Perceptions of COVID-19 Online Learning Students Based on Dreem in Class 2020 Students of the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia

A learning environment is anything that can influence changes in attitudes in teaching and learning activities which will further influence the achievement of learning outcomes and student development. A researcher wants to carry out research on student perceptions regarding changes in the online learning environment due to Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) in the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. The study aimed to describe the perceptions of the students toward five aspects of an online learning environment. This study was a descriptive research using a quantitive approach and the sampling technique used simple random sampling with 167 medical faculty student class 2020. One hundred sixty-seven respondents' data were collected using the specific measurement tool Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to measure the learning environment with univariate analysis. The results obtained from this research showed that the perception of students at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga towards the online learning environment is quite good with a score of 139.48. The result of this study indicated that the mean DREEM score was 139.48/200 (SD 22.76) is in the good category. Although the learning environment is in a good category, several points need to be improved so the faculty can increase the quality of the medical education.

INTRODUCTION

Student academic accomplishment is influenced by both internal and external factors. The success of student learning activities can be measured by their academic performance. It is important to consider both types of factors when evaluating student achievement¹¹. The learning environment is defined by various factors such as learning provisions and the applicable curriculum, peer association, and the environment of the related institution. The role of the learning environment becomes very crucial because the learning routine of students, especially medical students, is tiring and heavy. So the learning environment plays an essential role in student well-being²².

The Coronavirus Disease 19(COVID-19) pandemic has had many serious impacts in various fields, such as health, education, and socioeconomics³³. The COVID-19 pandemic had brought significant changes to teaching and learning activities in Indonesian education. The closure of educational facilities due to COVID-19 had led to a shift in the learning system to online-based⁴⁴. According to a survey at the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, it was stated that there was strict control over the spread of the virus so the online learning system was implemented⁵⁵. Online learning was implemented to replace offline learning⁴⁴. Changes in the learning system online during the pandemic were different and new things were also felt by pre-clinical students at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. These changes have both positive and negative impacts on the student learning environment and have a direct impact on academic achievement as well as student behavior. Understanding student perceptions of the online learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial. Changes in the online learning environment can disrupt the effectiveness of teaching and learning events.

The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a tool that can evaluate changes in the learning environment. DREEM has often been used in evaluating the learning environment in medical schools⁵⁵. This study aimed to describe student perceptions of changes in the online learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic among students of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Class of 2020.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was an observational study, in which the data were collected using a questionnaire in the form of an online platform (Google Forms). The type of research used was descriptive research with a cross-sectional approach. The sample of this study was representative of the entire population, consisting of the class of 2020 students totaling 167 students by using simple random sampling. Simple random sampling is a technique that ensures every individual in a population has an equal chance of being selected as a respondent⁶⁶. This study used the DREEM questionnaire which is a tool for collecting information about the validated learning environment. This questionnaire has been translated into the Indonesian language and has been tested with a reliability value of 0.88. The reliability test was conducted again because some points were adjusted to the online learning process. The questionnaire was administered to the population included in the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All collected data were processed and analyzed using univariate analysis techniques. The ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Airlangga approved this observational descriptive study on February 9, 2023, under the ethical clearance number 37/EC/KEPK/FKUA /2023.

RESULTS

Subject Characteristics

The response rate of this study was 58% (a total of 167 out of 287 students overall). Of the 167 students who participated, 51 (30%) were male and 116 (70%) were female. This ratio was derived from the overall population profile of a 30:70 male-to-female ratio.

DREEM Score

Table 1 shows the means and percentages of the DREEM global score and DREEM subscales in this study. The overall DREEM global score of the sample (n=167) was 139.48/200 (SD=22.67) which indicates that students overall had more positive perceptions of the learning environment at the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga.

Table 1.Global and Subscales DREEM Scores in College Students (n=167)

DREEM Subscales	Maximum Scores	Mean	SD	Percentage
SPoL	46	32.41	4.97	70%
SPoT	44	31.19	5.31	71%
SPAS	32	24.41	3.29	76%
SPoA	45	33.08	5.68	74%
SSSP	26	18.39	3.51	71%
Total Score	193	139.48	22.70	72%

Score of each Item of the DREEM Global Subscale

Table 2 shows some of the individual items of the DREEM based on the five subscales. Four question items with mean scores are below the mean score of two. The four question points come from the subscales of students' perception of the learning process, students' perception of the learning atmosphere, and students' perception of the social environment. Students perceived that online learning courses at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga emphasized long-term learning rather than short-term learning (1.59), online learning activities were also too faculty-centered (1.89), the learning atmosphere at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga did not motivate students (1.82) and student accommodation was not comfortable (1.78). There are seven points with a score of more than three. Nine points with a mean score of more than three indicate that online teaching and learning activities can develop student competencies (3.26), online teaching and learning activities do not overemphasize factual information (3.08), teaching staff are knowledgeable enough (3.50), teaching staff do not scorn students (3.17), teaching staff are able to provide good feedback to students (3. 00), students are confident that they can get through this academic year (3.51), students feel well-