Online Teaching, a Big Challenge for Developing Countries during the Era of Covid 19, A Survey Conducted in Medical Students of Southern Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To find out perception of medical students and scope versus limitations of online teaching in field of medical education during the course of Covid-19 pandemic when schools, colleges and universities were shut down in emergency and online teaching was initiated with intention to fill the stopgap with little to no preparation, inadequate resources and scarce training of teachers

Study Design: Observational study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the different medical colleges of southern Punjab from January 2021 to December 2021 for a period of one year.

Materials and Methods: Self designed online questionnaire was circulated among medical students of south Punjab.  Response of students was collected, recorded and analyzed for.

Results: Number of total participants was 485. Satisfaction level of students was not optimum being less than 35%. Ground reasons behind were deficiency in pertinent resources and materials, technical problems, lack of favorable home environment for online learning, non-availability of internet facilities to most of students living in remote areas. 68.5 % students rebuffed continuation of online classes with main reason of being unable to learn without one to one classes and to maintain daily routine.

Conclusion: Online teaching is a big challenge for education department especially in highly specialized field of medical education and might lower not the standard of education but also skills and competency of front line soldiers of future. There is utmost need for strategic planning to uplift our online medical education system to strengthen, secure and accomplish our health care system.