Do students effectively learn physiology through distance online instruction? Medical students’ perceptions and academic performance

Abstract

This an account of student feedback on the distance online tools adopted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for teaching cardiovascular (CVS) physiology to Year 2 medical students within a problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum. Students’ achievement upon assessment of CVS physiology theory content was also evaluated. Most students were ready for online learning in terms of appropriate equipment and internet connectivity. Most students expressed a preference for face-to-face learning of CVS physiology; however, they relied on recorded videos mainly for learning, instead of real-time attendance of physiology learning activities. Most students also reported a negative experience of distance online learning of CVS physiology during the lockdown, and only a few students expressed connection with their instructor through the physiology learning activities. Students undertaking online learning and examination during the pandemic achieved comparably to the prior year’s cohort of PBL students learning in person and undertaking paper-based assessment. This indicates that our medical students preferred asynchronous learning during the pandemic confinement and that they sufficiently achieved their learning outcomes in CVS physiology, displaying resilience in their adaptation to the online learning and examination format.