Medical Education, COVID-19 and E-Learning
Shahid Nazeer, Aroosa, Muhammad Sajid Munir, Muhammad Arshad, Farooq Ahamed, Mariam Zakia Chaudhari
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ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 not only
jeopardized the health, economy but also the education. Medical education is
the worst affected area. Shift from traditional learning to online teaching
brings forth new kind of complexity in teaching and learning behavior. Student’s
attitude towards digital world, availability of resource, their capacity to use
and learn from online teaching, institutional conversion and adoption of online
method of teaching and their impact all are expected concerns. This study is
the reflection of female medical student’s status and perception during Covid
19 pandemic.
Objective: To assess the affect of covid-19
pandemic on medical education among female medical students.
Study
Design:
Place
and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, Pak Red
Crescent Medical & Dental College Kasur from 1st January 2021 to
31st August 2021.
Methodology: Questionnaire was generated
based on student’s interview, feedback and literature review. Question was of
yes/no type. Impact of Covid19 was assessed, working potential, future
planning, availability of resources, role of institution, knowledge, attitude
and mental and physical well being. Questionnaire was distributed and collected
after 24 hours, majority responders were female.
Results: There were 29 students with average age
of 21.3±2 years, who responded to the survey, among them only 2 were males.
86.2% claimed negative impact of Covid-19. 34.5% had mild, 37.9% moderate and
24.1% had severe anxiety. Only eight (27.6%) students worked as frontline
worker or volunteer during pandemic with highest rate (66.7%) among final year
or house officers. Majority (93.0%) were aware of the COVID-19 infection and
its consequences. Social media was the major source of information for 79.3%
followed by WHO web site, faculty lectures, government health advisors and
conference/symposia at campus. A good number (65.5%) were willing to work as
frontline worker, 58.6% had their families no objection on their working as
frontline workers.13.8% did not have digital devices. 58.6% were satisfied with
internet function.
Conclusion: Majority student’s physical
and mental wellbeing affected by Covid. Most were aware of Covid and its
consequences. Institution need to integrate online teaching method into
traditional way of learning. More resources should be directed for education
and provision of facility.
Keywords: COVID-19, Education, Learning, Anxiety
, Female students, Digital devices