Abstract:

Objective: Developing information and communication technology have led to advent of distance education term and new learning materials in training institutions unforeseen situations like a pandemic can turn distance education into a necessity rather than an option. This study aimed to evaluate the undergraduate dentistry students’ perceptions of distance education implemented to adhere to compulsory social isolation measures. Materials and methods: In the current study, a structured e-questionnaire comprising 27 items, including a 5-point Likert scale with 10 items (Google Forms®) was administered to undergraduate dental students in Turkey. A total of 1208 complete responses were received and examined in the final statistical analyses to assess students’ perception of distance education. Results: Most students were not familiar with the term evidence-based. Many respondents (n = 723, 59.9%) noted that they were better motivated in their lessons with face-to-face education in the classroom. Cronbach’s alpha value of the distance-education perceptions scale was 0.629. Factor analysis identified five sub-dimensions. The distance-education scores of the students at the foundation university were significantly higher than those of students at the state university. Conclusion: The results of this study show that students need more training on seeking and evaluating evidence-based information online. The study found that the training institution is a factor affecting students’ perceptions of distance education for dental instruction. Institutions need to re-evaluate their available educational programs as to the effectiveness of training modalities of distance education and e-learning for professional training in dentistry.

Keywords: