Navigating the landscape of online learning resources: could medical students benefit from guidance?
Eloïse DAHAN
Medical students have many online learning resources to select from for self-directed learning which could feel overwhelming to navigate.We aimed to explore medical students’ attitudes and use of online point of care information systems for learning. During this study students discussed many other online learning resources. Here we report the digital information landscape described by students.We conducted three in-person focus groups using a semi-structured topic guide between February and April 2025. A convenience sample of thirteen fifth-year medical students was recruited from XXX medical school. These students had begun to consult independently during their General Practice placements. Anonymised transcripts were thematically analysed using a coding template guided by self-directed learning theory.Medical students reported using a vast array of online resources for learning. During the three focus groups, thirteen students commented on 59 online resources. These are shown in the word cloud in Figure 1. Several students reported feeling overwhelmed by the range of possible information sources and wished: ‘to be taught like how to use’ and ‘navigate these websites’, ‘because sometimes there are really, really good resources, but we just don’t know how to find them’. Barriers to resource usage included accessibility, phone storage issues, needing to login, and cost. Participants also commented that: ‘you have to pay for everything’ ‘It adds up’ ‘it's a bit unfair for people that like can't afford it’. One student expressed a desire for the university to subsidise resources.These findings support calls for medical schools to provide guidance about online learning resources, and consider mitigating inequalities driven by cost barriers through solutions such as subsidisation.Medical students have many online resources available for learning, but paywalls may exacerbate learning inequalities. Clinical educators can better support students to navigate this crowded digital information landscape, by deliberately including guidance about how to select, use and learn from online resources in their teaching sessions.
