Treffer: Exploring modern learning preferences: the impact of computerization on younger generation students

The aim of this study is to show the impact of computerization on the learning preferences of the younger generation of students. In contrast to previous generations who relied predominantly on books as their primary source of information, today’s students are increasingly using alternative sources of information such as lecture notes and presentations. We distributed a questionnaire to 86 students in the first year of an integrated undergraduate and graduate veterinary medicine program. The questionnaire was distributed at the beginning of the second semester as part of the subject “Histology with General Embryology”. The main literature for this subject consists of various books, supplemented by additional materials such as lecture and practical presentations, content from the Instagram page "vef_hista" and quizzes on Wordwall. The questionnaire focused on students' previous experiences with learning resources and inquired about their intended sources for studying histology. The results of the questionnaire showed that most students (43%) planned to use presentations from lectures and practicals as a source for learning histology. Lecture notes were the preferred source for 28% of the respondents, while a slightly lower percentage (26%) chose books. Very few students (3%) planned to use materials available on the internet. In terms of previous educational experience, 70% of respondents had not yet used Wordwall, and although 97% had an Instagram profile, only 35% were aware of the "vef_hista" page. In conclusion, this research highlights a shift in the learning preferences of the younger generation of students. The majority of them prefer presentations from lectures and practicals to traditional books as their primary learning resources. In addition, the use of materials from the internet and social media platforms such as Instagram for educational purposes is still limited among these students, indicating an opportunity for growth in the use of such platforms for learning.