Exploring Preclinical Medical Students’ Reflections on their Learning Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed considerable challenges to higher education. To understand how the new landscape of curriculum delivery affects learning experience, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted among preclinical medical students in Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia between March 2021 and April 2021. Data were collected using an online Padlet platform which included an open-ended question with additional guided questions whereby students wrote their reflective writings, describing their perceptions on how online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected their education. All reflective writings were transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed based on an established framework of systematic, robust, and credible thematic synthesis. A total of six students provided their reflective writings. The analyses revealed four themes. ‘Adaptability and flexibility’ appeared as the prominent theme, followed by ‘reduced learning acuity’, ‘compromised tacit learning’, and ‘supports from policy and practice’. Students’ adaptability to the new educational practices is indispensable to harvest the advantage of being flexible with online-based learning. It was concluded that key strategies for quality online-based learning during the COVID-19 pandemic include educators’ training on engaging techniques, planning that avoids excessive and successive online classes, support for dedicated learning space at home, family engagement to reduce distractions, and students’ access to quality technological hardware and software. Engineering solutions for affordable and reliable Internet connectivity are the main policy issues. Finally, the study recommends long-term educational goals which should address the irreplaceable aspects of tacit learning that are lost when transitioning to online-based learning.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.21.5.3
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Adelman, C. (1993). Kurt Lewin and the Origins of Action Research. Educational Action Research, 1(1), 7-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965079930010102
Baczek, M., Zaganczyk-Baczek, M., Szpringer, M., Jaroszynski, A., & Wozakowska-Kaplon, B. (2021). Students’ perception of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey study of Polish medical students. Medicine, 100(7), e24821. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000024821
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Burgess, S., & Sievertsen, H. H. (2020). Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education. https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education
Camargo, C. P., Tempski, P. Z., Busnardo, F. F., Martins, M. A., & Gemperli, R. (2020). Online learning and COVID-19: a meta-synthesis analysis. Clinics (Sao Paulo), 75, e2286. https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2020/e2286
Chu, D. K., Akl, E. A., Duda, S., Solo, K., Yaacoub, S., Schünemann, H. J., & authors, C.-S. U. R. G. E. s. (2020). Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet (London, England), 395(10242), 1973-1987. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31142-9
Dampney, K., Busch, P., & Richards, D. (2002). The Meaning of Tacit Knowledge. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v10i1.438
Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
Dost, S., Hossain, A., Shehab, M., Abdelwahed, A., & Al-Nusair, L. (2020). Perceptions of medical students towards online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey of 2721 UK medical students. BMJ Open, 10(11), e042378. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042378
Elo, S., Kääriäinen, M., Kanste, O., Pölkki, T., Utriainen, K., & Kyngäs, H. (2014). Qualitative Content Analysis: A Focus on Trustworthiness. SAGE Open, 4(1), 215824401452263. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014522633
Gismalla, M. D.-A., Mohamed, M. S., Ibrahim, O. S. O., Elhassan, M. M. A., & Mohamed, M. N. (2021). Medical students’ perception towards E-learning during COVID 19 pandemic in a high burden developing country. BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 377. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02811-8
Gong, R. (2020). Coping with Covid-19: Distance Learning and the Digital Divide. https://www.krinstitute.org/assets/contentMS/img/template/editor/Views_Distance%20Learning%20and%20the%20Digital%20Divide.pdf
Herr, K., & Anderson, G. L. (2014). The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty (2nd ed.). SAGE.
Ibrahim, M. S., Mohamed Yusoff, H., Abu Bakar, Y. I., Thwe Aung, M. M., Abas, M. I., & Ramli, R. A. (2022). Digital health for quality healthcare: A systematic mapping of review studies. DIGITAL HEALTH, 8, 205520762210858. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221085810
Ibrahim, M. S., Yusof, M. S. B., & Abdul Rahim, A. F. (2021). Why Assessment Which Carries No Grades and Marks is the Key for the Future of Education? Education in Medicine Journal, 13(2), 91-95. https://doi.org/10.21315/eimj2021.13.2.8
Ismail, N. S., Bakar, N. M. A., & Wafa, S. W. W. S. S. T. (2020). Online Learning Challenges during Pandemic COVID-19 in Malaysian Higher Learning Institution. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(12). https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081282
Iwanaga, J., Loukas, M., Dumont, A. S., & Tubbs, R. S. (2021). A review of anatomy education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Revisiting traditional and modern methods to achieve future innovation. Clinical Anatomy, 34(1), 108-114. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.23655
Kaufman, D. M. (2003). ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Applying educational theory in practice. BMJ, 326(7382), 213-216. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7382.213
Kaufman, D. M., & Mann, K. V. (2013). Teaching and learning in medical education: How theory can inform practice. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118472361.ch2
Kim, H., Sefcik, J. S., & Bradway, C. (2017). Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review. Research in Nursing & Health, 40(1), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21768
Knowles, M. S. (1978). Andragogy: Adult Learning Theory in Perspective. Community College Review, 5(3), 9-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/009155217800500302
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
Machado, R. A., Bonan, P. R. F., Perez, D. E. D. C., & Martelli JÚnior, H. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on dental education: discussing current and future perspectives. Brazilian Oral Research, 34, e083. https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-2020.vol34.0083
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
McNiff, J. (2017). Action research - All you need to know (2nd ed.). SAGE.
MQA. (2018). COPPA 2.0: Code of Practice for Programme Accreditation. Selangor, Malaysia: Malaysian Qualifications Agency, MQA Retrieved from https://www2.mqa.gov.my/qad/garispanduan/COPPA/COPPA%202nd%20Edition%20(2017).pdf
Muflih, S., Abuhammad, S., Al-Azzam, S., Alzoubi, K. H., Muflih, M., & Karasneh, R. (2021). Online learning for undergraduate health professional education during COVID-19: Jordanian medical students' attitudes and perceptions. Heliyon, 7(9), e08031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08031
Mukhtar, K., Javed, K., Arooj, M., & Sethi, A. (2020). Advantages, Limitations and Recommendations for online learning during COVID-19 pandemic era. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 36(COVID19-S4), S27-S31. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.COVID19-S4.2785
Nicola, M., Alsafi, Z., Sohrabi, C., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., Iosifidis, C., . . . Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International Journal of Surgery (London, England), 78, 185-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018
O'Brien, B. C., & Battista, A. (2020). Situated learning theory in health professions education research: a scoping review. Advances in Health Sciences Education: Theory and Practice, 25(2), 483-509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-019-09900-w
O'Doherty, D., Dromey, M., Lougheed, J., Hannigan, A., Last, J., & McGrath, D. (2018). Barriers and solutions to online learning in medical education - an integrative review. BMC Medical Education, 18(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1240-0
Padlet. (2021). Padlet. Padlet. https://padlet.com
Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services, 42(5), 533-544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. SAGE.
Pauzi, M. F., & Juhari, S. N. (2020). Digital Transformation of Healthcare and Medical Education, Within, and Beyond Pandemic COVID-19. Asian Journal of Medicine and Biomedicine, 4(2), 39-42. https://doi.org/10.37231/ajmb.2020.4.2.363
Pei, L., & Wu, H. (2019). Does online learning work better than offline learning in undergraduate medical education? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medical Education Online, 24(1), 1666538. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2019.1666538
Petticrew, M. (2015). Time to rethink the systematic review catechism? Moving from 'what works' to 'what happens'. Systematic Reviews, 4, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-015-0027-1
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2009). International differences in nursing research, 2005-2006. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 41(1), 44-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01250.x
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2013). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice. Wolters Kluwer.
Rahman, D. (2020). A reckoning for online learning in times of crisis. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/whats-your-status/2020/03/24/a-reckoning-for-online-learning-in-times-of-crisis
Rahman, N. I., Aziz, A. A., Zulkifli, Z., Haj, M. A., Mohd Nasir, F. H., Pergalathan, S., . . . Haque, M. (2015). Perceptions of students in different phases of medical education of the educational environment: Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 6, 211-222. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S78838
Rajab, M. H., Gazal, A. M., & Alkattan, K. (2020). Challenges to Online Medical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus, 12(7), e8966. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8966
Rogers, C. R. (2008). The actualizing tendency in relation to 'motives' and to consciousness. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1963, NE, US; Reprinted from the aforementioned conference,
Roslan, N. S., & Halim, A. S. (2021). Enablers and Barriers to Online Learning among Medical Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Explanatory Mixed-Method Study. Sustainability, 13(11), 6086. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116086
Schon, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
Scriven, M. (1966). The methodology of evaluation. Purdue University.
Shor, I., & Freire, P. (1987). What is the “Dialogical Method” of Teaching? Journal of Education, 169(3), 11-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205748716900303
Vygotsky, L. S., & Cole, M. (1978). Mind in society: Development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Wadsworth, B. J. (1996). Piaget's theory of cognitive and affective development: Foundations of constructivism. Longman Publishers.
WHO. (2020). WHO COVID-19 Dashboard. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://covid19.who.int/
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks; CA Sage.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
e-ISSN: 1694-2116
p-ISSN: 1694-2493