COVID-19 and distance learning: Do students studying gross anatomy find favour with the change in pedagogic approach?

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities have suspended face-to-face academic activities, replacing the more traditional methods of teaching and learning with technological approaches. The use of online platforms at the University of Sassari in Italy allowed the maintenance of theoretical classes and examinations for gross anatomy during the ‘lockdown’. The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of medical and non-medical students studying gross anatomy and/or undertaking examinations through online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic ‘lockdown’. Microsoft TEAMS ® online platform was made available by the University of Sassari to enable interactions between students and teachers. Students were surveyed on a voluntary basis using an anonymous questionnaire on the virtual Google Form platform. 326 students participated in the survey. Ratings for the quality of distance teaching and learning were high, with 80% of students scoring 5 or 4 on the Likert scale. 60% of students rated as ‘very good or ‘good’ the quality of teacher-student interactions during the distance-learning lessons. The different connection modes (i.e., mobile line or landline) had no bearing upon the perceived quality of the distance learning. When asked to make a choice between distance learning and face-to-face tuition, a high percentage of students expressed a preference for face-to-face tuition (76%). Our findings indicate that, while students retain a preference for more traditional, face-to-face, teaching and learning approaches, the use of online classes and examinations in gross anatomy were perceived as being beneficial during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.