Perceptions of dental students towards online education during the covid-19 pandemic

Objectives: To evaluate the perceptions of clinical dental students on the role of online education in providing dental education during the COVID-19 crisis.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was sent to four Egyptian dental schools from the 20th of January 2021 to the 3rd of February 2021. Survey questions included the demographics, uses, experiences, perceived benefits, and barriers of distance learning in dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were collected from the clinical dental school students. Categorical data were presented as frequencies (n) and percentages (%) and were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test.Results: Three hundred thirty-seven clinical dental students across four Egyptian dental schools responded. Most students used either Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams to access the online content. The data showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the academic performance of most participants (97.4%) with varying degrees. On average, students were neutral when asked to rate the online lectures, but did not find online practical education as effective (81.3%) as online theoretical teaching. The commonly described barriers to online teaching included loss of interaction with educators, inappropriateness in gaining clinical skills, and the instability of the internet connection.Conclusion: Despite the reported benefits, clinical dental students in Egypt preferred the hybrid approach in dental education as distance learning represented a prime challenge to gain adequate clinical dental skills.

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The effect of learning style and general self-efficacy on satisfaction of e-Learning in dental students

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02903-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tahereh Baherimoghadam ◽

Shahram Hamedani ◽

Manoosh mehrabi ◽

Navid Naseri ◽

Nooshin Marzban

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Learning Style ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Dental Students ◽

Dental Student ◽

Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

E Learning ◽

General Self Efficacy

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education. e-Learning has been becoming most popular. Satisfaction of the student is one of important goal of e-Learning, therefore factors affecting this satisfaction should be considered extensively. This study aims to evaluate the effect of learning style and General Self-Efficacy (GSE) on satisfaction of e-Learning in dental student. Method Electronic questionnaires were sent to 85 fifth and sixth-year students who had passed the face-to-face orthodontics course in the previous semester and were studying online orthodontics at the time of this study. Three questionnaires were used including Soloman and Felder learning styles index, General self-efficacy questionnaire and Satisfaction questionnaire for online education. Results The results of the reliability test showed that Cronbach’s alpha index for the self-efficacy and satisfaction questionnaire was 0.836 and 0.96, respectively. The correlation between satisfaction and the dimensions of learning style showed that the active dimension of processing information had a significant relationship with the level of satisfaction. In the understanding dimension, a relatively strong correlation was observed in the Global dimension. Moderate significant relationship between the total score of self-efficacy and the level of satisfaction has been found. Conclusion The results of the present study highlight the necessity of more studies regarding defining effective on student satisfaction during e-Learning. GSES and active learning style in the processing dimension and global learning style in the understanding dimension affect students' satisfaction.

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Dental students’ education in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: from reality to virtuality: lessons to be learnt. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.20051 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rola Alhabshneh ◽

Anas Alibrahim ◽

Tahani Abu-Alteen ◽

Wiam Hamadah ◽

Yousef Khader

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Dental Students ◽

New Era ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Educational Plan ◽

Dental Procedures ◽

E Learning ◽

Comprehensive Search

BACKGROUND The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major public health challenge for many countries around the world. The global lockdown of educational institutions is going to cause major disruption to students’ learning and cancellation of their yearly assessments. Dental students are particularly at risk, due to the possibility of aerosols produced in many dental procedures that were suggested as a way of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Shifting to online learning is needed in this era. OBJECTIVE This article aims to review the online learning experience, the effectiveness of tele-dentistry and the importance of implementing dental virtual simulation in preclinical and clinical courses during pandemics. Some suggestions are also provided to widen communication and creativity in the education system. The limitations of online learning and suggested solutions are also discussed. METHODS Two independent investigators conducted an electronic comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE for articles published between 2000 and 2020, using the following search terms: “online education”; “Tele-dentistry”; “Education during pandemics”; “Virtual dentistry”; “COVID-19 reshaping education”; and “Dental E-learning.” Studies were selected and classified as included or excluded based on the title and abstract of the articles by the 2 researchers, working independently. Articles included were published in English, related to dentistry and online education. Articles excluded were not published in English or related to conventional education. It was not possible to analyze included articles, therefore we decided to do narrative review only. Authors’ points of view and suggestions were also added to shed light on the online learning experience and understand its quality and effectiveness during pandemics. RESULTS : from 150 articles reviewed, only 30 articles were found to qualify for inclusion. All included articles discussed online education based on experience of authors and provided some suggestions so that online learning experience becomes more effective. All included articles found that online education is a useful tool to be invested at times of pandemics and that it needs to be empowered and improved by schools and universities. CONCLUSIONS Being successful in riding the wave will take dental learning and teaching into a new era. In the future, every dean and faculty member will understand that online education is not only a potential source for new revenue. Instead, online education will be recognized as an essential core to every educational plan for institutional resilience and academic continuity. CLINICALTRIAL None

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dental education: online experience and practice expectations among dental students at the University of Jordan

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02584-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Susan Hattar ◽

Abeer AlHadidi ◽

Faleh A. Sawair ◽

Islam Abd Alraheam ◽

Ahmad El-Ma’aita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Good Method ◽

Dental Students ◽

Independent Practice ◽

Professional Skills ◽

Education Experience ◽

Distant Learning ◽

Perceived Preparedness ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background The quarantine associated with the COVID-19 pandemic forced dental schools to suspend their clinical training and to shift to distant learning methods. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of quarantine on the self-perceived preparedness of dental graduates and to explore the efficacy of online education from students’ perspectives. Methods The questionnaire distributed to dental students comprised of two main sections. The first part covered the online education experience, and the second part measured the level of self-perceived preparedness for a range of cognitive, communication and professional skills. Results The survey yielded a response rate of 72%. The majority of students (77%) agreed that they missed educational experiences as a result of the lockdown. More than half of them felt less motivated to follow-up with distant e-learning and believed that online assessment is not a good method for evaluation. A high percentage of the students (66%) thought that online group discussions had a positive value while 67% preferred online lectures compared to theatre lectures. Majority of students particularly 5th year (78.7%) (p < 0.001) stated that the quarantine increased their collaboration with their colleagues. According to 87% of students, the experience most negatively affected was their clinical training. In general, students showed satisfactory self-perceived preparedness related to a range of attributes and professional skills. Conclusions The data showed that students partially appreciated the online system, whereas they did not consider it a substitute for face to face clinical practice. The overall self-perceived preparedness level was promising; however students had reservations regarding independent practice following graduation.

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Dental students’ education in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: from reality to virtuality: lessons to be learnt. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.23171 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rola Alhabshneh Sr ◽

Anas Alibrahim ◽

Tahani Alteen ◽

Wiam Hamadah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Dental Students ◽

New Era ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Educational Plan ◽

Dental Procedures ◽

E Learning ◽

Comprehensive Search

BACKGROUND Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major public health challenge for many countries around the world. The global lockdown of educational institutions is going to cause major disruption to students’ learning and cancellation of their yearly assessments. Dental students are particularly at risk, due to the possibility of aerosols produced in many dental procedures that were suggested as a way of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Shifting to online learning is needed in this era. OBJECTIVE This article aims to review the online learning experience, the effectiveness of tele-dentistry and the importance of implementing dental virtual simulation in preclinical and clinical courses during pandemics. Some suggestions are also provided to widen communication and creativity in the education system. The limitations of online learning and suggested solutions are also discussed. METHODS Two independent investigators conducted an electronic comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE for articles published between 2000 and 2020, using the following search terms: “online education”; “Tele-dentistry”; “Education during pandemics”; “Virtual dentistry”; “COVID-19 reshaping education”; and “Dental E-learning.” Studies were selected and classified as included or excluded based on the title and abstract of the articles by the 2 researchers, working independently. Articles included were published in English, related to dentistry and online education. Articles excluded were not published in English or related to conventional education. It was not possible to analyze included articles, therefore we decided to do narrative review only. Authors’ points of view and suggestions were also added to shed light on the online learning experience and understand its quality and effectiveness during pandemics. RESULTS from 150 articles reviewed, only 30 articles were found to qualify for inclusion. All included articles discussed online education based on experience of authors and provided some suggestions so that online learning experience becomes more effective. All included articles found that online education is a useful tool to be invested at times of pandemics and that it needs to be empowered and improved by schools and universities. CONCLUSIONS Being successful in riding the wave will take dental learning and teaching into a new era. In the future, every dean and faculty member will understand that online education is not only a potential source for new revenue. Instead, online education will be recognized as an essential core to every educational plan for institutional resilience and academic continuity.

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dental academia. Students’ experience in online education and expectations for a predictable practice.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-54480/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Susan Hattar ◽

Abeer AlHadidi ◽

Faleh A Sawair ◽

Islam Abd Alraheam ◽

Ahmad El-Ma’aita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Good Method ◽

Dental Students ◽

Independent Practice ◽

Professional Skills ◽

Face To Face ◽

Education Experience ◽

Distant Learning ◽

The Impact

Abstract AbstractBackground: The quarantine associated with the COVID-19 pandemic forced dental schools to suspend their clinical training and to shift to distant learning methods. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on the preparedness of dental graduates and to explore the efficacy and limitations of online education from students’ perspectives. Methods: the questionnaire distributed to dental students comprised of two main sections; first part covered the online education experience and the second part measured the level of preparedness for a range of cognitive, communication and professional skills. Results: the survey yielded a response rate of 72%. The majority of students (77%) agreed that they missed educational experiences as a result of the lockdown. More than half of them felt less motivated in following-up with distant e-learning and believed that online assessment is not a good method for evaluation. A high percentage of the students (66%) thought that online group discussions has a positive value whilst 67% preferred online lectures compared to theatre lectures. Majority of students particularly 5th year (78.7%) (p<0.001) stated that the quarantine increased their collaboration with their colleagues. According to 87% of students, the experience most negatively affected was their clinical training.In general, students showed satisfactory preparedness related to a range of attributes and professional skills, however, nearly two-thirds of them prefer to be mentored and favor a structured year of residence. Conclusions: Data showed that students partially appreciated the online system, whereas they did not consider it a substitute for face to face clinical practice. The overall preparedness level was promising, however, some skills regarding evidence-based practice need consolidation. Students had reservations regarding independent practice following graduation.

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The Effectiveness of Online Education in Basic Medical Sciences Courses during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su14010224 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 224

Author(s):

Mohamed A. Alblihed ◽

Syed Moyn Aly ◽

Ashraf Albrakati ◽

Ahmed Fathy Eldehn ◽

Shaimaa Ahmed Awad Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Online Education ◽

Blended Learning ◽

Student Perception ◽

Dental Students ◽

Educational Process ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic that has caused significant disruptions to education, resulting in marked scholar closures across the world. The present study documents the student perception of the online educational process at six universities in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The individual variable factors, i.e., institution, sex, and blended learning, that might influence student perception were also investigated. In this respect, a questionnaire that assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the online learning process and student perception was emailed to a total of 17,230 students from 3 institutions (medical, applied health and dental students) affiliated with six universities in Saudi Arabia. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to determine the validity of the questionnaire. A total of 4850 (28%) students responded to the questionnaire and 46.9% (n = 2275) of the respondents were highly satisfied with their online education. Analyses of the scores from the students showed a highly significant difference (p = 0.000) between the male and female students. Applied health students (highly satisfied score = 63.13) were the most satisfied with their online education, while medical students (highly satisfied score = 39.3) were the least satisfied with this education. In addition, applied health, dental and medical students showed a significantly higher score in favor of blended learning after schools re-open (p = 0.000). Collectively, student satisfaction with online education was common, and blended learning was preferred over the traditional format by both genders and all the students. The present data provide interesting contributions and evidence for policy makers and implementers, which might be helpful for the judgment side of decision making.

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Study on the effectiveness of online classes for undergraduate medical and dental students of Gandaki Medical College during COVID 19 pandemic period in Nepal

Orthodontic Journal of Nepal ◽

10.3126/ojn.v10i2.31146 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 36-40

Author(s):

Sapna Laxmi Tuladhar ◽

Dilesh Pradhan ◽

Umesh Parajuli ◽

Pratik Manandhar ◽

Nuwadatta Subedi

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Large Scale ◽

Online Survey ◽

Smart Phone ◽

Dental Students ◽

Academic Program ◽

Online Classes ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical College ◽

Medical And Dental Students

Introduction: Pandemic situation of COVID 19 had an impact on medical education globally leading to cancellation of lectures, laboratory exercises, clinical postings and exams. To continue with the academic program, the online classes are started in different academic streams in large scale. This came with challenges and new learning opportunities for medical students and potential to adopt some changes. The objective of this study is to find out the effectiveness of online classes for medical and dental students of Gandaki Medical College (GMC) during COVID 19 pandemic period in Nepal with questionnaire based survey distributed to the students attending the online classes. Materials and Method: This is a descriptive cross sectional questionnaire based online survey. The questionnaires were distributed to the undergraduate medical and dental students of GMC, Pokhara, Nepal. Result: Amongst the students who responded, majority 205 (98.1%) were attending online classes. The device used by most of the student to attend the classes was smart phone 156 (74.6%). The strength of internet of the students was good in 41 (19.6%) and satisfactory in 99 (47.40%). The internet was disturbed by electricity cut down as responded by 66(31.6%) students. Almost 140 (67%) of the respondents rated the online classes were interactive and 124(59.33%) rated the classes were not disturbing. Despite the classes being interactive and non-disturbing, 162(77.51%) of respondents rated that the online classes were not effective. The online classes with one to 51 number of students showed good interactions as compared to classes with 51 to 100 number of students (p<0.01). There was no differences seen in the effectiveness in online classes between these medical and dental students (p=0.414). Conclusion: Good numbers of students had participated in online classes in medical and dental streams at GMC. The students faced problems in internet connectivity due to electricity cut down. The online classes were not that effective as class room classes. In country like Nepal, various factors affecting the online education should be looked upon to make the online learning effective.

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E-Learning amid the COVID-19 Lockdown: Standpoint of Medical and Dental Undergraduates

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.12669/pjms.37.1.3124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Aiza Anwar ◽

Hajra Mansoor ◽

Danyal Faisal ◽

Huma Saeed Khan

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Learning Process ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Dental Students ◽

Student Interest ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Medical College ◽

Online Lectures ◽

E Learning ◽

Medical And Dental Students

Background and Objective: The corona-virus (COVID-19) pandemic has had devastating impacts on not only the health and socio-economic conditions but also on the education sector in various countries. Consequently, the world of education entered a new era of E-learning. This descriptive study, thus, aims to evaluate the standpoint of medical and dental undergraduates regarding E-learning amid the Covid-19 lockdown. Methods: A descriptive online questionnaire was used to gather responses via Google forms. The questionnaire consisted of questions categorized as technology access, online skills and relationships, students’ views, and student’s perception of possible advantages of E-learning. Two hundred and eighty three medical and dental students of CMH Lahore Medical College participated in the study. Results: One hundred and seventy nine female and 104 male students responded to the questionnaire. The results of the study showed students encouraging the accommodation of E-learning into current teaching practices. Students agreed online study material not only provides flexibility in the learning process (p=0.003) but also saves time (p = 0.012). Female participants showed a more positive readiness response towards e learning than males (p =0.001). Results also showed students have easier access to online teaching resources. Regarding online lectures, the students believe that online lectures were more organized (p= 0.001) and stimulated student interest (p=0.026). Students believe that frequent participation in the learning process is important for success in online education (p=0.002). Conclusion: Undergraduate medical and dental students from the said private medical college are well equipped and ready to shift towards online education. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3124 How to cite this:Anwar A, Mansoor H, Faisal D, Khan HS. E-Learning amid the COVID-19 Lockdown: Standpoint of Medical and Dental Undergraduates. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):217-222. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3124 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Online Teaching in an Un-prepared Country during COVID-19: An Interview Study on Final Year Medical and Dental Students

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i45b32775 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 30-39

Author(s):

Adeel Abbas Dhahri ◽

Ayesha Majeed Memon ◽

Fazila Hashmi ◽

Maria Dhahri ◽

Samar Ghufran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Education ◽

Learning Style ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Clinical Skills ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Dental Students ◽

Interview Study ◽

Teaching Methodology ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Medical And Dental Students

Aims: To assess medical students’ perception of online teaching to suggest transforming the future curriculum in low-economic countries. Study Design: Cross-sectional online interview study. Place and Duration of Study: A team of collaborators interviewed final year medical and dental students of Pakistan from 07/08/2020 till 17/09/2020. Methodology: A questionnaire was developed based on open and close-ended questions in Google forms; focusing on institutional preparedness, views on online education, the institute’s closure and COVID-19, and long-term effects of closure of the institute. Independent fellow researchers systematically analyzed the unaltered transcripts of the responses, and themes were then identified and coded to conclude the results. SPSS version 23 used for analysis. As this study was based on final year students. Results: In response to an invitation email, 2442/2661 (91.77%) students voluntarily participate in this qualitative study. Most participants were females (1614, 66.10%). Closing down institutes was directly linked to a lack of motivation and feel of helplessness. As most showed dissatisfaction with online teaching compounded by psychological effects, students feared losing clinical skills and life during the pandemic. Conclusion: The psychological impact of the crisis led to resistance to accepting the change for a better outcome. Incorporating telemedicine, different interactive learning style to online teaching, and resilience training would result in fruitful outcomes. Developed countries may also guide build infrastructure in developing countries to develop a more robust online teaching methodology in the long-run.

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