Design, Implementation and Evaluation of the Virtual Summer Semester Program for Students of Medical Sciences Universities in Iran: Report of a National Experience

To meet the growing demand of students, nowadays universities around the world inclined towards offering intensive virtual or face-to-face courses. There are differing opinions regarding the educational implications of these intensive courses, especially virtual courses. The objective of this study is to design, implement, and evaluate a virtual intensive online program for students of medical universities in Iran during the summer term.

Methods and Materials: 

This study is a developmental design. The study environment was a Smart University of Medical Sciences, and the method of presenting this program was virtual. ADDIE educational design model has been used to design the program. The first and second levels of the Kirkpatrick model (satisfaction and student learning) were investigated. The sample size of the participated students was determined to be 400 people, who were randomly selected and the evaluation data of these two levels were collected from among them. Also, to evaluate the program from the point of view of 8 teachers and head of departments, the open-ended questions were used.

The design, development and implementation of the program was conducted based on a stepby- step approach. The evaluation results showed that the students have a positive reaction and relatively high satisfaction towards the course. Also, based on the results, the post-test average scores have increased in 4 selected of six disciplines and this difference is significant (p<0.01). Finally, based on the open-ended questions, the teachers and head of departments participating in the program listed the strengths and challenges for this program and at the same time offered suggestions for improving the program.

Based on the results, virtual intensive courses can be used as an effective and efficient solution to compensate for academic backwardness, improve student learning, reduce educational costs, and also increase access to education for disadvantaged students.