BackgroundUniversity students are expected to take charge of their learning without being dependent on teachers. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process by which students direct their learning to achieve their set targets and goals in a timely and controlled manner. This study was undertaken to explore the practice of SRL by undergraduate students from different programs in a health science focused university during COVID-19 pandemic.MethodThirty-three undergraduate students of five health professions education programs were recruited to take part in focus group discussions to explore their SRL practice with online learning. Their responses were subjected to thematic analysis.ResultOur students appeared to practice SRL, going through the phases of forethought and goal setting, performance and self-reflection. They set goals for academic as well as personal development in the university. Academic goals like achieving target GPA or marks were achieved by following different study techniques, personal management including time management, and by creating a conducive learning environment. Personal development such as interpersonal skills, social networking was achieved through socializing and participating in extracurricular activities. The students also engaged in self-reflection and analysis of their own performance followed by designing strategies to manage the challenges they faced.ConclusionUndergraduates of health professions programs appear to show evidence of practicing SRL. Although impacted by COVID-19 induced lockdown and online learning, they seem to have strategized and achieved their goals through individualized SRL processes. Promoting and fostering an atmosphere of SRL in universities to cater to the needs of the students would help them be more successful in their careers.

Covid-19 pandemic has forced a transformation of teaching learning activities (TLA) (1, 2), which shifted to online platforms as the face-to-face teaching halted with campus closure due to enforcement of Movement Control Order. Online Clinical Teaching (OCT), however, is challenging as students are expected to acquire communication and clinical reasoning skills using virtual cases instead of real patients in a hospital/clinical set-up. Various approaches were used at IMU for OCT to help students acquire necessary skills. We carried out a study to determine the utility of OCT by analysing feedback from students. Methods:A questionnaire consisting of 6 items (Q1-Q6) was distributed online as the study tool from December 2020 till January 2021. Each item was given a score of 1 (strongly disagree); 2 (disagree); 3 (agree) or 4 (strongly agree). Participants were students from Sem 6-10. Results:A total of 118 students participated in this survey. Assuming that a mean score of at least 2.5 indicates agreement with the statement, it was observed that students do not agree that OCT provided the necessary knowledge and skills (Q3) and that the OCT should continue post-COVID to complement face-to-face teaching (Q6).Students' scoring was significantly lower for usefulness of OCT as a tool to acquire knowledge and skills (Q3) compared to its use as an alternative to face-to-face (Q1), facilitator's ability to conduct the session in an organized manner (Q2), obtain feedback (Q4) and engage with peers and facilitators (Q5) (p<0.01). Although, students agreed with Q1, Q2, Q4 and Q5, they largely did not agree that OCT should continue post-Covid to complement face-to-face teaching (Q6) (p<0.01). Conclusions:There is scope for improvement to enhance student satisfaction with OCT, to find new methods to enhance its utility to acquire knowledge and skills so that students can foresee its utility post-Covid.