A survey of E-learning methods in nursing and medical education during COVID-19 pandemic in India

Abstract

Background COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated mandatory e-learning in medical and nursing education. How far are developing countries like India (with wide socioeconomic and cultural diversity) geared up for this challenge remains unexplored. At this critical juncture, we aim to evaluate if online teaching methods are as feasible, acceptable, and effective as in-class teaching for medical/nursing students. Objectives The questionnaire captured: (1) practicability/feasibility of online classes, (2) health issues from online classes, (3) current methods for e-teaching, and (4) student attitudes and preferences. Design Cross-sectional Survey Settings Population-based study in India Participants Nursing and medical undergraduate students (I-IV year) Methodology The online questionnaire was distributed to 200 medical and nursing colleges across India. Categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square tests. Binary logistic regression was done to analyze factors predicting health issues in students. p<0.05 was considered significant. Results Overall, 1541 medical and 684 nursing students completed the survey from 156 cities. The availability of laptop (p<0.0001), Wi-Fi (p<0.0001), dedicated room (p<0.0001), and computer proficiency was more in students of affluent families and those from cities (p<0.0001). Class duration>4hours/day (p<0.0001), each class>40 minutes (p<0.009) and pre-existing health issues (p<0.0001) predicted the occurrence headache, eyestrain, anxiety, neck/ back pain, and sleep disturbance. Power-point presentation was the most widely (80%) used method of teaching. Only 30% got adequate time to interact with teachers. Only 20.4% felt e-learning can replace conventional teaching. Students preferred: 3-6 classes/day, each class<40 minutes, 10-20 minutes break between classes and interactive sessions. Conclusion There is a need to improve information and communication infrastructure to enhance feasibility of e-learning for nursing/ medical students in India. There should be guidelines (number of classes/day, length of each class, break between classes, curriculum, etc) to improve the retention capacity in students and reduce health issues. Continuous feedback from teachers and students will be required to make e-learning effective.

Attitude towards online classes among school and college going students during lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic

“…A study conducted in India had reported that spending a long time in e-learning increases health issues such as headache, eye strain, fatigue, neck pain, back pain, sleep disturbance, loss of concentration, and anxiety among the students. 14,17 The result of the present study indicates that the proportion of the respondents having a positive attitude towards online classes was found comparatively higher than the respondents having a negative attitude. In contrast to the present finding, other studies had reported that most of the students had a negative attitude toward online learning.…”

“…[5][6][7][8]9,12 In contrast to the present finding studies conducted in India. 6,14 The proportion of the respondent's study in higher classes such as graduation and 51% 49%…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown on Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Neck Pain Among College Students: a Cross-sectional Study

“…Cronbach's alpha was α = .89. The questionnaire includes eight positively worded items [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13] and six negatively worded items (items 1,2,3,11,12,14). Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived stress.…”

“…Beginning with the rst lockdown, academic studies in Israel were required to shift to online learning. The transition from on-campus studies to online studies facing screens has signi cantly changed students' habits and lifestyle [3,8,9]. The pandemic and the resultant lockdowns restricting people to their homes can affect both their physical and their mental well-being.…”

Healthcare student’s perception towards e-learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic: A study protocol

“…(4). E-learning has been mandated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for all medical and paramedical students across the country (5). So, consequently, medical schools have moved their focus to e-learning, also called web-based learning, or internet-based learning, to stay non-submerged during the pandemic (6).…”