Abstract:

The aim of this work was to study the acceptance and satisfaction level of SIDRA, an on line instant response application system developed by the University of Murcia, on the Animal Nutrition students. The tool was used in five practical sessions of this subject from the Veterinary degree. Acceptance and satisfaction of SIDRA were analyzed through a six five-point Likert items survey, answered by students and teachers. The survey was set up with three questions related to the usefulness of the application, two about using the application from a desktop computer or a smartphone, and one overall satisfaction question. The survey was filled out by 67 students from a total of 96, and by the 3 teachers in charge of practice teaching. The results indicated that in relation to the usefulness of the SIDRA, it was considered by the students as a high-value self-assessment tool (4.1 ± 0.84), followed by items: help to understand the content of practices (3.9 ± 0.85) and improvement of the students' interaction with their teachers (3.4 ± 0.95). For teachers, the most valued aspect was the interaction with the students (5.00 ± 0.00), followed by a self-assessment tool for the students (4.7 ± 0.57) and a help to understand the contents (4.7 ± 0.57). Both groups noticed that it was easier to use the application from a desktop computer than from a mobile device (4.5 ± 0.68 versus 2.7 ± 1.22 from the students; and 4.7 ± 0.57 versus 3.9 ± 0.92 from the teachers). Similarly, students and teachers valued positively the use of SIDRA in other subjects (3.9 ± 0.92 and 4.7 ± 0.57, for students and teachers, respectively). In addition, students who perceived a higher level of satisfaction (≥ 4 for the overall satisfaction) assessed the usefulness of the application with significantly higher scores (P <0.05), than the students that indicated worse results of satisfaction (≤ 3 for the overall satisfaction); finding a positive correlation between both parameters (r = 0.61, P <0.001). In conclusion, SIDRA has been accepted positively by Animal Nutrition students and teachers for its utility and ease of use, recommending its use by other subjects.

Keywords:

Education, on-line instant response application, higher education.