Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered as one of the unprecedented events in the 21st century as it causes many changes and challenges in our lives. This has impacted the method of learning among medical students, which changed from face-to-face classes to online classes to minimize gatherings and consequently decrease the transmission of the virus. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attitude and perception of online study mode during COVID-19 among medical students in the governmental universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 497 medical students from four different governmental universities in Riyadh city was conducted using a validated self-administered questionnaire.
Results: A total of 497 participants were from the four best universities of Riyadh retorted to the questionnaire with a response rate of 100%. The majority of the respondents, 255 (51.3%), were females. The blended learning comprising a mix of face-to-face and online was the most preferred by 53.9% (n = 268). The most typical challenges perceived by the students towards the success of the online system of education were communication, engagement, and in-person contact with faculty and classmates was highly stated with 63.17% responses (n = 314). Dedicated hours of study and level of concentration were also reported during online learning.
Conclusion: Although the impact of the pandemic was huge on a different aspect of life, the educational institutes in Saudi Arabia have worked to continue the process of learning through online means. Most medical students have expressed their willingness to move and adopt an online education system in the current situation, which improved by better communication with teachers and exploring the modern virtual tools to mimic the practical-based study.
Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning, medical education, undergraduate medical students.
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