Students' Perception in Learning of Anatomy using Virtual and Conventional Method

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Evolution of pedagogy in medical education is mainly due to technological advancement. Medical schools shifted online in response to COVID-19 Pandemic, which lead to decreased student participation, a loss of inclusive hands-on experiences. Aim: Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the students' perception on the virtual anatomy classes that was provided to them in addition to conventional teaching learning method. Materials and methods: A descriptive questionnaire based study conducted during the period of January to September 2021. The participants were 250 medical students from first phase of MBBS. A questionnaire was made using Google Form and finalized after proper validation. It was circulated to students on E-mail and messaging platforms such as Whatsapp, and Telegram. The questionnaire was designed with informed consent and 20 questions which enquire about the socio-demographic profile, their perception about the virtual and conventional method of learning. All the questions were closed ended questions in multiple choice format and 5 points Likert scale. The study was done after getting institutional review board approval. The data was then tabulated and interpreted with descriptive statistics using Microsoft Excel Version 2019. Results: The majority of students (82.4%) agreed that they missed conventional anatomy learning, such as cadaveric trainings, faceto- face lectures, and interaction with mentors. About 83% had a lack of appropriate devices, poor network connectivity as a barrier to their virtual learning. Over 69% of students reported a lack of personal motivation. Finally, more than 79.9% of students chose conventional over virtual method of practical education. Conclusion: In conclusion, virtual learning became inseparable part of medical education, student perception can be useful for making adequate and updated changes to virtual anatomy education.