Unlearning, Relearning, and Paradigm Shift to Online Tertiary Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

et al. 2021

Healthcare

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.

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,

et al. 2021

Healthcare

“…Yousuf and Salam as well as Islam in their respective papers subsequently discuss potential ways to address these challenges and conclude that careful planning and good co-ordination in teaching delivery, with the aid of online educational technologies and tutorials to address the many challenges, can enhance successful online learning 72,73 , with similar examples seen on other countries 74 . However, this requires familiarisation and proper training of current software technologies 72,73 .…”

Section: The Instigation Of Large Multi-arm Studies Including the World Health Organisation (Who) Solidaritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of residents surveyed as part of their research were satisfied with the support offered by TMP by key members of the department, helping them to continue with research projects despite the many challenges 70 . Yusof, Islam and Ashiq et al in their respective papers discuss the many challenges to higher education including physician and pharmacy education as a result of the pandemic, with both educators and students struggling initially to adapt to new online learning approaches 15,71,72 . There can also be concerns regarding ways to adequately address the many challenges associated with practical training and experiments among healthcare students 15 .…”

Section: The Instigation Of Large Multi-arm Studies Including the World Health Organisation (Who) Solidaritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There can also be concerns regarding ways to adequately address the many challenges associated with practical training and experiments among healthcare students 15 . However, there can also be opportunities from online approaches including greater flexibility and more opportunities for educators to regularly check on student understanding and progress 72 . Yousuf and Salam as well as Islam in their respective papers subsequently discuss potential ways to address these challenges and conclude that careful planning and good co-ordination in teaching delivery, with the aid of online educational technologies and tutorials to address the many challenges, can enhance successful online learning 72,73 , with similar examples seen on other countries 74 .…”

Section: The Instigation Of Large Multi-arm Studies Including the World Health Organisation (Who) Solidaritymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Key findings regarding COVID 19 in Bangladesh and wider and their implications

Godman

2021

Bangladesh J Med Sci

“…Consequently, in view of the increasing challenges with managing patients with both infectious and noninfectious diseases in Bangladesh, it is important that new physicians and dentists are appropriately trained to enhance the rational use of medicines across disease areas. However, we are aware of the challenges in healthcare professional education in Bangladesh during the pandemic, including for physicians and pharmacists, arising from the closure of universities and transfer to e-learning across Bangladesh and wider 1,[39][40][41][42][43] . We are also aware of the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of students and university staff across countries including medical students [44][45][46][47] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental and medical education in Bangladesh: a pilot study and the implications

Chowdhury

Lutfor

et al. 2022

Bangladesh J Med Sci

Objective: Lockdown and other measures, including the closure of universities, introduced by Governments across countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have appreciably impacted on the education of dental and medical students across countries. Key challenges included the need to rapidly move to e-learning as well as instigate new approaches to practicals for health science students. This involves lecturers and students necessarily needing to rapidly adapt to e-learning and other approaches. There have also been affordability issues among students to regularly access the Internet, and purchase the necessary equipment, particularly among those from low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. Consequently, there is an urgent need to assess current challenges among senior level physicians and educators in Bangladesh regarding the education of dental and medical students arising from the current pandemic, and how these are being addressed, to provide future direction. This is particularly important in Bangladesh with high rates of both infectious and non-infectious diseases. Materials and Methods: Pragmatic investigation involving a purposely developed questionnaire based on previous studies and the experience of the co-authors. The questionnaire was distributed to 15 senior-level educators with the findings analysed by themes. Results: Key issues included little experience with e-learning at the start of the pandemic among both staff and students, poor internet access and cost of internet bundles. In addition, fear and anxieties among both students and staff. The colleges responded by instigating teaching classes for educators on e-learning and providing adequate personal protective equipment for staff and students during teaching and practical sessions. These formed the basis of future recommendations. Other recommendations included increased flexibility among staff and students. Conclusion: The pandemic posed appreciable challenges to both staff and students attending dental and medical colleges in Bangladesh. Some of the key issues are starting to be addressed. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 21 No. 02 April’22 Page : 444-454