Unpacking student perceptions of online anatomy teaching: A comparative study

unpacking student perceptions

Abstract

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic tested the structural framework of the educational system and forced an abrupt incorporation of online strategies. Anatomy faculty swiftly adapted to ensure that the needs of the learners are met. The teaching strategies implemented received a mixed response from both the faculty and students and had a varied impact on the academic performance of the students. Hence the current exploration of perceptions was undertaken in order to combine the observations from undergraduate students of public and private sector and corelate their to the academic performance.

Materials and methods

This study included 625 undergraduate anatomy students from both public and private medical colleges of Lahore affiliated with University of Health Sciences (UHS). A self-administered validated questionnaire was distributed via google doc forms exploring a range of elements including barriers encountered, level of stress, time management and impact on academic performance.

Results

Live tutorials via zoom were the predominant teaching modality favored by 63% of students, and 78 % of students chose video tutorials as the most effective methods of online anatomy learning. 49.5% of students in our study experienced, moderate to extreme stress during online learning sessions. The Professional Examination results demonstrated a steady improvement in academic performance of undergraduates studying in medical colleges continuing with online teaching in addition to traditional methodologies.

Conclusion:

Analysis of the student’s perceptions regarding educational strategies and academic performance stresses the need to incorporate online strategies in future anatomy education.

Key words: anatomy teaching, online strategies, academic performance