Page 19 - IJSA, Vol. 3, No 2, 2020

рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa IJSA

Introduction
Anatomy is one of the fascinating subject in MBBS faculty to modify their teaching and assessment methods
curriculum which involves a lot of understanding of (S. Rafique & H. Rafique, 2013).
basics and knowledge of the clinical part. It is the study A systemic process of collecting, analyzing and
of the internal structure and structural design of the interpreting data in order to validate or judge students is
living things. assessment (Shamkuwar & Mokhasi, 2018). Nowadays
In the vast curriculum of MBBS, anatomy is one of the different innovative teaching techniques which bring
challenging subjects among the students. As 1st year about an interest in the students are introduced. There
MBBS students, anatomy doesn’t prove to be cake walk are many techniques like anatomical books, cadavers,
as students are newly exposed to the unfamiliar prosection anatomy 3D views, audio and visual learning.
environment of the curriculum. They are exposed to Among all this is online self assessment. Nowadays
totally new scenario of teaching and learning process students have become more familiar and expert in
(Jaiswal, Sathe, Gajbhiye, & Sathe, 2015). operating the electronic devices like smart phones,
The learning characteristics of students have been laptop, etc. The correlation of these devices with
extensively studied and numerous theories have been anatomy study can create a better combination in
proposed. For example, in the widely read theory of learning and practicing of the subjects (Davis &
andragogy, Knowles (1984) described adult students as Dargusch, 2015). Online self assessment is equally
self-directed learners whose knowledge acquisition important as online teaching and learning thus without a
occurs best when it is exploratory and task-oriented, proper comprehensive online assessment tool the
rather than via rote memorization. Learning involves the teaching or learning does not fulfil the purpose and
reorganization and transfer of new information from the cannot motivate the students so there was a need of
limited confines of working memory to the limitless immediate development of variety of online assessment
repository of the long term memory. Working memory, tools, programs with the prevailing COVID-19 crisis.
or what we can consider at conscious memory, is MCQ are reliable, valid and most easily assessable form.
characterized by storage durations as well as content Online assessment method can be accessible anywhere
capacities that both are very limited. Long term memory without any obstruction. Nevertheless, online
encompasses our repository of accumulated knowledge assessment tool can be of utmost help to the students
and therefore has a capacity that is theoretically (Obad et al., 2016). Keeping this technique in mind, the
boundless. The challenge facing each learner is to present study is conducted on perception of 1st year
organize new information, as it is added to this MBBS students towards an online assessment tool
repository, so that it can be successively retrieved and especially in the year when the world had to face the
applied in a timely fashion when needed. With that in COVID-19 crisis of the century.
mind a challenge facing anatomy educators is to The aim of the study. To determine the perception of first
effectively guide learning so as to maximize the year MBBS students on online self-assessment tool in
efficiency with the new knowledge is encoded in long anatomy, to evaluate their academic achievements
term memory (Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006). during COVID-19 crisis.
With the recent crisis and disruption of education system
due to COVID-19 crisis it’s the need of the hour to Materials and Methods
develop and strengthen the online mode of teaching and A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on
learning and online assessment of students through 50 students of first year MBBS who are currently into
development of technology. The paper (O’Byrne, Patry, the course of first year in Saveetha Medical College and
& Carnegie, 2008) describes the development and Research Institute Chennai after receiving Institutional
implementation of program based online anatomy Review Board clearance. Two online Google forms
learning and self-directed tools for undergraduate were prepared which gives a brief description and
faculty of health science students enrolled in first year response about the study.
combined anatomy and physiology courses at the Google form 1: This Google form contains challenging
university of Ottawa. and interest provoking questions on the topics of
Generally, students find it difficult in understanding of anatomy of heart and lungs. There are 20 questions
concepts and learning of the subject. Eventually students framed for the students to answer. The students were
get frustrated and lose their hopes over the subject as a asked to respond to the questions after the topics were
result, there is a loss of self-confidence among the completed. As this was a first hand experience for the
students. Among this confusion in the students, anatomy students the questions were kept simple and straight
professors play an important role (Nagar et al., 2012). forward. This form even consists of students details like
They act as helping hands for the students struggling name and email-id so that we can assess each particular
with the subject. The role of the faculty members in the student’s knowledge about the topic though
medical education is to influence the learning process. confidentiality was maintained throughout the study.
The introduction of multiple techniques of learning is The performance of students was analysed in detail.
necessary to create an easy learning among the students. Google form 2: This anonymous Google form consists
Students feedback is a useful basis for modifying and of questions about the students’ perception on the online
improving medical education (Bandyopadhyay & assessment tool in anatomy, basically a questionnaire
Biswas, 2017). Therefore, in developing the teaching about the students’ experience with the online
and assessment method it is necessary to get the assessment tool. This questionnaire involved questions
feedback from students that will later be useful for the like whether the students found it easy, whether it was a
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