PURPOSE There is a growing emphasis placed on self-directed learning (SDL) within medical education. Yet, little is known about the SDL resources medical students are using. This study aimed to identify patterns in medical students' SDL behaviours, their SDL resource choices, factors motivating these choices, and the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these variables. Methods A online cross-sectional survey comprised of multiple choice, ranked, and free text response questions was disseminated to medical students across all 41 UK medical schools between April and July 2020. Comparison of independent study hours and sources of study materials prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic was undertaken. Motivational factors guiding resource choices and awareness of Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM) was also investigated. Results A target sample size of 75 per medical school across a total of 41 medical schools within the UK were targeted (3075 total students). 1564 responses were included for analysis. University-provided information comprised the most commonly used component of independent study time, but a minority of total independent study time. Independent study time increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.001). All sub-cohorts except males reported a significant increase in the use of resources such as free websites and question banks (P<0.05) and paid websites (P<0.05) as a result of the pandemic. Accessibility was the most influential factor guiding resource choice (Friedman's μrank=3.97, p<0.001). Conclusion There is a growing trend towards an increase in the use of learning resources independent of university provision. Educators must ensure equitable access to such materials whilst supporting students in making informed choices regarding their independent study behaviours.

中文翻译：

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医学学生在COVID-19大流行之前和期间的自主学习模式及其对英国境内免费开放获取教育的影响。

目的在医学教育中越来越重视自我导向学习（SDL）。但是，对于医学生正在使用的SDL资源知之甚少。这项研究旨在确定医学生SDL行为的模式，他们的SDL资源选择，激发这些选择的因素以及COVID-19大流行对这些变量的潜在影响。方法于2020年4月至2020年7月之间，向包括英国在内的所有41所医学院的医学院学生分发由多项选择题，排名和自由文本回答问题组成的在线横断面调查。比较独立学习时间和学习材料的来源进行了COVID-19大流行。还研究了指导资源选择和免费开放访问教育（FOAM）意识的动机因素。结果在英国41所医学院校中，每所医学院的目标样本量为75名（学生总数3075名）。纳入了1564个响应进行分析。大学提供的信息是独立学习时间最常用的组成部分，但占总独立学习时间的一小部分。由于COVID-19大流行，独立学习时间增加了（P <0.001）。由于大流行，除男性外，所有亚人群均报告免费网站和问题库（P <0.05）和付费网站（P <0.05）等资源的使用显着增加。可访问性是指导资源选择的最有影响力的因素（Friedman的μrank= 3.97，p <0.001）。结论越来越多的趋势表明，与大学提供无关的学习资源的使用正在增加。