International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health

Anitha BP et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2022 Mar;9(3):1347-1349

http://www.ijcmph.com

pISSN 2394-6032 | eISSN 2394-6040

Original Research Article

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20220693

A cross-sectional study on impact of online classes among undergraduate students of Shimoga institute of medical science, Shivamogga due to COVID-19

Anitha B. P.*, Praveen Kumar N., Darshitha R., Shashi Kiran G. M.

Department of Community Medicine, Shimoga Institute of Medical Science, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India

Received: 22 December 2021

Accepted: 04 February 2022

*Correspondence:

Dr. Anitha B. P.,

E-mail: anithabp81@gmail.com

Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 has resulted in shutdown of all the schools all over the world. This has led globally, over 1.2 billion children to remain out of classroom. As a result, education has changed from classroom teaching to e-learning, whereby teaching is on digital platforms. Although online classes have several advantages but there are disadvantages also. In this regard the study aims to explore whether the online classes effect on both physical and mental health of students along with the effect on education.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was done from October-November 2020 (2 months). A pre-designed questionnaire was given to phase-III, part-I and part-II students (253) in Google forms. The database was created in MS-excel sheet and results were expressed in percentages.

Results: Out of 253 students 166 students responded, which was 65.6% out of whom physical health impact like eye problems due to online-classes was most for dry eyes (54.8%) and least for double vision (13.9%). Impact on mental health was most for headache (54.8%) and least for depression (36.7%). Impact on education was most for lack of practical based learning (97.6%) and was less for difficulty in understanding subject (63.9%).

Conclusions: Students had more negative impact on education with online-classes. So, except during crisis period offline classes are preferred.

Keywords: Students, COVID-19, Online-classes

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 has resulted in shutdown of all schools all over the world. This has led globally, over 1.2 billion children to remain out of class room. As a result, education has changed from classroom teaching to e-learning, whereby teaching is on digital platforms.1 The physical classes were essentially suspended till assist take note as individuals anticipated it to be as it were a month or two long delay at best. Be that as it may, as, with time, the masses figured it out that the COVID-19 widespread was not vanishing any time before long which delayed deferring of learning was affecting the longer term of children, online mediums of education were desperately switched to.2 The speed of the spread of the epidemic, the closure of higher instruction educate and the move to online educating was so quick that it barely gave any time to arrange and to reflect on the potential dangers or the potential opportunities that such a sudden alter might bring.3 Although the online classes have several advantages there are disadvantages also. In this regard the study aims to explore whether the online classes effect on both physical and mental health of students along with the effect on education.4

Objectives

The objectives were to estimate the impact of online classes on health of students and to estimate the impact of online classes on education of students.

METHODS

Study design

The study design was of a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Study area

The study conducted at Shimoga institute of medical science (S.I.M.S) Shimoga.

Study participants

The participants involved were M.B.B.S. phase III, part I and part II students of S.I.M.S.

Study period

The study conducted from October 2020 to November 2020 (2 months).

Methodology of data collection

Permission was taken from the dean and director of S.I.M.S and consent from students to conduct the study.

A pre-designed questionnaire was sent to the students through Google forms and response was collected.

Methodology of data analysis

The responses received were transferred to MS-excel sheet and analysis was done. Results were expressed in percentages.

RESULTS

Out of 253 students 166 students responded which was 65.6% out of whom physical health impact like eye problems due to online-classes was most for dry eyes (54.8%). Others were burning sensation (36.7%), redness of eyes (28.9%) blurred vision (32.5%) double vision (13.9%). Impact on mental health was most for tiredness (58.4%), others were headache (54.8%), depression (36.7%), anxiety (41%). Impact on education was most for lack of practical based learning (97.6%), others were-not suitable for every topic (91.6%), lack of motivation (80.1%), lack of concentration (80.1%), difficulty in understanding subject (63.9%).

Table 1: Impact on physical and mental health.
Table reproduced from source PDF page 2
Figure 1: Impact on education. | 120.00% 97.60% 100.00% 91.60% 80.10% 80.10% 80.00% 63.90% 60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% a b c d e
Figure 1: Impact on education.

a-lack of practical based learning. b-not suitable for every topic. c-lack of motivation. d-lack of concentration. e-difficulty in understanding subject.

DISCUSSION

In the present study impact of physical health were 54.8% had dry eyes, 32.5% had blurred vision and 36.7% had burning sensation of eyes. The study conducted by Singh et al on impact of online teaching on health in 5 universities in India during 2020 showed that 26.18% had dry eyes, 28.72% had blurred vision and 29.82% had burning sensation of eyes.5 This could be because of more exposure to online classes in our study and also the capacity to adopt to online classes varies from one person to another.

In case of mental health, headache was prevalent in 54.8% of participants. The study conducted by Singh et al. showed that headache was present in 55.27% of participants.5 This might be because of more mental stress and eye strain experienced by participants.

Then in education impact was most for lack of practical based learning (97.6%) and least was difficulty in understanding subject (63.9%). Overall impact of online classes was more negative on education.

CONCLUSION

Students had negative impact on education with online classes so except during crisis period, rest of the time offline classes are suggested.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Author would like to thanks to all the staffs of community medicine, SIMS and all participants who responded to google forms.

Funding: No funding sources

Conflict of interest: None declared

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee

REFERENCES

  1. 1. The raise of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Available at: www.weforum.org. Accessed on 29 October, 2020.
  2. 2. COCID-19 impact: Here’s why online education is the new way of learning. India Today. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/feature-philia/story/covid-19-impact-here-s-why-online-education-is-the-new-way-of-learning-1854799-2021-09-20. Accessed on 16 December, 2021.
  3. 3. COVID-19: 4 negative impacts and 4 opportunities created for education. India Today. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/covid-19-4-negative-impacts-and-4-opportunities-created-for-education-1677206-2020-05-12. Accessed on 16 December, 2021.
  4. 4. The effect of learning on communication between. Available at: www.emrald.com. Accessed on 5 November, 2020.
  5. 5. Singh S, Saini A, Ahlawat T. Impact of online teaching on health of university students during COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The Pharma Innovation J. 2021;10(4):958-61.