Perception of medical students toward online lectures during COVID-19 outbreak in a Nigerian University

Abstract

Background: Closure of educational institutions during the current COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated online teaching to ensure the continuation of academic activities. The efficiency and productivity of online lecture models can be improved by incorporating the experiences and suggestions of participating students in subsequent models. In this study, we evaluated the perception of medical students in a Nigerian university toward online lectures during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: The study involved clinical students of the Babcock University, Ilisan, Ogun State, Nigeria, who were receiving online lectures during the COVID-19 outbreak. Their perception of online lectures was documented using a structured online questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0. Results: Of the 172 respondents who participated in the study, 121 (70.3%) were female and 51 (29.7%) male. Nearly two-thirds of the students felt that having online lectures was an excellent alternative to routine classroom lectures. About 70% preferred recorded online lecture format to live online classes or online reading material alone. An overwhelming majority (89.5%) preferred video demonstrations along with reading material to other alternatives. Conclusion: Online lectures, if carefully planned, can be an excellent alternative to the routine class lectures, especially during this COVID-19 outbreak.