Informatics literacy among first-year students of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy at the University of Nis in compliance with European Computer Driving Licence

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Having taken into account the complex role of students and teachers participating in the global education system and the creation of European Higher Education Framework, it was necessary to perform research on Informatics Literacy (IL). Therefore, our aim was to analyze IL of the students including the knowledge of each of the four core modules and two standard European Computer Driving Licence modules, as well as to propose measures to improve students' IL. The objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of therapy with stabilizing occlusal splint in the control of painful symptoms of TMD in comparison with the effect of drug therapy. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study during 2015/2016 at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, and included 292 first year students. Parts of the questionnaire that related to the self-assessment, as well as the test of knowledge in Informatics, modeled after the ECDL consisted of questions from six thematic sections. Results The study included 88 male (30.1%) and 204 female (69.9%) students. The computer is mostly used for the Internet (69.5%), then for entertainment (24.3%), and seldom for data processing programs (6.2%). Medical students showed higher level of knowledge of all six modules (p < 0.001). Male students also had higher level of IL (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.20-0.73). Students who completed high school showed better IL compared to students who completed secondary medical school (OR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.18-0.66). Education of parents and monthly income had no impact on students' IL. Conclusion IL of students is not satisfactory. It is necessary to modify the Informatics curriculum according to European standards and to introduce the course to all study groups.