Computer Based Training: An initial study to discover why doctors trained as Disability Analysts have been reluctant to fully embrace this mode of training

Abstract

Contextualisation
This paper reports a study looking at computer-based training in the field of post-graduate
medical education. The paper examines the apparent reluctance of a group of medical
practitioners to fully engage with post-graduate medical training produced on a CD-ROM; the
study seeks the reasons for this lack of engagement. The, perhaps, rather unexpected
reasons for this will be of interest to many general educationalists both inside and outside the
field of medical education.


Abstract: Medical practitioners working as Disability Analysts were offered computer
based training (CBT) as part of their ongoing Continuing Professional Development
(CPD). The majority of the Disability Analysts approached in this study showed some
reluctance to embrace this learning approach. This reluctance was characterised as
‘surprising’ by the developers. Consequently, it was felt important to determine the nature
of this reluctance, so that appropriate CPD could be developed, and the effort involved in
devising such training, better channelled. This paper describes these doctors and their
work, the need for CPD and the type of CPD used. It also discusses the introduction of
CBT, doctors’ responses to it and the ways in which educationalists and developers
responded to doctors’ comments. This initial study used a semi-structured interview
technique to gather the response data. The study also identifies important political and
ethical issues underlying the research. It emerged that doctors choosing paper-based
training had positive reasons for doing so. Indeed, some doctors choosing the computerbased
training were not entirely positive about that mode of delivery.