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E-International Scientific Research JournalISSN: 2094-1749 Volume: 2 Issue: 4, 2010Level of E-learning Readiness in terms of Skills. Table 4A showed that <strong>the</strong> clerksgenerally had very good skills (VGS) in terms of general computer technical proficiency, withan equivalent level of readiness of “very ready” (Table 1). The clerks were highly skilled inoperating <strong>the</strong> software and hardware of <strong>the</strong> computer, and in generally finding <strong>the</strong>ir wayaround <strong>the</strong> World Wide Web. However, skills have yet to be developed in applying coursematerials, and in managing <strong>the</strong>ir time to accommodate e-learning into <strong>the</strong>ir schedule (Table4A).Significant differences were found between males and females in terms of skills.Generally, males were more skilled than females (Table 4B), owing to <strong>the</strong> technical andmanual inclination more favored by and suited for males than females, who were less “tech-y.”However, <strong>the</strong>re were no significant differences among <strong>the</strong> three levels of household monthlyincome (Table 4C), implying that skills were not dependent on <strong>the</strong>ir economic status.Level of E-learning Acceptance in terms of Preference for Modern Teaching-LearningTechniques. The clinical clerks preferred only to a moderate degree <strong>the</strong> modern teachinglearningtechniques as part of clerkship, as reflected by a mean of 3.12 out of 4 (Table 5A).Hence, <strong>the</strong>y have only moderately accepted e-learning as a future innovation in <strong>the</strong> curriculum(Table 1). Fur<strong>the</strong>r studies should be done to assess <strong>the</strong> reasons behind such occurrence.Never<strong>the</strong>less, highest mean preference was found in applying common internet applications toassist in <strong>the</strong> learning process; thus respondents generally favored <strong>the</strong> use of technology as partof <strong>the</strong>ir school life. However, <strong>the</strong> results showed that a majority still favored traditionalmethods (e.g., listening to a lecture) over modern ones (e.g., surfing <strong>the</strong> net to understand andretain information), which must fur<strong>the</strong>r be expanded and explained in <strong>the</strong> future.Similar to skills, significant differences were found between genders, but not amongincome levels. Males had higher preference for modern techniques of learning than females,who were less “gadget-y” and “tech-y” (Table 5B). This predisposition was definitely notaffected by economic status (Table 5C).Preference for Various Medical Website Contents. In general, <strong>the</strong> respondents assertedvery high preference for <strong>the</strong> website contents listed on <strong>the</strong> questionnaire. They found relativelygreater preferences for having <strong>download</strong>/ upload options, and online reviewers and exams thanhaving videoconferences and online advertisements (Table 6A). These preferences weresignificantly varied between genders possibly for <strong>the</strong> similar aforementioned reasons, but werenot affected by varied economic status (Tables 6B and 6C).Conclusion and RecommendationsIn <strong>the</strong> present world of modern technology, various electronic innovations haveenormously increased one’s ability to progress in his field or profession. Relevantly, <strong>the</strong>seadvancements have also established <strong>the</strong>ir place in contemporary educational practice. Theycontinue to become an integral part of <strong>the</strong> teaching and learning process, and serve as “enginesof change” in classrooms and schools (Norton, 2003). Change towards human and societaldevelopment is an essential purpose of integrating technology into <strong>the</strong> educational system. Theuse of <strong>the</strong>se modern tools, such as e-learning, must indeed serve as man’s instrument forattaining a higher quality of education.In anticipation of an e-learning initiative in SLU College of Medicine, <strong>the</strong> present studyestablished that <strong>the</strong> clinical clerks were very ready for such endeavor, as reflected by <strong>the</strong>ir highlevel of access to computer and internet-related resources, and high level of technical skills.However, <strong>the</strong> research has not probed into reasons behind <strong>the</strong> moderate acceptance of clerkstowards e-learning as a teaching-learning technique. In <strong>the</strong> occasion that planning for e-learning has begun, <strong>the</strong> various contents that <strong>the</strong> clerks had very much preferred in this study295

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