. Whilst equal proportions of students used the Internet for dentistry (38%) and for pleasure (35%), a higher proportion of staff used the Internet more for dentistry (36%) than for pleasure (14%). Students highlighted cost and time as barriers to Internet use, whereas staff lacked confidence in their ability to use the Internet. Less than half (44%) of the students are confident in the accuracy of information from the Internet compared to almost two-thirds (64%) of staff. This study revealed differences in the attitudes of staff and students to the use of Internet as a resource for dentistry. Students are positive to the suggestion that lectures should be presented on the web. Most students (74%) did not see that this would influence attendance at lectures whilst 91% of staff stated that it would decrease lecture attendance. In conclusion, this study revealed differences in the attitudes of staff and students to the use of Internet as a resource for dentistry.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037845030&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1034/j.1600-0579.2003.00268.x
DO - 10.1034/j.1600-0579.2003.00268.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 12542686
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
SN - 1600-0579
VL - 7
SP - 27
EP - 33
JO - European Journal of Dental Education
JF - European Journal of Dental Education
IS - 1
ER -