[Chances and challenges of increasing digitalization of teaching in the discipline anesthesiology from the perspective of students].

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic caused a sudden change in medical education worldwide and induced a shift towards digital teaching. Previously, most courses were organized for students in physical presence on campus, while a few institutions already complemented these with blended learning methods, combining digital teaching with clinical presence; however, the use of digital teaching was heterogeneous, ranging from the use of PowerPoint slides to the application of virtual patients and telemedicine.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify challenges and opportunities arising from the different tools used in digital teaching, such as recorded lectures or online seminars, and the role of hands-on clinical experience. In addition, the study examined student attitudes and experiences with the nearly all-digital semester beginning in spring 2020. These findings may help to better understand the impact of digital teaching on students and provide guidance on how to optimize digital medical teaching in the future.

METHODS: A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was developed to assess students' experiences with digital teaching at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was distributed to all medical students at the University of Mainz, Germany, who attended an anesthesiology course with asynchronously recorded lectures replacing traditional on-campus lectures during the pandemic. A total of 766 students in 4 courses met these criteria and received the online questionnaire for anonymous and voluntary response.

RESULTS: A total number of 141 students responded, resulting in a response rate of 18.4%. Almost all students had access to the appropriate technology to participate in digital courses and 80.9% indicated seeing more recorded lectures compared to previous face-to-face lectures on campus. Moreover, 67.4% reported that they paused the asynchronous lectures to look up additional information and 95.7% stated that they appreciated the possibility to view lectures regardless of time and location. Hence, 84.3% said they would prefer digital lectures over face-to-face lectures in the future; however, 28.4% missed the interaction with teachers during lectures. Thus, 94.3% of the students appreciated the online seminars in terms of theoretical knowledge but the majority missed the practical aspects in the courses. Overall, 78.0% responded that the digital availability of material and digital teaching formats helped them to enhance their independent learning abilities.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights several opportunities and challenges associated with digital teaching. The availability of prerecorded lectures at any time and place seems to facilitate access and increases student motivation. It also promotes individualization of student learning. Main disadvantages are the lack of communication with teachers and other students as well as the missing opportunity to reinforce the theoretical knowledge through application in practical courses, which, however, are essential for medical education. Therefore, a possible solution in the future could be the introduction of the "inverted classroom" concept, as it focuses on application and deepening of clinical skills in interactive classes, while the theoretical knowledge acquisition is taught in a digital teaching environment. The present study proposes the introduction of blended learning concepts to enhance the benefits of digital teaching while minimizing the identified disadvantages.