Technology in Public Health Higher Education

Abstract

Streamed and recorded lectures as well as audience response technology are increasingly used in public health tertiary education, to train practitioners to address Asia-Pacific region's rapidly changing health needs. However, little is known about the impact on student performance, satisfaction, and understanding. This study aimed to assess postgraduate students' perceptions and their use of technology in a large epidemiology subject at an Australian university in internal and external modes. The study used both routinely collected student data (n = 453) and survey data (n = 88). Results indicate that students accept and use technology-based learning tools, and perceive audience response technology as well as streamed and recorded lectures as useful for their learning (96.6%). Students have shown a preference to review recorded lectures rather than viewing streamed lectures. Analyses further suggest that the use of recorded and streamed lectures may be linked to better student performance for external students (passing, any use odds ratio = 3.32). However, these effects are not consistent across all student subgroups and externally enrolled students may profit more than those enrolled internally.

Keywords: audience response technology; digital broadcasting; higher education; student learning; teaching; technology use.