Quality and Effectiveness of Virtual Education From the Viewpoint of Rehabilitation Professors and Students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: The emergence of COVID-19 and its prevalence in the global community had various economic, social, emotional, psychological, and educational impacts. The closure of schools and universities in the country because of the outbreak of COVID-19 has led to the emergence of e-Learning in education at all levels. Given the importance of virtual education during the pandemic and the need to improve its quality at schools and universities, this study aims to explore the quality, efficacy, and understanding of the strengths and drawbacks of virtual education from the perspectives of professors and students at Ahvaz Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In the domains of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and audiology, the current descriptive-analytical study was done with 17 professors and 210 undergraduate and postgraduate (master’s degree) students. The data was collected using the Persian version of the Watkins e-learning standard questionnaire and was analyzed via the SPSS software, v. 26. Results: From the professors’ perspective, the quality and effectiveness of virtual education based on different components of the questionnaire did not differ significantly and all dimensions were considered effective. However, the students considered the dimensions of technology access and online skills and relationships as strengths and faced challenges in the importance of success. Discussion: Considering the identified strengths and challenges, it seems that policymakers in the field of education should pay special attention to providing the necessary conditions and facilities to improve the quality of learners’ virtual education. Highlights • The overall quality of virtual education of professors in the Rehabilitation School of Ahvaz Jundishapur University was at a good level, and the overall quality of virtual education of most students was at a moderate level. • From the viewpoint of the professors in the Rehabilitation School of Ahvaz Jundishapur University, the quality and effectiveness of e-Learning based on different components of the questionnaire did not differ significantly; the quality of all dimensions was good. • The dimensions of technological access, online skills, and relationships had the greatest quality from the students’ perspective at Ahvaz Jundishapur University’s Rehabilitation School, whereas in the dimension of importance to success had the lowest quality. Plain Language Summary COVID-19 has affected various dimensions of life around the globe, including education, and led the education system to e-Learning. Given the importance of virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to assess its quality and effectiveness from the perspectives of professors and students in various fields and universities, this study examines the quality, strengths, and weaknesses of virtual education from the perspectives of professors and students at Ahvaz Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences’s Rehabilitation School. The overall quality of virtual education of professors was good and the overall quality of virtual education was moderate for most students. Professors evaluated the quality and effectiveness of virtual education in all dimensions of the questionnaire. Technology access, online skills, and relationships had the best quality in the eyes of the students, while the dimension of “Importance to success” had the lowest quality