Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dental education: perception of professors and students

Impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 en educación dental: percepción de estudiantes y profesores

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate perception and feelings experienced by dentistry professors and students about distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty professors and fifty- two students reported the perceptions and implications of distance learning imposed by the pandemic of COVID-19. The participants' answers were analyzed using the qualitative-quantitative method of the collective subject's discourse. The answers were summarized in central ideas, distributed in absolute and relative frequency. The answers with similar central ideas were grouped, obtaining the discourse of the collective subject. The similar central ideas about distance learning addressed by professors and students were: suitable for didactic courses; limited laboratory and clinical courses, and internet access difficulties. Specifically for professors: a complement to classroom teaching; stress and learning with digital technologies; difficulty in reconciling classes with domestic activities; concerns with motivation and interaction with students; asynchronous lectures favor knowledge fixation, and synchronous lectures favor interaction with students; unreliable assessment methods; concern about returning to face-to-face classes. For the students: it was applied to all courses; demotivating; fundamental to guide studies; professors' commitment; long lectures; excessive school activities; difficult attendance control and evaluation; the comfort of being at home; impact on research. Professors considered distance learning as a learning opportunity on how to use digital technologies but too limited for lab and clinical activities and interaction with students. Students found it discouraging due to the absence of practical classes and excessive school activities.

Keywords Coronavirus infections; Social distance; Dentistry; Students; Education; Dental; Qualitative research

Central Ideas*	Professor (n=50) n (%)	Discourses of the collective subject
A. Suitable for didactic courses	5 (10.0)	"Concerning didactic topics, I believe that online teaching is extremely productive and should become a common practice in dentistry courses."
B. Limited for laboratory and clinical courses	19 (38.0)	"Dentistry cannot be virtual! Most theoretical classes are associated with practices. Non-face-to-face classes introduce the topics, but laboratory training, clinical practice, and interaction with patients are lacking."
C. A complement to classroom teaching	8 (16.0)	"The evidence is clear: online education helps, it can be a complement to face-to-face teaching, but it is not a complete substitute. I believe that nothing replaces face-to-face teaching!"
D. Stress and learning with digital technologies	12 (24.0)	"Everybody from everywhere had to leave their comfort zone. There was a high level of stress due to the need for quick learning of digital tools. I believe that the stress now is much less than it was at the beginning of the activities' suspension, and the tools can be used, even when the face-to-face activities normalize."
E. Difficulty in reconciling online classes with domestic activities	2 (4.0)	"With all the family members confined at home, supervising the children's school activities, maintaining the home, fear from illness, negative news from politics, economics, and health, it overwhelmed me, making it difficult to concentrate on online classes."
F. Concern about students' motivation	6 (12.0)	"The biggest problem faced is keeping our students motivated and willing to continue dedicating themselves even when they are far away. I notice that students access the online classroom, but they are not present in front of the computer or paying attention. Furthermore, I believe that they are saturated with so many videos and online classes."
G. Absence of interaction with students	6 (12.0)	"I feel unmotivated with the little participation of students in the chat. Besides, most students do not feel comfortable opening their cameras during classes, making facial feedback difficult."
I. Recorded lessons (asynchronous) fixing knowledge	2 (4.0)	"The students reported that they can be more focused on the recorded classes and still have the opportunity to watch again as many times as they wish. This method, consequently, increases the assimilation of the content."
J. Synchronous sessions - interaction with students	2 (4.0)	"Virtual classes are much better than face-to-face classes but using synchronous methods in which students can ask questions simultaneously at the class."
H. Unreliable evaluation methods	2 (4.0)	"In my opinion, the problem lies in the effectiveness and value of online exams due to the probability of exchanging information between students."
L. Internet access difficulties	4 (8.0)	"Given the great social differences that we are experiencing, I believe that the biggest problem is that not all students have access to the internet and individual computers that allow them to attend classes remotely."
M. Concern about returning to classes	3 (6.0)	"I do not see a safe return for clinical activities, as we need a huge reform to adapt the biosafety standards, and the institution does not have a viable budget. It would also be necessary to reorganize the courses with a lower number of students per term."

Central Ideas*	Student (n=52) n (%)	Discourses of the collective subject
A. Adopted to all courses	7 (13.5)	"We adapt to online classes, and I think that online teaching can be adopted widely instead of face-to-face. Teaching can improve more and more with the use of technology."
B. Suitable for theoretical courses	6 (11.5)	"In my opinion, the didactic part can be with online lectures, without prejudice to learning. We are taking didactic classes to reinforce many essential topics and new topics of great relevance before entering the clinical environment."
C. Limited for practical courses	20 (38.5)	"The clinic and laboratories' activities help establish knowledge, and learning is significantly compromised without the practical part, especially for students who have already started a clinical internship. We do not know when we can return to the clinics or how it will support our training, as we are the profession most affected by the pandemic!".
D. De-motivating	12 (23.1)	"It is not the same as face-to-face teaching! I lost a little motivation because I do not have practical classes. I think online teaching has been more difficult than face-to-face, as it is tedious to be at the computer and to have to study alone. We are not prepared and used to this teaching model! I also feel that it is much easier to lose concentration, but it is not for lack of trying!"
E. Fundamental to guide studies	2 (3.8)	"I think that online education is fundamental in this period to guide home studies because even if we try to study alone, it does not yield enough and is not very effective."
F. Commitment of professors	5 (9.6)	"Most teachers even ask questions, and explain it as a face-to-face class, sometimes even better! But some teachers don't even have time for the slide to load, they do not look for good images to improve our understanding, they don't take questions, and they don't pass activities for our training."
G. Long lessons	3 (5.8)	"Online lectures tend to be longer than face-to-face lectures, ignoring university directions. The result is an overload, which exceeds the credits attributed to each discipline, in addition to being tiring."
H. Excessive school activities	7 (13.5)	"These are new things for everyone about internet learning/teaching. However, I think they should be more comprehensive with students, as they send many tasks to do at home, simply because the students are at home, making the experience tiring and stressful. The materials accumulate in such a way that we feel confused, being very difficult to have a study schedule."
I. Difficult presence control and evaluatwion	2 (3.8)	"I think it isn't straightforward to have presence and attendance control in the remote model, as I know that sometimes some students are connected and don't even hear the lecture."
J. Internet access difficulties	3 (5.8)	"Some students do not have access to the internet, mobile or fixed, neither access to cellphones nor computers. These students will have a huge gap in their learning, as they have no way to attend classes and perform activities online. Most colleges are not considering this situation!"
L. Convenience of being at home	5 (9.6)	"Online classes are more comfortable, as I don't have to travel to the school building. I think the didactic lectures could remain online even after confinement, and the clinics and laboratories being in person."
M. Impact on research	2 (3.8)	"Postgraduate students are used to studying alone, so with universities closed, the most significant impact is on continuing research, as I have not yet been able to do my research."

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None Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, San Pedro, San José, San José, CR, 2060, 2511-8102, 2234-9207 - E-mail: odontos.fo@ucr.ac.cr

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[TFN1] Bold numbers indicate the highest frequencies of answers regarding opinions caused by online education.

[TFN2] *The same participant may present more than one central idea.