Pharmacy students’ perspective on online lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study from the University of Belgrade

Abstract

Introduction: Synchronous lectures tend to be used as the prevalent method of online instruction, irrespective of notable differences and obvious limitations when compared to their in-person delivery. Study aim was to assess students’ perspective on online lectures held during the emergency remote teaching (ERT) shift due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students were invited to take part in online survey related to their experience with ERT. Survey included 25 items related to: satisfaction (14 items), motivation (three items), interaction with peers and lecturers (four items), and perceived challenges (four items). A 5-point Likert scale was employed. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software. Results: A total of 387 students participated in the survey. The majority of respondents (79.3%) were junior students. Among the respondents, 72.6% reported no previous experience with online learning. Although a relatively high level of satisfaction was reported (mean score 3.91 ± 0.75), challenges were also scored relatively high (3.05 ± 0.99), while interaction was scored somewhat lower (2.98 ± 0.73), and the lowest mean score was observed for motivation (2.73 ± 0.58). Students reported having trouble maintaining motivation, concentration and focus during online lectures, which usually took many hours per day. Interaction with peers was reported as unsatisfactory (2.48 ± 1.46), whereas it was more feasible with lecturers (3.24 ± 1.42). Students were quite satisfied with the ability to organise their time flexibly (71.4%), and with the workload (54.5%), while they were less convinced that online sessions provided enough opportunities to reflect on what was learnt (50.1% agree, 25.1% neither agree nor disagree). Conclusions: The results obtained indicate that students are somewhat hesitant with respect to online lectures as the main mode of instruction. Lectures, generally, place students in a passive role, which is further increased in online delivery. In order to support students’ engagement and success, online lectures should be combined with more active instructional strategies.