Proficiency in Information Communication Technology and its Use: A Survey among Clinical Students in a Ghanaian Medical School

Insufficient prior knowledge about the array of skills possessed by medical students in information communication technology account for failed efforts at incorporating ICT into their academic work. The aim of this study is to access information communication and technology skills and its use among clinical students undergoing medical training in northern Ghana. A longitudinal questionnaire was administered to 175 clinical year (1, 2, and 3 year) medical students aged between 22 and 29 years (mean ± standard deviation; 25.0 ± 1.26 years). Out of the total 175 questionnaires administered 140 (82.0%) students returned their questionnaires. Questionnaires from 5 students were incomplete leaving 135 complete and analyzable questionnaires, resulting in a 77.0% responses rate. Of the remaining 135 students, 55.6% of the respondents were proficient in the use of ICT related tools, 37.8% were using ICT resources for their academic work, and 85.2% were using such resources for social purposes, while use of ICT for academic work by gender was: 88.2% for males, and 11.8% for females. By gender 49.0% males and 52.2% females were using ICT for social purposes. The study revealed high and low levels of proficiency in ICT depending upon the ICT task to be performed, and concluded that a good curriculum designed to encourage ICT use by students as well as develop in them a multiplicity of skills, coupled with a teaching methodology that is student centred and encourages student engagement in active cognitive activities involving the use of ICTs may help stem this skewedness in proficiency. General Terms Computer Assisted Instruction, Medical Education