Students' views about using whatsapp for learning histology during covid-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant challenges for the higher education system. The adopted measures to prevent community transmission have shifted face-to-face teaching to virtual education. The new adopted teaching and learning practices have raised the need for reinforcing the social dimension of learning. In this context, we have implemented the use of WhatsApp to interact and sharing academic contents in a small group of students in a Histology course. The aim of this study was to evaluate the students’ perceptions about the effectiveness of this social network in facilitating communication and sharing educational information, its usefulness in learning, and its ability to modify the affective dimension during the teaching-learning process. The results showed that students had a positive attitude towards the use of WhatsApp in the learning environment, so that it facilitated communication and group cohesion, favored learning and reduced anxiety in the face of evaluation. Thus, social networks must be integrated in learning process considering students’ characteristics.