A Cross-sectional Survey of SWOT Analysis on Online Teaching Methodology during COVID-19 Pandemic among Undergraduate Students at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Introduction: The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) was a global disaster that greatly impacted the education system. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis can be used to identify favourable and unfavourable factors and conditions in offline and e-learning systems, and to address problems in a targeted manner.Aim: To evaluate the understanding and perception of students regarding the online learning system through SWOT analysis. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Department of Pharmacology at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Tamil Nadu, India for a duration of one month in October 2021. The study included 589 undergraduate students from medical, dental, and allied health sciences. A preformed questionnaire using Google Forms was used to assess the students' perception of the online teaching methodology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was assessed using a five-point Likert scale, and results were expressed as numbers and percentages.Results: The present study reported that 52.46% of the study participants had a strong positive opinion about the convenience and flexibility of online learning methods, as they can be accessed from anywhere and at any time. However, 214 (36.33%) participants agreed that monitoring students during online teaching was more difficult compared to classroom teaching. During the pandemic, when all educational institutions were closed, 412 (69.95%) students felt that completing a course within a stipulated period was made possible by the online method. On the other hand, 401 (68.08%) students believed that some countries do not recognise certificates from online learning systems, as they may not provide sufficient practical experiences compared to classroom teaching.Conclusion: The current study showed that more than half of the study participants had a very favourable assessment of the portability and adaptability of online learning techniques. However, they also strongly felt that it was more challenging to keep track of students during online learning compared to traditional classroom methods. Online learning has both benefits and drawbacks, and it is important for individuals to decide how best to utilise it for their own gain while avoiding any negative side effects. Based on the experiences of the pandemic, it is crucial to find innovative solutions that are appropriate for different learning contexts.