Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards E-learning Among Allied Health Undergraduates in a Defence University, Sri Lanka: a Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: E-learning is a popular mode of learning among undergraduates and understanding the knowledge, attitudes and practices towards e-learning is important in planning effective teaching and learning activities.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 589 undergraduates of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Radiography and Radiotherapy at a Defence University in Sri Lanka. A pre-tested, self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 (Chi-square, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA).
Results: The response rate was 98%. More than half (58.4%, n= 344) of the participants had a good level of knowledge on e-learning, while 76.1% (n= 448) of the participants had neutral attitudes. Nearly 60% (n= 357) of the participants showed an average level of practice. The knowledge, attitudes and practices were not significantly different between the undergraduates of Allied Health degree programs (p>0.05). The attitudes towards e-learning were different between the academic years (p=0.008), where the 3rd year students had a significantly higher score for attitudes compared to 4th year students (p=0.005). Those who had previous knowledge (before university entry) of information technology (IT) showed significantly higher scores in knowledge (p<0.001), attitudes (p=0.002) and practices (p<0.001) towards e-learning compared to those who had no previous IT knowledge.
Conclusion: The undergraduates had a good level of knowledge on e-learning and it was further strengthened by their IT knowledge. Updating teaching methods with new techniques is recommended to improve the attitudes and practices towards e-learning among undergraduates in different degree programs.