Implementing and Evaluating Hybrid Classes in a Biostatistics Course for Dentistry
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IEEE
Abstract
The migration of academic activities to the online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought repercussions throughout the university community, affecting first-year students the most. In response, classrooms were set up for learning activities in a synchronous hybrid modality to facilitate safe and voluntary face-to-face activities. This research describes the implementation of synchronous hybrid activities in the UC dentistry biostatistics course to determine if student satisfaction and learning are equivalent in the hybrid and online format. Three sessions were attended by between 13 and 20 students in the hybrid room. Satisfaction and learning were assessed through online questionnaires sent to all participating students (response rate of 84% and 64%). The most prevalent reason for not attending classes in the hybrid room was that the students lived in a quarantined commune. The students who did attend the activities in the hybrid room reported that this helped them feel part of the university (100%), become closer to their peers (96%), and boost their spirits (91%). No learning differences were observed between the students in the sessions with and without face-to-face activities, nor between those in the classroom versus those at home.
Description
Keywords
distance learning, hybrid classrooms, dental education, higher education, educational innovation