Online Learning Satisfaction During COVID-19 Pandemic Among Offshore Medical Students in Guyana.
Objectives
Objective: To investigate the satisfaction level of students at RajivGandhiUniversity of Science and Technology (RGUST) and GreenheartMedicalUniversity (GMU) with online learning during the COVID-19pandemic.
Method
Design and Methods: This quantitative study assessed the satisfaction of 50undergraduatemedical students from two offshore medical universities(RGUST andGMU) using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted ofthree sections: (i) biodata, (ii) university-related information, and (iii) online learning-related information. Student satisfaction was measuredusing a 5-point Likert Scale, with ten open-ended questions in thesurvey, ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).
Results
Results: Overall, a majority (40%, n=20) of students expresseddissatisfactionwith online learning, with a mean satisfaction score of3.4 and a standarddeviation of 3.01. Several challenges, includingpoor internetconnectivity (42%, n=21), technical difficulties, and theabsence ofpractical sessions, contributed to students’ demotivation.Most medicalstudents preferred synchronous online learning, withGoogle Classroomand Zoom (62%, n=32) being the most used platforms.
Conclusion
Conclusion: To enhance the effectiveness of online learning in medical curricula,it isadvisable to incorporate a blended or mixed approach, addressingthepreferences of both pre-clinical and clinical students who valuepracticalsessions.