Swiss medical schools' experiences with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in light of international experiences.
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BORIS DOI
Date of Publication
March 6, 2024
Publication Type
Article
Division/Institute
Subject(s)
Series
BMC medical education
ISSN or ISBN (if monograph)
1472-6920
Publisher
BioMed Central
Language
English
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
38448941
Uncontrolled Keywords
Description
BACKGROUND
During the pandemic, all universities had to switch to digital learning and teaching (DLT), the experiences were diverse. The advantages and obstacles of DLT are well reported in research. To ensure a sustainable DLT implementation, the requirements of institutions, educators and students should be aligned.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims at identifying and describing the experiences made at the Swiss medical schools after having to switch from on-site to on-line teaching; in particular, the experienced issues, requirements, and solutions were investigated and compared to international literature.
METHODS
We conducted a literature review to derive themes and subthemes regarding the central aspects of the transition from on-site to on-line teaching. Also, we conducted semi-structured interviews with people responsible for the medical curricula at the Swiss Medical Schools. We used a purposive sampling method and invited eleven curriculum managers at the seven Swiss Medical Schools. The interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded and transcribed. Subsequently the data was analysed with the software NVivo. We used a qualitative, deductive, content analysis to explore faculty experiences.
RESULTS
Twenty-four articles met the eligibility criteria and were included for full text screening. Of the included articles, 15 reported on DLT in general and nine articles reported on DLT during the Pandemic. The thematic analysis of the interviews resulted in four overall themes, requirements, obstacles, facilitators and advantages. Curriculum managers reported that institutions were relatively unprepared for the quick transition from onsite to online at the onset of the pandemic.
CONCLUSIONS
Our research reports a lack of institutional structures, communication, digital competences and literacy, teaching strategies, as well as a theoretical foundation for DLT implementation. A conceptual framework for DLT adapted to the Swiss universities beyond the current situation is needed.
During the pandemic, all universities had to switch to digital learning and teaching (DLT), the experiences were diverse. The advantages and obstacles of DLT are well reported in research. To ensure a sustainable DLT implementation, the requirements of institutions, educators and students should be aligned.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims at identifying and describing the experiences made at the Swiss medical schools after having to switch from on-site to on-line teaching; in particular, the experienced issues, requirements, and solutions were investigated and compared to international literature.
METHODS
We conducted a literature review to derive themes and subthemes regarding the central aspects of the transition from on-site to on-line teaching. Also, we conducted semi-structured interviews with people responsible for the medical curricula at the Swiss Medical Schools. We used a purposive sampling method and invited eleven curriculum managers at the seven Swiss Medical Schools. The interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded and transcribed. Subsequently the data was analysed with the software NVivo. We used a qualitative, deductive, content analysis to explore faculty experiences.
RESULTS
Twenty-four articles met the eligibility criteria and were included for full text screening. Of the included articles, 15 reported on DLT in general and nine articles reported on DLT during the Pandemic. The thematic analysis of the interviews resulted in four overall themes, requirements, obstacles, facilitators and advantages. Curriculum managers reported that institutions were relatively unprepared for the quick transition from onsite to online at the onset of the pandemic.
CONCLUSIONS
Our research reports a lack of institutional structures, communication, digital competences and literacy, teaching strategies, as well as a theoretical foundation for DLT implementation. A conceptual framework for DLT adapted to the Swiss universities beyond the current situation is needed.
File(s)
| File | File Type | Format | Size | License | Publisher/Copright statement | Content | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s12909-024-05218-3.pdf | text | Adobe PDF | 1.31 MB | Attribution (CC BY 4.0) | published |