Journal of Research in Medical Education & Ethics

The formal teaching in medical colleges has undergone substantial changes over the last few decades, particularly after the advent of the computer and the Internet.

The present study was conducted to know about the different teaching methods used and the extent of the use of computers and Internet by teachers in formal classroom teaching at the undergraduate level.

A questionnaire-based study was conducted among all the available teachers working at S.R.M.S. Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly (UP), between March 2012 and June 2012. Total number of medical teachers participated in the study was 142. Besides this, a feedback from the students was also taken regarding their preference for different teaching methods; the number of students was 148.

A vast majority of teachers (83.09%) were found using computers and Internet in teaching medical students. Moreover, this use is more frequently seen among the teachers of younger age, with a significant statistical correlation between the computer and Internet use and the younger age of teachers (P-value of 0.045). However, the most significant finding was that most students still prefer blackboard teaching for better understanding the subject.

Use of computers and Internet has increased tremendously in medical education.