E‐Learning in surgical education and training

Abstract

For most surgeons and surgical educators, e-learning is relatively new and confusing. This article attempts to explain the key concepts behind e-learning, as well as its benefits and risks. E-learning has become a fixed feature within Higher and Professional Education and has been prioritized by Universities around the world, as well as all six Surgical Royal Colleges. Trainees have grown up with virtual learning environments and expect similar provision for their postgraduate studies, but have a greater need for basic science learning. Dispersal of trainees across duty rotas and geographically makes e-learning more attractive, but preserving peer and trainer communication is as important as content. Recent changes in surgical education and training have also made electronic and distance learning more attractive than previously. Initial work by the Colleges is now being evaluated and important lessons have emerged. The UK Department of Health has made medical e-learning a priority and it is now the largest e-learning provider in Europe. Changes in the World Wide Web, with a shift to more social-networking activity in education and to web-based delivery to small, ubiquitous portable devices will increase opportunities for surgical e-learning.

Developing a fully online course for senior medical students

“…Findings related to learner preference are inconsistent. In some cases the surveyed population preferred classroom learning due to issues such as teacher-student interaction (1), but in other cases they preferred online learning due to the uniformity of the learning experience (5) and the flexibility and convenience of this approach (6, 7). Although the research findings provide significant support for online learning as an effective pedagogical method, researchers warn that appropriate instructional design and easy-to-access technology are both key to effective outcomes (8, 9).…”

Contemporary pedagogy within surgical education websites: a review of the literature

“…[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] Four publications from surgical professional bodies are found. 26,27,28,29 Table 1 gives the breakdown of sample size in individual papers within our study population. Sample size information was present in 17 studies, to give a total of 1474 predominantly surgical professionals.…”

“…Supplemental clinical photographs and operative images gave contextual motivation for plain text. Refocussing on our research sample, amongst the 12 studies with multimedia tool provision, only 4 studies 22,24,28,39 (33%) demonstrated the nuances described by Choi. 48 The web design by Friedl 24 is an excellent example of this with the ability to mark on the cardiac surgical image or animation, which corresponds to an intraoperative step.…”

“…The study by Larvin (e-Step) had a good combination of pedagogies supporting each other. 28 The study by Pugh made early but uncommitted steps with implementation of social constructivism. 27…”

“…27,28,42,43 Pugh 27 describe web environments that allowed surgical residents to post issues that arose during routine ward care for a moderated discussion. This was an extra facility in addition to their site's otherwise didactic aspect.…”