Adoption of online classes for anatomy learning during Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic – Participation, perception, and preference of basic medical students of a Nigerian University

Background: To sustain learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, there was the adoption of online teaching and learning for all academic programs, including anatomy in a Nigerian University. This study assessed the participation, perception, and experience of undergraduate students regarding the online classes adopted for uninterrupted anatomy learning during the pandemic. Methodology: The online class participation of 85 students of the nursing science, physiotherapy, and human anatomy programs was evaluated in four anatomy modules – systemic histology, systemic embryology, gross anatomy, and neuroanatomy. A survey was conducted to evaluate their perception and experience during the online classes. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. Results: The students had ≥ 96.5% active participation in each module. In comparison to physical classes, the distribution of perception of the students about online classes included less effective (50.6%), less interactive (48.2%), and more challenging time management (56.5%), requiring more self-discipline (65.9%), increased lecture hour per week (76.4%), and improved performance in class continuous assessments (58.8%), and a significant (P ≤ 0.05) majority reported the similar level of knowledge gained during the online classes. However, a significant (P ≤ 0.05) majority indicated a preference for the traditional physical classes. Conclusion: Online learning can be adopted to achieve comparatively similar learning outcome in anatomy courses when physical learning is not possible. Hence, a hybrid mode of learning for anatomy education should be developed in medical colleges to sustain learning during a global emergency that prevents physical learning.