Medical Students’ Perception on Learning Anatomy Online During COVID-19 Pandemic in an Integrated Modular System: Comparison of Online and Face to Face SGDs & Interactive Lectures

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic influenced education system worldwide. This change was unusual for both students and anatomists. The present study is conducted to perceive online learning experience of 1^st& 2^nd year MBBS students in a modular system comparing online SGD & lectures with face to face.

Objectives: To assess how medical students of 1st and 2nd year MBBS perceive the experience of learning Anatomy online in an integrated modular system, their attitude towards online small group discussions (SGD) and online Interactive lectures by comparing with face-to-face learning anatomy.

Place and duration of study: The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy at University College of Medicine, University of Lahore during academic year of 2021 over a period of six months from March 2021.

Material & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by using a Questionnaire validated by five medical educationists. The sampling was done by nonprobability convenience technique. For a confidence level of 97%, sample size was 197. A total of 202 students from 1^st & 2^nd year MBBS, were asked to fill in a Questionnaire with Likert scale of 5, anonymously after taking informed consent, regarding online learning Anatomy through Zoom by comparing online SGD and Interactive lectures with face-to-face learning during COVID-19 pandemic. Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 28) software, p value ?0.05 was considered significant.

Results: A total of 202 responses were received of which 197 responses were complete. Of which 56 were from 1^styear while 141 were from 2^nd Year MBBS. Some students did not answer some questions. Percentages were calculated against student responses, for missing data the percentages were calculated from total number of responses to each question answered. p values calculated were not significant but overall students did not prefer online learning over face to face learning.

Conclusion: Our present study concludes that learning anatomy online is challenging. Overall students did not value online learning more than face-to-face learning in terms of flexibility, freedom, interaction with teachers, lack of hands-on practice and concepts, although they enjoyed the leisure of self-study with whole study material available to them at any time.