Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Oct 2021)
Perceptions of Dental Undergraduates Towards Online Education During COVID-19: Assessment from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Abstract
Pragati Kaurani,1 Kavita Batra,2 Himangini Rathore Hooja,3 Rajlakshmi Banerjee,4 Rasika Manori Jayasinghe,5 Dhanushka Leuke Bandara,6 Navin Agrawal,7 Vimmi Singh7 1Department of Prosthodontics Crown and Bridge, Mahatma Gandhi Dental College and Hospital, Jaipur, 302022, India; 2Office of Research, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89102, USA; 3Department of Psychology, IIS (Deemed to be University), Jaipur, 302020, Rajasthan, India; 4Department of Prosthodontics, VSPM Dental College and Research Centre, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440019, India; 5Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka; 6Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka; 7Department of Conservative Dentistry, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, NepalCorrespondence: Pragati Kaurani Mahatma Gandhi Dental College and Hospital, RIICO Industrial Area, Sitapura, Jaipur, 302022, IndiaFax +91 141-2770326Email [email protected]: The social distancing mandates instituted during COVID-19 pandemic mark the sudden transition in the mode of dental education’s delivery to the virtual instruction. It is vital to assess students’ perceptions towards virtual learning environments, particularly among those gaining education in resource-strained countries. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the perceptions of dental undergraduates towards online education, environment and transferable skills and patient care during COVID-19 in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.Materials and Methods: Dental preclinical and clinical undergraduate students from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka were recruited from November 2020 to March 2021 through a 47-item web-based survey consisting of psychometrically valid subscales of Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) and Transferable Skills Questionnaire. The mean scores of students’ perceptions of learning, environment, and patient care skills were compared among preclinical and clinical students of the participating countries.Results: Of total 930 participants, 44.4% were from India, 26.1% from Sri Lanka and 29.5% responses from Nepal. Sri Lanka reported the highest mean scores across all domains of perception indicative of positive attitude. Clinical students from all participating countries had statistically significantly higher positive perception of transferable skills in patient care as opposed to their preclinical counterparts. On the contrary, perception towards learning was higher among preclinical students as opposed to clinical students. These differences were statistically significant for Nepal and Sri Lanka.Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the need to develop and implement effective online dental educational interventions to foster academic growth and essential practical skills without compromising academic rigor and continuity in the dental education curriculum.Keywords: online learning, dental students, academic environment, educational environment, DREEM questionnaire
