Due to nationwide measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, social activities such as in-person meetings are restricted, thereby affecting the quality of education, including that of medical training. Although virtual education has been adopted as an alternative to in-person education in many departments, its quality and effectiveness remain undetermined (5). Students have different perceptions towards online education. From the British perspective of online education (6), Dose S et al. reported active learners benefit from greater flexibility and good time management. However, Mortazavi F et al. reported that students may be exposed to family distractions and limited online infrastructure (7). Member states in our center have associated perceptions on online education, reflecting optimistic feedback on flexible time management, while one revealed that the disadvantages of online infrastructure have effects on the quality of OIPR, in line with reports conducted in the United Kingdom and Egypt (6, 8).
Our OIPR approach was brainstormed and ultimately split into two parts: self-paced learning and online in-class discussion. This active learning style is inspired by the flipped classroom model, which has been shown to be effective in medical learning studies (9,ten,11). Despite the debate over learning style (12), a meta-analysis of 225 studies found that active learning, which includes classroom discussions, improves learner concept inventory and exam performance (13) compared to traditional learning styles, which have demonstrated an exam failure rate 1.5 times higher than active learning (14). Although infectious diseases impact in-person contact, OIPR can provide inquiries about MS. In France, the OIPR, which includes an exchange with trainers and provides quality feedback, promotes learning and understanding of learners (15). This result could explain the score of 5 in terms of overall course satisfaction in more than 80% of MSs, especially regarding instructor skills, classroom practice, and discussions.
Our study demonstrated a high satisfaction score of 5 regarding course amenities, accounting for 30 (66.7%), particularly the use of media, slides, and handouts to improve classroom concentration and facilitate understanding. To maximize the learning benefits for our MS, our working group discussed and focused on the importance of slide and handout formats. The group ultimately decided to present the slide and document as graphically as possible and distributed it to Member States ahead of the OIPR. These tools may have increased student engagement beyond just reading the material, and resulted in a higher post-learning test score than traditional materials, as reported by Junhasavasdikul et al. (16) Additionally, Wongkietkachorn A et al. found that 83.6% of MS cases can decrease class engagement and increase class absenteeism in the absence of materials (17); however, they found no relationship between GPA and attitude when learning with limited materials (17).
This study aims to address the perceptions of Member States who are the main stakeholders of the OIPR. Most Member States strongly agree with the use of OIPR, achieving an overall satisfactory rate of 80% and above, particularly in terms of instructor summary skills, question banks, classroom practice and of discussing. In many medical schools in various countries, the use of question banks and other online resources has been helpful to MSs in determining what points to consider across a wide range of knowledge (6, 18). Although the quantitative assessment in our study was carried out before and after OMPE. This allowed us to assess the impact of OIPR, particularly the increase in OMPE scores after online classroom discussions, as an indicator of its potential effectiveness in assessing short-term outcomes of MS.
Our study has several limitations. First, this single-center study included only a small number of MS, without power calculation, thus possibly reducing the difference in results and affecting statistical significance. Second, the questionnaire did not include all programs in detail except pediatrics, which did not reflect the overall NL exam passing percentage of our faculty. Additionally, to account for potential variations in results due to different time frames, online in-class discussions, before and after the OMPE, were primarily conducted in a single day, given their potential impact on retention rate . The result may reflect mainly short-term memory only. Additionally, self-paced online learning materials distributed to Member States via Google Class limited the ability to track individual completion in terms of an online learning schedule; it only recorded the name of the views, indicating that more than 90% of MS viewed all five videos. As another recommendation, we suggest implementing a streaming program that can track student viewing hours. Such a system would allow more precise observation and interpretation of results. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the imposition of social distancing measures by the government, forcing individuals to stay at home. As a result, a considerable number of fifth-year MSs engaged in self-study and self-preparation for the NL exam within the confines of their residence, potentially limiting their access to online learning resources. Additionally, the abrupt shift from on-site to online learning has raised questions among some students about the quality and impact of this educational modality. Accordingly, our study aimed to provide solid data regarding the quality and effectiveness of the online learning system, although the response rate in our study was limited to just over half of all fifth-grade MS. year, which may not fully represent the entire population. student population.
Nevertheless, one of the strengths of our study is that it is the first evaluation of a cross-sectional study of the online version of the IPR among urban MS in our country. We all appreciate the value of on-site learning because it allows direct observation of participant engagement and facilitates interpersonal communication. However, the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted us to consider other options that could better serve our students. In light of our study, we propose to evaluate the positive feedback, both qualitative and quantitative, on online learning as an alternative for students who cannot attend in-person sessions for various reasons such as illness , traffic, flooding or living in a remote area. . This will provide them with more options and opportunities for their education. Our results highlight the need to continue providing online training for people with MS to summarize and improve their knowledge for their exam, as well as a well-constructed pediatric core curriculum.
