Healthcare Students’ Perceptions towards Using e-learning, and Self-reported Drivers and Barriers during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background: </strong>COVID-19 pandemic has reignited interest in online education as an appealing alternative. The study&rsquo;s goal was to evaluate students&rsquo; perception of using e-learning, and to identify drivers and barriers the students experienced to the application of e-learning tools. <strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2020 and May 2020. The data was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire from the students adopting a census sampling method. The findings of Lean et al., as well as the study&rsquo;s objectives, were used to develop the questionnaire. The data was evaluated for descriptive and inferential analyses using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). <strong>Results: </strong>More than one half (52.7%) of the total students (<em>n</em>=228) opined e-learning as a useful method for grasping basic concepts and coming up with new ideas. Pictures, graphs, videos, illustrations, and case studies were among the most beneficial aspects of e-learning (56.1%). The ease of communicating electronically (<em>p</em>=0.045) and smoother interaction between instructor and student (<em>p</em>=0.050) were the major motivators across the colleges. Sluggish internet (<em>p</em>=0.010), misunderstanding about the importance of the study material (<em>p</em>=0.007) and ambiguity about where to begin (<em>p</em>=0.048) were the three significant issues encountered during e-learning across the gender. The most significant disadvantage of having more internet access as a result of online learning was that students spent a significant proportion of their daily time on non-academic activities. <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Electronic learning is a useful and productive educational tool particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Images, charts, videos, illustrations and case studies can all help to highlight its beauty. <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Key words: </strong>COVID-19, E-learning, Healthcare, Perception, Saudi Arabia, Students.