Face-to-face and e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Pakistani dental undergraduates perspective

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Syed, Jammaluddin^a | Khan, Erum^b | Kayal, Rayyan A. ^c | Al Amoudi, Ahmed^d | Nasir, Muhammad^e | Hassan, Nisreen Nabiel^f | Alsadi, Fahad Mohammad^g | Ali, Saqib^{h; *}

Affiliations: [a] Research and Development, OWA Medical and Research Centre, Sugarland, TX, USA | [b] Operations, OWA Medical and Research Centre, Sugarland, TX, USA | [c] Department of Periodontology, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | [d] Oral Biology Department, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | [e] Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan | [f] Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia | [g] Administration Health, Purchasing Department, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | [h] Department of Biomedical Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Dr. Saqib Ali, Department of Biomedical Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia. E-mails: samali@iau.edu.sa; drsaqiibali@gmail.com.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Globally, educational institutes have been obliged to make a quick transition from traditional face-to-face teaching to e-learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has purportedly created various barriers to achieving desired learning outcomes. OBJECTIVE:The aim of our study was to assess the perceptions of undergraduate dental students regarding online and physical learning in Pakistan. METHODS:This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2022. The study comprised dental students from 1st to 4th years who were above the age of 18 and of either gender. The Google Forms questionnaire was created to evaluate the quality and efficiency of online and physical learning among dentistry undergraduates. RESULTS:In a survey of 246 students, 70.3% strongly agreed that they would prefer face-to-face instruction over e-learning. There was a statistically significant difference in the improvement of students’ technical skills (p = 0.01), accessibility to instructors (p = 0.01) and classmates (p = 0.02), value of technology (p = 0.03), improvement of oral communication skills (p = 0.01), promotion of hybrid model learning after the pandemic (p = 0.01), and utilization of tutorial services (p = 0.04) between different year of study. CONCLUSION:Pakistani dental students indicated satisfaction with numerous aspects of e-learning, such as technical skills, accessibility to instructors and classmates, the value of technology, improvement of oral communication skills, promotion of hybrid model learning, and utilization of tutorial services compared to face-to-face education concerning the year of study.

Keywords: COVID-19, e-learning, face to face instruction, online education, physical classes, technology

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220634

Journal: Work, vol. 78, no. 3, pp. 551-558, 2024