Perception of Learning Environment Among Anaesthesiology Residents During the Pandemic in a Tertiary Hospital in India: Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease pandemic has affected the postgraduate educational system infusing online teaching resulting in a blended teaching-learning experience especially in the field of anaesthesiology. Hence, we conducted this study to evaluate the effect of the introduction of blended learning methods on students’ perception of the learning environment among different years of anaesthesia residency training. METHODS: We invited 44 residents belonging to 3 years (Y1, Y2, and Y3) of anaesthesia residency to complete the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure questionnaire. This study was done during the coronavirus disease pandemic after 6 months of incorporation of blended learning methods into the teaching program. The first-year cohort was not exposed to traditional anaesthesia teaching. The student's perception of learning was assessed after 6 months of change in the teaching method. The total Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure scores and the individual domains were compared among the 3 years. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the corrected Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure score between Y1 (154.2 ± 20.73 [145.11-163.29]) and Y2 (138.27 ± 22.12 [125.2-151.34]) with P = .027. There was no significant difference in the individual domains. CONCLUSION: Higher score in the first-year residents suggests that it is appropriate to introduce blended learning from the beginning of the course rather than slowly merging with the existing traditional face-to-face teaching-learning methods.