Osteopathic Medical Students’ Preferred Method of Participation in Online Lectures and Learning Activities

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The demand for online education is on the rise as technology and a global community expand. In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, the Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (NMM/OMM) Department at Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Pacific (COMP) and Pacific-Northwest (COMP-NW) was required to transition from a hands-on, in-person model to entirely virtual teaching. With the rapid transition, student feedback was paramount in determining the effectiveness of the virtual curriculum model and establishing evidence-based guidelines to inform future online delivery methods for the teaching of osteopathic manipulative medicine. Methods A 7-question Qualtrics survey was developed to assess the first and second-year osteopathic medical students’ perception of their online curriculum participation, the preferred method of participation, barriers to participation, and how the NMM/OMM department can improve the curriculum to increase student participation. The survey was distributed electronically to the students at Western University of Health Sciences COMP and COMP-NW. Results 85 students participated in the survey. The most preferred method of participation was an anonymous online polling platform such as “Kahoot!” The most frequently reported barrier to participation was lack of confidence. The most popular suggestion about increasing student participation was to increase more anonymous polls or gamification, such as “Jeopardy,” for review sessions. The logistic regression analysis showed that the following 3 student characteristics were the most decisive factors for a student to report that more participation would increase their OMM knowledge: fear of public speaking (p = 0.024), difficulty staying focused during online curriculum (p=0.041), and being a first-year osteopathic medical student (p<0.01). Conclusion Online curriculum design and delivery pose new and unique challenges to teachers and institutions worldwide. Understanding the creativity it allows, its limitations, and how to increase student engagement and participation needs to be continuously investigated as the technology and demand of online learning grow.