Design, implementation and evaluation of e-learning program for common diseases to smartphone-based medical students: at a developing university

Abstract

Abstract Objective Mobile-based educational software offers a wealth of resources that can foster the growth of learners and facilitate the creation of an interactive learning environment. This environment encourages both students and instructors to engage in exploration and the examination of various medical issues. The objective of this study is to design, implement, and evaluate an electronic educational program focused on common medical conditions, specifically tailored for medical students and accessible through mobile phones. Method The study was conducted following an action research approach, which comprised four key stages: needs assessment, application design, training, and evaluation. This research took place at the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences’ Medical School. In the needs assessment phase, a formal survey was distributed to the teaching faculty members, requesting them to identify diseases and medical issues of high importance for medical interns’ education that were suitable for virtual teaching. Each faculty member was asked to prioritize a minimum of three and a maximum of seven cases. Subsequently, 10 faculty members from various departments completed the survey, leading to the identification of 47 common diseases after eliminating duplicates. These 47 cases were then presented to 30 medical interns, who were asked to select the 20 most significant cases. The 20 diseases with the highest statistical frequency were selected for further development due to resource constraints. The mobile application was developed for the Android platform using the Java programming language and the Android Studio development environment. To assess the application’s effectiveness from the students’ perspective, a questionnaire was designed, encompassing 25 questions across five domains: satisfaction, performance, learning, usability, and educational effectiveness. The questionnaire employed a Likert scale, with response options ranging from ‘completely disagree’ to ‘completely agree,’ scored from 1 to 5. One hundred medical interns and trainees were invited to participate in the evaluation, with 92 of them completing the questionnaires. Results The findings revealed a significant disparity in the average scores between students who underwent traditional teaching methods and those who engaged in mobile-based app-assisted education. This discrepancy was statistically significant across all three examined components. Conclusion Mobile-based learning represents a burgeoning educational approach with profound implications for healthcare education and the enhancement of patient care quality. The widespread integration of mobile phones into the educational framework offers a flexible teaching paradigm, fostering the potential for continuous lifelong learning.