Dental students' perceptions of integrating online learning in the dental curriculum

Following the worldwide lockdown due to COVID-19, education globally switched from classroom to online learning. This transition impacted the teaching techniques used in dental education. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate dental students' experience with online learning. The benefits and drawbacks of integrating online learning into dental teaching were assessed as well as the factors that enhanced the online learning experience.

This is a cross sectional descriptive study employing a survey design. A web-based survey was distributed to the undergraduate dental students at Jordan University of Science and Technology. All dental undergraduate students of different academic levels were eligible to participate (n = 1500). The responses were collected anonymously through August 2022. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson Chi-square test were utilized.

A total of 984 undergraduate dental students participated in this questionnaire. Females and year four students dominated the study population (64.7%, 31.3%). Internet connection was not a barrier to online learning for most students (61.4%). The preference for online learning over on campus for most students was due to time and money saving, better comprehension, and less social anxiety (n = 421, 45.7%). Drawbacks of online learning for most students (60%) were the difficulty of maintaining focus and the poor design of lectures (76.3%). The low cost of the internet was a factor that significantly encouraged students to favour online learning (P value = 0.01). Active interaction during lectures was a main factor that encouraged students to stay focused during online sessions (P value < 0.001). For a significant number of students, the lecturers demonstrated superior teaching skills during online sessions in comparison to the classroom (P < 0.001).

Despite the positive attitude of undergraduate dental students towards online learning, many improvements are required. Enhancing online lecture design which can be facilitated by implementing comprehensive training and workshop programs for lecturers. Actively engaging students during lectures is necessary to help students regain focus during online sessions. Finally, decreasing lecture times to match students' attention spans is fundamental. By focusing on interface design and providing structured training for lecturers, a more effective online learning environment can be achieved.