PROBLEMS OF DISTANT LEARNING OF MEDICAL STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Traditionally, education in medical universities has huge practical part. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic the educational process has been transferred to distance learning and disadvantages of it have been revealed. The negative aspects of distance learning need to be analyzed and strategies of their prevention need to be developed. An anonymous survey was conducted among students in order to know their opinion about a transfer to distant learning. Online Google Forms technology was used with this purpose. According to the obtained data, the majority of students (58,2%) indicated a decrease in the level of knowledge acquired remotely during the quarantine. The importance of contact with teachers and receiving tasks from them during quarantine was noted by 79,6% of respondents. Only small part of students (12,2%) assessed distance learning positively. Most of them (75,5%) cannot imagine isolation without using the means of communication, but in case of inability to use them, respondents (43,8%) answered that they would read books. This raises an extremely important question about the dependence of the learning process on electricity. Over the half of the students admitted that the state of health (65,3%) and mood (57,1%) had become worse. About half of students spent their leisure time playing computer games (42,5%), had communicated with family and friends more often (44,9%) and felt homesick (45,9%). These signs are the components of distress that indirectly affect the ability to learn. It is crucially important to provide the maximum audio-visual contact between the teacher and the student during distance learning. The system of psychological consulting of students is extremely needed. Classroom activity with necessary antiepidemic measures should be provided for medical students. The duration and format of online lectures, practical and laboratory classes should be changed.