Comparing in-person and virtual delivery of a national ophthalmology revision course: a mixed-methods evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid shift towards virtual learning. As such, the annual Duke Elder Preparatory Course pivoted to an online format using innovative teaching methods. There is a lack of prior studies directly comparing virtual to in-person delivery of the same revision course. We reviewed qualitative and quantitative student feedback across a four-year period from students who attended in-person (2019-2020, n = 103) and those who attended virtually (2020-2021, n = 215). We analysed key themes, including interactivity, attendance, and engagement, with a view to sharing key learning points with fellow educators. METHODS: An integrated didactic teaching approach was used in both the in-person and virtual cohorts, with an online platform for real-time multiple-choice questions. We evaluated student feedback from 255 attendees over a four-year period using a utilisation-focused evaluation approach. RESULTS: Global course feedback was consistently high, with a mean score of 86% for the in-person cohorts (n = 69) and 89% for the virtual cohorts (n = 186). There was a statistically significant improvement in the overall score for Content and Clarity for the virtual courses compared to the in-person courses (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The transition to virtual teaching can be efficient and effective for the delivery of revision courses. Students benefit from the removal of geographic barriers, the ability to interact with educators via technology-enhanced learning (TEL) and the flexibility of asynchronous virtual learning. This study highlights how educators can best utilise technological advances to improve online learning, reach larger audiences and actively monitor engagement. Virtual teaching enhanced by TEL can be used in place of in-person teaching to widen access to education and improve the student experience in large-group teaching.