A comparative study of online learning in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic versus conventional learning

OBJECTIVES: To explore the attitude and perception of undergraduate medical students and their staff towards the educational methods (conventional versus online) and to assess their performance accordingly. METHODS: It was a comparative cross sectional study, conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Al- Imam University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 30, 2020. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect the data from students and staff about conventional teaching, online teaching, conventional examination and online examination. It was in the form of 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 5-strongly agree, to 1-strongly disagree, in addition to age and gender. The results of conventional and online examination were recorded. RESULTS: The total sample reached 230 students and 20 staff. Mean scores for conventional teaching and examination were significantly higher than online. The mean values for grades of online final examination was significantly higher than those of midterm conventional examination. Most of the statements related to conventional teaching and examination attained a good response where students and their staff conveyed a negative perception pertinent to online examination. Students and staff showed a higher percentage of agreement in favor of online examination allowing immediate feedback. CONCLUSION: Conventional teaching was perceived as more effective, accessible, less technical difficulties and less fraud and cheating. Online learning, should be allowed in undergraduate medical education, by combining it with conventional learning, and students should be prepared to it.