Perception of Dental Students of Karnataka on Effectiveness of e-Learning during Covid-19 Pandemic – A Questionnaire Based Survey

Aim: e-learning has currently been used as a medium of education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning class among the dental students of Karnataka and adding a note on their concerns regarding their future plans. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was created with questions aiming at the effectiveness of e-learning and the concerns of the students regarding their future plans using the Google docs. It was circulated among the dental students of Karnataka using various social media platforms. Results: A total of 406 students completed the survey and nearly half of the respondents (51.1%) were glad to attend online mode of digital learning (73.3%). Of all the respondents, accessibility (88%) and problems related to poor internet connection (55.1%) was not reported as an issue. However, the state of mind of the students (79.9%), psychological stress (72.6%), and the lack of confidence in the clinical/ practical work (83.6%) seemed to be a major concern. A significant concern regarding their future plans was observed in terms of getting a job (58.3%), overseas studying (87.5%), and majority of them felt the requirement of additional training (85.5%). Conclusion: Despite good acceptance and adaptation to this new learning environment, the pandemic has shown to influence the future plans of the students.