Insights on Using Social Media in Dental Education: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

1. INTRODUCTION

Social media is an internet-based interactive technology that helps to create and share information [1]. Although social media platforms and apps were initially conceived as a means of socializing, they have gradually been adapted for educational purposes [2]. In recent studies, integrating social media tools into traditional education has increased collaborative student learning [3]. Researchers believe that interactive learning and greater collaboration among students lead to deeper learning levels [4-7].

Social media is growing in popularity among dentists and faculty members. Our initial literature search revealed that dental faculties and students frequently use social media [8]. According to a survey in the United States, 50% of dentists reported using it, with Facebook being the most frequently used (97%), followed by LinkedIn (38%) and then Twitter (32%) [9]. However, dentists in South Africa mainly reported using Google+ and Facebook [10]. In a recent study that examined the use of social media among dentists in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, half of the participants reported using social media in their practice for educational purposes and Twitter was the most widely used platform [11].

The emergence of social media has forced faculty members to think differently to enhance the learning process and incorporate social media into their teaching. Instructors from the University of British Columbia created a Facebook-like webpage for an operative dental course to facilitate interactive, cooperative learning and promote critical thinking [12]. A more recent study evaluated the effectiveness of using Facebook as an educational medium during a course involving a series of medical emergencies in dental practice. They concluded that Facebook provided a unique teaching environment that helped their students freely discuss topics in a flexible environment, regardless of time and place [13].

With the rapid growth of technology and the popularity of social media, the internet now has unprecedented potential to support learning. In the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, education has changed dramatically with the sudden increase in e-learning, where teaching is being carried out on digital platforms. Therefore, adopting social media in academia can facilitate creating a virtual community that can enhance learning. Although some studies have explored dental students’ and faculties’ usage of social media, none have focused on implementing social media in dental education. To address this knowledge gap, the present study aimed to identify perceptions pertaining to the use of social media tools in the learning context in Saudi Arabia.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

3. RESULTS

4. DISCUSSION

Our study investigated the perception of using social media among dental faculty staff in three universities in Saudi Arabia as a learning tool. The results showed that the most common social media accounts used in the studied sample were WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, respectively. These findings are similar to the sample investigated by Aboalshamat et al. (2019), where WhatsApp was the most popular form of social media preferred by Saudi dentists [8]. In comparison to dentists from other countries, South African dentists used Google+ and Facebook more than any other platforms and the purpose was mainly personal rather than professional use [10]. Dentists in the United States reported that Facebook was the most popularly used social media account [9, 15]. About 97% of the surveyed dentists used Facebook compared to LinkedIn (38%) and Twitter (32%) [15]. The reasons provided for using social media were highly related to marketing (91%) or patient communication (73%) [15]. It is not clear why there is such a difference between our results and prior studies. It might be due to cultural differences between Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United States. Moreover, WhatsApp is a prevalent form of communication between families and friends in Saudi Arabia, which might be why dentists feel more familiar and confident to use on a professional level. It is advised to encourage dental instructors to use YouTube more to improve the traditional learning experience and motivate reflective thinking among students. Learning through watching videos can promote new dental/clinical techniques and improve dental skills, which is widely accepted by both students and demonstrators [16].

Our participants reported using multiple social media accounts for five to ten hours per week. The main purpose of using social media accounts among our sample was to seek information followed by professional networking and learning. This pattern of usage was also reported among physicians who reported surfing different social media platforms from two to three hours daily [17]. Out of the 300 surveyed medical consultants and residents, 76% thought that social media contributes to improving their knowledge and skills and should be used as an educational tool for different medical professions in Saudi Arabia [17]. It is not unusual for a dentist to use social media accounts professionally for learning new clinical procedures and for marketing purposes or self-advertisement by sharing clinical cases [8]. However, this is not always the case; Arnett et al. (2013) reported that many dental educators use social media mainly for personal rather than professional purposes [15]. It is common for people in Saudi Arabia to use social media daily for communication and entertainment, but not in education. However, this situation has dramatically changed since the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID 19). More Saudi academic staff has now incorporated the use of different social media accounts in their teaching to be able to reach out to dental students using online home-based learning. Nowadays, more and more educational videos are available on various social media platforms.

More than 70% of the dental staff in our study believed that social media simplifies communication with students, helps provide results for students faster, and has made sharing ideas with other educators easier. While their most significant concern with social media use was that it is an internet-dependent technology and may cause addictive potential. Furthermore, our participants raised concerns about direct contact with students through such channels and the potential lack of technical support. Similar concerns were reported in a study conducted in the UK, where 91% of the academic dental staff owned a computer and only 68% had access to the internet at home [18]. They also reported being less confident in their technical skills and using internet-based lectures as an educational tool [18].

Although student-tutor communication has become faster and more comfortable with all the available social media platforms, such communication may lead to unwanted behaviour and the absence of professionalism. Therefore, dental health professionals from all educational backgrounds need to be aware of the risks associated with social media usage as a tool with students [8, 15, 19]. Drawing professional boundaries and having privacy concerns were major factors preventing some dental educators from using social media with their students [15]. Social media should be used for educational and communicational purposes with students due to its multiple advantages. However, it should be structured first by using proper professional guidelines. For example, by providing an ethics training course on using social media professionally and legally to both staff and students. In addition, ensuring that a specific time for student-instructor communication through officially approved channels can eliminate the privacy breach concern.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, education worldwide is sweeping towards e-learning. The presence of different social media platforms can support distance learning and help to engage and advance students’ learning experiences in a secure and confidential environment. The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia is directed toward virtual lessons and broadcasting educational videos through social media like Facebook and YouTube. To further encourage the implementation of social media in dental education, in 2016, supporting vision 2030, the pendulum of education shifted towards digital education supporting modern education.

Our study can provide insight into planning a future educational program that supports the modern direction of education. Our results were driven by dental staff, having various experiences and educational backgrounds, from three major universities in the Western Province in Saudi Arabia. However, the study has limitations that must be considered. One limitation is the use of a convenience sample from faculty members working only in public universities in the western province, limiting the generalizability of the results. Another limitation is the use of self-reported data, which can cause response bias. Future studies are recommended to explore further in-depth dental faculties’ perspectives of using social media and explore other challenges that might be faced in adopting social media in dental education.

CONCLUSION

YouTube could be the main platform to deliver educational materials to dental students in Saudi Arabia. Dental faculty educators agreed that using social media will facilitate communication and education if it is properly integrated into dental curricula.

REFERENCES