Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers
Abstract Background: Medical education has been affected significantly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. During the pandemic, online learning functioned as the principal pathway of education at all levels of education for a considerable time. Online medical education has faced many...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Medical Journal of Babylon |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4103/MJBL.MJBL_12_23 |
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| author | Loma Al-Mansouri Firas R. Al-Obaidi Noor Ahmed Abdullah |
| author_facet | Loma Al-Mansouri Firas R. Al-Obaidi Noor Ahmed Abdullah |
| author_sort | Loma Al-Mansouri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background: Medical education has been affected significantly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. During the pandemic, online learning functioned as the principal pathway of education at all levels of education for a considerable time. Online medical education has faced many challenges and constraints. Objectives: To evaluate the students’ perception toward online medical education in Iraq and related challenges and limitations. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive study to evaluate the challenges and barriers of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We created an online questionnaire. The survey was introduced to undergraduate students in the medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing colleges from all stages at the University of Basrah, south of Iraq. The study was conducted in April 2020. Results: The total number of participants was 882 students. There were 438 (49.6%) females. The responses of the students showed different problems and limitations facing online learning. These were divided into student-, faculty-, and technical-related barriers. The survey showed that 77% of the students are facing difficulties with having internet or having low-quality internet services. In addition, there was a shortage of students’ electronic devices mainly due to financial causes. The faculty-related were considered by the students (71.4%) to be mainly the deficient experience of the teaching staff in using digital resources. The students (49.4%) recommended online learning to continue in the future, blended with a classic education. Conclusion: The perception of medical students toward online learning was positive. The challenges and barriers to online education were related to students, faculty, and technical factors. The role of online learning can be promising in the post-COVID-19 era. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dc53342cff2f4af2a1d7561385d437e8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1812-156X 2312-6760 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medical Journal of Babylon |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc53342cff2f4af2a1d7561385d437e82025-01-25T10:14:50ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsMedical Journal of Babylon1812-156X2312-67602024-01-01211252910.4103/MJBL.MJBL_12_23Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriersLoma Al-MansouriFiras R. Al-ObaidiNoor Ahmed AbdullahAbstract Background: Medical education has been affected significantly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. During the pandemic, online learning functioned as the principal pathway of education at all levels of education for a considerable time. Online medical education has faced many challenges and constraints. Objectives: To evaluate the students’ perception toward online medical education in Iraq and related challenges and limitations. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive study to evaluate the challenges and barriers of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We created an online questionnaire. The survey was introduced to undergraduate students in the medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing colleges from all stages at the University of Basrah, south of Iraq. The study was conducted in April 2020. Results: The total number of participants was 882 students. There were 438 (49.6%) females. The responses of the students showed different problems and limitations facing online learning. These were divided into student-, faculty-, and technical-related barriers. The survey showed that 77% of the students are facing difficulties with having internet or having low-quality internet services. In addition, there was a shortage of students’ electronic devices mainly due to financial causes. The faculty-related were considered by the students (71.4%) to be mainly the deficient experience of the teaching staff in using digital resources. The students (49.4%) recommended online learning to continue in the future, blended with a classic education. Conclusion: The perception of medical students toward online learning was positive. The challenges and barriers to online education were related to students, faculty, and technical factors. The role of online learning can be promising in the post-COVID-19 era.https://doi.org/10.4103/MJBL.MJBL_12_23challenges and barrierscovid-19medical educationmedical studentsonline learningpandemic |
| spellingShingle | Loma Al-Mansouri Firas R. Al-Obaidi Noor Ahmed Abdullah Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers Medical Journal of Babylon challenges and barriers covid-19 medical education medical students online learning pandemic |
| title | Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers |
| title_full | Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers |
| title_fullStr | Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers |
| title_short | Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students’ perspective of challenges and barriers |
| title_sort | online learning during the covid 19 pandemic medical students perspective of challenges and barriers |
| topic | challenges and barriers covid-19 medical education medical students online learning pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4103/MJBL.MJBL_12_23 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lomaalmansouri onlinelearningduringthecovid19pandemicmedicalstudentsperspectiveofchallengesandbarriers AT firasralobaidi onlinelearningduringthecovid19pandemicmedicalstudentsperspectiveofchallengesandbarriers AT noorahmedabdullah onlinelearningduringthecovid19pandemicmedicalstudentsperspectiveofchallengesandbarriers |