Use of WhatsApp®, for distance teaching during COVID-19 pandemic: Experience and perception from a sub-Saharan African setting

Abstract

Background In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, to palliate to the lockdown and cover academic programs, the faculty of medicine and pharmaceutical sciences (FMPS) of the university of Dschang (UDs) in Cameroon has implemented e-learning using WhatsApp®. Aim Describe the opinion of students and lecturers after its implementation of e-learning at the FMPS of UDs. Methods We designed a uniform teaching scheme using WhatsApp® during the university lockdown. Students and members of the teaching staff of the FMPS of UDs were enrolled after receiving clear information on the study implementation. At the end of the online-teaching period of two and a half months, we surveyed our students and teaching staff. Sociodemographic characteristics and opinions about e-learning were collected using a standard questionnaire. Results We enrolled 229 students and 40 lecturers of the FMPS. Students reported a decremented quality of internet connection (p < 0.001, p-homogeneity < 0.001) despite an increased expenditure related to internet use. Electronic devices were broadly used before the implementation of mobile learning. The use of course materials was significantly more challenging among students because of the size/format of lecture notes and internet connection/cost (all p < 0.05). Perception of discipline compared to classroom-based lessons was not significantly different among students compared to lecturers (all p > 0.05). While lecturers were mainly more comfortable conveying the contents of their lectures, students tended to be less prone to actively participate. The motivation and satisfaction of the latter group toward e-learning were modest compared to classroom-based lectures while their feedback about the organization was positive. Conclusions E-learning using WhatsApp® could be an effective alternative to conventional classroom-based lessons in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. The use of a blended-learning program including classroom-based sessions could help improve its limitations.

WhatsApp’s Potential to Broaden Online Teaching and Learning: Perceptions of Undergraduate Students From One South African University

“…Participant 8's tutors "used to tell us what we gonna do and then send a tutorial activity then remind us that class will commence at what time". Similar toEnyama et al's (2021) findings of significant expansion of WhatsApp usage since COVID-19, WhatsApp usage in this study's context has broadened greatly during COVID-19 and has clearly moved from informal to formal spaces (interview): many lecturers have joined or initiated WhatsApp usage. WhatsApp usage has also broadened to content sharing and other teaching and learning functions such as those related to assignments (Q4).…”

“…In this case, this study is similar to other studies published since the onset of COVID-19 that examine the innovative implementation of social media in teaching and learning or that report user patterns and attitudes towards these online tools, often used in resource-constrained contexts (including Indonesia, Cameron, Mauritius, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Malaysia, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, etc. ; see Adedoyin & Soykan, 2020;Akaloo, 2021;Alsharif et al, 2020;Bonsu et al, 2021;Enyama et al, 2021;Khan, 2021;Maphosa et al, 2020;Maddumapatabandi & Gamage, 2020;Mulyono et al, 2021;Mustafa & Yaakub, 2021).…”

Social Media in Health Studies: A Systematic Review of Comparative Learning Methods

“…Literature usually reports a positive perception of students on the use of social media [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. However, our review reports more contrasting results.…”

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on medical teaching in obstetrics and gynecology—A nationwide expert survey among teaching coordinators at German university hospitals

“…As recently published, the need for online teaching methods that could also compensate for both reduced bedside teaching opportunities and less patient interaction has led to new and more experimental teaching concepts. Examples are realistic e-learning cases in a symptom-based curriculum in internal medicine at a German university hospital [30, p. 19], the use of instant messaging (e.g., via WhatsApp 1 ) for distance teaching in a sub-Saharan African setting [31], or the implementation of virtual "serious gaming" as an alternative to intensive small-group teaching [32]. Exactly what impact the different quantity and quality of teaching as well as students' satisfaction with the curriculum during the pandemic will have on career choices remains to be seen.…”