Perceived Effectiveness and Student Satisfaction With Microsoft OneNote for Teaching Respiratory Physiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality Questionnaire

TL;DR

This study found that medical students were generally satisfied with using Microsoft OneNote for online respiratory physiology classes during the pandemic, though technology issues affected some experiences.

Contribution

The study explores the under-researched use of Microsoft OneNote as an interactive tool for online medical education during the pandemic.

Findings

Students reported high satisfaction with enthusiasm, rapport, and organization in OneNote-based teaching.

Technology-related satisfaction was lower, likely due to connectivity issues.

No significant differences in satisfaction were found based on age or gender.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an abrupt transition from in-person to online teaching, presenting significant challenges for medical education. While most educators relied on screen-sharing tools, such as Zoom or Google Meet, to present slide-based content (e.g., PowerPoint), the use of Microsoft OneNote as an interactive instructional interface remains underexplored. This study aimed to assess first-year medical students’ satisfaction and perceived effectiveness of Microsoft OneNote for teaching respiratory physiology.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur (AIIMS Nagpur), Nagpur, India, among first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students (n = 97) who attended over 90% of synchronous online sessions conducted using Microsoft OneNote alongside video conferencing platforms. A modified version of the validated Students’ Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS, version 22.0; IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY), applying descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA.

Results: Students reported high satisfaction in domains such as enthusiasm (mean = 4.61 ± 0.49), individual rapport (mean = 4.46 ± 0.52), and organization (mean = 4.36 ± 0.52). The technology domain scored lower (mean = 3.76 ± 0.47), likely due to connectivity issues. No statistically significant differences in responses were observed across age or gender.

Conclusion: Microsoft OneNote was perceived as an effective and engaging instructional tool for remote physiology teaching. Although the study assessed only perceived effectiveness, the results highlight OneNote’s utility in enhancing instructional clarity, interaction, and content organization. These findings support further exploration of its integration into routine blended medical education settings.

Figures