“I am skeptical that distance education based on asynchronous Internet technologies (i.e., prerecorded video, online forums, and email) is a substitute for live classroom discussion and other on-campus interaction. Distance education students can’t raise their hands to ask instructors questions or participate in discussions, and it’s difficult or impossible for them to take advantage of faculty office hours. Teaching assistants don’t always respond to email, and online class discussion boards can be neglected by students and faculty alike. In this sense, the “process of dialogue” is actually limited by technology.”
Ian Lamont
This observation by Ian Lamont said all! But, when I deeply contemplated, I realized that it was one-sided. It talked about the magnanimous efforts students made to inculcate the self-directed digital learning experience, but it excluded the obstacles and challenges experienced by the educators when they fragmented and implemented online learning programs for the medical students and the postgraduate trainees.
As I reviewed, I came across robust evidence that marked the educators’ difficulties or the online learning institutions.
Skilled Faculty
I discovered that content for online learning required proficient and highly skilled medical practitioners that the institutions often lacked owing to several reasons. The course content, therefore, despite being highly systematic, often lacked technical knowledge.
Shortage of Time
Designing content and imparting it to the postgraduates required time and dedication. With already enough work pressure on the medical educators, managing time to research and prepare lectures is an added burden they would rather not engage in.
Lack of Infrastructure and Technology
Advanced infrastructure and technological soundness is an important consideration for the success of online medical learning. But, medical practitioners, despite being good, could not fight against inter-departmental collaboration and unmanageable team working.
Inhibitive Approach
I also feel that development and implementation of online learning also experienced interruption due to educators hesitating in engaging in new technologies. They were overwhelmed with new tools but lacked patience in navigating minor technical issues.
Price Factor
This, I found to be the most critical barrier to exemplary online medical education. From skilled faculty to infrastructure to vast course material, live lectures, and audio-video facilitation, educational platforms invested huge amounts in developing and implementing online medical education. And the only way they sought to gain from the investments was with a large number of enrollments.
But this did not happen. Students enrolled in large numbers, but their time slots differed, their courses differed. And, hence gains did not materialize as expected. This gradually presented itself as a huge problem.
This irked me for a while but unknowingly helped me shape a dream project.
After working on each detail intrinsically, I conceptualized an answer to the above problems.
What answers? Is it going to work?