Students’ and faculty members’ perceptions of the online component of a blended internal medicine clerkship course: a mixed-method evaluation

While online learning works well for preclinical medical education, it has limitations in clinical training. Therefore, blended learning has gained attentions as an alternative. The success of blended learning needs more attention than pure online learning or face-to-face instruction. Students and faculty members are required to manage their tasks properly using online technology disregarding the face-to-face component of blended learning. At Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), the undergraduate internal medicine course was redesigned as a blended learning course due to the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of students and faculty members regarding the online component of the blended course, with implications for improving clinical education in low- and middle-income countries. This concurrent mixed-method evaluation focused on a 60-session online course integrated with an in-person internal medicine clerkship at TUMS during the course of four months. The study included 89 medical students and 12 faculty members as participants. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire assessing students’ perspectives on the online course, along with session-specific satisfaction ratings. Qualitative data were gathered through online focus group sessions with students and semi-structured interviews with faculty members, and their transcripts were analyzed in a conventional manner. Students expressed high satisfaction with the course, preferring mixed online instruction and reporting positive experiences with the online platform and instructors. Faculty members found online learning to be flexible and efficient, allowing for covering a wide range of topics but faced challenges such as low student attendance, difficulties with communication, and technical issues. Overall, online learning was perceived as beneficial and capable of improvement. Both students and faculty members expressed satisfaction with the blended learning experience. However, some students felt that certain sessions were too long and not engaging, and the workload was a concern for some. Faculty members highlighted the need for more institutional support and recognition. Despite these drawbacks, online learning was seen as a valuable complement to traditional in-person clinical training, especially in low-resource settings. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of online learning in blended clinical training, preferably with control groups.