Perceptions of Medical and Allied Health Students Towards Online Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic Phases and Its Future Impact in India

The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused sensation and fear among the world population. Globally, the teaching and learning process has been greatly impacted by the pandemic. University and teaching institutes adopted the online mode for the continuation of the teaching-learning process. This research aims to evaluate the current online education practice, its effectiveness, and future prospects in various medical and allied health education in India. A standard self-administered questionnaire was prepared and circulated among the medical and allied health care students from different parts of India via the online platform. A total of 1042 participants submitted their responses. About 77% of students stated that they have attended online classes conducted by their respective educational institutes. The majority of the students were enthusiastic about online learning (via Google platform, Zoom, etc.), yet they all agreed that their practical knowledge was insufficient. Online education can be a good approach to learning, but it may not be as effective as traditional education in Medical and Allied Health students. Beyond pandemic lockdown, online learning may be implemented in conjunction with traditional methods.