Experiences with alternative online lectures in medical education in obstetrics and gynecology during the COVID-19 pandemic—possible efficient and student-orientated models for the future?

Abstract

Purpose The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed an eminent challenge for medical teachers worldwide. Face-to-face lectures and seminars were no longer possible, and alternatives had to be found. E-learning concepts quickly emerged as the only practicable solutions and also offered the opportunity to evaluate whether traditional face-to-face lectures could be translated into an online format, independent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We offered an e-learning program consisting of lecture notes, screencasts with audio narration, and online webinars that covered topics normally taught in traditional lectures and seminars. To evaluate the learning behavior and quality of our e-learning program, we drafted a questionnaire that students completed at the end of the 2020 summer semester that had been designed to enable a comparative analysis of the different e-learning modules. Results Voluntary participation in the online courses was high. Survey analysis revealed high satisfaction with and a distinctive preference for the format, even under regular, COVID-19-independent conditions. In general, a positive appraisal of e-learning—especially as a substitute for regular lectures—was found. Students also reported higher studying efficiency. Exam results were equal to those of previous semesters. Conclusion Both acceptance of and satisfaction with our e-learning modules were high, and students displayed increased demand for this kind of e-learning format. We, therefore, conclude that e-learning offerings could serve as reasonable, efficient, student-orientated substitutes for certain medical courses, especially lectures. These curricular adaptations would correlate with the high digitalization seen in students’ everyday lives. This correlation may also hold true independent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

How to make students satisfied with digital teaching? Investigative results from teaching evaluations in Gynecology and Obstetrics

“…This has far-reaching implications for students’ mental health and should therefore be addressed in further studies.Surprisingly, many students wish for more online learning opportunities in the future, even independent from COVID-19. This result was also found by Riedel et al [ 20 ] and conveys the impression that it could be worthwhile to make greater use of digital teaching formats even independently of COVID-19. Ideally, the implementation of new digital teaching concepts should be scientifically accompanied and evaluated in future studies like the one of Riedel et al [ 20 ].…”

“…This result was also found by Riedel et al [ 20 ] and conveys the impression that it could be worthwhile to make greater use of digital teaching formats even independently of COVID-19. Ideally, the implementation of new digital teaching concepts should be scientifically accompanied and evaluated in future studies like the one of Riedel et al [ 20 ]. Our own study gives hints, on what should be of special attention when improving digital teaching.…”

Digital transfer in radiation oncology education for medical students—single-center data and systemic review of the literature

“…In addition, the repeated explanation of fundamental concepts of radiation treatment such as intensity-modulated radiation treatment may be avoided, thereby reducing redundancy. Similar screencasts have been developed and established in an e‑learning concept in gynecology and obstetrics and were evaluated positively [ 16 ].…”

Digitalization in Medicine: Are German Medical Students Well Prepared for the Future?

“…Individual learning independent of time and place, flexible scheduling, overcoming distance and time barriers, economies of scale, and novel teaching methods can be cited as clearly advantageous. The lack of student interaction with faculty, social isolation, time to prepare and the need to remain current with regard to digital teaching formats, upfront costs for infrastructure, and technical problems can be considered as drawbacks [ 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ].The range of courses available at universities for this purpose is broad, diverse and therefore difficult to oversee [ 23 , 50 , 51 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 ]. Moreover, students’ place of study, origin, previous exposure to digital teaching content, and gender need to be considered [ 49 , 56 , 64 , 65 ].…”

“…Interestingly, in surgery, the classical main lecture was still considered quite important before the pandemic [ 29 ]. Exactly this has now changed, as the most frequent transformations in digital teaching take place in the context of obligatory lectures in the individual disciplines [ 61 , 62 ]. Bedsides teaching, thus, is still difficult to adapt to a digital format [ 62 ].…”