COVID-19: Making the Best out of a Forced Transition to Online Medical Teaching-a Mixed Methods Study

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decreed confinement in Spain from March until the end of term in June 2020, forcing an abrupt transition to exclusive distance learning in universities. We aimed to describe and analyze the perceptions and experiences of undergraduate medical students and faculty members as a consequence of this educational shift so as to identify the key elements for successful online medical learning.

A convergent mixed methods design was employed, using both quantitative and qualitative data collected successively through Phase 1: Online teaching follow-up program; Phase 2: Discussion groups (two focus groups and a nominal group with students and faculty, respectively) and a survey of students from first to fifth year; and Phase 3: Triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data.

Thirteen strongly interconnected categories were identified. Four of them played an organizational role: course planning, coordination, communication, and pedagogical coherence. The remaining nine categories were learning outcomes, teaching methodology, online resources, evaluation, time management, workload, student motivation, participation, and teacher-student relationship. Among the key aspects of learning were those that promoted rapport between faculty and students, such as synchronous sessions, especially those based on clinical cases.

Promoting student motivation and participation at all levels were the main lessons learned for enhancing online learning and teaching experiences in undergraduate medical education. Key elements to reach this goal are, among others, planning, coordination, communication, and pedagogical coherence.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01518-9.