Transition to e-learning in a Malaysian dental school during Covid-19 pandemic: Faculty experiences and future recommendations / Sahar Fatima
During COVID-19 pandemic e-learning has emerged as the primary mode of continuing teaching and learning activities in health professions education including dental education. Due to its high reliance on clinical and skill-based teaching the dental education has encountered challenges in maintaini...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
2021
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| Online Access: | http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12880/4/sahar.pdf http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12880/ |
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| Summary: | During COVID-19 pandemic e-learning has emerged as the primary mode of
continuing teaching and learning activities in health professions education including
dental education. Due to its high reliance on clinical and skill-based teaching the dental
education has encountered challenges in maintaining quality and academic integrity
ensuring competent future clinicians. The present study aims to analyze the challenges
and opportunities experienced by the faculty in adversity of rapid and unprepared
transition to e-learning from conventional pedagogy in order to address future strategies
for efficient e-learning. A qualitative phenomenological research approach is adapted for
the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposefully selected dental
faculty members of a private dental school in Malaysia, using online platform and were
recorded audio and video. The data was transcribed verbatim and interpretative thematic
analysis was done manually. The findings revealed distinct challenges and opportunities
that need to be addressed and explored further for better preparedness for possible blended
learning in future as recommended by the participants. The decision to integrate e�learning as a norm in health professions education, including dental education highly
relies on sincere efforts from educators, institutional management, and local government
authorities. A well-devised dynamic plan and policy considering resources and
infrastructure, curricular structure, faculty training and development, management and
standardization at institutional and national level is the need of time. The
recommendations made in the present study will facilitate educators in health professions
education, as well as policy makers to devise future strategies for efficient e-learning as
part of blended learning or exclusive online learning in any unprecedented situation. |
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