Volume 26, Issue 123, May 2022

Assessment of acceptance, barriers, and facilitators of e-learning among trainees of Saudi board of preventive medicine during covid-19 pandemic

Osama M Almutairi¹, Marwan A Bakarman¹, Hani A. Alghamdi²

¹Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
²Preventive Medicine Department, Public Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Dr. Osama Mohammed Almutairi King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Introduction: When the COVID-19 emerged, and lockdowns were imposed, e-learning was adopted as an alternative teaching method. Our study aimed to assess e-learning acceptance facilitators and barriers among trainees of the Saudi Board of Preventive Medicine (SBPM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A Cross-sectional study used an electronic questionnaire as Google Form, which included the E-learning acceptance measure (ElAM) with its three constructs and inquired about attitude, barriers, advantages, and disadvantages of e-Learning. Data analysis was done with descriptive statistics, the student’s t-test and multiple linear regressions. Results: The studies showed an 83% response rate, and most (75%) of the trainees were satisfied with the elearning experience. Around 65.6% of the trainees did not report any challenges securing the internet during the online learning period. The ElAM mean score was 111.97±23.04. Trainees with difficulty securing the internet for learning had a significantly reduced total ElAM score and its three constructs (p<0.001). Of respondents, 72.6% preferred a combination of e-learning with traditional classrooms as unsuitability for some courses to be online was reported. Conclusion: Three-quarters of trainees welcomed the new learning method because of its flexibility and cost reduction. Around a half preferred the e-learning coupled with physical training because of limitations line internet issues.

Keywords: e-Learning, acceptance, Barriers, Facilitators, Preventive Medicine, Saudi Arabia

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms163e2191

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i123/ms163e2191

Published: 07 May 2022