Study Perception of First-Year Medical Students on the Use of WhatsApp as a Supplementary Learning Tool | Chapter 13 | New Frontiers in Medicine and Medical Research Vol. 8

 The use of WhatsApp as a communication channel among students, as well as between students and faculties, is increasing. The purpose of this study was to learn about first-year medical students' opinions on the effectiveness of WhatsApp as a teaching and learning tool as a supplement to traditional teaching methods.

Materials and Methods: The research was carried out at a private medical college in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The study included 150 medical students (n=150) from the first year of the 2017-18 batch. The "Anatomy Department Official Group" was launched as a distinct WhatsApp group. The group was used to share instructional resources such as powerpoint presentations from Gross Anatomy and Histology lectures, notes on various themes, Histology slides photomicrograph, Spotters featuring photographs of Gross specimens with questions, and for general discussion.

According to our findings, 98 percent of students agreed or strongly agreed that learning material delivered via WhatsApp was freely accessible and downloadable. It has also enabled them to learn whenever and wherever they want, with 82 percent of students reporting that the learning materials supplied through WhatsApp had increased their confidence in learning Anatomy.

Conclusion: Because of the benefits of utilising WhatsApp as a teaching and learning medium for first-year medical students, as viewed by students, the author suggests that WhatsApp groups can be utilised as a supplement to traditional teaching techniques.

Author (S) Details

Kalpana Ramachandran
Department of Anatomy, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

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