Abstract
The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) necessitated an abrupt transition from on campus, face-to-face sessions to online, distance learning in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of postgraduate dental learners and instructors about the transition to distance learning, including the changes to the learning and teaching and its efficaciousness. A convergent mixed methods approach to research was utilized. All the instructors and postgraduate learners in a dental college were invited to participate in an online survey. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analyses on SPSS for Windows version 25.0, and for the responses to the open-ended questions, multi-staged thematic analysis was utilized. Both groups of stakeholders: learners and instructors, were satisfied with the rapid transition to distance learning due to COVID-19. Instructors were significantly more satisfied than the learners. The stakeholders adapted well to the change. The perception of the stakeholders regarding the case-based scenarios significantly influenced their level of satisfaction. As perceived by the stakeholders, the transition to distance learning entailed advantages and challenges. Going through the experience enabled the stakeholders to develop informed opinions of how best to sustain learning and teaching irrespective of how matters unfold in relation to the pandemic. In conclusion, the worldwide dental education community faced unprecedented challenges due to the onset of COVID-19. From a macro perspective, decision-makers must not miss out on the valuable opportunities, inherent in the experience, to reinforce curriculums, and maximize learning and teaching.
Highlights
It took the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) two months to traverse national borders, across multiple continents
Implementation of distance learning, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for all higher education institutions’ became a requirement starting from March 22nd 2020 until the end of June 2020, where almost three quarters of the second half of 2019–2020 academic year was conducted online [4]
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of postgraduate dental learners and instructors in relation to the sudden transition to distance learning, including the changes to the learning and teaching and its efficaciousness, and how these stakeholders modified their learning or teaching to adapt to this abrupt change
Summary
It took the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) two months to traverse national borders, across multiple continents. Postgraduate dental learners and instructors’ perception about rapid transition to distance learning labeled the COVID-19 as a pandemic [1]. The outbreak of COVID-19 led to a rapidly evolving situation that impacted the education system worldwide [2]. Continuing education delivery through alternative learning and teaching channels abruptly became a top priority for institutions aiming to keep the impact of the crisis on education to a minimum. Following the endorsement of national social distancing directives, education institutions, across many countries, had no option but to resort to distance learning environments and other e-learning resources [3]. Implementation of distance learning, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for all higher education institutions’ became a requirement starting from March 22nd 2020 until the end of June 2020, where almost three quarters of the second half of 2019–2020 academic year was conducted online [4]
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