Survey of medical and dental students' attitudes toward virtual education during Covid-19 epidemic in 2021

With the contagion of the deadly and infectious disease of Corona virus known as Covid-19, many universities and training centers suspended face-to-face teaching. The present study was designed and conducted to investigate the attitudes of medical and dental students of Shahed University towards virtual education during Covid-19 epidemic

This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 300 medical and dental students of Shahed University in 2021. Data were collected using a valid and reliable E-learning opportunities and threats questionnaire and entered in SPSS 21 software. Linear regression method was used to analyze the data.

The average attitude of students towards virtual education in the cost-learning efficacy dimension was 22.17±6.71, mental-emotional dimension was 25.83±5.08, communicational instructor-student dimension was 18.25 ± 5.08 and the total attitude score was 66.15±13/69. There was a direct significant correlation between cost-effectiveness and factors related to teaching-learning with the total attitude score (P=0.001).

The general attitude of students towards virtual education is related to the dimensions of cost-learning efficacy of education and factors related to teaching-learning. These two factors together can make 81.4% of the changes in the attitude score.