Interaction Identified as both a Challenge and a Benefit in a Rapid Switch to Online Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The recent emergence and subsequent global spread of COVID-19 has forced a rapid shift to online and remote learning at veterinary schools. Students in a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine program were taught using a real-time online platform for one semester, with recorded synchronous lectures and tutorials, virtual laboratories, and clinical skills classes where possible. Students in all years of the program were surveyed twice, 8 weeks apart to assess their perceptions of online teaching and to identify challenges they experienced. Using a 10-point Likert scale, students agreed that they could achieve their learning outcomes using online learning with no more difficulty than with face-to-face teaching, allocating average scores of 7.6 and 8.2 at each time point. Students were overwhelmingly positive about the impact of online teaching on time-management of their learning due to the loss of travel time. They enjoyed aspects of teaching such as recorded lectures, online polls quizzes, and chat boxes that allowed more student-focused learning. However, there were concerns about the reduction in face-to-face interactions including loss of classroom atmosphere and reduced interaction with peers. Students experienced technical problems in a median of 20% of lectures (range 10%–50%) at the first survey and 10% at the second (range 10%–50%). Increased use of strategies to optimize peer interactions is recommended to facilitate student learning using online platforms. Moving forward beyond the pandemic, allowing flexible time management and a shift toward student-centered learning using strategies such as flipped classrooms may be beneficial.

Distance Education in Veterinary Medicine: History, Current Situation, and Future Perspectives (a Systematic Review)

“…Despite of those problems, participants also reported advantages like online learning is more flexible, permits self-study and more time to learn. This is consisted with reported by Freitas Ribeiro (2021) with VM students in Brazil, Parkes and Barrs (2021) in Hong Kong and Das et al (2021) in India. The COVID-19 pandemic situation has forced institutions to offer their courses by distance learning, for which many were not ready.…”

“…It was found out that students successfully learned the clinical skills with no significant difference with previous EaD em Foco,2022, 1(1): e1635 | 2 years. Parkes and Barrs (2021), also reported the implementation of a learning platform for veterinary students due to the pandemic situation. They reported, the platform and methodology were positively accepted by the students and not represented more difficulties when compared with face-to-face learning.…”

Evaluation of the online learning of veterinary anatomy education during the Covid‐19 pandemic lockdown in Egypt: Students' perceptions

“…Using visual and auditory aids in teaching increases the level of understanding and enhances information processing and memory recall (Shabiralyani et al, 2015). It is worth mentioning that the rapid transition from traditional teaching to online learning, due to the Covid‐19 crisis in developing countries, occurred without planning or training and did not allow teachers to develop new resources (Parkes & Barrs, 2021; Patra et al, 2021a). Therefore, it is recommended to apply a hybrid model in teaching the anatomy curriculum in which traditional laboratory dissection is combined with remote learning (Shahrvini et al, 2021).…”

“…It is also recommended to enhance teacher‐to‐student interaction in several ways including using pre‐class questions that promote critical thinking, teaching both teachers and students to use technology, providing immediate feedback for students' inquiries, and using a synchronous mode of teaching via virtual classrooms (Flottemesch, 2000; Mohmmed et al, 2020). In addition to providing short videos that focus on one or two ideas, mini‐quiz, online polls, breakout rooms, activity task, or case study (Evans et al, 2020; Parkes & Barrs, 2021) and problem‐based learning (Harmon et al, 2021) should be incorporated. Furthermore, digital and economic distress is an important challenge that students face.…”

Conduction of Academic Examination in the University Campus by the Medicine College during Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Elaboration of Precautionary Methods

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of virtual learning was the only safe and reasonable educational option that ensured students' engagement along with fulfilling their knowledge gaps as well as competencies of the health professional educators [9], [10], [11]. However, to provide high standards of medical education, it was mandatory not to compromise on merit so that the students who would be practicing as the future health practitioners would not be lacking the skills and knowledge required to deliver quality health management to the community [12], [13]. To accomplish this goal, the Qassim University administration after extensive meetings has decided to conduct examinations within the campus.…”