Shikhaa Mahajan1, Sangeeta B. Singh2, Asha Kumari3, Vivek Sharma4
BACKGROUND
Since March 2020, after coronavirus outbreak and nationwide lockdown, medical
education in India has experienced a major disruptive change. Measures to
prevent the spread of infection and hence to ensure social distancing have led to
the closure of medical colleges and starting of online teaching. This study was
planned with a purpose to investigate and assess the experience of medical
teachers of SHKM, Government Medical College, Mewat, Haryana towards online
teaching during COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional, self-administered, questionnaire-based survey in which
data about their experience with online teaching was gathered by interviewing fifty
Medical Educators of SHKM, GMC, Mewat, Haryana. As a part of questionnaire
validation process, we invited six faculty members to pilot-test the initial draft and
it was modified based on their feedback. Survey was done from July 2020 to Dec
2020.
RESULTS
Majority of the faculty were happy with the starting of online lectures. Maximum
faculty were conversant with the use of online apps, had all the equipment
required for making and taking online lectures, felt that taking online lectures was
not as comfortable as classroom lectures, found it convenient to use laptop /
mobiles / tablets for lectures, faced network problems, technical glitches while
taking their online lectures, could complete the online lecture within the prescribed
time limit, did not tend to spend more time on social sites while preparing for
online lectures ; used multimedia, gave electronic study material to their students,
did not feel comfortable, while interacting and asking questions, experienced few
students leaving classes in between and joining back again only while marking
attendance, experienced few students hesitating to reply to questions asked and
gave excuses about technical faults.
CONCLUSIONS
Educators can help document and analyse the effects of current changes to learn
and apply new principles and practices to the future.
