Xiang Qiuling, Gai Gaocheng, Lu Guang, et al. Investigation and analysis of the application of digital medical textbooks in Chinese colleges and universities[J]. Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research, 2026, 25(7): 806-813.
Xiang Qiuling, Gai Gaocheng, Lu Guang, et al. Investigation and analysis of the application of digital medical textbooks in Chinese colleges and universities[J]. Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research, 2026, 25(7): 806-813.DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn116021-20250927-02225.
Investigation and analysis of the application of digital medical textbooks in Chinese colleges and universities
To investigate the current application status of digital medical textbooks in Chinese colleges and universities based on the usage and perceptions of these textbooks by teachers
and to provide a basis for promoting the high-quality construction and development of digital medical textbooks.
Methods
2
Using convenience sampling
an online survey was conducted via Wenjuanxing (Questionnaire Star) from September to October 2025
targeting 124 medical course teachers from 52 colleges and universities across China. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0. Categorical data were presented as frequencies and percentages
continuous data were expressed as mean±standard deviation
and one-way analysis of variance was used for between-group comparisons.
Results
2
A total of 124 valid questionnaires were collected. Respondents were primarily basic medicine teachers(91.94%
114/124)
with teaching experience concentrated between 11 and 30 years
and were mainly from eastern China (32 colleges or universities
61.54%). The survey showed a high adoption rate of digital medical textbooks at 92.74% (115 respondents). However
the primary form of use remained electronic versions of print textbooks provided by publishers (88 respondents
76.52%)
and only 19.35% (24 respondents) of teachers used advanced features of digital textbooks. Regarding teaching effectiveness evaluation
90.43% (104 respondents) of teachers affirmed the positive role of digital textbooks in enhancing classroom engagement. However
there remained significant room for substantial enhancement of student learning outcomes
with only 33.04% (38 respondents) of teachers perceiving a noticeable improvement. One-way analysis of variance indicated no significant differences among teachers with different years of teaching experience in digital textbook usage frequency
classroom engagement
and evaluation of learning effectiveness (all
P
>
0.05). However
significant differences were found in learning effectiveness evaluations among teachers from different regions
with evaluations from teachers in central and eastern regions being significantly higher than those from western regions (
P
<
0.05). Regarding functional needs
the expectations of teachers for digital textbook functions were primarily focused on knowledge graphs (89 respondents
and augmented reality/virtual reality simulation systems (72 respondents
62.61%).
Conclusions
2
Digital medical textbooks have gained broad acceptance among Chinese college and university teachers and played a positive role in enhancing classroom engagement. However
improvement is needed in their application forms and effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes. Universities/colleges and publishers should accelerate the intelligent upgrading of textbooks and develop features such as knowledge graphs and virtual simulations to facilitate their transition from supplementary tools to core teaching resources
thereby effectively empowering the high-quality development of medical education.
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Xiang Qiuling
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China Consortium of Elite Teaching Hospitals
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