Is there a need for a specific educational scholarship for using e-learning in medical education?

Abstract

We propose the need for a specific educational scholarship when using e-learning in medical education. Effective e-learning has additional factors that require specific critical attention, including the design and delivery of e-learning. An important aspect is the recognition that e-learning is a complex intervention, with several interconnecting components that have to be aligned. This alignment requires an essential iterative development process with usability testing. Effectiveness of e-learning in one context may not be fully realized in another context unless there is further consideration of applicability and scalability. We recommend a participatory approach for an educational scholarship for using e-learning in medical education, such as by action research or design-based research.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants in the preconference workshop and main conference symposium at the 13^th APMEC (Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference) in January 2016 for sharing their experiences and ideas.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes on contributors

John Sandars, MBChB, MD, MSc, MRCP, MRCGP, FAcadEd, is Professor of Medical Education at the University of Sheffield. He has a major interest in developing the scholarship of medical educators and is a current member of the AMEE eLearning committee.

Poh Sun Goh, MBBS, FRCR, FAMS, MHPE, is an Associate Professor and Senior Consultant Radiologist at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and National University Hospital, Singapore. He is a graduate of the Maastricht MHPE programme, and current member of the AMEE eLearning committee.