Abstract

Introduction: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic medical education has predominantly been delivered through virtual learning. This survey was conducted to evaluate the popularity of virtual learning and its perceived effectiveness amongst medical students.

Methods: An online anonymised SurveyMonkey survey was distributed amongst UK medical students. The survey was shared through social media.

Results: There were 142 completed surveys, with 96.5% of students engaging in some form of virtual learning during the pandemic, compared to 57.8% prior to the pandemic. The most frequently used methods to deliver teaching were interactive online lectures (74.7%), pre-recorded online lectures (71.8%) and small group online teaching sessions (69%). The students perceived small group online teaching sessions to be the most effective delivery method (weighted average 7.4/10) followed by interactive online lectures (7.4/10). The least effective teaching methods were online lecture notes (5.3/10) and online meetings with supervisors (6.6/10). Although enhanced flexibility (8.4/10) and effective time management (6.8/10) were considered to be advantages of virtual learning, accessibility to coursework was noted to be the biggest advantage (8.6/10). Overall 40.4% of students felt virtual learning had a positive impact on their education compared to 44% who felt it had a negative impact on their learning, with 23% of students considered to have failed to meet the learning objectives set out in these sessions.  

Conclusion: Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic virtual learning will continue to play a role in medical education. However, there is significant room for improvement in both delivery and engagement to improve student experience and satisfaction.

Additional Information

This presentation was given at the SES 2020 online conference, 4 July 2020.