Online learning during the Covid 19 Pandemic: dental students’ perspective and impact on academic performance, one institution experience

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic caused all universities in Malaysia to stop face-to-face learning and practical sessions for dental students and continued with the online learning. The aim of this study was to assess International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) dental students’ perspectives on the implementation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on academic performance. Materials and Methods: To assess students’ perspectives regarding online learning, an online questionnaire containing evaluative statements regarding handling, didactic benefit, motivation and challenges of online learning was distributed to all IIUM dental students. The impact of online learning on academic performance was assessed by comparing the students' results of Professional Exams for the years 2018/2019 (data before online learning implementation) and 2019/2020 (data after online learning implementation). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: 249 IIUM dental students involved in answering the questionnaire. Based on the mean score range, students gave positive responses towards management and benefits of online learning. Most statements in domain motivations scored neutral. From domain challenges, students showed that they faced some difficulties during online learning. Comparison between examination results showed significant improvement in Oral Biology (Year 1), Microbiology and Pharmacology (Year 2) subjects after implementing online learning. Dental Material (Year 2) and GMGS (Year 3) subjects showed declines in mean score while other subjects showed no significant difference. Conclusion: Despite some challenges, students showed positive responses towards some aspects of online learning