Factors that affect the learning of undergraduate medical students in an online asynchronous course of Forensic Medicine

ABSTRACT

Online learning has grown productive and vital for delivering asynchronous instruction to undergraduate medical students. We explored the factors that affect the learning of undergraduate medical students in an online asynchronous Forensic Medicine course through focus group discussions. These factors were identified in three components of theoretical framework: learner, design, and environment. The promoting factors in the learner component were regulation of learning, internal motivation, metacognition, interaction with peers, and social interaction. Hampering factors were poor self-regulation, losing motivation, and less use of discussion forums. In the environment component students’ engagement, external motivation, and lack of physical interaction hampered the learning. In design: course content, links, extra material, pre-recorded lectures, assessment, time limitation, and flexibility promoted the learning, while lack of training in asynchronous mode, losing motivation, loss of attention, and less interaction hampered learning. These identified factors will assist online educators and instructors in designing better online asynchronous courses.

KEYWORDS:

• Asynchronous course
• student’s experience
• Forensic Medicine
• factors affecting learning
• undergraduate medical students

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the students and experts for their valuable time.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data generated and analysed during the study are available on request.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Noor Ul Ain

Noor ul ain is an Assistant professor medical education/assessment, Islamic International Medical College, Riphah International University, Pakistan. (MBBS, MHPE)

Shabana Ali

Shabana Ali is professor anatomy and Assistant dean of the Riphah Academy of Research and Education, Riphah International University, Pakistan. (MBBS, M.Phil. anatomy, MHPE)

Rahila Yasmeen

Rahila Yasmeen is dean of Riphah Academy of Research and Education, Riphah International University, Pakistan. (BDS, DCPS- HPE, MHPE, PhD-HPE PhD scholar)