The effect of whatsapp messenger as e- learning tool on performance of undergraduate students of a Public Sector Medical College in Pakistan.

Abstract

Objectives: To verify the usability of social media like WhatsApp in delivering knowledge to 4th year and Final year MBBS students and to compare the improvement of knowledge gain through e-learning and didactic lecture. Concurrently, perception of students about e-learning via WhatsApp will also be gathered. Study Design: Prospective Analytical Interventional study. Setting: Department of Medical Education of Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal. Period: 01.01.2020 to 31.03.2020. Material & Methods: On 4th year and Final year MBBS students two Whatsapp group were made, one for each class. Then the students were taught different topics by WhatsApp. Assessment of knowledge of e-learning through WhatsApp was done by feedback form. Results: The results revealed that technical, educational and instructional advantages of teaching learning activity via WhatsApp out pars disadvantages. Increase in interaction with peers and getting a fair chance to participate in group discussion were top two educational benefits of learning through WhatsApp with 64.10% and 62.80% students agreeing to it. A majority of the students (89.8%) agreed to the facts that the availability of smart phones was not an issue for them and they are very comfortable in using Whatsapp as e learning tool (61.6%). on the other hand 29.5 % of the students were disagreed with the fact that they are getting more chances in clearing their concepts on Whatsapp. Conclusion: Increase in interaction with the peers and getting more chance to discuss a particular topic with group has made WhatsApp a new and convenient tool for teaching/learning activity. Students also found Whatsapp as less time consuming as compared to conventional lectures. A few disadvantages, like lesser chance of clearing the concepts on Whatsapp can be overruled by making small groups and using mobiles with bigger screen.