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Original Article
Online Published: 13 Aug 2021
 


Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective

Mohammed Abdullah Almutawa, Sulaiman Khalid Alfouzan, Albaraa Ali Alahmari, Yasir Ali Albarrak, Mohammad Fareed, Razique Anwer.


Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered as one of the unprecedented events in the 21st century as it causes many changes and challenges in our lives. This has impacted the method of learning among medical students, which changed from face-to-face classes to online classes to minimize gatherings and consequently decrease the transmission of the virus. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attitude and perception of online study mode during COVID-19 among medical students in the governmental universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 497 medical students from four different governmental universities in Riyadh city was conducted using a validated self-administered questionnaire.
Results: A total of 497 participants were from the four best universities of Riyadh retorted to the questionnaire with a response rate of 100%. The majority of the respondents, 255 (51.3%), were females. The blended learning comprising a mix of face-to-face and online was the most preferred by 53.9% (n = 268). The most typical challenges perceived by the students towards the success of the online system of education were communication, engagement, and in-person contact with faculty and classmates was highly stated with 63.17% responses (n = 314). Dedicated hours of study and level of concentration were also reported during online learning.
Conclusion: Although the impact of the pandemic was huge on a different aspect of life, the educational institutes in Saudi Arabia have worked to continue the process of learning through online means. Most medical students have expressed their willingness to move and adopt an online education system in the current situation, which improved by better communication with teachers and exploring the modern virtual tools to mimic the practical-based study.

Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning, medical education, undergraduate medical students.


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Almutawa MA, Alfouzan SK, Alahmari AA, Albarrak YA, Fareed M, Anwer R. Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. IJMDC. 2021; 5(8): 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636

Web Style

Almutawa MA, Alfouzan SK, Alahmari AA, Albarrak YA, Fareed M, Anwer R. Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=89999 [Access: October 13, 2025]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Almutawa MA, Alfouzan SK, Alahmari AA, Albarrak YA, Fareed M, Anwer R. Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. IJMDC. 2021; 5(8): 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Almutawa MA, Alfouzan SK, Alahmari AA, Albarrak YA, Fareed M, Anwer R. Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. IJMDC. (2021), [cited October 13, 2025]; 5(8): 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636


Harvard Style

Almutawa, M. A., Alfouzan, . S. K., Alahmari, . A. A., Albarrak, . Y. A., Fareed, . M. & Anwer, . R. (2021) Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. IJMDC, 5 (8), 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636


Turabian Style

Almutawa, Mohammed Abdullah, Sulaiman Khalid Alfouzan, Albaraa Ali Alahmari, Yasir Ali Albarrak, Mohammad Fareed, and Razique Anwer. 2021. Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 5 (8), 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636


Chicago Style

Almutawa, Mohammed Abdullah, Sulaiman Khalid Alfouzan, Albaraa Ali Alahmari, Yasir Ali Albarrak, Mohammad Fareed, and Razique Anwer. "Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 5 (2021), 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Almutawa, Mohammed Abdullah, Sulaiman Khalid Alfouzan, Albaraa Ali Alahmari, Yasir Ali Albarrak, Mohammad Fareed, and Razique Anwer. "Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 5.8 (2021), 1496-1506. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Almutawa, M. A., Alfouzan, . S. K., Alahmari, . A. A., Albarrak, . Y. A., Fareed, . M. & Anwer, . R. (2021) Distance learning approach during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduate medical students in four major universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - a survey report on students’ perspective. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 5 (8), 1496-1506. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1624428636




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