Students' perspectives on the relevance of internet-based educational videos in dental education

ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study sought to obtain the perceptions of third year students of the University of Dammam faculty of dentistry about the usefulness of Internet-based educational videos in assisting oral biology lectures.MethodsThe study was conducted at the College of Dentistry, University of Dammam during March 2014. A validated questionnaire containing 10 questions was distributed to all of the participants. The first eight questions, related to the usefulness of videos during lectures, required dichotomized (agree/disagree) responses. For the last two questions (number of videos to be added and the time period allocated to these videos in each lecture), multiple options were provided for selection. The data were analysed statistically by using the chi-square test.ResultsThe sample size was 70 students (39 male and 31 female), with an overall response rate of 97%. The majority of students positively perceived the role of videos in assisting lectures. However, significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between male and female students regarding their understanding of lectures with/without videos and retention of knowledge gained from lectures with videos.ConclusionsVideos should be included in the lectures, so long as any video included is analogous to the desired learning outcomes of the lecture.