Remote Pathology teaching under the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students' perceptions

Abstract

Context The COVID-19 pandemic has forced traditional teaching to be re-structured and delivered online. Objective To analyse medical students' perceptions about the benefits and difficulties of the remote teaching of Pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design A cross-sectional study was performed with an online survey applied to students from the third and fourth year of medical graduation, who attended the remote teaching of Pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online teaching methods consisted of synchronous activities with live interactive lectures, case-based discussions and asynchronous activities with recorded lectures, tutorials and texts available on the online teaching platform. Students' perceptions about the remote teaching of Pathology were assessed through online survey. Results Ninety students (47.4%) of 190 participants completed the questionnaire, 45 were male and 52 in the third year of medical graduation. Perceived conditions that facilitated Pathology learning included the use of the online teaching platform and time flexibility for study. Students regarded live interactive lectures as superior to traditional face-to-face lectures. Perceived conditions that hindered the implementation of the online teaching included difficulty separating study from home activities, lack of motivation and worsening of quality of life due to physical distancing from colleagues and the faculty. Overall, the remote teaching of Pathology was positively valued by 80% of the students. Conclusion Online tools allowed the content of Pathology to be successfully delivered to the students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience may be a model for future teaching activities of Pathology in health science education.

Virtual Pathology Education in Medical Schools Worldwide during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Advantages, Challenges Faced, and Perspectives

“…Notably, evaluation scores were often improved, compared to the previous years when traditional on-site delivery had taken place [ 5 , 9 ]. Medical students regarded the remote delivery of classes as flexible and less time-consuming, while they appreciated that teaching materials (e.g., session recordings and virtual slides) were available to access anytime and from anywhere [ 4 , 10 ]. On this subject, a group reported creating a YouTube channel containing all the high-quality recordings from their pathology sessions, which was very much appreciated by their students [ 20 ].…”

“…Similarly, instructors also reported that virtual laboratory sessions were effective in a recent study [ 21 ]. Of interest, some students often found the online sessions more interactive, engaging, and better structured compared to the conventional ones, finding it easier to participate and ask questions [ 4 , 6 ]. A study by Rodrigues et al reported that, although both sexes were asking more questions during virtual classes, female students felt significantly more comfortable doing so than males (48.9 vs. 33%, p < 0.03) [ 4 ].…”

“…Of interest, some students often found the online sessions more interactive, engaging, and better structured compared to the conventional ones, finding it easier to participate and ask questions [ 4 , 6 ]. A study by Rodrigues et al reported that, although both sexes were asking more questions during virtual classes, female students felt significantly more comfortable doing so than males (48.9 vs. 33%, p < 0.03) [ 4 ]. Our recent study also showed that the female sex was an independent predictor associated with an enhanced virtual learning experience [ 3 ].…”

“…Recently, there has been a tendency to include more case studies and exercises highlighting clinicopathological correlations into pathology teaching, in order to integrate with other courses within the medical school curriculum and emphasize pathology’s clinical significance in medicine’s multidisciplinary setting [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. In general, pathology courses run for a whole semester or more when designed for preclinical medical students [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Notably, in some medical schools, senior medical students can additionally choose to attend a more advanced pathology elective which could be 2- to 4- weeks duration.…”

“…However, due to the unprecedented challenges to medical schools worldwide induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, pathology teaching around the world largely shifted towards remote delivery, and whole courses needed to be re-designed to fit the online environment. In addition, pathology educators had to adjust their teaching style, learn novel technologies, and create new material suitable to teach remotely during the unprecedented period they were facing [ 4 , 8 , 11 , 14 , 15 ]. Various innovative platforms were used, designed to facilitate both synchronous and asynchronous learning, as well as small group sessions.…”