Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study

Mobile learning has gained significant attention in medical education in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated its adoption. A lack of research on student perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics limits strategies for maintaining education during these times. This study ex...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:PloS one 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0308248
Hauptverfasser: Ahmady, Soleiman, Khajeali, Nasrin, Kohan, Noushin, Zarei, Afagh, Biswas, Bikram, Barzegar, Mohammad, Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
container_end_page
container_issue 10
container_start_page e0308248
container_title PloS one
container_volume 19
creator Ahmady, Soleiman
Khajeali, Nasrin
Kohan, Noushin
Zarei, Afagh
Biswas, Bikram
Barzegar, Mohammad
Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani
description Mobile learning has gained significant attention in medical education in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated its adoption. A lack of research on student perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics limits strategies for maintaining education during these times. This study examines the perceptions of medical students in Iran regarding the mobile learning during COVID-19. It is imperative that these perceptions are understood to optimize mobile learning effectiveness in medical education during disruptions. A cross-sectional study was done in 2022 among 785 medical students in Iran who spent summer semester. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample. We used Biswas et al.'s scale for measuring medical students' perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics. Face and content validity was determined by qualitative methods. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's Alpha (0.79). Data was collected through an online questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted with SPSS software at a significance level of p
doi_str_mv 10.1371/journal.pone.0308248
format Article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>gale_plos_</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_plos_journals_3118205492</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><galeid>A812727939</galeid><sourcerecordid>A812727939</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c404t-861a15fcbbfc075fb433ca7da5ea16951bfe9a9f98cfbcbb7f6181918a4490593</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNqNkkuLFDEUhYMozjj6D0QDgo9FtXnVI-6a9tUw0uBjwFVIpW56akglZVIFzr-3iq6RaZmFZHGz-M7hcu5B6CklK8pL-vYqjNFrt-qDhxXhpGKiuodOqeQsKxjh92_9T9CjlK4IyXlVFA_RCZeCccbIKfr5BZrWaIfTMDbgh_QK9xAN9EMbPA4Wd6FuHWAHOvrW73Ezxnlsdhfb9xmVuPV4G7V_h9fY61m0eF0_Rg-sdgmeLPMM_fj44fvmc3a--7TdrM8zI4gYsqqgmubW1LU1pMxtLTg3umx0DpoWMqe1BamllZWx9USVtqAVlbTSQkiSS36Gnh98exeSWlJJilNaMZILySbi9ULE8GuENKiuTQac0x7CeEA54bIUE_riH_Ruw4Xaaweq9TYMUZvZVK0rykpWSj4vtrqDml4DXWumq9kp2GPBmyPBxAzwe9jrMSW1_fb1_9ndxTH78hZ7CdoNlym4cb5WOgbFATQxpBTBqj62nY7XihI1l-4mDTWXTi2lm2TPltDGuoPmr-imZfwP8AjPYA</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Open Website</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>3118205492</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study</title><source>MEDLINE</source><source>DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals</source><source>Public Library of Science (PLoS) Journals Open Access</source><source>EZB-FREE-00999 freely available EZB journals</source><source>PubMed Central</source><source>Free Full-Text Journals in Chemistry</source><creator>Ahmady, Soleiman ; Khajeali, Nasrin ; Kohan, Noushin ; Zarei, Afagh ; Biswas, Bikram ; Barzegar, Mohammad ; Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani</creator><contributor>Namaziandost, Ehsan</contributor><creatorcontrib>Ahmady, Soleiman ; Khajeali, Nasrin ; Kohan, Noushin ; Zarei, Afagh ; Biswas, Bikram ; Barzegar, Mohammad ; Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani ; Namaziandost, Ehsan</creatorcontrib><description>Mobile learning has gained significant attention in medical education in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated its adoption. A lack of research on student perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics limits strategies for maintaining education during these times. This study examines the perceptions of medical students in Iran regarding the mobile learning during COVID-19. It is imperative that these perceptions are understood to optimize mobile learning effectiveness in medical education during disruptions. A cross-sectional study was done in 2022 among 785 medical students in Iran who spent summer semester. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample. We used Biswas et al.'s scale for measuring medical students' perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics. Face and content validity was determined by qualitative methods. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's Alpha (0.79). Data was collected through an online questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted with SPSS software at a significance level of p&lt;0.05. In total, 1,200 medical students were asked to complete the survey, and 785 responded, resulting in a 65.4% response rate. Mobile learning has been embraced by majority of medical students, with Android devices being used the most frequently. They also have frequent access to the internet, and they rely on a wide range of apps and platforms for academic purposes. Students perceive mobile devices to be highly advantageous for improving subject knowledge (Mean = 4.71±0.58), accessing study materials (Mean = 4.44±0.75), and providing flexible learning opportunities (Mean = 4.40±0.79). Despite this, participants were less confident about the ability of mobile devices to assist with specific study problems (Mean = 3.12 ± 1.28), facilitate class discussions (Mean = 3.33 ± 1.38), and overcome screen size limitations (Mean = 3.32 ± 1.38). Medical students in Iran have widely adopted mobile learning and perceive it as beneficial for acquiring knowledge, accessing material, and being flexible during COVID-19. M-learning's effectiveness in specific learning activities must be investigated in further research, and concerns regarding problem-solving, discussion facilitation, and screen size limitations should be addressed.</description><identifier>ISSN: 1932-6203</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1932-6203</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308248</identifier><identifier>PMID: 39423220</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>United States: Public Library of Science</publisher><subject>Adult ; Beliefs, opinions and attitudes ; Collaboration ; COVID-19 ; COVID-19 - epidemiology ; COVID-19 - psychology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Curricula ; Data analysis ; Education ; Education, Distance - methods ; Education, Medical - methods ; Educational aspects ; Effectiveness ; Electronic devices ; Epidemics ; Female ; Humans ; Iran - epidemiology ; Learning ; Male ; Medical materials ; Medical research ; Medical students ; Methods ; Mobile Applications ; Online education ; Online instruction ; Pandemics ; Perception ; Perceptions ; Problem solving ; Qualitative analysis ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smartphones ; Social networks ; Students ; Students, Medical - psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult</subject><ispartof>PloS one, 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0308248</ispartof><rights>Copyright: © 2024 Ahmady et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.</rights><rights>COPYRIGHT 2024 Public Library of Science</rights><rights>2024 Ahmady et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.</rights><rights>2024 Ahmady et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><oa>free_for_read</oa><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c404t-861a15fcbbfc075fb433ca7da5ea16951bfe9a9f98cfbcbb7f6181918a4490593</cites><orcidid>0000-0002-8163-742X</orcidid></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><link.rule.ids>314,780,784,864,2928,23866,27924,27925</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39423220$$D View this record in MEDLINE/PubMed$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><contributor>Namaziandost, Ehsan</contributor><creatorcontrib>Ahmady, Soleiman</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Khajeali, Nasrin</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kohan, Noushin</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Zarei, Afagh</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Biswas, Bikram</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Barzegar, Mohammad</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani</creatorcontrib><title>Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study</title><title>PloS one</title><addtitle>PLoS One</addtitle><description>Mobile learning has gained significant attention in medical education in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated its adoption. A lack of research on student perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics limits strategies for maintaining education during these times. This study examines the perceptions of medical students in Iran regarding the mobile learning during COVID-19. It is imperative that these perceptions are understood to optimize mobile learning effectiveness in medical education during disruptions. A cross-sectional study was done in 2022 among 785 medical students in Iran who spent summer semester. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample. We used Biswas et al.'s scale for measuring medical students' perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics. Face and content validity was determined by qualitative methods. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's Alpha (0.79). Data was collected through an online questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted with SPSS software at a significance level of p&lt;0.05. In total, 1,200 medical students were asked to complete the survey, and 785 responded, resulting in a 65.4% response rate. Mobile learning has been embraced by majority of medical students, with Android devices being used the most frequently. They also have frequent access to the internet, and they rely on a wide range of apps and platforms for academic purposes. Students perceive mobile devices to be highly advantageous for improving subject knowledge (Mean = 4.71±0.58), accessing study materials (Mean = 4.44±0.75), and providing flexible learning opportunities (Mean = 4.40±0.79). Despite this, participants were less confident about the ability of mobile devices to assist with specific study problems (Mean = 3.12 ± 1.28), facilitate class discussions (Mean = 3.33 ± 1.38), and overcome screen size limitations (Mean = 3.32 ± 1.38). Medical students in Iran have widely adopted mobile learning and perceive it as beneficial for acquiring knowledge, accessing material, and being flexible during COVID-19. M-learning's effectiveness in specific learning activities must be investigated in further research, and concerns regarding problem-solving, discussion facilitation, and screen size limitations should be addressed.</description><subject>Adult</subject><subject>Beliefs, opinions and attitudes</subject><subject>Collaboration</subject><subject>COVID-19</subject><subject>COVID-19 - epidemiology</subject><subject>COVID-19 - psychology</subject><subject>Cross-Sectional Studies</subject><subject>Curricula</subject><subject>Data analysis</subject><subject>Education</subject><subject>Education, Distance - methods</subject><subject>Education, Medical - methods</subject><subject>Educational aspects</subject><subject>Effectiveness</subject><subject>Electronic devices</subject><subject>Epidemics</subject><subject>Female</subject><subject>Humans</subject><subject>Iran - epidemiology</subject><subject>Learning</subject><subject>Male</subject><subject>Medical materials</subject><subject>Medical research</subject><subject>Medical students</subject><subject>Methods</subject><subject>Mobile Applications</subject><subject>Online education</subject><subject>Online instruction</subject><subject>Pandemics</subject><subject>Perception</subject><subject>Perceptions</subject><subject>Problem solving</subject><subject>Qualitative analysis</subject><subject>SARS-CoV-2</subject><subject>Smartphones</subject><subject>Social networks</subject><subject>Students</subject><subject>Students, Medical - psychology</subject><subject>Surveys and Questionnaires</subject><subject>Young Adult</subject><issn>1932-6203</issn><issn>1932-6203</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2024</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>EIF</sourceid><sourceid>ABUWG</sourceid><sourceid>AFKRA</sourceid><sourceid>AZQEC</sourceid><sourceid>BENPR</sourceid><sourceid>CCPQU</sourceid><sourceid>DWQXO</sourceid><sourceid>GNUQQ</sourceid><recordid>eNqNkkuLFDEUhYMozjj6D0QDgo9FtXnVI-6a9tUw0uBjwFVIpW56akglZVIFzr-3iq6RaZmFZHGz-M7hcu5B6CklK8pL-vYqjNFrt-qDhxXhpGKiuodOqeQsKxjh92_9T9CjlK4IyXlVFA_RCZeCccbIKfr5BZrWaIfTMDbgh_QK9xAN9EMbPA4Wd6FuHWAHOvrW73Ezxnlsdhfb9xmVuPV4G7V_h9fY61m0eF0_Rg-sdgmeLPMM_fj44fvmc3a--7TdrM8zI4gYsqqgmubW1LU1pMxtLTg3umx0DpoWMqe1BamllZWx9USVtqAVlbTSQkiSS36Gnh98exeSWlJJilNaMZILySbi9ULE8GuENKiuTQac0x7CeEA54bIUE_riH_Ruw4Xaaweq9TYMUZvZVK0rykpWSj4vtrqDml4DXWumq9kp2GPBmyPBxAzwe9jrMSW1_fb1_9ndxTH78hZ7CdoNlym4cb5WOgbFATQxpBTBqj62nY7XihI1l-4mDTWXTi2lm2TPltDGuoPmr-imZfwP8AjPYA</recordid><startdate>20241018</startdate><enddate>20241018</enddate><creator>Ahmady, Soleiman</creator><creator>Khajeali, Nasrin</creator><creator>Kohan, Noushin</creator><creator>Zarei, Afagh</creator><creator>Biswas, Bikram</creator><creator>Barzegar, Mohammad</creator><creator>Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani</creator><general>Public Library of Science</general><scope>CGR</scope><scope>CUY</scope><scope>CVF</scope><scope>ECM</scope><scope>EIF</scope><scope>NPM</scope><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>IOV</scope><scope>ISR</scope><scope>3V.</scope><scope>7QG</scope><scope>7QL</scope><scope>7QO</scope><scope>7RV</scope><scope>7SN</scope><scope>7SS</scope><scope>7T5</scope><scope>7TG</scope><scope>7TM</scope><scope>7U9</scope><scope>7X2</scope><scope>7X7</scope><scope>7XB</scope><scope>88E</scope><scope>8AO</scope><scope>8C1</scope><scope>8FD</scope><scope>8FE</scope><scope>8FG</scope><scope>8FH</scope><scope>8FI</scope><scope>8FJ</scope><scope>8FK</scope><scope>ABJCF</scope><scope>ABUWG</scope><scope>AFKRA</scope><scope>ARAPS</scope><scope>ATCPS</scope><scope>AZQEC</scope><scope>BBNVY</scope><scope>BENPR</scope><scope>BGLVJ</scope><scope>BHPHI</scope><scope>C1K</scope><scope>CCPQU</scope><scope>COVID</scope><scope>D1I</scope><scope>DWQXO</scope><scope>FR3</scope><scope>FYUFA</scope><scope>GHDGH</scope><scope>GNUQQ</scope><scope>H94</scope><scope>HCIFZ</scope><scope>K9.</scope><scope>KB.</scope><scope>KB0</scope><scope>KL.</scope><scope>L6V</scope><scope>LK8</scope><scope>M0K</scope><scope>M0S</scope><scope>M1P</scope><scope>M7N</scope><scope>M7P</scope><scope>M7S</scope><scope>NAPCQ</scope><scope>P5Z</scope><scope>P62</scope><scope>P64</scope><scope>PATMY</scope><scope>PDBOC</scope><scope>PIMPY</scope><scope>PQEST</scope><scope>PQQKQ</scope><scope>PQUKI</scope><scope>PRINS</scope><scope>PTHSS</scope><scope>PYCSY</scope><scope>RC3</scope><scope>7X8</scope><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8163-742X</orcidid></search><sort><creationdate>20241018</creationdate><title>Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study</title><author>Ahmady, Soleiman ; Khajeali, Nasrin ; Kohan, Noushin ; Zarei, Afagh ; Biswas, Bikram ; Barzegar, Mohammad ; Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c404t-861a15fcbbfc075fb433ca7da5ea16951bfe9a9f98cfbcbb7f6181918a4490593</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2024</creationdate><topic>Adult</topic><topic>Beliefs, opinions and attitudes</topic><topic>Collaboration</topic><topic>COVID-19</topic><topic>COVID-19 - epidemiology</topic><topic>COVID-19 - psychology</topic><topic>Cross-Sectional Studies</topic><topic>Curricula</topic><topic>Data analysis</topic><topic>Education</topic><topic>Education, Distance - methods</topic><topic>Education, Medical - methods</topic><topic>Educational aspects</topic><topic>Effectiveness</topic><topic>Electronic devices</topic><topic>Epidemics</topic><topic>Female</topic><topic>Humans</topic><topic>Iran - epidemiology</topic><topic>Learning</topic><topic>Male</topic><topic>Medical materials</topic><topic>Medical research</topic><topic>Medical students</topic><topic>Methods</topic><topic>Mobile Applications</topic><topic>Online education</topic><topic>Online instruction</topic><topic>Pandemics</topic><topic>Perception</topic><topic>Perceptions</topic><topic>Problem solving</topic><topic>Qualitative analysis</topic><topic>SARS-CoV-2</topic><topic>Smartphones</topic><topic>Social networks</topic><topic>Students</topic><topic>Students, Medical - psychology</topic><topic>Surveys and Questionnaires</topic><topic>Young Adult</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Ahmady, Soleiman</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Khajeali, Nasrin</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kohan, Noushin</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Zarei, Afagh</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Biswas, Bikram</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Barzegar, Mohammad</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani</creatorcontrib><collection>Medline</collection><collection>MEDLINE</collection><collection>MEDLINE (Ovid)</collection><collection>MEDLINE</collection><collection>MEDLINE</collection><collection>PubMed</collection><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints</collection><collection>Gale In Context: Science</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Corporate)</collection><collection>Animal Behavior Abstracts</collection><collection>Bacteriology Abstracts (Microbiology B)</collection><collection>Biotechnology Research Abstracts</collection><collection>Nursing &amp; Allied Health Database</collection><collection>Ecology Abstracts</collection><collection>Entomology Abstracts (Full archive)</collection><collection>Immunology Abstracts</collection><collection>Meteorological &amp; Geoastrophysical Abstracts</collection><collection>Nucleic Acids Abstracts</collection><collection>Virology and AIDS Abstracts</collection><collection>Agricultural Science Collection</collection><collection>Health &amp; Medical Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (purchase pre-March 2016)</collection><collection>Medical Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>ProQuest Pharma Collection</collection><collection>Public Health Database</collection><collection>Technology Research Database</collection><collection>ProQuest SciTech Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Technology Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Natural Science Collection</collection><collection>Hospital Premium Collection</collection><collection>Hospital Premium Collection (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni) (purchase pre-March 2016)</collection><collection>Materials Science &amp; Engineering Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central UK/Ireland</collection><collection>Advanced Technologies &amp; Aerospace Collection</collection><collection>Agricultural &amp; Environmental Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Essentials</collection><collection>Biological Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central</collection><collection>Technology Collection</collection><collection>Natural Science Collection</collection><collection>Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management</collection><collection>ProQuest One Community College</collection><collection>Coronavirus Research Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Materials Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Korea</collection><collection>Engineering Research Database</collection><collection>Health Research Premium Collection</collection><collection>Health Research Premium Collection (Alumni)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Student</collection><collection>AIDS and Cancer Research Abstracts</collection><collection>SciTech Premium Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Health &amp; Medical Complete (Alumni)</collection><collection>Materials Science Database</collection><collection>Nursing &amp; Allied Health Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>Meteorological &amp; Geoastrophysical Abstracts - Academic</collection><collection>ProQuest Engineering Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Biological Science Collection</collection><collection>Agricultural Science Database</collection><collection>Health &amp; Medical Collection (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>Medical Database</collection><collection>Algology Mycology and Protozoology Abstracts (Microbiology C)</collection><collection>Biological Science Database</collection><collection>Engineering Database</collection><collection>Nursing &amp; Allied Health Premium</collection><collection>Advanced Technologies &amp; Aerospace Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Advanced Technologies &amp; Aerospace Collection</collection><collection>Biotechnology and BioEngineering Abstracts</collection><collection>Environmental Science Database</collection><collection>Materials Science Collection</collection><collection>Access via ProQuest (Open Access)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic Eastern Edition (DO NOT USE)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic UKI Edition</collection><collection>ProQuest Central China</collection><collection>Engineering Collection</collection><collection>Environmental Science Collection</collection><collection>Genetics Abstracts</collection><collection>MEDLINE - Academic</collection><jtitle>PloS one</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Ahmady, Soleiman</au><au>Khajeali, Nasrin</au><au>Kohan, Noushin</au><au>Zarei, Afagh</au><au>Biswas, Bikram</au><au>Barzegar, Mohammad</au><au>Moghaddam, Azadeh Kordestani</au><au>Namaziandost, Ehsan</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study</atitle><jtitle>PloS one</jtitle><addtitle>PLoS One</addtitle><date>2024-10-18</date><risdate>2024</risdate><volume>19</volume><issue>10</issue><spage>e0308248</spage><pages>e0308248-</pages><issn>1932-6203</issn><eissn>1932-6203</eissn><abstract>Mobile learning has gained significant attention in medical education in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated its adoption. A lack of research on student perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics limits strategies for maintaining education during these times. This study examines the perceptions of medical students in Iran regarding the mobile learning during COVID-19. It is imperative that these perceptions are understood to optimize mobile learning effectiveness in medical education during disruptions. A cross-sectional study was done in 2022 among 785 medical students in Iran who spent summer semester. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample. We used Biswas et al.'s scale for measuring medical students' perceptions of mobile learning during pandemics. Face and content validity was determined by qualitative methods. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's Alpha (0.79). Data was collected through an online questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted with SPSS software at a significance level of p&lt;0.05. In total, 1,200 medical students were asked to complete the survey, and 785 responded, resulting in a 65.4% response rate. Mobile learning has been embraced by majority of medical students, with Android devices being used the most frequently. They also have frequent access to the internet, and they rely on a wide range of apps and platforms for academic purposes. Students perceive mobile devices to be highly advantageous for improving subject knowledge (Mean = 4.71±0.58), accessing study materials (Mean = 4.44±0.75), and providing flexible learning opportunities (Mean = 4.40±0.79). Despite this, participants were less confident about the ability of mobile devices to assist with specific study problems (Mean = 3.12 ± 1.28), facilitate class discussions (Mean = 3.33 ± 1.38), and overcome screen size limitations (Mean = 3.32 ± 1.38). Medical students in Iran have widely adopted mobile learning and perceive it as beneficial for acquiring knowledge, accessing material, and being flexible during COVID-19. M-learning's effectiveness in specific learning activities must be investigated in further research, and concerns regarding problem-solving, discussion facilitation, and screen size limitations should be addressed.</abstract><cop>United States</cop><pub>Public Library of Science</pub><pmid>39423220</pmid><doi>10.1371/journal.pone.0308248</doi><tpages>e0308248</tpages><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8163-742X</orcidid><oa>free_for_read</oa></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 1932-6203
ispartof PloS one, 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0308248
issn 1932-6203
1932-6203
language eng
recordid cdi_plos_journals_3118205492
source MEDLINE; DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals; Public Library of Science (PLoS) Journals Open Access; EZB-FREE-00999 freely available EZB journals; PubMed Central; Free Full-Text Journals in Chemistry
subjects Adult
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
Collaboration
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 - psychology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Curricula
Data analysis
Education
Education, Distance - methods
Education, Medical - methods
Educational aspects
Effectiveness
Electronic devices
Epidemics
Female
Humans
Iran - epidemiology
Learning
Male
Medical materials
Medical research
Medical students
Methods
Mobile Applications
Online education
Online instruction
Pandemics
Perception
Perceptions
Problem solving
Qualitative analysis
SARS-CoV-2
Smartphones
Social networks
Students
Students, Medical - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult
title Medical students' perception of mobile learning during COVID-19 in Iran: A national study
url https://sfx.bib-bvb.de/sfx_tum?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2024-12-22T09%3A03%3A35IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-gale_plos_&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Medical%20students'%20perception%20of%20mobile%20learning%20during%20COVID-19%20in%20Iran:%20A%20national%20study&rft.jtitle=PloS%20one&rft.au=Ahmady,%20Soleiman&rft.date=2024-10-18&rft.volume=19&rft.issue=10&rft.spage=e0308248&rft.pages=e0308248-&rft.issn=1932-6203&rft.eissn=1932-6203&rft_id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0308248&rft_dat=%3Cgale_plos_%3EA812727939%3C/gale_plos_%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&disable_directlink=true&sfx.directlink=off&sfx.report_link=0&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=3118205492&rft_id=info:pmid/39423220&rft_galeid=A812727939&rfr_iscdi=true