Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India
2 Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The current corona virus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic has led to the
disruption of academic activities including medical education which has made online learning only
available options for continuing education worldwide. Online learning has its own limitations, which
are further amplified if not implemented properly. Hence, there is a need to assess various barriers
faced in the implementation of effective online learning.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to identify the barriers and motivators in online learning
among medical undergraduates.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This internet‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted among
medical undergraduates of Punjab. The data collection tool was a semi‑structured self‑made
questionnaire prepared using “Google Forms,” which was then circulated in the WhatsApp groups
of the students. Received responses were imported to the Microsoft Excel sheet and statistical
analysis was done.
RESULTS: Out of the 592 participants, 533 (90%) faced some kind of problem in online learning.
Major among them were lack of personal interaction with teachers (52%), distractions at home (43.6%),
technology failure (43.2%), limited access to the Internet (39.2%), visual fatigue (38.5%), and
increased workload (25%). Benefits perceived were the comfortable environment of home (41%), easy
accessibility of recorded lectures (36.8%), and the opportunity to keep in touch with studies (35%).
CONCLUSIONS: The online learning process is not a replacement for routine classroom teaching
and clinical postings in medical education. However, it can supplement routine teaching, especially
during current COVID‑19 pandemic‑like situations. Most of the students (90%) were facing some
kind of difficulty in the online learning process due to unplanned and sudden shifts. Therefore, it is
necessary to identify and eliminate the various barriers to make online learning effective.
Keywords
- Swanwick T. Understanding medical education. In:
Understanding Medical Education. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd;
2013. p. 1-6. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
doi/abs/10.1002/9781118472361.ch1. [Last accessed on 2020 Jun
08].
2. Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Report - 11. World Health
Organization; 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/
default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200131-sitrep11-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=de7c0f7_4. [Last accessed on 2020 May 27].
3. Novel Coronavirus(2019-nCoV) Situation Report - 51. World Health
Organization; 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/
default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep51-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10. [Last accessed on 2020 May
27].
4. Guidelines to the Measures to be Taken by Ministries/
Departments of India, State/Union Territory Governments and
State/Union Territory Authorities for containment of COVID-19
epidemic in the Country. Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI; 2020.
Available from: https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/
Guidelines_0.pdf. [Last accessed on 2020 May 30].
5. Bureau MD. Coronavirus Update: Medical Council of India Issues
Advisory on Suspension of MBBS Classes; 2020. Available from:
https://medicaldialogues.in/news/health/mci/coronavirusupdate-medical-council-of-india-issues-advisory-on-suspensionof-mbbs-classes-64231. [Last accessed on 2020 Jun 02].
6. Anand A. COVID-19: UGC Expert Committee Recommends
Online Teaching to Catch Up. News by Carriers 360; 2020.
Available from: https://news.careers360.com/covid-19-ugcexpert-committee-recommends-online-teaching-catch-up. [Last
accessed on 2020 May 30].
7. Forced Shift to Online Teaching in Coronavirus Pandemic
Unleashes Educators’ Deepest Job Fears; 2020. Available from:
https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/forced-shift-toonline-teaching-in-coronavirus-pandemic-unleashes-educatorsdeepest-job-fears-. [Last accessed on 2020 May 30].
8. Lee K. Coronavirus: Universities are Shifting Classes
Online – But it’s not as Easy as it Sounds. The Conversation;
2020. Available from: http://theconversation.com/coronavirusuniversities-are-shifting-classes-online-but-its-not-as-easy-as-itsounds-133030. [Last accessed on 2020 Jun 01].
9. Loeb S. How Effective Is Online Learning? What the Research
Does and Doesn’t Tell Us-Education Week. Education Week;
2020. Available from: https://www.edweek.org/ew/
articles/2020/03/23/how-effective-is-online-learning-what-the.
html. [Last accessed on 2020 May 29].
10. Ferrel MN, Ryan JJ. The Impact of COVID-19 on Medical
Education. Cureus 2020;12:e7492. Available from: https://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7193226/.[Last accessed on
2020 Jun 01].
11. KumariJ. Limited keyboard and software in Hindi disrupts online
teaching in the language during COVID-19 lockdown - Times
of India. The Times of India; 2020. Available from: https://
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/limitedkeyboard-and-software-in-hindi-disrupts-online-teaching-inthe-language-during-covid-19-lockdown/articleshow/75006427.
cms. [Last accessed on 2020 May 29].
12. Abramenka V. Students’ Motivations and Barriers to Online
Education [Masters Theses]. Grand Valley State University;
2015. Available from: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/
theses/776. [Last accessed on 2020 May 29].
13. Mokaripour P, Shokrpour N, Bazrafkan L. Comparison of
readiness for e-learning from the perspective of students and
professors of Medical Sciences. J Educ Health Promot 2020;9:111.
14. Kaup S, Jain R, Shivalli S, Pandey S, Kaup S. Sustaining academics
during COVID-19 pandemic: The role of online teaching-learning.
Indian J Ophthalmol 2020;68:1220. Available from: http://www.
ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2020;volume=68;issue=6;
spage=1220;epage=1221;aulast=Kaup; type=0. [Last accessed on
2020 Jun 22].
15. Shahmoradi L, Changizi V, Mehraeen E, Bashiri A, Jannat B,
Hosseini M. The challenges of E-learning system: Higher
educational institutions perspective. J Educ Health Promot
2018;7:116.
16. Singh K, Srivastav S, Bhardwaj A, Dixit A, Misra S. Medical
education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A single institution
experience. Indian Pediatr 2020;57:678-9.
17. Roberts V, Malone K, Moore P, Russell-Webster T, Caulfield R.
Peer teaching medical students during a pandemic. Med Educ
Online 2020;25:1772014.
18. Soni VD. Global Impact of E-Learning During COVID 19.
Report No.: ID 3630073. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research
Network; 2020. Available from: https://papers.ssrn.com/
abstract=3630073. [Last accessed on 2020 Jun 24].
19. O’Doherty D, Dromey M, Lougheed J, Hannigan A, Last J,
McGrath D. Barriers and solutions to online learning in medical
education – An integrative review. BMC Med Educ 2018;18:130.
20. Deltsidou A, Gesouli-Voltyraki E, Mastrogiannis D, Noula M.
Undergraduate nursing students’ computer skills assessment:
A study in Greece. Health Sci J 2010;4:182.
21. Glaister K. The presence of mathematics and computer anxiety
in nursing students and their effects on medication dosage
calculations. Nurse Educ Today 2007;27:341-7.
22. Kenny A. Online learning: Enhancing nurse education? J Adv
Nurs 2002;38:127-35.
23. Bond CS. Surfing or still drowning? Student nurses’ Internet skills.
Nurse Educ Today 2010;30:485-8.
24. Elder BL, Koehn ML. Assessment tool for nursing student
computer competencies. Nurs Educ Perspect 2009;30:148-52. - 25. Levett-Jones T, Kenny R, Van der Riet P, Hazelton M, Kable A,
Bourgeois S, et al. Exploring the information and communication
technology competence and confidence of nursing students and
their perception of its relevance to clinical practice. Nurse Educ
Today 2009;29:612-6.
26. Maag MM. Nursing students’ attitudes toward technology:
A national study. Nurse Educ 2006;31:112-8.
27. McNeil BJ, Elfrink VL, Pierce ST, Beyea SC, Bickford CJ, Averill C.
Nursing informatics knowledge and competencies: A national
survey of nursing education programs in the United States. Int J
Med Inform 2005;74:1021-30.
28. Scott SD, Gilmour J, Fielden J. Nursing students and Internet
health information. Nurse Educ Today 2008;28:993-1001.
29. Walker JT, Martin T, White J, Elliott R, Norwood A, Mangum C,
et al. Generational (age) differences in nursing students’
preferences for teaching methods. J Nurs Educ 2006;45:371-4.
30. Billings DM, Connors HR, Skiba DJ. Benchmarking best
practices in Web-based nursing courses. ANS Adv Nurs Sci
2001;23:41-52.
31. Creedy DK, Mitchell M, Seaton-Sykes P, Cooke M, Patterson E,
Purcell C, et al. Evaluating a Web-enhanced bachelor of nursing
curriculum: Perspectives of third-year students. J Nurs Educ
2007;46:460-7.
32. Farrell GA, Cubit KA, Bobrowski CL, Salmon P. Using the WWW
to teach undergraduate nurses clinical communication. Nurse
Educ Today 2007;27:427-35.
33. Assareh A, Bidokht MH. Barriers to e-teaching and e-learning.
Procedia Comput Sci 2011;3:791-5.
34. Ruiz JG, Mintzer MJ, Leipzig RM. The impact of E-learning
in medical education. Acad Med 2006;81:207-12. Available
from: https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/
Fulltext/2006/03000/The_Impact_of_E_Learning_in_Medical_
Education. 2.aspx. [Last accessed on 2020 Jun 08].
35. Button D, Harrington A, Belan I. E-learning & information
communication technology (ICT) in nursing education: A review
of the literature. Nurse Educ Today 2014;34:1311-23. Available
from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
S0260691713001652. [Last accessed on 2020 May 03].
)