Abstract

Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid shift from in-person to virtual education worldwide. This swift transition raised questions about the effectiveness of virtual learning. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual education at Saveh University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2021. Participants included 313 students and 25 faculty members from Saveh University of Medical Sciences, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire and a virtual education effectiveness questionnaire, which included 55 items across 10 components and a total score range from 55 to 275. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 23.

Results: Ten participants were excluded from the study due to incomplete questionnaires, leaving data from 303 students and 25 faculty members for analysis. The mean total score of the virtual education effectiveness questionnaire was significantly (p<0.001) above average from both faculty and students' perspectives. Additionally, the perceived effectiveness of virtual education from the faculty’s perspective (218.08 ± 23.03) was significantly (p<0.001) higher than that from the students’ perspective (189.48 ± 50.34). Among all dimensions of virtual education, the effectiveness of all dimensions, except for flexibility, support, and motivation, was statistically significantly above average (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The present study indicated that the effectiveness of virtual education at Saveh University of Medical Sciences was at a satisfactory level from both faculty and student perspectives. While many aspects of virtual education were perceived as highly effective, the dimensions of flexibility, support, and motivation require further attention.
 
Acknowledgments: This study is derived from an approved research plan of the Saveh School of Medical Sciences. We hereby express our gratitude and appreciation to the Research Vice-Chancellery of Saveh School of Medical Sciences for providing the necessary budget for conducting this study, and to all the professors and students participating in this study for their cooperation.
 
Availability of data and materials:  The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
 
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of the results of this article.
 
Consent for publication: Not applicable
 
Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Saveh School of Medical Sciences under code IR.SAVEHUMS.REC.1399.021. Written informed consent was obtained from the participants to take part in the study. The participants were informed that their participation in the study was voluntary. The participants’ data were analyzed and reported anonymously and confidentially. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the .Declaration of Helsinki
Funding: This study was conducted with financial support from the Research Vice-Chancellery of Saveh School of Medical Sciences, code 1399.021.
 
Authors’ Contributions: M. Saeedi and Z.Abedini construct and supervised this study and implemented the project and collected the data. M. Saeedi provided statistical consultation and analysis. M. Saeedi drafted and revised the manuscript and approved the result with some revisions. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript. 
 
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