Preferences, perceptions and barriers to E-learning among medical students during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India

Abstract

Background: Following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown on 24th March 2020, many medical institutions adopted E-learning as a method to ensure continuity in medical education. Understanding perceptions and preferences of medical students and addressing their barriers are essential for a seamless learning experience.Methods: Data was collected using a semi-structured online questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. A total of 296 students of the second year MBBS and pre-final year were recruited using non probability sampling. Data pertaining to 286 students who returned the questionnaire was entered in Microsoft excel and analysed using SPSS version 21.Results: Majority of the participants 179 (62.5%) were female. Only 18 (6.2%) had advanced computer and internet usage skills. 138 (48.2%) students showed preference for blended mode of teaching. 203 (71.0%) of students showed preferences for non-interactive learning methods like slide share and YouTube videos. 180 (62.9%) cited that lack of personal interaction with the teacher followed by access to internet 67 (23.4%) and lack of hardware 53 (18.5%) as barriers in the e-learning. Significant differences were observed between female and male students in the teaching methods with regards to ease of understanding (p=0.009) and use of non-interactive platforms for e leaning (p=0.03).Conclusions: The study identified blended learning as an acceptable method of learning medical curriculum. Schedule flexibility, ease of understanding and absence of monotony of classroom teaching made e-learning more acceptable. lack of teacher-student interaction, lack of accesses to high speed internet and hardware were barriers perceived to e-learning among medical students.

Stress and its association with involvement in online classes: a cross-sectional study among undergraduate students of a medical college in South India

“…After the implementation of the lockdown, the number increased to 109 (35.5%). This is similar to a study conducted by Suryawanshi DM et al 16 …”

Tailoring an online breastfeeding course for Southeast Asian paediatric trainees- A qualitative study of user experience from Malaysia and Thailand

“…Issues with this approach include screen fatigue and distraction for students and lecturers [ 20 ]. Consequently, surveys from LMICs during the COVID-19 period show that students prefer traditional teaching compared to online teaching [ 21 ], and that comprehension from face-to-face lectures is better than online teaching [ 22 ]. This shows that investment into developing online learning material is important in order to improve student acceptability.…”

Knowledge, attitude and practices towards e-learning: A feasibility study among first MBBS students of Government Medical College from hilly region of India

“…They concluded that the utility of e-learning has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic but students preferred e-learning in combination with traditional teaching. Suryawanshi et al, 10 surveyed 286 students of the second year MBBS and pre-final year students where 48.2% students showed preference for blended mode of teaching. A total of 62.9% cited that there is lack of personal interaction with the teacher.…”

“…However, whether it's traditional teaching or e-learning, teachers need to be more engaging for better outcomes. [7][8][9][10] Whether it's a traditional way or e-learning, students lose interest if they are unable to comprehend a topic. E-learning does compliment serious learners, but casual learners may find it difficult to get full benefits.…”

“…Majority students agree about the continuation of online classes as they can complement traditional lectures. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] The role of teachers in the classroom remains unquestionable. Even though computers have become an integral part of the education process, it cannot replace teachers.…”