Multidimensional evaluation of offline and online education in dermatology teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in a chinese teaching hospital: a cross-sectional study

Background The global spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to the use of online teaching methods in universities, but the effect of online education on dermatology teaching remains unclear. Methods We designed a multi-dimensional teaching evaluation form for data collection, student teaching feedback evaluation, and assessed the scores of final theoretical and clinical skill tests, to compare the effective difference between online and offline teaching of dermatology. Results A total of 311 valid questionnaires of medical undergraduates were collected, 116 of which were enrolled for offline learning, and 195 for online learning. The average score of final theoretical test in the online teaching group had no significant difference compared with that in the offline teaching group (75.33 ± 7.37 vs.75.63 ± 7.51, P = 0.734). However, both scores of skin lesion recognition test and medical history collection test in the online teaching group were significantly lower than that in the offline teaching group (6.53 ± 0.86 vs. 7.10 ± 1.11, P < 0.001; 6.70 ± 1.16 vs. 7.62 ± 0.85, P < 0.001). Additionally, the scores of understanding skin lesions in the online teaching group were significantly lower than that in the offline group ( P < 0.001), and the scores of overall understanding of skin diseases and evaluating their learning mode in the online teaching group also decreased ( P < 0.05). Among the 195 students enrolled in the online learning group, 156 students (80.0%) recognized that the time of offline teaching should be increased. Conclusions Both online and offline education can be used in dermatology theory teaching, but online education is less efficient in skin lesion and practical skills learning. More online teaching software with skin diseases characteristic should be developed to improve the online teaching effect.