Students and faculty perception of distance medical education outcomes in resource-constrained system during COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant challenges on medical education worldwide, particularly in experience- and resource-limited regions of the world. Collaborative efforts of educators and academic institutions are necessary to facilitate the adaptation to the new educational reality. In this study, challenges and outcomes of a newly implemented distance education curriculum are examined to share findings and provide recommendations. Methods An alternative distance education curriculum with online resources and virtual lectures was developed and implemented in February 2020 at the Wasit University College of Medicine in Iraq. A post-implementation survey was developed for both faculty instructors and students to evaluate the program's effectiveness and perception. Results were compared between both groups. The study was approved by the University's Dean and exempted by the research committee for anonymity. Results A total of 636 students and 81 instructors were surveyed. Approximately 33% of students and 51% of instructors found online education equivalent or superior to traditional face-to-face teaching methods. Almost 69% of students and 51% of instructors reported increased difficulties with virtual learning, primarily due to challenges with the available technology, unreliable internet connectivity, as well as perceive fatigue when listening to online lectures. Conclusions Distance education provides a worthwhile alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in regions of limited experience. Adequate preparation, good quality audio-visuals and Internet, and student engagement activities are recommended to improve the quality of education.

Distance education perception scale for medical students: a validity and reliability study

“…varies for situations. Tuma et al [14], an example of the studies conducted to [18], Gismalla et al [19] also applied a questionnaire to evaluate the perceptions of medical students about distance education. There are also studies in which scales are used instead of questionnaires in the evaluation of the perception of distance education.…”

“…Many studies examine the perceptions of distance education according to the graduate/undergraduate students, lecturer/instructor, department/faculty/institution, courses and different countries where they study [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. A large number of different studies have been conducted in which a questionnaire was applied to measure the perception of distance education among medical students [14][15][16][17][18][19]. In addition to studies using questionnaires in the evaluation of the perception of distance education, some studies develop and use scales [20][21][22][23].…”

The Pandemic That Has Forced Teachers to Go Online. Zooming in on Tips for Online Teaching

“…Whether we will ultimately embrace online teaching, remains to be seen and is likely also dependent on whether audibility and strength of internet connections. A recent survey among students and teachers in Iraq, reported increased difficulties due to COVID-19 enforced online learning among 69% of students and 51% of teachers (Tuma et al, 2021). Also in the United States, a nationwide survey among pharmacology students revealed that only 30% of the students preferred blended approaches, whereas 47% explicitly wants to return to normal classes (Hamilton et al, 2020).…”

Challenges of Virtual Medical Sciences Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…The reviewed studies indicated that technological barriers (e.g., software and hardware), weak servers without the capacity for high user volume, and systems with poor visual communication with the audience adversely affect online learning. Unreliable internet service, internet connection, internet costs and financial support issues, frequent power outages (power fluctuation), and network issues (poor bandwidth) were among the other challenges identified in the previous studies in this regard (10,12,13,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).…”