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The perceived impact of webinars during the COVID.19 pandemic: A survey of ophthalmology trainees from India
Deepak Mishra1, Akshay Gopinathan Nair2, Lalit Verma3, Ashok Kumar Grover4, Satanshu Mathur5, Tanmay Srivastav1
1 Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Ophthalmic Plastic and Ocular Oncology Services, Advanced Eye Hospital and Institute, A Unit of Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospitals, Navi Mumbai; Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital, Wadala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
3 Centre for Sight, New Delhi, India
4 Vision Eye Centre, New Delhi, India
5 Hi-Tech Eye Institute and Laser Centre, Kashipur, Uttarakhand, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Akshay Gopinathan Nair
Ophthalmic Plastic and Ocular Oncology Services, Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital, Wadala, Mumbai - 400 031, Maharashtra
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ojo.ojo_87_21
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OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the perceived utility and the impact of web-based teaching programs being conducted following the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: An online survey was sent to trainee ophthalmologists across India through various social media platforms. The responses were tabulated and analyzed.
RESULTS: A total of 768 valid responses were recorded. Majority of respondents (52.2%) felt that the ideal duration for webinars was 1 hour or less. Factors that helped trainees in choosing a webinar were the topic (95.1%), the timing (53.6%), and the speaker list (42.4%). Residents indicated a preference for webinars to attend aimed at postgraduate residency training, more specifically clinical problem-solving. Further questions were answered using a 1-10 Likert scale (1: least useful and 10: extremely useful). The median score when asked for overall usefulness of the webinars in general was 8 (interquartile range/IQR: 2). The median response when asked about utility of webinars in enhancing theoretical knowledge was 8 (IQR: 2) and the median for utility of webinar-based teaching programs in enhancing practical knowledge/surgical learning was also 8 (IQR: 2). The median score when asked about the utility of the webinar programs in acquiring skills for writing research papers/thesis was 7 (IQR: 3). Connectivity issues, audio/voice issues, and the long duration of webinars were some of the problems faced while attending webinars.
CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmology trainees in India found online teaching programs and webinars to be useful in enhancing their theoretical knowledge and practical skills/surgical learning. Administrators and educational institutes should tailor online teaching programs as per the needs and preferences of the residents.
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