Pharmacy students' perspectives on online lectures during the COVID – 19 pandemic – case study from the University of Belgrade.

Abstract

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) due to 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 (3 items), interaction with peers and lecturers (4 items), and perceived challenges (4 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. Majority of respondents (79.3%) were junior students. Among them, 72.6% reported no previous experience with online learning. Although 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 least mean score was observed for motivation (2.73±0.58). Students reported having trouble to keep motivation, concentration and focus during online lectures, which usually took long 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 possibility to organize their time flexibly (71.4%), and with respect to the workload (54.5%), while they were less convinced that online sessions provide enough opportunities to reflect on what has been 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.