Table 1 Description of the articles categorized into teleconferences, webinars, virtual classrooms, and video conferences
S. No. | Article type | Country | Region | Number of participants | Type of participants | Online platforms | Description of the adopted strategy | Outcomes | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Research letter (Singh & Arya, 2020) [31] | India | Asia & Pacific | 200 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM, Google Meet, Cisco WebEx, Microsoft Team, and WizIQ | Lessons were delivered through pre-recorded video and on live platforms using PowerPoint slides with audio, audio-visual with animated graphics, and audio-visual discussion. | Pre-recorded video lectures received good feedback. | Provide the least disturbance and flexibility of learning especially in regions where Internet connectivity is an issue. |
2 | Research letter (Pollom et al., 2020) [38] | USA | North America | 12 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM and WebEx | Virtual clinical clerkships in oncology were offered. Sessions on oncology were delivered through e-learning tools in week one to provide students a basic knowledge of the subject followed by a virtual demonstration of clinic patients and virtual student talks on published papers on the subject in week 2. Canvas web application was used to access ZOOM lectures and assignments. Meetings were also recorded and shared for review later by the students and ZOOM chat was used to engage students throughout the session. A post-clerkship assessment form was completed. | 67 % of the participants found the program interested. | Provide a chance of clinical clerkship to medical students when all on-site clerkship programs are suspended. Moreover, increase student exposure to the oncology field and develop their interest in radiation oncology as a career. |
3 | Research article (Patterson, Ritwik, Kerins, & Adewumi, 2021) [39] | USA | North America | 50 | Postgraduate students | ZOOM and Mentimeter | Microsoft PowerPoint presentations were delivered virtually on the ZOOM platform to dentistry residents from three states. A real-time multiple choice question-based assessment was conducted on the cloud-based package Mentimeter Feedback was recorded anonymously and discussed in chat during the presentation. | A positive experience of learning was reported by the participants. Similarly, in an average of more than 80% of assessments, results were observed. | Participants from multiple states can be involved in the training session with a feature of real-time assessment and anonymous feedback. Moreover, involve of multiple institutions reduced the workload on individual university during COVID-19. |
4 | Research article (Durfee et al., 2020) [40] | USA | North America | 111 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM and Aquifer Modules | A 4-week interactive virtual radiology clerkship was designed which included an online flipped classroom model, large group lectures, and small group activities followed by online assessment through traditionally used multiple choice-based exams. Pre-reading materials were provided by Aquifer (Aquifer Modules). Large group didactic lectures and small group homeroom activities were conducted on the ZOOM platform. Student assessment via a standardized closed-book exam was performed, and feedback from these students was collected using online surveys. Moreover, a comparison of students’ performance was done to in-person radiology clerkship. | Scores of final exams were identical to in-person clerkships. An 85% mean exam result was observed, almost similar to the last 5-year traditional exam result which was in the average of 78%. The adopted strategy survey indicated that 98% of the participants found the structure of the course was excellent. The highest overall satisfaction for virtual homeroom activities was observed. | During this time of pandemic, a complete virtual radiology core clerkship can be a successful educational experience for medical students. The adopted small group learning environment was observed most successful method for engaging students and developing their interest in learning. |
5 | Report (Chowdhury et al., 2020) [36] | USA | North America | More than 3000 | Postgraduate students | Teleconferencing and Videoconferencing town halls and the university’s official website (named “Care and Share”), OneDrive, Microsoft Team, Redmond and Wash | Teleconferencing applications were used to engage the students. Videoconferencing town halls for question answers and to receive feedback on current response measures were arranged. The “Care and Share” website was created that allowed the University of Washington Medicine community to connect with one another. Biweekly virtual happy hours were instituted that helped to maintain the sense of community. Furthermore, online tools such as Wash, Redmond, Microsoft Corp., and OneDrive were used to increase the productivity of the research. | The strategies adopted have been proven beneficial. Teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and other adopted programs were found helpful to continue residency and increased student’s engagement even after COVID-19 crisis. | These innovations can become an addition to the “new normal” routine of residency programs for the enhancement of learning and critical care. |
6 | Research Article (Abraham et al., 2020) [41] | USA | North America | 20 | Undergraduate Students | ZOOM | Online orientation was conducted on the ZOOM platform and students were trained to complete the American College of Physicians (ACP) module on telehealth. A survey based on the assessment of student’s attitudes, skills, and knowledge to telehealth at the end of the program was conducted. | Telemedicine was supposed to be an appreciated add-up in the medical field by 90% of the students. Overall satisfaction with the current online program was observed. | The program provides an alternative platform for medical students to experience clinical learning opportunities in the time of pandemic when in-person patient care is believed unsafe. |
7 | Research Article (McRoy et al., 2020) [37] | USA | North America | 18 | Postgraduate students | Pacsbin, ZOOM, and Google Classroom. | The radiology workstation was simulated by the implementation of a novel cloud-based distance learning solution. This suggested education model utilizes three tools i.e., Pacsbin, ZOOM, and Google Classroom. Pacsbin was used for case collection, case exchange, and case presentation. Students can easily access the cases uploaded to Pacsbin over the Internet and can be reviewed by the application’s Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) viewer. A centralized classroom for assignments, reports, and discussion was created by using Google Classroom. ZOOM video conference readout was employed for the review of daily case collections in small groups. | Survey results from residents showed that following this project 78% of residents felt more prepared for the call, 78% were interested in the continuation of the project even after the pandemic, 78% were interested in extending this educational model in other specialties of radiology, and 78% found the caseload to be appropriate. Survey results from senior resident teachers revealed that the percentage of residents extremely interested in pursuing academic radiology increased from 43 to 57%. | Provided the ease of implementation of the described technological tools, this model has the tendency to be an excellent fit for any institution nationwide. |
8 | Research Letter (Maeda et al., 2020) [34] | Japan | Asia & Pacific | 35 | Postgraduate students | ZOOM | Endoscopic sinus surgery was instructed using PowerPoint lectures and videos on surgery on the Zoom application. Comments were acknowledged by chat or voice through the hand-raising method during and after the lecture. | The participants reported the adopted learning method was interactive or very interactive. | The use of online conferencing is beneficial not only for special circumstances but also in case of distance surgical education as it saves travel time and serves as an inexpensive mode of education. |
9 | Research Article (Parker, Chang, & Koch, 2020) [49] | UK | Europe | 70 | Undergraduate student | ZOOM | A comprehensive 2-week remote-learning course containing lectures, virtual slides, discussion groups, and unique case-based activities was developed. ZOOM meetings and chats were used to present lectures. ZOOM along with PowerPoint slides and PathPresenter with virtual slides was employed for morning didactics. Multiple strategies and technologies including screen annotation, “flipped classroom” slide presentations, and repetition of common themes were employed to increase engagement while distance learning | A nearly 10-fold increase in average pathology rotators and as well as positive attitudes toward pathology were observed. | The adopted method can be used to deliver lectures using an online platform. |
10 | Research article (Lee, Kim, Park, & Henning, 2021) [30] | Korea | Asia & Pacific | 86 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM platform | Assessment of the behavior of students for cheating fairness was performed on three technologies a tablet PC with a face-tracking option (face-tracking technology), ZOOM videoconferencing with side view of students face and posture, and random sequencing of questions test on a computer. | ZOOM platforms were found more effective technique to prevent cheating during the test and control cheating by 95% followed by random sequence questioning by 67%, and face tracking technology by 32%, respectively. | Provide a simple technology to control cheating and ensure fairness in the examinations. |
11 | Letter to the editor (Khan, 2021) [47] | Pakistan | Asia & Pacific | N/A | Undergraduate and postgraduate students | WhatsApp, ZOOM, Google Meet, and Facebook Live | Private groups were created for students from the same semester on Facebook, ZOOM, and Google Meet, and live sessions were delivered. Furthermore, the live sessions were also recorded and shared on the WhatsApp group of the same class to support revision. | The live sessions on Facebook were found more welcoming and suitable learning techniques with minimum resources while the added recorded lectures appeared beneficial to students with poor Internet connection issues. | Social networking and social media are found effective learning tools for developing countries. |
12 | Report (North, Vitto, Hickam, & Santen, 2020) [42] | USA | North America | N/A | Undergraduate students | Clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis sheet | Students were remotely linked with patients on cell phones, tablets, or other devices under the supervision of a resident. Students practiced history taking, differential diagnosis, clinical reasoning, and patient management skills. In the last, feedback from the students was taken. | The learning strategy has been found beneficial by the students which helped them to increase their clinical knowledge during the pandemic. | This design provided students an opportunity to practice real-world case studies from a remote setting in the present situation where practice in a direct clinical environment is not allowed. |
13 | Research Article (Chen, Kaczmarek, & Ohyama, 2020) [27] | USA | North America | 39 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM | Recorded video lectures were provided to the students. Live ZOOM polling was used to assess the perceptions and preferences of students related to recorded lectures and other course formats in post-course feedback sessions. | Students reported an overall worsening situation in learning after shifting toward e-learning. 44% of students responded the situation to be “somewhat worsened” and 26% responded as “significantly worsened.” Polling results showed an increased level of exhaustion, the same perceptions of attendance, decreased engagement and retention, a combination of pre-recorded lectures, recorded live lectures, and synchronous follow-up sessions were preferred and students were found to be similarly comfortable for both formats. Generally, students felt that more interactive virtual classes, like question-and-answer sessions and case-based small group discussions, would improve engagement. | A combination of synchronous and asynchronous modes of distance education for online future courses will improve student learning. |
14 | Research Article (Damien, Chappell, & van der Hoeven, 2021) [28] | USA | North America | N/A | Undergraduate students | WebEx and Canvas | Students were divided into small groups. Live sessions were delivered on WebEx and supplementary video lectures were provided on Canvas. At the end of the session, students were asked to submit a report comprised of three important lessons they learned. Furthermore, a quiz was also conducted on Canvas at the end of each session. | A positive feedback was received from the students. The use of multiple cameras, management of time, and order of lecture content were observed as important features of the successful delivery of online sessions. | The strategy could be the best alternative to simulation and hands-on learning during the period of social distancing. |
15 | Research Article (Guerandel, McCarthy, McCarthy, & Mulligan, 2021) [48] | Ireland | Europe | N/A | Undergraduate Students | N/A | A module based on live teaching, self-learning, tutoring, and peer support was presented. Workshops, small group tutorials, and Q & A sessions were conducted. Supplementary reading materials were provided along with tutor and peer review support through email and virtual meet up. In addition, the output of the students was also evaluated. | The learning approach was welcomed by students and trainers. It was reported as economic, easily accessible, flexible, and interactive. | The approach is beneficial for training a large group of students. Moreover, their study habits will be improved as a result of full-time course engagement. |
16 | Research article (Chiou, 2020) [43] | USA | North America | 300 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM, LabCam, and Canvas learning management system (Canvas-LMS) | PowerPoint lectures were delivered on ZOOM while the live microscope view was also shared to the students by remotely connecting the instructor’s mobile phone with the microscope using LabCam. Moreover, the sessions were also recorded and shared with the students. Tests were conducted on Canvas-LMS, and at the end, responses from students were recorded. | The results of the examinations were comparable to that of traditional learning whereas 67% of the students found the method best and interested. | The method is easy and inexpensive for microscopic learning, online lectures, and assessment. |
17 | Letters to the Editor (Cheong, Chee, Ng, & Jen, 2020) [32] | Singapore | Asia & Pacific | 13 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM, WebEx, and LearnHaem (https://learnhaem.com) | Microscope real-time slide images were taken and shared on online platforms during the lecture and the recorded sessions were uploaded on LearnHaem for being freely available to the students anytime from anywhere. | The evolution in learning methods was well welcomed by students. | Reduce the learning barriers during the time of the pandemic. |
18 | Letters to the Editor (Wang, Emmad, Jiayi, & Bartlett, 2021) [44] | Canada | North America | 50 | Postgraduate students | ZOOM, Articulate E-learning software, and IMS Cloud view | Provided daily (around 1.5 to 2 h) live lectures on ZOOM with neuroradiological case-based training using Articulate E-learning software and IMS Cloud view. | The residents observed improvement in their workflow. | Reduce the impact on radiological education and provide opportunities for medical residents to enhance their understanding and command of the course during the pandemic. |
19 | Letters to the Editor (Pacheco, Noll, & Mendonça, 2020) [51] | Brazil | South/Latin America | N/A | Undergraduate students | ZOOM, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and Athena Hub | Online sessions were conducted on ZOOM and Google Meet with weekly assessments on WhatsApp. The 3D anatomy software, Athena Hub, was also used. | Video sessions on Google Meet were more welcomed due to no time limit restriction as compared to ZOOM (40 min of time limit per session) and the use of 3D software minimized the gap to practical classes. | The innovative learning strategy is the best remote teaching alternative especially for anatomy students. |
20 | Research article (Chang, Jiang, & Xu, 2020) [35] | China | Asia & Pacific | 32 | Postgraduate students | CCMTV, WeChat, and ZOOM | Recorded video lectures were shared on the clinical network platform CCMTV with the students along with a time-bound assessment task. Discussion on each video was conducted on WeChat and the online ZOOM platform. Examinations were conducted on the ZOOM platform. The feedback of students regarding the quality of teaching was also recorded. | The model has been appreciated by the students and they have also found it helpful in completing their degree on time. | Although the method lacks practical learning but provides effective professional knowledge. |
21 | Research article (Hofmann, Harding, Youm, & Wiechmann, 2020) [45] | USA | North America | 14 | Undergraduate students | ZOOM | Virtual bedside teaching rounds were conducted on ZOOM. An iPad, connected to a computer, was used. Students connected to the videoconference observed and communicated with patients. Feedback, based on a four-point Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree, was filled at the end of each round. | More than 90% of the students agreed that the adopted methodology was beneficial and improved their clinical skills. They were interested to continue the virtual rounds in the future also. | This adaptation is one of the best alternatives to traditional bedside rounds. The method allows students to remotely interact with patients. |
22 | Research letter (Nelson, Marshall, Kelly, & Vuthiganon, 2020) [46] | USA | North America | 71 | undergraduate students | Harbor (a learning management System of the Medical University of South Carolina) and Microsoft Teams | Evidence-based research topics were provided through Harbor along with statistical methods, literature search tools, and as well as library resources. The students were supervised by more than 30 mentors through Harbor Blackboard’s open learning management system and Microsoft Teams. | The method was found to be helpful in maintaining socially distant mentorship, and thus, the research activities have not been affected by the pandemic. | Creates virtual research opportunities through a mentorship approach to help students complete their research projects on time during the pandemic. |
23 | Research article (Naidoo, 2020) [50] | Durban | South Africa | 31 | Postgraduate students | Zoom, Moodle, and WhatsApp | Three interactive online mathematical workshops on academic writing, accessing, and providing feedback for algebra, and identifying misconceptions in geometry were conducted using ZOOM and Moodle, and the workshop resources, videos, and recordings were shared on an online repository. In addition, two discussion forums were accompanied at the end of workshops using WhatsApp and Moodle in which the contents of the workshop were discussed. The participants were also asked about strengths, limitations, and their experience of using the above digital platforms. | The participants reported a positive response to discussion forums on WhatsApp and encouraged the sharing of workshop resources, videos, and recordings. However, they experienced difficulties while using ZOOM and Moodle and thereby wished for proper training before using the platforms. | Use of social media platforms in digital pedagogy is worthy whereas sharing of the training resources including recorded lectures and videos can help students access the shared contents anytime and from anywhere and engage them in the course. Yet, proper training and availability of resources should be ensured for digital education. |