The deadly coronavirus disease that began in China in December 2019 spread to various parts of the planet in a few months. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic. To prevent the uninhibited spread of the coronavirus, the world was forced to go into a complete shutdown^1,2. This sudden shutting down as we all have been impacted by the Covid pandemic in all aspects of life including education³. Due to the strict lock down and other preventive measures teaching mode from classroom teaching was shifted to the online mode platforms like Google meet, Zoom. As per the record of the MHRD Government of India, more than 32 crores of students have had to suffer from various restrictions since the nationwide lockdown from mid of March 2020. Online learning was the only option left in the hands of the academicians to carry out academic activities⁴, which is in line with the precautionary measures of COVID19^5. Offline education is the traditional counterpart to online education and the original mode of learning. It allows students to regularly engage with their peers and teachers in a face-to-face setting, encourages collaboration on projects with other students, and helps them learn new skills. In addition, offline education allows teachers to observe their students’ responses and behavior and respond as needed. According to a study by the International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), a maximum (of 38.2%) of respondents disagree with the fact that online learning through the Internet is the same as offline learning in the classroom and 42.7% of the respondents face technical problems during online learning. Only 25% agree that online learning tools help to improve student’s academic performance. Maximum (53.3%) respondents prefer online learning during the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 46.5% of respondents strongly agree that students will be more focused on offline than online learning. About 38.9% agree that offline learning makes students learn more than online learning⁶. So, we conducted a study at Dr D Y Patil Medical College & Hospital, Pimpri, Pune taking the feedback of medical students on online& offline learning methods.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the feedback of students on online & offline teaching methods 

MATERIALS & METHODS

This is an observational, descriptive study at Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Pimpri, Pune from October 2023 to November 2023. Students of first batch who were willing to participate in the survey were included in the study. Students who were ill and not interested in participating were excluded from the study.

Google form questionnaire was circulated amongst the students and responses were collected in the Microsoft Excel sheet. The data were then represented using appropriate diagrams, charts & frequency distribution tables as and where applicable.

RESULTS

A Google Form Questionnaire was given to MBBS students to compare the online (covid -19 times) & offline teaching (Pre covid times).  Around 75 students participated in this study. Students were asked questionnaire on both Online & Offline teaching.

Table 1 shows responses of questionnaire given to the students. In our study we found 41% of students were not attentive in Online classes as compared to 12% students who were attentive. On the scale of understanding the topic 43% students had good understanding of the topic in Offline classes & 14% had poor understanding. 54% of the students missed Face to Face interaction in Online Classes as compared to 9% who didn’t miss Face to Face interaction. 78% students opined that classroom teaching is a better option of teaching. 31% students opined that offline teaching cannot be replaced by Online teaching, Rest of the students were not sure.

Table 1: Responses of Students on Online & Offline Teaching

Figure1: Attentiveness in Online teaching

Figure2: Understanding Level of Students in Offline Classes

Figure3: Student’s perception on Face to Face Interaction in Online Classes

Figure 4: Student’s Perceptions on Offline Teaching

Figure 5: Students Perceptions on the Future of Online Teaching

Google form Questionnaires were Given to MBBS Students on advantages of online teaching.

Table 2 shows responses of The Students.

100 % students felt that Online Teaching is comfortable to attend and flexibility of Timings is there. 49.3% students did not find online teaching Interactive as compared to 42.7% who found it interactive. Regarding the Internet connectivity 49 %  students had issues ,while 26.7% had no issues.77% students said that Online teaching is Time Saving as travel time to the college is saved.

Table 2: Student’s Perception on Online Teaching

Figure 6: Student’s Perception on Interactiveness in Online Teaching

Figure 7: Student’s Perception on Internet connectiity issues

Figure 8: Time Factor in Online Teaching

DISCUSSION

In 2020, the global pandemic Covid 19 had seriously affected the education system around the world, which lead to the development of online teaching method in various modes like Zoom, Google meet etc. The present observational and descriptive study revealed that 41% of students had lack of attention in online classes when compared to 12% students who were attentive and our findings are in accordance with the study conducted by Garuda et al, who revealed that the effectiveness of online education was dismal, as students found that theses online learning to be difficult compared to face to face or offline method of education and concluded that the student preferred offline over online teaching method in various aspects of learning such as understanding the content, focusing, communication, which was not successful by online method. [Garuda et al].

Our study also focused on interaction of students in online and offline method, where 54% students mentioned that they missed face to face interaction in online classes when compared to offline and only 9% of students had opinion of missing face to face interaction. Apart from this, 785 of students opined that classroom teaching is better option compared to online teaching and 31% students opined that offline teaching cannot be replaced by online teaching method, and the findings were in accordance with the study conducted by Ravi et al, who concluded that offline teaching is better than online as they are more interactive, understandable, satisfactory, more motivating compared to online teaching. [Ravi et al]

The studies conducted by Chi Chung et al, Abdullah et al., revealed performance of students with device learning or e learning and found that performance was lower in online compared to face to face learning and also suggested that it cannot be used for entire teaching process, but can only assist the teaching process in the medical schools. Adarsh et al in his study, concluded that the acceptance of online learning can only be as a supporting tool or as a substitute of regular learning mode on the basis of various factors such content, pedagogy, assessment etc.

Our study also revealed the flexibility frequency, where 100% of students felt that online teaching was more comfortable to attend and flexible with regard to the timings where 77% students found that online teaching is time saving as travel time to the college is saved, compared to rest and similar findings were revealed in the study conducted by Subrhrajyothi et al., who concluded that the majority of students had a major advantage as they need not travel and also experienced flexible study location and hours, which will provide an opportunity to learn at their own pace.

Moumita et al, in their study found that, students had faced internet connectivity issues in various ways in the form of electricity problem, slow internet, disconnection problem and device problem, which was in accordance with our study where 77% students had these issues with internet, while 26.7% had no issues.

However, a study conducted by Leisi et al., found out no evidence that offline learning works better compared to online and also concluded that online learning has advantages to enhance undergraduate knowledge and skills, therefore, can be considered as a potential method which is not in accordance with our study. Safaa et al., in her study concluded that conventional teaching was perceived as more accessible, effective with technical difficulties and this conventional method should be allowed by combining by combining it with online learning in undergraduate medical education.

CONCLUSION

The present study concludes that majority of the students had used online platforms for the first time during Covid 19. We found Online medical education has many gaps as compared to the offline education. In our study 58% of the students preferred offline teaching as compared to Online methods.  Students found offline classes more interactive, more attention span & easy to understand. Although online teaching methods has opened a new plethora for learning among students, it can never completely replace the offline teaching. Thus, we suggest the blending of offline & Online teaching methods for the benefit of students. However physical & practical classes are very essential for skill development.

Ethical committee Approval: Yes

Declaration of student Consent: Yes

Financial Support & Sponsorship: Nil

Conflicts of Interests; There are no conflicts of interest

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted technology for Manuscript preparation

The authors confirm that there was no use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)assisted technology for assisting in writing or editing of the Manuscript & no images were manipulated using AI.

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