Slack as a virtual undergraduate dermatology community: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Dermatology
• Digital Learning

Background:

• Dermatology education in UK undergraduate curricula is limited.
• Traditional face-to-face (F2F) clinical examinations are central to dermatology training.
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted dermatology education due to reliance on F2F methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of an online Slack community for undergraduate dermatology education.
• To evaluate the acceptability of this virtual learning environment.
• To establish a proof of concept for using Slack in dermatology training.

Main Methods:

• A 6-week online program using Slack for undergraduate medical students.
• Content included case-based discussions, seminars, and journal clubs.
• Facilitation by junior doctors and patient educators; mixed-methods analysis of student and faculty evaluations and pre/post-quizzes.

Main Results:

• 65 students enrolled; 52 completed evaluations from 27 UK universities.
• Most students were passive observers, but a few 'super-users' were highly active.
• 96% of students and 100% of faculty rated the course quality as 'excellent'.

Conclusions:

• A community-based online classroom on Slack is an enjoyable and acceptable method for dermatology education.
• The platform's ease of use and supportive nature can enhance collaborative learning and patient involvement.
• This digital approach offers a safeguard against reduced F2F learning, particularly post-pandemic.