scholarly journals Response to the Letter to the Editor Regarding "Survey among Medical Students during COVID-19 Lockdown: The Online Class Dilemma"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Thomas ◽  
Mohan. T Shenoy ◽  
Kottacherry T. Shenoy
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Online Class ◽  
Letter To The Editor ◽  
Free Data ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
Basic Examination

We thank the editor for allowing us to respond to the comments by Akshara et al. The authors concur with us on unpreparedness and goes on to highlight how female doctors are over-worked during the pandemic. In this response, we also discuss why providing free data will not bring about significant change in students’ perception of online classes. We then advise how students can learn basic examination skills during the pandemic. Finally, we express our views on government and universities and finish with a recommendation that would help future doctors in times like the COVID-19 pandemic.  

scholarly journals Survey Among Medical Students During COVID-19 Lockdown: The Online Class Dilemma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Thomas ◽  
Mohan T. Shenoy ◽  
Shenoy K. T. ◽  
Sruthi Suresh Kumar ◽  
Aboobakker Sidheeque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Online Class ◽  
Network Problems ◽  
Medical Undergraduate

Background: In view of COVID-19 lockdown in India, many colleges started online classes. This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of and the factors affecting medical students attending online classes during lockdown. Methods: We designed an online questionnaire with open-ended, close-ended, and Linkert scale questions. Links to the questionnaires were shared with the medical undergraduate students who have attended at least one online class during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Respondents were 1061 participants from 30 medical colleges from the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India. Results: The majority of students – 94 % (955/1016) – used smartphones to attend online classes. ZOOM/ Skype – by 57.1 % (580/1016) – and Google platforms – by 54.4 % (553/1016) – were commonly used. Learning at leisure – 44.5 % (452/1016) – was the top reason why students liked online classes, whereas network problems – 85.8 % (872/1016) – was the top reason why students disliked them. Lack of sufficient interaction – 61.1% (621/1016) and more than half the participants – 51.7% (526/1016) – did not want to continue online classes after COVID-19 lockdown. More students – 55% (558/1016) – favored regular classes than online classes. Conclusion: Students in our survey did not seem favorably disposed to online classes. Network problems experienced by students should be addressed. Furthermore, teachers should try to make the classes more interactive and educational institutions should address the problem pointed out by the students in order to make online classes more effective in the future.

scholarly journals Letter to the Editor Regarding "Survey among Medical Students during COVID-19 Lockdown: The Online Class Dilemma"

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-315
Author(s):  
Akshara Mavunkal Thampan ◽  
Davis Thomas Pulimoottil ◽  
Angel Cham Philip
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Faculty Training ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
Free Data ◽  
E Learning

Neither students nor teachers were prepared for a sudden shift from traditional classroom learning to e-learning without any extensive planning and faculty training. In countries like India, the vast majority of students are underprivileged to access e-learning facilities. To overcome this, special schemes that provide free data daily to attend online classes may be considered. Medical students are also concerned about acquiring practical clinical skills that cannot be provided through e-learning. The drastic reduction in their patient contact time, time spent in wards learning clinical skills, and bedside teaching may have a negative impact on the confidence of medical students with regard to their future career skills. The indefinite extension of their courses is also a concern, as universities have failed to provide appropriate clarity in their communications. Immediate measures need to be instituted so that the efforts of online education may bear fruit. Medical students are a natural reservoir of volunteers and they offer a vast wealth of potential which can be put to use in times of crisis. To harness this potential, medical students should be prepared adequately. The inclusion of “pandemic/crisis specific” content in the medical curriculum may prove to be helpful in tackling these situations in future. This will also help the students to complete their transition from a ‘student’ to a ‘doctor’.

scholarly journals Utilizing a Facebook closed group for EFL e-learning environment: Students’ views

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1026-1044
Author(s):  
Martha Nandari Santoso
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Online Class ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Closed Group ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Group A ◽  
Display Quality

This study was conducted out of the researcher’s teaching reflection while teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) online class during the pandemic of COVID-19, a time when face-to-face courses had to be converted to online classes. Her choice of educational tool for her EFL e-learning environment utilized a Facebook closed group. Her experiences in utilizing a Facebook closed group for her EFL e-learning environment and the students’ views were the main topics of this study. Eighteen EFL freshmen participants were selected in this study. The researcher used data from a questionnaire with some closed and open-ended questions. The findings indicated that the students found the Facebook closed group a comfortable, practical, and useful e-learning environment. The students’ familiarity with the interface helped them to immediately focus on the class activities instead of learning how to use the tool. Most students viewed the Facebook closed group as positive for class interactions, creative work, opinions, and express feelings. A few dislike voices were related to the display quality of Facebook, the asynchronous and silent communication on Facebook. Accordingly, utilizing a Facebook closed group might be worth considering for learners who have not been adequately prepared with the technology for joining an online class. 

Letter to the Editor

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-488
Author(s):  
James E. Strain
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
House Staff ◽  
Personal Satisfaction ◽  
Clinical Clerkship ◽  
Pediatric Resident ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
The Third ◽  
Letter To The Editor

Dr Simon has captured the essence of pediatrics. The personal satisfaction that comes from the care of children and their families makes pediatrics unique among medical specialties. Dr Simon is correct in stating that we should all be capable of promoting pediatrics as a career choice for medical students. Often the pediatric resident is in the best position to influence that choice. Students in the third year clinical clerkship consider members of the house staff as their mentors.

In Reply to the Letter to the Editor Regarding “Recruiting Medical Students to Neurosurgery Through a Focused Neuroanatomy Lab Initiative”

2020 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 708-709
Author(s):  
Sakibul Huq ◽  
Adham M. Khalafallah ◽  
Alan R. Cohen ◽  
Debraj Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Letter To The Editor
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