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.
Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive-correlational 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. 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 (mean ± SD = 218.08 ± 23.03) was significantly (p<0.001) higher than that from the students’ perspective (mean ± SD = 189.48 ± 50.34). Among all dimensions of virtual education, the effectiveness of all dimensions, except for flexibility, support, and motivation, was statistically significantly (p<0.05) above average.
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.