Perceptions of Pharmacy Students on the E-Learning Strategies Adopted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: E-learning strategies were globally adopted by academies because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The characterization of students’ perception of online learning is fundamental to design appropriate models for pharmacy curricula. The study aim was to carry out a systematic review about the perception of pharmacy students on the e-learning strategies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was followed. PICOS criteria were applied. Five databases were screened: PubMed, Cochrane Library, DOAJ—Directory of Open Access Journals, SciELO—Scientific Electronic Library Online and b-on—Online Library of knowledge (Biblioteca do conhecimento online). Keywords: “pharmacy and (distant or remote or e-learning or online or zoom or education or training or digital) and (COVID or SARS and (student or undergraduate) and (opinion or satisfaction or perception or attitude)”. Results: 23 out of 176 papers were selected (28 duplicated and 125 excluded). Selected papers were classified, as follows: studies exclusively involving pharmacy students (n = 8); studies simultaneously involving pharmacy students and other healthcare students (n = 6); and studies related to the involvement of pharmacy students in specific courses (n = 9). Conclusions: In general, the perception of pharmacy students on e-learning strategies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic was positive. However, an expressive proportion of undergraduates reported negative issues about online education, which seems to support the necessity of optimizing e-learning strategies in the future.

A SWOT Analysis of Pharmacy Students’ Perspectives on e-Learning Based on a Narrative Review

“…Globally, 39 papers and 1 report were selected: PubMed (n = 33) [ 10 , 13 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ], SciELO (n = 1) [ 52 ], Google Scholar (n = 6) [ 8 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ], and sites of known international organizations (n = 1) [ 3 ].…”

“…The selected publications were classified as follows: 7 reviews [ 8 , 13 , 23 , 41 , 43 , 52 , 53 ]; 31 original research publications [ 10 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 55 , 56 , 57 ]; 1 commentary [ 47 ]; 1 case study [ 54 ]; 1 report [ 3 ].…”

“…In general, pharmacy students declared improved feelings, such as self-confidence, acceptance, engagement, satisfaction, motivation (e.g., hedonic motivation), intellectual development, and security in relation to patient interactions (e.g., virtual patients) or a positive general perception about online education [ 8 , 13 , 21 , 39 , 43 , 57 ]. Students declared being satisfied with the possibility of applying previous computer or other technological skills (e.g., “I have satisfactory computer skills for dealing with online course/assignments”) [ 48 ], and students recognized the usefulness of e-learning (e.g., “My attention to the class tasks during e-learning session was greater in comparison to the traditional face-to-face class meetings”) [ 24 ].…”

“…This systematic review concluded that online teaching needs to be regularly monitored and optimized. Positively, pharmacy students expressed an interest in maintaining online learning in future [ 13 ]. For instance, students expressed interest in the use of social networks (e.g., Facebook) in e-learning, as they are based on human interactions between colleagues and/or teachers [ 13 , 14 ].…”

Fostering a distance‐based longitudinal mentoring relationship for career development: A student‐faculty perspective

“…The COVID‐19 pandemic forced unique adaptations to clinical training, with many health professions utilizing virtual simulations, telehealth‐based clinical shadowing, and shift of lecture‐based courses to both synchronous and asynchronous formats (Hargreaves et al., 2021; Pires, 2022; Rose, 2020). The use of distance‐based learning technologies has continued even as schools/colleges have returned to in‐person instruction, which is necessitating looking at ways to establish and sustain mentoring relationships when students are at least partially in an online environment.…”