Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: The most commonly used methods in delivery of a lectures is chalk board teaching. There has been an increased trend in use of power point presentations in the recent past, which is now one of the most popular methods of delivering the lectures using electronic devices. In medical colleges chalk board teaching and Powerpoint based lectures are being used extensively and there is also a debate wherein the teaching faculty are divided in their opinion regarding the superiority of traditional chalk and talk method and powerpoint based lectures. Objectives: To estimate the preferences of 1st year MBBS between traditional chalk and talk lectures and powerpoint based lectures. To assess the student perceptions about traditional chalk and talk lectures and powerpoint based lectures. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 130 first year medical students belonging to SSMC, Tumakuru, Karnataka. A self structured questionnaire was administered to the study population and preferences of the students were estimated in percentage. Result: 61.53% (80) of the students preferred the traditional chalk and talk method. 10.76% (14) of the students preferred powerpoint based lectures as a mode of teaching method citing that this technique offers them better quality of diagrams, pictures and sequence of images. 27.69% (36) of students preferred the use of both the methods in the lecture wherein they feel that usage of black board to explain the key concept along with powerpoint based lectures as a better method of teaching. Conclusion: The 1st year MBBS who formed our study population prefer the use of chalk and talk methods of delivering of lectures over powerpoint based lectures. Student preferences can vary in their opinion regarding the choice of presentation of a lecture class.