Online learning in dentistry: the changes in undergraduate perceptions and attitudes over a four year period.

Objective: To assess the changing perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate dental students towards e-learning between 2001-2004. DESIGN, SAMPLE AND SETTING: This was a retrospective analysis of online questionnaire data, collected from four successive cohorts of final year students undertaking an online therapeutics course in a large teaching hospital.

Methods: Students were required to complete a structured and open questionnaire relating to their perceived ICT skills, the course itself, and their perceptions of e-learning. Simple numeric qualitative and qualitative analyses were applied.

Results: Questionnaires were returned by 328 students (98% response rate). Students' perceptions of having advanced ICT skills increased from 5.5% to 14.5%, with home internet access rising from 62.3% to 89.1 % (2001-2004). There was an increase in: ease of access (25.3% to 47.3%), perception of time saving (17.9% to 37.4%), appreciation of combining traditional and e-learning methods (43.8% to 57.4%) and online tutor access (21.9% to 40.7%). Free comments supporting good e-learning experiences rose from 7.2% to 32.7% with poor remarks decreasing (3.1% to 1.9%).

Conclusions: Students' perceptions of their ICT skills has increased, matched by better equipment and greater appreciation of e-learning. A shift towards preference of a blended approach of traditional and e-learning is evident.