Perceptions of Medical Students Regarding Online versus Traditional Classroom Learning: A Questionnaire-Based Study

Medical Students Regarding Online versus Traditional Classroom Learning

Abstract

The importance of online learning platforms has risen after the shock that the world experienced due to the need to conduct learning remotely. Online learning is flexible and convenient, but classroom teaching is required to learn independently and acquire clinical skills. Objectives: To identify how the medical students in the online and traditional classroom learning were perceived and to compare their performance in areas of learning. Methods: The survey was conducted using a questionnaire and involved a cross-sectional survey among 220 undergraduate medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital. A structured questionnaire, which was self-administered, was used to evaluate perceptions of flexibility, understanding, contact with instructors, acquisition of clinical skills, and revision facilities. The data were analyzed using the assistance of descriptive statistics and presented in frequencies and percentages. Results: Flexibility and accessibility of online learning (76%), and the opportunity to revise using recorded lectures (82%) were most popular among the students. However, the preference was on face-to-face classroom learning because of a better understanding and attention (70 percent), engagement with the instructors (88 percent), and acquisition of the clinical skills (91 percent). Students reported that online learning enabled them to control time, yet they experienced some problems with attention and participation in clinical conversations. Conclusions: Online learning is more accessible and offers more revision opportunities, but it cannot replace traditional classroom teaching, which is required to understand, interact, and gain clinical competence. The best learning model that might be used by medical students is a mixture of the two methods.