Abstract:

Summary
Introduction and aim of study
E-learning is being introduced by a growing number of university-level schools training future health care professionals, either as self-contained courses or as complements of traditional teaching methods. The aim of this study was to analyse the opinions of students and teachers at Warsaw Medical University regarding the introduction of online learning at the University.

Material and methods
A total of 1528 students (Group S: 80% females, 18% males, mean age 29.7 years, min. 19, max. 52, SD: 3.73) and 128 academic teachers (Group N: 54% females, 45% males, mean age 40.43 years, min. 25, max. 67, SD: 12.36, mean employment 11 years, min. 1 year, max. 35 years, SD: 8.86) completed voluntary anonymous questionnaires (Group S - 14 questions, Group N - 20 questions). Statistical analysis (Statistica 9.0, licence owner: Warsaw Medical University) was based on the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.05.

Results
53% of the students always use the computer for study purposes, and 74% do not need additional instruction before taking part in e-learning activities. 55% of the academic teachers use the Internet for teaching purposes or in order to contact their students every day or several times a week, and 65% send students materials via the Internet. 58% of the students would like to take part in online classes, and 54% of the teachers would be interested in teaching online (p=NS). In the opinion of most students and teachers, lectures and seminars are best suited for e-teaching (p=NS), and the best area is general courses (p=NS).

Conclusions
1. The vast majority of students have access to computers and use the Internet for study purposes; they are thus technically prepared to take advantage of online learning.
2. Students’ competences in computer skills and using e-learning platforms should be improved so that insufficient skills should not impede the teaching process and contribute to a negative attitude towards this modern channel of instruction.
3. At medical universities, e-learning should be introduced via general courses in the form of lectures and seminars.
4. The results of this study support the idea to conduct relevant prospective, representative multi-centre studies.

Keywords:

E-lerning, blended-learning, medical university.