DOI•
The experience of a newly implemented online learning platform for medical students
24 Oct 2021-Vol. 2, pp 123-133
TL;DR: In this article, a survey was conducted to evaluate the quality of the teacher-student communication, or the advantages e-learning offered, while the platform's functionalities were analyzed through a five-point scale.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: In the context of the current public health emergency, an adequate adjustment imposed a transition from a conservative approach to medical education to online teaching and interaction. E-learning also brought advantages to the students, which were assessed in this survey in order to learn how to keep and benefit from them in the future.
METHODS: the data was collected through a questionnaire which included general data (gender, year of study) and the self-perceived progress. Specific questions addressed the quality of the teacher-student communication, or the advantages e-learning offered, while the platform's functionalities were analyzed through a five-point scale.
RESULTS: Among the 536 respondents, 99.81% mentioned at least one feature used specifically in the online training that would be valuable to retain in the future. Students perceiving progress better than expected had a higher appreciation of the e-learning tools. Gender differences in opinion were only correlated with the standardization of the studying process. While time management was accepted as a main advantage, 25% of the participants considered the overall communication better than before. A major disapproval regarding online communication was encountered in years 3, 4, and 5, while the desire to continue the communication through the existing platform was the highest in the first and last year of study.
CONCLUSION: Even in a blended learning process, the digital delivery of medical training needs further improvement and adaptation in order to align with the fast-developing society and its expectations.
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TL;DR: The promotion of the merits of learner centred and problem oriented approaches to learning aim to produce doctors better equipped with the adult learning skills necessary for them to adapt to, and meet, the changing needs of the community they serve.
Abstract: Medical education is a lifelong process embracing premedical experience, undergraduate education, general clinical training, specialist or vocational training, subspecialty training, and continuing medical education. Although medical education was once seen as the province of medical schools and teaching hospitals, large and increasing numbers of practitioners now provide teaching and promotion of learning outside the traditional environment.
Over the past decade both the university sector and the NHS have seen considerable change and increased accountability for their activities, and all the signs suggest that the next 10 years will be no different. Simultaneously, medical schools are having to acknowledge the implementation of new curricula, the consequences of new health service priorities, an increase in the number of medical students, and the implications of the report from the National Committee of Enquiry into Higher Education, chaired by Sir Ron Dearing.1
The most recent recommendations of the General Medical Council's education committee were intended to promote an approach to undergraduate medical education and to give a perspective on its aims, which differ substantially from those of traditional curricula.2 Although the 13 principal recommendations are now well known, at the core is the promotion of the merits of learner centred and problem oriented approaches to learning, which aim to produce doctors better equipped with the adult learning skills necessary for them to adapt to, and meet, the changing needs of the community they serve.
The pedagogic shift from the traditional teacher centred approach, in which the emphasis is on teachers and what they teach, to a student centred approach, in which the emphasis is on students and what they learn, requires a fundamental change in the role of the educator from that of a didactic teacher to that of a facilitator of learning.3
Our aim was to explore some of the …
540 citations
TL;DR: Findings suggest that the key barriers which affect the development and implementation of online learning in medical education include time constraints, poor technical skills, inadequate infrastructure, absence of institutional strategies and support and negative attitudes of all involved.
Abstract: The aim of this study is to review the literature on known barriers and solutions that face educators when developing and implementing online learning programs for medical students and postgraduate trainees. An integrative review was conducted over a three-month period by an inter-institutional research team. The search included ScienceDirect, Scopus, BioMedical, PubMed, Medline (EBSCO & Ovid), ERIC, LISA, EBSCO, Google Scholar, ProQuest A&I, ProQuest UK & Ireland, UL Institutional Repository (IR), UCDIR and the All Aboard Report. Search terms included online learning, medical educators, development, barriers, solutions and digital literacy. The search was carried out by two reviewers. Titles and abstracts were screened independently and reviewed with inclusion/exclusion criteria. A consensus was drawn on which articles were included. Data appraisal was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Qualitative Research Checklist and NHMRC Appraisal Evidence Matrix. Data extraction was completed using the Cochrane Data Extraction Form and a modified extraction tool. Of the 3101 abstracts identified from the search, ten full-text papers met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was completed on seven papers of high methodological quality and on three lower quality papers. Findings suggest that the key barriers which affect the development and implementation of online learning in medical education include time constraints, poor technical skills, inadequate infrastructure, absence of institutional strategies and support and negative attitudes of all involved. Solutions to these include improved educator skills, incentives and reward for the time involved with development and delivery of online content, improved institutional strategies and support and positive attitude amongst all those involved in the development and delivery of online content. This review has identified barriers and solutions amongst medical educators to the implementation of online learning in medical education. Results can be used to inform institutional and educator practice in the development of further online learning.
513 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that librarians can play an important role in e-learning: providing support and support materials; teaching information skills; managing and providing access to online information resources; producing their own e- learning packages; assisting in the development of other packages.
Abstract: Introduction: In 2003/4 the Information Management Research Institute, Northumbria University, conducted a research project to identify the barriers to e-learning for health professionals and students. The project also established possible ways to overcome these barriers. The North of England Workforce Development Confederation funded the project.
Methodology: The project comprised a systematic review of the literature on barriers to and solutions/critical success factors for e-learning in the health field. Fifty-seven references were suitable for analysis. This review was supplemented by a questionnaire survey of learners and an interview study of learning providers to ensure that data identified from the literature were grounded in reality.
Results: The main barriers are: requirement for change; costs; poorly designed packages; inadequate technology; lack of skills; need for a component of face-to-face teaching; time intensive nature of e-learning; computer anxiety.
A range of solutions can solve these barriers. The main solutions are: standardization; strategies; funding; integration of e-learning into the curriculum; blended teaching; user friendly packages; access to technology; skills training; support; employers paying e-learning costs; dedicated work time for e-learning.
Conclusions: The authors argue that librarians can play an important role in e-learning: providing support and support materials; teaching information skills; managing and providing access to online information resources; producing their own e-learning packages; assisting in the development of other packages.
432 citations
TL;DR: Blended learning appears to have a consistent positive effect in comparison with no intervention, and to be more effective than or at least as effective as nonblended instruction for knowledge acquisition in health professions.
Abstract: Background: Blended learning, defined as the combination of traditional face-to-face learning and asynchronous or synchronous e-learning, has grown rapidly and is now widely used in education. Concerns about the effectiveness of blended learning have led to an increasing number of studies on this topic. However, there has yet to be a quantitative synthesis evaluating the effectiveness of blended learning on knowledge acquisition in health professions. Objective: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of blended learning for health professional learners compared with no intervention and with nonblended learning. We also aimed to explore factors that could explain differences in learning effects across study designs, participants, country socioeconomic status, intervention durations, randomization, and quality score for each of these questions. Methods: We conducted a search of citations in Medline, CINAHL, Science Direct, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and ERIC through September 2014. Studies in any language that compared blended learning with no intervention or nonblended learning among health professional learners and assessed knowledge acquisition were included. Two reviewers independently evaluated study quality and abstracted information including characteristics of learners and intervention (study design, exercises, interactivity, peer discussion, and outcome assessment). Results: We identified 56 eligible articles. Heterogeneity across studies was large (I 2 ≥93.3) in all analyses. For studies comparing knowledge gained from blended learning versus no intervention, the pooled effect size was 1.40 (95% CI 1.04-1.77; P< .001; n=20 interventions) with no significant publication bias, and exclusion of any single study did not change the overall result. For studies comparing blended learning with nonblended learning (pure e-learning or pure traditional face-to-face learning), the pooled effect size was 0.81 (95% CI 0.57-1.05; P< .001; n=56 interventions), and exclusion of any single study did not change the overall result. Although significant publication bias was found, the trim and fill method showed that the effect size changed to 0.26 (95% CI -0.01 to 0.54) after adjustment. In the subgroup analyses, pre-posttest study design, presence of exercises, and objective outcome assessment yielded larger effect sizes. Conclusions: Blended learning appears to have a consistent positive effect in comparison with no intervention, and to be more effective than or at least as effective as nonblended instruction for knowledge acquisition in health professions. Due to the large heterogeneity, the conclusion should be treated with caution. [J Med Internet Res 2016;18(1):e2]
414 citations
TL;DR: Students did not prefer e-teaching over face-to-face teaching during the lock down situation, and administration and faculty members should take necessary measures for improving e-Teaching for better learning during lock down.
Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of students towards e-learning during the lock down.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Liaquat College of Medicine and Dentistry. MBBS and BDS students of all levels participated in the study with a sample size calculated as 377. A self-administered questionnaire was developed. After validation from the Medical Education Experts, pilot test was run on 30 participants before the administration of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was emailed to the participants for data collection. Reliability of the questionnaire was determined. Independent T-test was applied for determining the perceptions of students towards e-learning. Frequencies and percentages were also computed for demographics.
Results: Total 382 responses were received.137 males and 245 females participated in the study. 0.851 was calculated as Cronbach’s alpha of the questionnaire. Overall, 77% students have negative perceptions towards e-learning. 76% of the students use mobile device for their e-learning.
Conclusion: Students did not prefer e-teaching over face-to-face teaching during the lock down situation. Administration and faculty members should take necessary measures for improving e-teaching for better learning during lock down.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.COVID19-S4.2766
How to cite this:Abbasi S, Ayoob T, Malik A, Memon SI. Perceptions of students regarding E-learning during Covid-19 at a private medical college. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(COVID19-S4):COVID19-S57-S61. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.COVID19-S4.2766
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
372 citations