A Study on Students’ Perceptions for Online Zoom-app based Flipped Class Sessions on Anatomy Organised during the Lockdown Period of COVID-19 Epoch

Abstract

Introduction: In the present situation of containment for COVID-19 epoch, the physical classroom sessions in medical colleges were suspended by different Government advisories. Faculties have been guided by the university as well as institution to carry on the online teaching to the medical students. As the students were not present physically so flipped class model has been implemented using the Zoom cloud app for teaching Anatomy. Aim: To explore the perception of undergraduate students of Anatomy regarding online Zoom-app based flipped class sessions and to obtain the suggestions for improvement of such classes organised during the lockdown period of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Ten gross Anatomy topics and 10 histology slides (total 15 sessions; one session for each gross anatomy topics and five sessions covering two slides for each day) were discussed in flipped class mode. For each session the text materials were served to the students two days before. On the third day, face to face interactive classes were undertaken using the Zoom platform; for the entire 199 students of Anatomy. After completion of one month, students' perceptions were obtained by semi-structured questionnaire made with Google form. Results: Although the department has organised almost daily Zoom sessions with pre-shared study material; in flipped classroom mode, but majority of the students opined for maximum three days per week Zoom sessions instead of every day's classes. Total 92% preferred the current strategy of advanced sharing of study material instead of concurrent sharing of text. Almost 93.5% students felt the study material helpful to them, 79% students found the Zoom sessions helpful for their doubt clearance. Strikingly, 53.36% students confessed that they failed to keep up with the progress of the classes in daily mode. There was a mixed reaction for continuing such mode of teaching in the post-lockdown era. The network connectivity became a broad issue as constrain to almost all of them to participate in online discussion platform. Conclusion: As the students and teachers were new in the online mode of teaching; so students feedbacks were felt need for future planning. The students had an opinion to lessen the number of classes so that they can cope up with the study material. However, majority of them wanted to move back to their classrooms rather than remain in the online mode of learning.