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Technology (IT) has had a positive effect on health care delivery system globally, particularly in the areas of disease control, analysis, patient managing, teaching and learning. Anuobi (2004) remarked that man provides scientifically located himself within an environment that is certainly global and digital, which will predisposes him to frequent use of details, its position notwithstanding. Shanahan (2006) feels that the medical industry is in a state of constant and rapid alter and as a result of increase in scientific knowledge and rapid scientific advances, there has been a growing emphasis on the medical professionals need to effectively access, retrieve, and use scientific evidences to improve sufferer care ( Li, Color, Muller & Chen, 2009).
Masood, Khan & Waheed (2010) known that the availability of affordable computer systems and the improvement of information technology have ended in our capacity to rapidly and effectively get, retrieve, assess, share, and store significant volumes of information pertinent to patient proper care and for learning process in a teaching medical center. According to Poelmans, Truyen & DeslГ© (2009) throughout the learning procedure, students are in charge of for the management that belongs to them information procedures. After their very own graduation, the job market desires them to work as mobile knowledge-workers.
It is therefore vital that college students acquire the proper attitudes and skills in order to survive through this information society and to deal with the ceaseless information overflow. As Masood, Khan & Waheed (2010) observed, laptop skills happen to be vital to get medical practitioners for the future. With the healthcare industry being an data intensive job, to use technology effectively pertaining to the improvement of patient care, the medical student must own a variety of computer skills. Nevertheless , scholars just like Luan, Aziz, Yunus, Sidek, Bakar, Meseran & Atan (2005) possess observed that there is a male or female gap in the use of ICTs.
Accordingly, the purpose of this analyze was to determine whether there is a male or female difference in the computer literacy levels of scientific medical pupils by looking at how they have entry to computers, the frequency with which they use personal computers, if there is gender difference in the use of numerous software and appearance at concerns they encounter when using computer systems. Literature Assessment Computer literacy has been a subject matter of educational research for recent years. Computer system literacy is described as the knowledge and ability to employ computers and related technology efficiently, with a range of abilities covering levels from fundamental use to development and advanced problem solving Lynch (1998).
Pc literacy also can refer to comfortableness level someone has with using computer system programs and other applications which have been associated with computers (Wikipedia 2010). Anuobi (2004), described laptop literacy as having a fundamental understanding of what computer is usually and how it can be used as a useful resource. To Lynch (1998), computer technology literacy deals with an understanding of the infrastructure that underpins most of today’s life, it also means knowing some basic things about ICT, for example , how you can save and open a file, or how to use a word processor (Tella & Mutala, 2008).
The requirements of a medical student from the millennium era in a rapidly changing information society has changed, he now has to face new challenges which are essential to his survival inside the information age. Idowu, Adagunodo, & Idowu (2004) indicated that know-how, skills and confidence with computer technology are actually an asset for anyone entering the competitive job market. They further pointed out that every aspect of existence from education, leisure, and work environment to social communications is being affected by software. Moreover, with all the increasing usage of ICT in education the world over, new skills and competencies are needed by students to become better built with the required digital literacy competencies.
Essentially, gender refers to sets of relationships features, roles, philosophy and perceptions that define what being a woman or a man is within the society. This can be a socially ascribed attribute in contrast to sex which is a biological credit ( Oghiagbephan & Asamaigo, 2010). Resulting from gender functions assigned simply by different ethnicities many women have already been brought up to determine technology as well as use while reserved for on the male sexuality. According to Munusamy & Ismail (2009) women take a look at computers and find out more than devices, thus looking at computers as masculine and complicated to work with.
According to Asuquo & Onasanya (2006), many factors in and outside the classroom result in young ladies being flipped away from computer technology. These factors include the media depicting males as authorities in technology, societal anticipations of different goals for boys and girls, the framework of learning tasks, the size of feedback in performance conditions, and the organization of classroom seating. Mainly because these factors are often refined, they go unnoticed.
It is no surprise why women are not enthusiastic about computer technology. This example has led to what scholars have termed the gender digital divide. Explaining this, Ikolo (2010), stated that the gender digital separate is manifested in the low number of woman users in the event ICTs compared to men.
Gurumurty (2004), noticed evidences that points towards gender discrepancy in the usage of computers and also other technologies. In respect to Tella & Mutula (2008), the void of gender equity as far as usage of and make use of ICTs continues to be a topical ointment subject with developing countries but the globally. However , offered indices possess began to claim that, although there is a gender gap in all countries, with the significant growth in access to and increased educational opportunities for more women, the relative difference between males and females is diminishing (Sorenson, 2002, Kay, 08 & Munusamy & Ismail, 2009).
In the 1980s, analysis on computer system literacy focused on the question of whether medical college students were ready for the not far off omnipresence of computers in the future of doctors’ professional environment and if they possess required computer expertise Link & Marz (2006). When Poelmans, Truyen & DeslГ© (2009) compared the mean a mass of computer literacy and its subscales by gender. The results showed an obvious pattern in both the global scale as well as the subscales: guy students record a significant higher degree of perceived computer literacy.
In a identical study completed by Link & Marz (2006) to examine the degree of computer literacy of initial year specialized medical students in Vinna, the research showed that although 94% of the scholar attested to accessing and using computers, of this quantity only 26% of the feminine students utilized computers often. Citing Ong & Lai, Luan, Aziz, Yunus, Sidek, Bakar, Meseran & Atan (2005) reported that males had more positive attitudes towards ICTs. Gupta’s (2001) examine also found significant gender difference in the way females and males rated themselves in their capability to master technology skills. Though both sexes were positive about their computer system abilities, males rated themselves higher than females.
Kay (2006) reviewed 36 studies upon gender and computer work with and concluded that the male correspondents have substantially higher recognized computer literacy On if there was equal rights of get between the females academics and their male alternatives, 199 (97. 1%) clarified in the adverse while simply 6 (2. 9%) respondents confirmed that there was equal rights of access. (Olatokun, 2007). Again, Hyperlink & Marz’s (2006) study showed that more male medical students (72%) had usage of personal computers (laptops). Respondents were asked to point what computer applications they will used.
The results depicted that there is noticeable significant male or female difference in application make use of computer by male and female subjects. It had been clear that male pupils engaged in applications like word processing, Net browsing, email-based, data examination, programming, and CorelDraw more than the female, except that the females engage in discussion and video games more than their male counterparts. This end result as well could be linked to the concern of fear and anxiety attributed with computer by female subject matter, and may induce their reduced engagement in using computer software and applications. Tella & Mutula, 2008).
In a study, Tella & Mutula (2008) found out that, when participants were asked to state the number of hours that they used personal computers in a week, the results showed that there were variations in the male and feminine number of several hours spent employing computer weekly with man medical learners spending more hours than the girl medical students. While numerous male learners spent coming from 10-25 hours per week, female students spent between 1-4 hours a week. In another analyze by Rajab & Baqain (2005), an important difference was found among males and females in the length of time they used computer systems. When mentioned the frequency of computer use, men respondents (56%) were located to use personal computers more than girl respondents (37%) (Munusamy & Ismail, 2009).
Rajab & Baqain, (2005) concluded that even though both male or female of specialized medical students’ presumed themselves to get competent in word processing, more men than females used multimedia system presentations (power point). Luan, Aziz, Yunus, Sidek, Bakar, Meseran & Atan (2005), in their research found out that females had been better for word digesting and delivering presentations and contacting than men. Olatokun (2007), in his study reached the final outcome that seventy. 7% girl used personal computers for term processing; 98. 5% mentioned not employing ICT for games whatsoever and a total of 84.
9% respondents used ICT very often for Internet surfing. Methodology The research employed a descriptive review method which usually affords the researcher a chance to study the current condition of the computer literacy skills of the medical medical college students. The population in the study made up of 93 scientific medical students of Delta Point out University and University of Benin who also are in 400 level.
The total inhabitants was used because the sample size for the study. Data were collected using a do it yourself constructed, structured questionnaire that was divided into two parts. Section A was designed to accumulate bio info while B was meant to obtain data on computer literacy abilities of the pupils. A total of 86 questionnaires were went back. The demographic characteristics of the respondents uncovered 50(58.
1%) as guys and thirty six (42%) since females. Data was examined using basic percentages.
