Being a Student and Faculty Member in the Faculty of Medicine During Pandemic: An Evaluation of Distance Education

Objective: We aimed to reveal the opinions of students and faculty members about the educational process in the distance education provided in a medical school during the pandemic period, the problems they encounter and their relationship with digital literacy levels. Methods: The design of the study is cross-sectional. An online survey including demographic information, positive and negative aspects of distance education, opinions about the process, and digital literacy scale was administered to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th year medical students and faculty members. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant in the data analysis. Results: A total of 513 individuals (52.9%) responded to the questionnaires. The mean digital literacy score was 3.42 +/- 0.84 for students and 3.57 +/- 0.82 for faculty members. For faculty members, age (B=-0.041, t=-2.72 p=0.009) and having no previous distance education experience (B=-0.813, t=-2.32 p=0.025), and for students, female gender (B=-0.287, t=-3.65 p < 0.001) and having no previous distance education experience (B=-0.343, t=-2.53 p=0.011). Conclusion: Distance education, which gained speed with the pandemic, will continue to exist in education in the coming years. Although the digital literacy scores of students and faculty members in the medical faculty are above average, advanced digital literacy will enable better and accurate use of digital technologies and a more effective and efficient education.