ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted clinical practice, research and teaching. During peaks, virtual courses were implemented but these changes are poorly described, especially for oncology postgraduate students and faculty teachers. Methods: We conducted two surveys from 06/2021 to 10/2021 in students and faculty teachers (250 and 80 responses, respectively) who registered at Gustave Roussy School of Cancer Sciences (Paris Saclay University) during three consecutive university years (10/2018-10/2021), where a major shift to e-learning was associated with COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Most students were female (53%), attending physicians (50%), of 30-39 years old (54%), and 2020-2021 (66.4%) was the main year of training. Most faculty teachers were male (58%), of 40-50 years old (44%) and had participated in training for at least three years (83%). More than half students received 100% virtual training (55% vs 45% face-to-face/mixed teaching modalities; online [84%] vs remote teaching [16%]). Only 34% of students declared >80% “active listening” and only 16% of teachers considered e-learning to be more suitable (compared to face-to-face) for postgraduate education. Virtual teaching decreased student-teacher interactions as compared with mixed/face-to-face (lessons were sufficiently interactive for 54% students if virtual only teaching vs for 71% if other teaching modalities; p=0.009). Teachers stated that virtual learning did not lead to any improvements in terms of attendance (68%), interaction (74%) and quality of teaching (68%). However, most faculty (76%) acknowledged that partial e-learning training should be maintained outside the pandemic, if it represents <50% of the whole teaching (teachers: 79% vs student: 66%; p=0.04). Conclusion: COVID accelerated the transition toward novel practices. Students and faculty teachers agreed on the need for future mixed (<50% e-learning) teaching modalities. Adequate formation and the use of codified best newer virtual practices are required.
Fuente: ESMO Open
