Survey of medical and dental students' attitudes toward virtual education during Covid-19 epidemic in 2021

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Health and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objective: With the contagion of the deadly and infectious disease of Corona virus known as Covid-19, many universities and training centers suspended face-to-face teaching. The present study was designed and conducted to investigate the attitudes of medical and dental students of Shahed University towards virtual education during Covid-19 epidemic
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 300 medical and dental students of Shahed University in 2021. Data were collected using a valid and reliable        E-learning opportunities and threats questionnaire and entered in SPSS 21 software. Linear regression method was used to analyze the data.
Results: The average attitude of students towards virtual education in the cost-learning efficacy dimension was 22.17±6.71, mental-emotional dimension was 25.83±5.08, communicational instructor-student dimension was 18.25 ± 5.08 and the total attitude score was 66.15±13/69. There was a direct significant correlation between      cost-effectiveness and factors related to teaching-learning with the total attitude score (P=0.001).
Conclusion: The general attitude of students towards virtual education is related to the dimensions of cost-learning efficacy of education and factors related to teaching-learning. These two factors together can make 81.4% of the changes in the attitude score.

Keywords

References

  1. Gomes C. Report of the WHO-China joint mission on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Brazilian Journal of Implantology and Health Sciences 2020; 2(3):1-3
  2. Sajed AN, Amgain K. Corona virus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and the strategy for prevention. Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2020; 2(1):1-3.
  3. Viner RM, Russell SJ, Croker H, Packer J, Ward J, Stansfield C, et al. School closure and management practices during coronavirus outbreaks including COVID-19: a rapid systematic review. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 2020; 4(5):397-404.
  4. Memari AH, Kordi R, Ziaee V, Shahi MH, Sohrabpour AA, Dastjerdi N, et al. Iran’s higher education and COVID-19: the “new normal” for Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2022; 6(1):1-6.
  5. Rajab MH, Gazal AM, Alkattan K. Challenges to online medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cureus 2020; 12(7):1-8.
  6. Rangiwai B, Simati-Kumar B. A plan for online teaching and learning for the Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge (MAIK) programme in Māngere: Responding to COVID-19. Te Kaharoa 2020; 15(1).
  7. Taylor D, Grant J, Hamdy H, Grant L, Marei H, Venkatramana M. Transformation to learning from a distance. MedEdPublish 2020; 9. (11):1-12
  8. Clark JT. Distance education. In Clinical Engineering Handbook 2020; 410-415. Academic Press.
  9. Al Lily AE, Ismail AF, Abunasser FM, Alqahtani RH. Distance education as a response to pandemics: Coronavirus and Arab culture. Technology in Society 2020; 63:(101317):1-11.
  10. Huang YC, Backman SJ, Backman KF, McGuire FA, Moore D. An investigation of motivation and experience in virtual learning environments: a self-determination theory. Education and Information Technologies 2019 ;24(1):591-611.
  11. Ghafourifard M. The promotion of Virtual Education in Iran: The Potential which Turned into reality by Coronavirus. Iranian Journal of Medical Education 2020;20:33-4.
  12. Mian A, Khan S. Medical education during pandemics: a UK perspective. BMC Medicine 2020;18(1):1-2.
  13. Jafari H, Azmoude E, Ahour M. Studying the knowledge and attitude of students of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences toward e-learning. Journal of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences 2018; 6(2):38-47.
  14. Elida T, Nugroho W, Suyudi I. Cost Effectiveness of Web based Learning. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 2012;65:1071-6.
  15. Stacey E. Social Presence Online: Networking Learners at a Distance. Education and Information Technologies 2002;7(4):287-94.
  16. Murphrey TP, Dooley KE. Perceived Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Impacting the Diffusion of Distance Education Technologies in a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Journal of Agricultural Education 2000;41(4):39-50.
  17. Borotis S, Poulymenakou A. E-Learning Readiness Components: Key Issues to Consider Before Adopting E-Learning Interventions. In: Nall J, Robson R, editors. Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education; 2004 November 1-5; Washington, DC, USA. Chesapeake,VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) 2004;1622-1629.
  18. Jung I, Choi S, Lim C, Leem J. Effects of Different Types of Interaction on Learning Achievement, Satisfaction and Participation in Web-based Instruction. Innovations in Education and Teaching International 2002;39(2):153-62.
  19. Zolfaghari M, Sarmadi M, Negarandeh R, Zandi B, Ahmadi F. Attitudes of Nursing and Midwifery School's Faculty toward Blended E-learning at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Hayat 2009;15(1):31-9.
  20. Singh H. Building Effective Blended Learning Programs. Educational Technology-Saddle Brook then Englewood Cliffs NJ 2003;43(6):51-4.
  21. Khoshrang H, Dadgaran I, Shaigan H. Designing a questionnaire to measure threats and opportunities of E-learning and determining its psychometric properties. Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences 2014; 5(3):1-10.
  22. Templeton GF. A two-step approach for transforming continuous variables to normal: implications and recommendations for IS research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems 2011; 28(1):41-58.
  23. Salehi najafabadi n. The analysis appropriate components for present a conceptual model qualifying e-learning (case study: payam-e- noor university). Journal of New Approaches in Educational Administration 2019;9(36):217-48.
  24. Olum R, Atulinda L, Kigozi E, Nassozi DR, Mulekwa A, Bongomin F, Kigali S. Medical education and E-learning during COVID-19 pandemic: awareness, attitudes, preferences, and barriers among undergraduate medicine and nursing students at Makerere University, Uganda. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development. 2020 Nov; 19(7): 1-9.doi: 10.1177/2382120520973212. PMID: 33283049; PMCID: PMC7682244.
  25. Go-Palomar, M. S. Prudente and S. E. Aguja, "Medical Students' Attitude towards Online Learning," 2021 IEEE International Conference on Educational Technology (ICET), 2021, pp. 230-234, doi: 10.1109/ICET52293.2021.9563147.
  26. Mohammadimehr M, Mirmoghtadaie Z. Exploring the components of student support system in blended learning for Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences: A thematic analysis. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2021;10.
  27. Habibzadeh A, Farhadi S, Haraji A, Sadri D. The Attitudes of Faculty Members and Students of Dentistry at Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences, towards Virtual Education of Theoretical Courses during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. Journal of Research in Dental Sciences 2021; 18(3):215-27.
Daneshvar Medicine
Volume 30, Issue 5 - Serial Number 162
November and December 2022
Pages 16-26

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics