A guide for evaluation of online learning in medical education: a qualitative reflective analysis

Wasfy, Nourhan F.; Abouzeid, Enjy; Nasser, Asmaa Abdel; Ahmed, Samar; Youssry, Ilham; Hegazy, Nagwa N; Shehata, Mohamed Hany; Kamal, Doaa; Atwa, Hani

doi:10.1186/s12909-021-02752-2

Cited by 37 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…However, these students believe, that some form of blended learning is likely to remain after the pandemic is controlled. In Libya, less than 30% of medical students responding to a study survey had participated in formal medical education coursework via e-learning prior to the pandemic [ 15 ]. Most of that same study group (64.7%) disagreed that e-learning can be implemented in Libya.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Online medical education in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide assessment of medical students’ usage and perceptions

Mortagy¹,

Abdelhameed

Sexton

et al. 2022

BMC Med Educ

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Background The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic required a transformation of medical education in Egypt. Public health measures necessitated a rapid shift from traditional face to face lectures to largely online platforms following campus closures. The aim of this study is to characterize medical student use and perception of online medical education in Egypt as well as exploring the efficacy of different e-learning modalities. Additionally, many barriers and opportunities as perceived by students are reviewed to inform future educational improvements. Methods A 29-item online survey was created on google forms and distributed by social media to medical students across 26 Egyptian medical schools. The survey was administered from August 20th, 2021, to September 5th, 2021. The survey consisted of a mixture of questions style. The medical students were asked about their experiences with online medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as medical students’ anxiety, perceived academic performance, and obstacles related to online education. Results Of the 4935 responses collected, 43.4% (n = 2140) of respondents were women; 56.6% (n = 2795) were men. Medical students from private medical schools were 13.0% (n = 644), whereas 87.0% (n = 4291) were from public medical schools. 54.6% of students reported that online education is not as effective as face-to-face education. There was a significant rise in hours spent by medical students on online medical education compared to before COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of students (63%) agreed that online recorded video tutorials (e.g., YouTube) were the most effective form of online medical education. Conclusion The shift to online education has significantly impacted medical students in Egypt. Medical students reported various limitations and challenges of online medical education, which must be addressed considering the potential benefits of online platforms over traditional face to face learning. The results of this nationwide study provide a framework for potential areas to implement change to improve the accessibility and structure of online medical education in Egypt.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our study, most suggested that online method could be more interactive. In another study [ 15 ], students suggested that regular formative assessment could accomplish more student engagement. Other students in the same study suggested using games, quizzes, and multimedia for the online classes to be more interesting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online medical education in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide assessment of medical students’ usage and perceptions

Mortagy¹,

Abdelhameed

Sexton

et al. 2022

BMC Med Educ

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“…This precipitous and near universal adoption of remote learning modalities also necessitates a framework for their evaluation, both for quality assurance as well as for the development of standards and best practice indicators as they have been identified in the areas of organizational capacity, educational effectiveness, and human resources. 29 We were especially interested in examining how online instructional methods affected student involvement in and understanding of the learning material as well as their perception of course quality. To measure these effects, we examined students' performance on the course learning assessments and their subsequent evaluation of course content and delivery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcomes of Remote Pathology Instruction in Student Performance and Course Evaluation

2021

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted undergraduate medical education, including preclinical class-based courses, by requiring social distancing and essentially eliminating in-person teaching. The aim of this study was to compare student performance and satisfaction before and after implementation of remote instruction in a first-year introductory pathology course. Assessments (3 quizzes, 1 practical exam, and 1 final) were compared between courses given before (January 2020) and during (January 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of mean scores, degree of difficulty, and item discrimination, both overall and across different question types. Students’ evaluations of the course (Likert scale-based) were also compared between the 2 years. Significantly higher mean scores were observed during remote instruction (compared to the prior, in-person year) on verbatim-repeated questions (94.9 ± 8.8 vs 89.4 ± 12.2; P = .002) and on questions incorporating a gross specimen image (88.4 ± 7.5 vs 84.4 ± 10.3; P = .007). The percentage of questions that were determined to be moderate/hard in degree of difficulty and good/very good in item discrimination remained similar between the 2 time periods. In the practical examination, students performed significantly better during remote instruction on questions without specimen images (96.5 ± 7.0 vs 91.2 ± 15.2; P = .004). Finally, course evaluation metrics improved, with students giving a higher mean rating value in each measured end point of course quality during the year of remote instruction. In conclusion, student performance and course satisfaction generally improved with remote instruction, suggesting that the changes implemented, and their consequences, should perhaps inform future curriculum improvements.

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“…Agreed standards are also increasingly needed to enhance online learning experiences given the current challenges, including successfully transferring courses and assessments online [ 61 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]. Alongside this, as mentioned, there must be good availability and access to the Internet and appropriate software packages, as well as availability of computers among students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to facilitate e-learning [ 50 , 61 , 62 , 71 , 72 , 73 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and Innovations Brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Medical and Pharmacy Education Especially in Africa and Implications for the Future

Etando¹,

Amu²,

Haque

et al. 2021

Healthcare

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Background: Multiple measures introduced early to restrict COVID-19 have dramatically impacted the teaching of medical and pharmacy students, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure and experience with e-learning at the start of the pandemic. In addition, the costs and reliability of the Internet across Africa pose challenges alongside undertaking clinical teaching and practical programmes. Consequently, there is a need to understand the many challenges and how these were addressed, given increasingly complex patients, to provide future direction. Method: An exploratory study was conducted among senior-level medical and pharmacy educators across Africa, addressing four key questions, including the challenges resulting from the pandemic and how these were dealt with. Results: Staff and student members faced multiple challenges initially, including adapting to online learning. In addition, concerns with the lack of equipment (especially among disadvantaged students), the costs of Internet bundles, and how to conduct practicals and clinical teaching. Multiple activities were undertaken to address these challenges. These included training sessions, developing innovative approaches to teaching, and seeking ways to reduce Internet costs. Robust approaches to practicals, clinical teaching, and assessments have been developed. Conclusions: Appreciable difficulties to teaching arising from the pandemic are being addressed across Africa. Research is ongoing to improve education and assessments.

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A guide for evaluation of online learning in medical education: a qualitative reflective analysis

Cited by 37 publications

References 36 publications

Online medical education in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide assessment of medical students’ usage and perceptions

Online medical education in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide assessment of medical students’ usage and perceptions

Outcomes of Remote Pathology Instruction in Student Performance and Course Evaluation

Challenges and Innovations Brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Medical and Pharmacy Education Especially in Africa and Implications for the Future

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